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2016 Refuge Photo Contest
Submit your favorite nature images taken within the boundaries of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to the 10th Annual 2016 photography competition!
ADULT PRIZES:
Gift Cards from Pro Photo Supply
1st Place: $300 Gift Card
2nd Place: $150 Gift Card
3rd Place: $100 Gift Card
9 Honorable Mentions: $25 Gift Card
YOUTH PRIZES:
Gift Cards from Pro Photo Supply
1st Place: $100 Gift Card
2nd Place: $75 Gift Card
3rd Place: $50 Gift Card
Submission Requirements
- All entries must be digital uploads only.
- Photos must be submitted in JPG format.
- Each file submission size should be no larger than 5MB in size.
- You may submit up to six (6) digital images total for both the Adult or Youth contest.
- Entries must be submitted by Tuesday, September 6, 2016 to www.ProPhotoSupply.com.
- Contest is open to all photographers both professional or non-professional.
- Photos must have been taken within areas of the Refuge that are open to the public during public accessible hours.
- Any refuge scene whether wildlife, plants, or scenic landscape are eligible. Photos of the Plankhouse and landscapes are especially encouraged.
- Color and/or black & white images are allowed.
- Elements or objects not in original scene should not be added.
- Limited image modifications are allowed: watermarks, signatures, or copyright notices MUST be removed prior to submission.
- Add-on lenses, filters, and scopes are permitted without restriction.
- All finalist photographers will be notified and required to resubmit their winning image(s) in a 300 dpi JPEG format no smaller than 8×10/8×12 inches (1500 x 2100 pixels) by Thursday, September 22, 2016.
- This contest is open to everyone except for employees of Pro Photo Supply, contest judges, other participating sponsors and those living in the same household.
- If submission requirements are not followed, the application and images may not be judged
For more info and to submit click here!
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BirdFest and Bluegrass Receives Mindful Birding Award
The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge were chosen to be the recipient of a 2016 Mindful Birding Award for our efforts to promote ethical birding guidelines and bird conservation through Birdfest and Bluegrass and all events on the refuge.
In order to receive this award, the Friends have demonstrated a commitment to ethical birdwatching behavior by adopting and adhering to a code of birding ethics marked by clarity, specificity, and restraint. We have created a code of ethics to provide guidance on how birders can achieve safe and gratifying birdwatching experiences without altering the ability of birds to behave naturally. Additionally, we published these ethics online under the "Rules and Regulations" of visiting the refuge.
Birdfest and Bluegrass offers a variety of birdwatching activities that will connect participants to nature through the splendor of birds. By strengthening participants’ connections to nature, and by providing guidance on ethical birding and nature conservation, the Friends are serving as a model for other birding festivals and helping attendees become even stronger messengers for and supporters of conservation for birds and people.
Mindful Birding is a charitable project of the Morrissey Family Foundation that presents ethical birding guidelines from around the world, and offers awards to birding festivals that demonstrate improved or superior ethics. The project has three goals: (1) increase awareness among birders of ethical birding guidelines, (2) increase the conservation contributions from America's birdwatchers, and (3) encourage a practice of mindfulness among birders. To learn more, view past award recipients, and browse ethical birding guidelines, visit the website: www.mindfulbirding.org
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Rules and Info for Pokémon Go Players
If you plan to come down to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in order to get your egg hatching steps or hunt Pokémon, please keep these things in mind:
1. Please stay on all marked paths and follow all closure and private property signs
2. Turn the volume down to zero
3. Watch where you are going, be aware of your surroundings, other people, and the wildlife you may come upon.
4. Pay your entrance fee- please don't park in the lot to play without paying.
The Refuge is designed as a place for wildlife to feel safe and protected, where birds, deer, and more can build homes without fear of harassment or of being startled. Loud noises such as music and sound effects from a phone, inattentive hikers, or accidental habitat destruction from leaving a designated path, can cause lasting damage to animals, plants, and their environment-- some which might never recover. So please keep these guidelines in mind, and click the map link below for printable refuge trail maps.
With all that in mind, we also wanted to let you know there are at least 5 gyms located on the refuge, and a variety of PokéStops all over, so the refuge is a great place to play if you can do it quietly and safely.
For rules, entrance fee info, and more click here!
Remember to follow refuge rules and restrictions at all times, thank you!
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Tips for Summer Refuge Visits
 The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge want to share some tips for a successful and fun visit to the refuge this summer:
1. Water: Make sure to bring water with you whether you are planning a long or a short visit, it is going to be a hot summer and there is no access to drinking water on the refuge.
2. Restroom facilities: There are restrooms at the trailheads of both the Carty and River 'S' Units, and one stop right before the Kiwa Trail on the River 'S' Auto Tour Route, but there are no other facilities available to the public.
3. Bring a Snack: Just like with water, we want you to stay healthy and happy, plan to bring a snack on longer walks, but keep in mind there are no picnic areas on the refuge.
4. Trash Receptacles: There are no trash cans available so please pack out anything you bring in with you, we really appreciate it, and the wildlife does too!
5. Appropriate Shoes: If you plan to walk anywhere on the refuge, we recommend wearing shoes that protect your feet. While refuge staff strive to keep grasses, poison oak and stinging nettle back from the trails, they are always around, as well as fallen branches, rocks and more.
6. Fire: Fireworks and burning are strictly prohibited on the refuge, please protect our wildlife.
7. Ticks: Ticks are crafty, even on open trails they can find their way onto humans, so make sure to check yourself after a visit to the refuge.
Fun Facts:
From now until September 30th, you can walk along the River 'S' Unit Auto Tour Route. So now you can get out of your car and see more wildlife up close!
Dragonflies are out in abundance this time of year and can be seen everywhere on the refuge!
The Purple Martins are nesting in the hanging gourd shaped houses provided for them near the head of the Auto Tour Route and can be seen during the day.
And once again, don't forget to bring water! Thank you and we hope you have a great summer at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge!
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From the River 'S' Contact Station
Summer time always feels like the slow time on the refuge. There is still plenty of activity but the pace slows with the end of Spring migration and settling in to nest season. After singing boldly to attract mates, some birds go completely quiet. They don’t want to attract attention to their nest sites. And then you hear the begging of chicks in the nest.
Frustration sets in when the leaves are so thick and the grasses are so high. “Why haven’t they cut the grass?” is a frequent question we get at the contact station. Well, many birds nest in the grass, so mowing takes away their shelter, and could take their lives. The Columbia White-tailed Deer fawns shelter in the grass, freezing in place to avoid being seen by predators. Our biologist decides when is the safest and best time to cut the high grasses, keeping the wildlife in mind. By the time you read this newsletter, all the grasses will be mowed and hay baling will have been done. That is the time to look for Northern Harriers using the bales as look-out perches.
But even with the challenge of dense foliage and high grass, there is plenty to enjoy. What is fun is to see the ducklings following their mothers. The dads don’t stick around; raising ducklings is left to the moms. On one drive around late on a recent Sunday afternoon, I saw Mallard, Shoveler, Gadwall, Cinnamon Teal and Wood Duck families on the open ponds and sloughs. The ducks can be a little challenging to tell apart at this time of year with the colorful males absent. Size helps if you have several species in one place, but is not always reliable when you are looking at one duck family. Look carefully at the ducklings and you can see each species is different. Unfortunately, none of the field guides have pictures of ducklings to help identify them. But note the head patterns, spots and color variations. The females are not always easy either, but I find one good clue is to look at head shape and bill. Shovelers have that very long, shovel like bill. Have you noticed that the Cinnamon Teal also has a shovel shaped bill which is a bit smaller? Teals are very small in comparison to Shovelers; though they are all in the same genus, Anas.
One of my favorites, as it is for many of our visitors, is the Wood Duck. They are often spotted in the sloughs opposite the walk to the blind or further down beyond the Kiwa Trail head. Their head shape is distinctive. They all look like they are wearing a little helmet. As the ducklings mature, you can see an echo of the male’s patterning on the head.
If you have questions about what you are seeing or where to find some of the animals, do stop by the contact station and ask. We love talking to our visitors.
Reporting from the River 'S' Contact Station- Susan Setterberg, Volunteer
Photo By: Samantha Zeiner
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex
News & Events
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
The US Fish & Wildlife Service and Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge want to know "What can you imagine?"
We invite you to join us for the first of three community meetings to provide input on what you imagine the future Community & Nature Center could look like.
Thursday, August 11th, 2016
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Water Resources Education Center
Anyone with ideas is invited to come.
(click poster below for larger pdf version)
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.
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Cathlapotle Plankhouse
Update & Events
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Second Sunday Event:
August 14th, 12-4pm
Located at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse:
28908 NW Main Ave.
Ridgefield, WA 98642
12 pm: Guided Hike- Bird Language for Beginners
2pm: Guided Hike: A Walk Through the Oaks
Demonstrations & Hands-On Activities:
- Carving, weaving, and Native Art Design demonstrations with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Lifeways Students
- Natural Paints & Pigments
- Chinuk Wawa Language
- Atlatl Throwing and Archery
- Friction Fire & Flintknapping
- Cordage Making & Ethnobotony
Event is free after $3 Refuge admission
(Click this poster for a link to our website)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is committed to providing access to this event for all participants. Please direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodations needs to Juliet McGraw, 360- 887-4106, Plankhouse@gmail.com. TTY 800-877-8339 with your request by close of business one week before the event.
Plankhouse Clean-Up Day Recap
'The Plankhouse Clean-Up Day was a great success and we had an amazing crew that worked diligently all day. Every single thing that wasn’t bolted down was moved! The Plankhouse was swept, dusted, vacuumed, repaired and raked- everything from rafters to floor.
Over 90 work hours were accounted for, and while more was done than could possibly be listed, we wanted to showcase a few highlights of individual projects:
We would like to offer personal thanks to individual volunteer clean-up crew members Terri, Kate, Jane, Ralph, and Randy. Terri thoroughly cleaned and organized all of the signage and interpretive items in the house, Kate cleaned and repaired all of our mats. Working together Kate and Terri managed to tame the cordage bin which was no small task. Jane dismantled, cleaned, and reorganized the Volunteer Station. Ralph worked on assorted repairs and displays. He also generously brought along his ShopVac so that the sweeping and dusting was made much easier. Last but not least, Randy was up on the ladder making sure that all of the cobwebs came down.
The Youth Conservation Corps was also on hand, and Caity's team of Cielo, Elena, Aiden, Gabe, and Trey busted out project after project; including, but not limited to, washing the benches, sweeping/vacuuming/dusting the entire house, bird feces removal, and cleaning out and re-sanding the hearths.
Thank you to everyone who participated! We hope to see you all around at other Plankhouse volunteer opportunities!
To become one of our fabulous volunteers, email Juliet McGraw at plankhouse@gmail.com or Josie Finley at Josie_finley@fws.gov!
Upcoming Events and Exhibitions:
Intro to Chinuk Wawa
Where: Cathlapotle Plankhouse
When: August 6, 13, 20, 27
10am-12pm
Cost: FREE
In this 4 part class, participants will gain basic knowledge of chinuk wawa, the contemporary Native language of Chinookan peoples of the Lower Columbia. This class will cover the history of the language, how language and culture go hand in hand, and will learn pronunciation, sentence structure, and useful phrases.
Class will occur in the Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge four Saturdays in August. Participants must attend all four sessions. RSVP to plankhouse@gmail.com
Questions? Contact Sarah at Sarah_Hill@fws.gov
or call (360) 887-4106
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Habitat Restoration
Updates & Events
The annual ricefield bulrush (Schoenoplectus mucronatus) search is in full swing! We have pulled 21,026 bulrush plants this summer, thanks to the help of many volunteers who have put in 296 hours searching for bulrush. We really couldn’t do it without you… Thank you! We still have a lot more to pull, so come join us as we protect wildlife habitat! We meet every Wednesday and Saturday, 9am – 12:30 through September 3rd.
Aside from bulrush, we have been targeting a few other high priority noxious weeds: purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and tansy ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris). A relatively new invasive plant has found its way to one of the Refuge wetlands- water primrose (Ludwigia hexapetala). While this plant is very bright and beautiful, it is also a very aggressive non-native wetland plant that can form dense mats. We have been working diligently to keep it under control, as it is well known to take over and degrade the quality of a wetland.
To join a bulrush work party, contact Lindsey at Ridgefieldbulrush@gmail.com
For other habitat information, contact Keith at keith_rutz@fws.gov
(click this poster to go to our website for more info)
To volunteer contact: ridgefieldbulrish@gmail.com
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Online Store Now Open!
The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge are proud to announce the opening of a new webstore! Now you can order our 50th Anniversary  Gear- including the Pelican Brewing Company 50th Anniversary T-shirt and Pint Glass, as well as our Chinookan Steller’s Jay T-shirt, all online!
Check out our Shop for links to the store and more info, or click HERE to go directly to the store!
Proceeds help support our unique education and restoration programs at Ridgefield National Wildlife 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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Help the Friends and the Refuge When You Shop Online
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.
You Can Also 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.
Thanks for being an EcoShopper and helping the Refuge!
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Header Photo Credit: Javier Urquizu 2007 Photo Contest Honorable Mention
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