BirdFest & Bluegrass 2018 The 19th Annual BirdFest & Bluegrass Festival is this weekend, October 5th-7th!  2018 marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, National Geographic, the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and BirdLife International will join forces with more than 100 other organizations and millions of people around the world to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.” Note- this year we will have a new schedule- all in town events will be Saturday only, with kick-off events Friday evening, and Refuge-centered events on the Carty Unit Sunday. Make sure you take a moment to stop and buy the button with benefits! Get free ice cream, entry to the Misty Mamas Concert Saturday afternoon and more! (click flyer to view or download) We hope to see you Friday, October 5th for our kickoff event at the Sportsmans Steakhouse from 5:30-7:30pm. There will be food, raffle prizes, BirdFest-themed drinks, and more! Have fun while supporting the Friends! |
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Thank you for the GiveMore24 Support!  Thank you for supporting the Friends during the GiveMore24 campaign! 74 individual donors helped us blow past our $5,000 goal over the course of the campaign. The funds raised during GiveMore24 will be an integral source of support for our habitat, cultural, and education programming on the Refuge. From all of us at the Friends, thank you! |
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Purple Martin Monitoring results and Fall Migration As previously reported here, our Purple Martin condominiums (i.e. gourds on poles) were set up in April by Randy Hill and his team along with help from Vancouver Audubon. There were 48 units set up around the refuge (usually eight on each pole). One pole could be observed from the entrance of the River S. Initially, a single gourd was placed on each pole on April 3rd; sort of a “new homes coming” signal to the martins. The full sets were completed later in the month. The team has been working on this project for six years now, so the first order of business... Keep Reading... -Susan Setterberg, Volunteer & Board President |
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex News & Events Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Naturalist-led Hikes - Birding at Ridgefield NWR The following hikes are led by Ron Escano. They start at 8 am at the respective trailhead and last two to three hours. These hikes are free, however, you are required to pay the Refuge $3 daily entrance fee (free with Federal Lands Pass or Refuge Annual Pass). Please bring cash or applicable pass and allow yourself an extra 5 minutes to register at the self-service kiosk. Click here for more information Limited space is available. Sign up for any of the listed walks by calling the Ridgefield Office at (360) 887-4106 or emailing Mesha Wood, mesha...@fws.gov with number in your party and contact info. Oaks to Wetlands Trail on the Carty Unit:
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 7:30 am to 3:30 pm at |
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Cathlapotle Plankhouse Don’t forget all the great BirdFest events still happening on the Carty Unit on Sunday, October 7th, including partner booths, Salmon Bake and more!
Second Sunday- Welcoming Fall to the Lower Columbia River October 14, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM 8:00 AM “Early” Bird Walk with Refuge Naturalist. 12:30 PM “Life in the Big House”
Join Jordan Mercier (Confederated Tribes of the Grand Rhonde), as he discusses the role and meaning of the Plankhouse in the Lower Columbia River region of the Pacific Northwest. 2:00 PM Refuge Naturalist-led Walk
Join us for a wetlands walk focused on the changing of the seasons and the resulting impact on the landscape. Meet at the bump-out (bench area) of the Carty entrance bridge. 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Plankhouse Tours and Activities
Explore hands-on displays inside the Plankhouse and family-friendly activities throughout the day. Cathlapotle Plankhouse- Carty Unit, 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642- Free with $3.00 per vehicle refuge admission. (click flyer to view or download)
Stay tuned for next month and learn more about all of the events across the county for Native American History and Culture Month.
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. |
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Habitat Restoration Updates & Events As summer on the Refuge comes to a close and V formations of various species glide onto the refuge, Friend’s volunteers were busy both at Ridgefield and in the Gorge restoring, improving, and creating habitat for a variety of species. Hours were spent clearing and spraying blackberries and other invasive plants in preparation for upcoming winter plantings. Tens of hours of seat time was put in by our volunteer tractor operator who, alongside FWS and Friend’s staff, mowed for the benefit of waterfowl and the reduction of competition within our past plantings. Keep Reading...
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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards Events (click to view larger or download) |
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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, PK822. 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! |
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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. |
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| Header Photo Credit: Gretchen Thompson 2010 Refuge Photo Contest Honorable Mention |
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| 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? 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? How about a night out at Ilani, or a beautiful yard courtesy of Shorty's Nursery? |
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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 Wednesday and 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 Auto Tour. 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! |
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Ridgefield First Saturday: MultiCultural Festival October 6, 2018 9am - 6pm Enjoy the sights and sounds of fall migration and bluegrass music throughout Ridgefield! Events are part of the larger BirdFest & Bluegass Festival. |
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California Scrub Jay Aphelocoma californica Our BirdFest & Bluegrass 2018 Bird of the Year is the California scrub jay. The California scrub jay was once lumped with the island scrub jay, and Woodhouse's scrub jay, collectively called the western scrub jay. The group was also lumped with the Florida scrub jay; the taxon was then called, simply, the scrub jay. The California scrub jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub jays as "blue jays", the blue jay is a different species of bird entirely. California Scrub-Jays are those blue and gray jays making all the noise in your yard. These assertive, vocal, and inquisitive birds are often noticed silhouetted high in trees, on wires, or on posts where they act as lookouts. Scroll down to the bottom of our BirdFest and Bluegrass Event page to keep reading... Photo By: Gary Davenport 2012 Refuge Photo Contest Honorable Mention |
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Business Members
Granting Organizations & Partners
BirdFest & Bluegrass
In-Kind Support |
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