To celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week and National Public Lands Day, SNWL will be holding a family fun, free event Saturday, Sept. 30, from 10am to 3pm at the Oak Savanna Learning Center!
Bring the entire family out to enjoy horse drawn wagon rides, conservation activities, and take a hike of the new granite hiking trails. Horse Drawn Wagon Rides will be held from 10:30 am until 1 pm.
Booths & Activities
There will be many fun activities happening throughout the day, including target practice with MN Bowhunters and Jake’s BB gun shooting range. Explore the Refuge on your own as there will be several service roads open to vehicles, from 8 am until 3 pm.
Friends of Sherburne NWR will educate event- goers on how the Friends support Refuge educational programs. Enjoy cookies, coffee, and cocoa courtesy of the Friends and celebrate the 52nd birthday of the Refuge with free cake at 12:30 pm.
See the tools and equipment the Refuge uses to manage refuge lands. Two food trucks will be on site to serve a variety of food selections at a reasonable cost. Test your skill at wildlife identification with furs, feathers and bones.
Staff from Elk River and Princeton Early Childhood Programs will help children design a nature journal and show them how to use it nearby. Take a wagon ride through the oak savanna to learn about this special habitat, its wildlife and plants. At 11am the Audubon Center of the North Woods will present “Raptors by Family.”
At 1 pm, Gary Moss, a renowned wildlife artist who has spent his entire life fishing, hunting, and observing nature, will give a reflection of his love and experiences with wildlife. Over the past 30 years his artwork featured by Mine and national conservation groups. During his presentation, he will tell the story of his career, his connection to Sherburne, and his process for creating the new murals in the lobby of the Learning Center.
LA kids’ photography contest exhibit will be available for viewing amazing photos taken at the Refuge by kids in grades K-12. A pollinator booth will be set up for folks to learn about the native pollinators that call the Refuge home and why they are important. Enjoy a hands-on activity learning about native seeds. Get your hands wet and explore the variety of invertebrates.
Come learn about the Sherburne Photo Club, see a demo on macro photography techniques and the gear that club uses to get that perfect shot! Support the Friends of Sherburne by bidding on many great donated items. See the effects of poaching and view the poachers wall of shame trailer.
