The Annual Sherburne Wildlife Festival took place last Saturday on the Refuge’s Oak Savanna Learning Center and its surrounding trails.

 

The festival was held to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week (Oct. 14 to 20), National Public Lands Day (September 22nd) and Urban National Wildlife Refuge Day (Sept. 29). Approximately 1,450 participated in the events of the day despite the chilly weather!

 

There were 22 booths with different wildlife and nature-related information and activities. 

 

People from all over came to the festival. Families, couples, and parents with kids strolled the area to view the attractions. A campfire was lit for those trying to stay warm, and free hot chocolate was served. At midday, a celebratory cake was cut and free slices given to those in attendance. Complimentary cookies and coffee were also made available. Visitors enjoyed eating lunch and snacks from the Firehouse, the Grand Stand and Kracklin’ Rosies food trucks as well. 

 

Several items were displayed on the tables for the silent auction. People browsed many cool things from rustic frames, hand painted wooden ducks, and garden mandalas to handmade fishing nets, hand carved figurines, board games, antler mounts, and more. These items were donated by sponsors, partners, and volunteers. The Friends of Sherburne raised $957 in proceeds.

 

Vendors and partners include the Minnesota Zoo, the Raptor Center, Sherburne Soil and Water Conservation District, St. Cloud State University American Indian Center, Handke Nature Explore Center, Ecological Services, University of Minnesota Entomology Department (Frenatae Graduate Organization), National Wild Turkey Federation, Diamond K Percherons and the Minnesota Herpetological Society.

 

The main event for the afternoon was the Minnesota Zoo’s presentation “Cool Animals of the North” featuring Slash the Red-Tailed Hawk, Marcy the Opossum, Bob the Blandings Turtle and Goldie the Bull Snake. 

 

Artist Gary Moss was also present to discuss his amazing art work during the “Meet the Artist” event; he spoke about his 40-year-long painting career and why he chooses the Refuge as a place of inspiration. 

 

For those looking for interactive things to do, a tent was up with a shooting range for hitting targets and even an Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) booth for children who wanted to play with stickers or color with markers. People were also given the opportunity to wade into cold water and explore the aquatic invertebrate life, go on guided hikesand share photography tips!

 

Interpretation on the wagon rides was available as well as golf cart mobility for those needing assistance moving to and from different booths. 

 

Although the main sponsor was the non-profit partner, Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, a number of other sponsors worked together to make this event possible including the following: Crystal Cabinet Works, Connexus Energy, Elk River Lions, Princeton Auto Center, Medtronic, Prairie Restoration, Ace Solid Waste, Bank of Elk River, Becker True Value Hardware, Cub Foods, Diamond City Bread, Katrina Lynn, Norwegian Wood, Papa’s Italian, Sherburne State Bank, Sand Dunes Auto Service, Jim’s Market and United Health Group.

 

It was a fun event filled with an extraordinary amount of learning and interaction with nature.