Spring Volunteer Naturalist Trainings! (click flyer to view larger or download)  Whether you want to work with students and the public to spread the conservation message, teach about local indigenous culture, or get your hands dirty doing habitat work, this training will show you how local refuges manage habitat and inspire people. This four part interactive series will include presentations, activities, and field trips. Topics being developed may include major restoration techniques such as fire management, oak restoration, wetland and field conservation for waterfowl, and floodplain restoration in the Gorge. Local indigenous culture and the long history of habitat conservation by First Peoples will be explored through the Cathlapotle Plankhouse. Species specific presentations and tours of the Refuge will highlight the wildlife that benefit from these activities and communication techniques to share this great work with our surrounding communities. Trainings will be Saturdays: March 31-What Makes a Refuge Unique
April 7-Connecting People to Nature April 14-Lifeways and Landscapes April 21-Wetlands and Wildlife *Note: March 14th will be Cathlapotle Plankhouse Day- Required for docents and Carty Trail Stewards |
|
New Benefits of Membership! New Businesses on our Member Card!  Thanks to our new board member, Spiritual Leader of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe Tanna Engdahl, we were able to add some new discounts to the coupon section of our member card! Now, members can receive 10% off at select Ilani Restaurants! If you have an old member card and would like the new one but it isn't time to renew, contact us with your contact info and we will get you a new card. |
|
Have you done your taxes yet? If not, get some help from H&R Block and help us out at the same time! For every new client who files their taxes with H&R Block or Block Advisors, $20 will be donated to The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge! The total donation amount is unlimited! Print or show the flier below with our nonprofit number at your local H&R Block to get started! (click to view or download) |
|
Ridgefield Refuge Complex News & Events Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Environmental & Cultural Education Program
Thank you for visiting the refuge and supporting conservation. If you have any questions regarding activities and regulations on the refuge, call the office Monday through Friday 7:30am to 3:30 pm at 360-887-4106. |
|
Cathlapotle Plankhouse  Cathlapotle Plankhouse Second Sunday Series We will be celebrating Lifeways and Landscapes throughout the 2018 season.  Each Second Sunday of the month we will feature speakers, demonstrators, and other presenters focused on topics that relate to indigenous culture and the rich habitat provided by the Refuge. You can look forward to topics relating to indigenous women’s labor, ancestors and grandchildren, seasonality, ancestral oak stands, and of course our always popular Traditional Technologies Day.
Second Sundays begin in May and will continue through December. This year we are experimenting with a longer series and have added three additional events to the tail end of our series, extending it to the end of the year. We hope that you enjoy this additional programming and hope to see you often!
Save the Date!
Saturday, May 5th, the Cathlapotle Plankhouse opens to the public. Hours are from 12 to 4 Saturdays and Sundays. The House remains open until BirdFest 2018 in October.
Interested in learning more about local indigenous cultures? Do you have a passion for our regional landscape? Be sure to attend April 14, the Plankhouse Day, in our Naturalist Training Series! Come join our team of citizen educators, docents, and trail stewards at the Carty Unit.
(click link to view the Plankhouse listing) Preserve America is a national initiative in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; the U.S. Departments of Defense, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation, and Education; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities; and the President's Council on Environmental Quality. |
|
Last months answer was a first year male Common Goldeneye (check out the species spotlight for more information)! Terry Anderson was the first to get it totally right by guessing male, and Robin Bradford and Roger Windemuth both guessed the species correctly as well! There is some debate on the gender, but after careful consideration, and lots of research, we decided there is the barest hint of a white patch developing behind the bill, it lacks the yellow bill tip the females usually have, and it most closely resembled #11 and #15 on this list. Compare for yourself with the photo from last month here. (click photo to view larger) Every so often, guests will send us photos to help identify wildlife on the Refuge, and we want to see if you can do it too! What do you think these little guys are?
Email your answers to con...@ridgefieldfriends.org and we will announce who got it right, and what the answer is, in next month's newsletter! Stay tuned! And, if you have a photo that took some time to identify, or that you need help with, send it our way and it may end up here! |
|
Habitat Restoration Mostly Mild March Volunteers spent March on the Refuge finishing up plantings and starting in on spring cleaning. Despite our somewhat abbreviated winter season, close to 400 trees and shrubs were planted across the landscape. Nine different species were planted to enhance habitat... Keep Reading...
|
|
Slithering Snakes! The beginning of warmer weather has resulted in the emergence of our refuge snakes. They have been spotted sunning near the blind and, unfortunately for a few, in the deadly jaws of Great Blue Herons. We have three snake species on the Refuge: Red-spotted (Common) Garter Snake, Northwestern Garter Snake and the Rubber Boa. All snakes are an important part of the natural food chain... Keep Reading... -Susan Setterberg, Volunteer & Board President Photo: Red-spotted (Common) Garter Snake |
|
We Are Stewards- FYI98642 Local resident, Byron Brink, brings attention to the Refuge, and the impacts of the community around it, in two parts.  Byron Brink has a history of being outspoken about the development happening in and around Ridgefield, with articles in the Columbian and The Reflector over the years, all highlighting the rapid expansion of homes in Ridgefield and their impact on the town, the schools, and the Refuge. Because of one such article, local blogger Kathy Winters reached out to ask him to write a piece for her popular Ridgefield blog, FYI98642. The response came in two parts, which you can read here: |
|
2018 Events to Save the Date for: Keep an eye out for more information on these events!  Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Annual Fundraiser 2018:
|
|
Partner Events to Save the Date for: Tualatin River Bird Festival: May 19th, 2018  The Friends of the Refuge, in conjunction with Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, welcome you to our 22nd Annual Tualatin River Bird Festival. This is a FREE family-friendly event! Join thee Friends of the Refuge for diverse family-friendly activities celebrating wildlife and wild places. Big Paddle: June 2nd, 2018
There’s something for absolutely everyone on this fun-filled day  downtown and on Lake River. Breakfast, paddling, obstacle course, live music, beer & wine garden, BIG games and a Totally Awesome Scavenger Challenge! Registration is already open! Check out the schedule HERE, and sign up today! |
|
Help the Friends and the Refuge When You Shop When you link your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to the Friends, you help us earn donations from Fred Meyer Community Rewards. It doesn't change your regular personal shopping and fuel rewards, but it does make a meaningful contribution to our work on the Refuge. It's easy to sign up. Just go to www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. You can search for us by our name, Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, or by our non-profit number, 89824. Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping the Friends earn a donation to support the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. If you do not have a Rewards Card, they are available at the Customer Service desk of any Fred Meyer store. Shop and Give Online at AmazonSmile.com  Log on to smile.amazon.com, shop as you usually would and .5% of your purchase will be donated directly to the Friends. Use the special link, smile.amazon.com, with your existing user name and password. To set up your AmazonSmile account, click this link: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/91-2018749. When prompted to select a charity, choose the Friends of Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. Begin shopping as you normally would and the Friends will receive 0.5% of eligible purchases. Or Shop Online and Give through Giving Assistant  Giving Assistant makes it easy to donate to Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge! Simply shop online, earn cash back, and donate as much as 30% of your purchase price—Giving Assistant facilitates the whole process. Now, you can help change the world for free while saving money at over 3,000 popular online retailers like Home Depot, ULTA, and Macy’s! Start HERE! Thanks for being an EcoShopper and helping the Refuge! |
|
Follow the Friends on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Want regular updates on Refuge events and happenings? Follow the Friends on your favorite social media by clicking the logos below to stay connected even when you are off the Refuge. |
|
Header Photo Credit: William Lee, 2010 Photo Contest Honorable
Mention |
|
| Benefits of Membership: Discounts at Local Businesses for New and Renewing Members: Would you like to enjoy a cup of coffee from Ridgefield's Seasons after a morning hike on the Refuge? Or perhaps breakfast before you head out on the auto tour route at End of the Road Cafe? Lunch at Vinnie's Pizza in-between the River 'S' and Carty Units? Dinner and drinks at the Historic Sportsman's Restaurant and Lounge after a busy day of wildlife viewing (5% off with member card!)? Or maybe you would like to get a discount on some supplies at Shorty's or Backyard Bird Shop? |
|
Types of Volunteer Opportunities: Habitat Restoration Volunteers get to see the most beautiful places on the refuge while helping to ensure that native wildlife have food and shelter. Summer work is focused on maintaining winter plantings and controlling invasive plants that threaten to take over habitat. Crews meet on most Wednesdayand Saturday mornings. Refuge and Trail Greeters Over 120,000 visitors flock to the refuge annually to enjoy nature through participation in wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, cultural interpretation, hunting, and fishing. Volunteers help to make their experiences meaningful. Share your enthusiasm for nature and make the Refuge a welcoming place for people walking our trails, stopping at the Visitor Contact Station and driving the AutoTour. Cathlapotle Plankhouse The Cathlapotle Plankhouse draws thousands of visitors to the Refuge each year. Help share the legacy of the Indigenous people who have tended to this place since time immemorial as a Plankhouse Docent or Cultural Educator. Field trips take place during the weekdays. Docents staff the house on weekends from April - September. Education Help us inspire the next generation. Kids of all ages need hands-on learning and inspiration in the great outdoors as part of a well-rounded education. We need your help to make their visit to the Refuge fun and memorable. Field trips take place during the weekdays starting in April.
Don’t forget to glance at the Refuge calendar, your one-stop shop for fun activities and volunteer opportunities! |
|
Ridgefield FirstSaturday: Detective Mystery April 7, 2018 9am-2pm Hilariously exciting, fun interactive murder mystery theater entertainment while enjoying a a walk around downtown Ridgefield – starting with the murder at Overlook Park. |
|
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula The common goldeneye is a medium-sized duck, named chiefly for its brilliant amber yellow eyes which, along with its dark green iridescent head, add a splash of color to the gloomy winter shades of the Northwest. The common goldeneye is the more numerous of the two goldeneye species, often seen in small flocks but sometimes in large groups as well. These ducks are divers. Interestingly, when feeding, all the birds in one section of a flock may dive... Keep Reading... -Victoria Haugen- Board Secretary Photo By: WikimediaCommons Deleted Flickr link |
|
Help Represent the Friends & the Refuge at Community Outreach events! We are looking for a few dedicated volunteers who love the Refuge and would like to help others discover what makes this place special. Learn More... |
|
Business Members
Our Sponsors Clark Public UtilitiesThe ColumbianCorwin BeveragesEnvironmental Paper & PrintFred Meyer Community RewardsNational Environmental Education FoundationNational Fish & Wildlife FoundationParr LumberPelican Brewing Co.
Portland Audubon
|
|
|
