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From the Contact Station
Meet Robert and Audubon Christmas Count Results
Many of you who continue to visit the Refuge during the bridge construction have undoubtedly met our new volunteer, Robert Vanderkamp. He has been alternating Saturday mornings with Terri at the contact station. Robert is a long-time visitor to the Refuge, though he moved here only a short time ago from Michigan to be closer to family. In Michigan, he worked as a property manager in the City of Holland, on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. For seventeen years...Keep Reading...
- Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer
- Photo: Susan Setterberg |
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Cathlapotle Plankhouse Updates & Events
Cathlapotle Plankhouse 15th Birthday Celebration and more!
The Cathlapotle Plankhouse is turning 15 this year! Join us on March 29th, 2020, to celebrate 15 years of Plankhouse education, community, and more, during regular Plankhouse hours. More details coming soon, stay tuned!
 Greg Robinson was the Project Foreman for the building of the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, and this year while we celebrate 15 years of the House being open, we are featuring Greg Robinson’s art on items in the Friends Merch Shop.
 Save the Date for 2020's Second Sunday Events! Indigenous Leadership and Scholarship is the theme for the 2020 Second Sunday Series. Every Second Sunday event will feature talks and panels focused on the theme, as well as kids crafts and activities, docent and self-led Plankhouse tours, and more. As always, our series will highlight issues most closely related to the work we do here at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
2020 SEASON I 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- May 2-3 - Opening Weekend
- May 10 - Indigenous Leadership and Research
- June 14 - Indigenizing Curatorial Practices
- July 12 - Native Cosmologies, TEK, and Climate Change
- August 9 - Traditional Technologies
- Sept. 13 - Elders, Children, and Land Stewardship
- Oct. 3-4 - BirdFest / Closing Weekend
The Plankhouse is also open every Saturday & Sunday, May 2nd- October 4th, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Stay tuned for more specific information about each date, including the speaker, and more, coming throughout the year!
Cathlapotle Plankhouse, 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642
 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
February Maintenance and More
 As the winter rains continue to fall and the wetlands fill with the runoff, habitat volunteers stay busy pulling old fencing, beating back blackberries, and performing maintenance on old and new planting sites across the refuge.
We’ll be continuing this work on Wednesdays through February as the construction of the new River 'S' Bridge comes to a close and the new trail system is built in the Oak restoration area. 
We are also close to finishing the construction on the new High Tunnel and will be looking for volunteers to collect cuttings in the spring and seeds throughout the summer for propagation. We’ll be posting a collection timetable with more details in the April newsletter if you are interested in helping us grow…
Find the new flyer and the upcoming volunteer dates, including the new Second Saturdays, head to our website here.
-Keith Rutz, Habitat Restoration Corrdinator
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Species Spotlight
Sora
Porzana Carolina
Have you ever heard of a Sora? (If you read our newsletter the answer might be yes!)
This rail is hard to spot. In fact, it is listed as uncommon on the Refuge, even though it is known to nest here. The fact that they are so hard to see is even more impressive when you learn that the Sora is the most abundant rail in North America. You may have heard some other names for them ... Keep Reading...
-Samantha Zeiner, Administrative Coordinator
Photo: Dave Menke USFWS |
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Seeking Business Alliance Members 
As a member of the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Business Alliance, you invest in one of our urban metropolitan area’s most unique and diverse natural and cultural resources. Click here to find out more |
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Board Seeking New Board Members
Or, Join a Committee
 The Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is a non-profit dedicated to promoting educational and cultural programs of the Ridgefield NWR, and protecting and enhancing its wildlife habitat. We are currently seeking candidates to serve on our board of directors. We are recruiting candidates with diverse backgrounds and skills for several open board positions, in addition to candidates interested in serving on a committee (board membership not required).
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Calling All Volunteers!
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Volunteer Opportunities:
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.
Volunteer naturalists needed to walk trails and
teach people about what they can see and enjoy
at the Refuge this summer!
If you are interested email RidgefieldVolunteer@fws.gov to be put on the
update list.
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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.
Support the Friends Help us inspire people to support the Refuge! Whether you help us out during BirdFest & Bluegrass in October by giving directions or helping set up, or by providing outreach for what the Friends do, or joining the board or a committee, every little bit helps. Now you can sign up to volunteer easily on our website! Check it out by clicking here
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Birding Enthusiasts
Check out what species are being seen on the Refuge here. |
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Ridgefield First Saturday:
Bason, Baseball & Bingo!
February 1, 2020
Bring the kiddos and your appetites to the Ridgefield Administrative and Civic Center for a fun filled breakfast with Spudders Baseball and the Ridgefield Raptors! Play Bingo and other games and win prizes.
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The Friends met for brunch on Saturday, January 25th, 2020 to appreciate our members and volunteers. We issued the Spirit of the Wild Award, and talked about the year ahead. This annual event was celebrated this year in the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex (RORC) Community Room, where we enjoyed delicious build-your-own burritos and fresh fruit brought to us by 
