Please keep in mind that these hikes are limited, and only sign up for one or two at a time.
Upcoming walks start at 8 am at the Carty Unit of the Refuge and are limited to 15 people. These generally last two to three hours but you are welcome to stay as long or short as works for you. Walks are free but the $3 refuge daily fee does apply. For more information about the fee and rules of the refuge click here.
For questions and to sign up for the following opportunities send an email to email RidgefieldVolunteer@fws.gov with the following information:
For groups looking for guided tours see the Education Page
Questions that are not answered here or just can’t get something to work? Call the office at 360-887-4106.
Birding with Ron Escano:
Birding with Robert Vanderkamp:
Ron has years of experience guiding local birding groups. Whether you are new to birding and the refuge, are looking to sharpen your skills, or just hope to find a group to bird with, Ron is a great person to spend a morning with. His pace is relaxed, but thorough, making sure everyone has seen or heard each species. Ron will help new birders focus on key identification points to build their bird knowledge while sorting through the nuances of sparrow calls for more advanced birders.
Before moving here from Michigan, Robert led bird walks as the President of his Audubon Chapter for 17 years. He has been watching birds for most of his adult life and lives by the motto “care and share”. He loves talking to people about birds and is excited to host bird walks at the Carty Unit every second Saturday of the month. We will post these a few months at a time to accommodate for any needed changes in schedule.
Ken has been volunteering for the Refuge for many years and after recently retiring, we are glad to have him leading guided walks now twice a month. He is an excellent birder, teacher and a great lead for any one new to birding. When he is not leading bird walks, he can be found out in nature doing wildlife photography from his backyard to all over southern WA and northern OR, supporting the Gorge Refuge Stewards Photography group and their Youth Photography contest.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this event for all. Please Direct all requests for sign language interpretation service, closed captioning, or other accommodations to Mesha_Wood@fws.gov, 360-887-4106 TTY 800-877-8339 with your request.
All walks are provided in collaboration with the Friends of Ridgefield and the Gorge Refuge Stewards.
Sign up by calling: 360-887-4106
Email: RidgefieldVolunteer@FWS.gov
If you are curious about what to expect on one of these walks, visit the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge page on eBird! You can even find bird checklists from our walk leaders. If you look at the date and time of a previous bird walk you can see how long the walk was and what species they saw! This online resource is used to collect citizen science data about bird sightings in different areas all over the world.
NOTE: eBird is an external resource run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology through Cornell University. If you click the above link, it will take you off the refuge website onto their website.
When Amazon removed AmazonSmile, we lost our Amazon Wishlist access. Now, we have finally started one back up! Shop for items that the Friends and the Refuge Complex need to help with everything from habitat restoration to events like BirdFest & Bluegrass, and help support wildlife in little and big ways.
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Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (PK822). For more information, please visit the link below.
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