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The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
The latest updates | January, 2020
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Thank you so much to all of our 2020 donors, including, but not limited to:
- Our recent donors Raindrop Giftshop, who donated a portion of their Wood Ridgefield and PNW Bookmarks sales at the end of November to us!
- A group of students in Ridgefield made bird feeders and sold them in November to raise money for the Friends as well, and they raised over $400!
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A generous donation of a collection of beautiful birdhouses for our future auctions from Susan & David Gurock.
- And a generous donation of $5,000 from retired Board Member Trink Schurian and her husband Ernie!
Donations below are as of 12/28/2020:
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From the Friends
Happy New Year from the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
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On behalf of the FRNWR Board of Directors, Happy New Year!
What can we say about the year 2020? It was challenging, of course, in so many different ways. It was a year of loss and grief. But I think in some ways we will also look back on it as a year of growth, change, and learning.
The FRNWR board has learned a lot about working and meeting remotely, for starters. We have learned just how dedicated the Friends staff are as they do their work remotely as well. We have also learned how to come together (virtually) as an organization to talk about important issues and where we fit within them.
We have also learned this year that our community values and cares about the work of the Friends, even when the Refuge might not be open or our programs can’t happen in person. Throughout this year, your encouraging words and support has meant so much to us, and we are so grateful.
-Anna Wilde and the Friends of Ridgefield NWR Board of Directors
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Annual Member & Volunteer Meeting Brunch |
The Board and Staff of the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge would like to formally invite members and volunteers to our Annual Membership & Volunteer Appreciation Brunch, virtual-style!
RSVP to join us on Saturday, January 30th, 2021, from 10:30 am to 11:30 am, and receive a goodie bag ahead of the meeting to utilize during! Goodie bags will include stickers for members, Cattail duck decoys, our Annual Report, Friends Swag, a raffle ticket for a basket of even more fun, and a few more surprises! You have to RSVP by January 15th if you want to receive our gifts.
So get a warm beverage ready, hang out in your pajamas, and check-in with the Friend's and Refuge's accomplishments from 2020, and plans for 2021! The agenda will include a drumming intro from Sam Robinson, reports, and voting for board members. We will also be awarding our Annual Spirit of the Wild Award to a local business that cares about the Friends and the Refuge. There will be an optional social time after the presentation, so you can hang out and play a quick game and maybe meet other members.
RSVP by January 15th
Packets will be mailed after the RSVP deadline. Everyone who signs up will be sent a link to join us on Zoom.
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Ridgefield Drive Thru Tree Jubilee |
Thank you to all of our members who stopped by and left an ornament with us to decorate our Drive-Thru Jubilee Tree for City of Ridgefield's Hometown Celebration on December 5th! We had so much fun decorating with the other businesses in town, and we ended up getting a super sweet donation of a frosty squirrel from Karmy Law Offices, who had (in our opinion) an even better wildlife tree than ours, topped with a felted owl! We hope you all had a chance to go see all the trees, especially the winner, Lava Java! Here are some photos of ours for you to enjoy. |
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The new Ridgefield NWR Complex Multi-Purpose building is taking shape! From wood frames to concrete, we can almost see ourselves greeting visitors at the front doors! Come take a stroll at the Carty Trail and peek at the ever-changing progress.
-Juliette Fernandez, Ridgefield Refuge Project Leader
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex News & Events
Refuge Access Update During Pandemic
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CARTY UNIT: (FROM MAIN AVE)
The Carty Unit trails are now OPEN- BUT public use facilities and access to those facilities (including the Cathlapotle Plankhouse and the Refuge Office) are NOT available to the public. The end of the Oaks to Wetland will be posted as a one-way loop. Please follow all posted signs. The trail will be closed every Thurs. at the old oak. Access from the Port Entrance is closed for the season.
AUTO TOUR ROUTE:
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour Route on the River ‘S’ Unit re-opened May 5th, 2020 to vehicle traffic ONLY. There will be no public access to informational kiosks, and the viewing blind due to the inability to uphold necessary social distancing guidelines during the pandemic. The Kiwa Trail is closed for the season.
Current gate times are: 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM.
The Refuge is fee-free at this time.
Note that gates close automatically. Vehicles must exit before gate closes and there is no entry before or after hours. Please expect increased traffic and long waiting times to navigate around the tour and plan accordingly. By following these temporary adjustments to access you ensure the safety and health of yourself, other visitors, the Ridgefield community and our staff. We look forward to continuing to serve you by providing safe and healthy wildlife-dependent recreation into the future.
Don't forget to continue to check the Refuge2020.info website for project updates, like the recent Prescribed Fire, the Steigerwald Lake reconnection project, Carty Unit Oaks-to-Wetlands Trail developments, and more!
To feel more connected to nature and the Refuge while staying home, stay tuned to the Friends Social Media streams on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - we are working to share activities, videos of nature on and off the Refuge, and more. Social links can be found at the bottom.
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2021 Refuge Photo Contest Calendars Available Now! |
View the 2020 Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest Winners in this stunning collection.
8.5x11 size, with bonus contest photos
Highlights important Refuge dates and more!
XL size available
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From the Contact Station
Happy Holidays and Happy Winter
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Best news ever, and you have probably now seen it elsewhere in this e-news edition, but it is worth repeating. The bathrooms have been reopened! No more having to worry about dehydrating before starting a run around the River S. I am fortunate to live five minutes from the gate so bathroom breaks were easy for me, but my friends coming from Oregon would always make Rosauers a first and last stop for facilities with coffee, etc. Well, there are some benefits there... Keep Reading...
-Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer
Photos by Susan Setterberg
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Cathlapotle Plankhouse Updates & Events
Welcome in 2021!
And welcome new and old traditions alike. What new traditions are you bringing into your household to welcome in the coming year? What will this new year bring?
At the Friends, we have adopted a tree in downtown Ridgefield. The Lifeways & Landscapes Program is excited to bring a bit of birding, a bit of native plantings, and a bit of Indigenous Culture to Main Street.
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You can look forward to seasonal changes on and around our tree, located just outside of Vinnie’s Pizzeria! This is the first time we have engaged in outreach in this manner. So please let us know what you might like to see on the tree! I’m excited to see what we come up with together.
One thing that many of my loved ones and I have found during these unusual times is that we are taking advantage of resetting what we want normal to be. We are holding closer our most precious traditions and letting new or more appropriate ones take the place of ones whose time has come to leave us. I think many of us can agree that we have found inventive ways to cope with our current lived reality under pandemic guidelines. I know I certainly never expected to celebrate Christmas Eve via Zoom. Plenty of us have similar stories to share on unique ways we spent the Holidays though. What I have heard most is that a return to community has been a uniting force for us all.
This inventiveness, this neuroplasticity, combined with a need for community is exactly what makes us human. And is the underpinning of why I chose to pursue anthropology as an academic discipline. In 2007 I had the opportunity to hear Jane Goodall speak during her A Reason for Hope book tour. Aside from the absolutely stunning chimpanzee mourning call that she opened with, I honestly remember little else from the presentation (a turn and burn to Pullman Washington in under 24 hours will do that to you.) However, I was allowed a brief conversation with her afterward in the book signing line.
The gist of the conversation ran akin to the book’s theme. We, humans, are a most remarkable species. And that we use our ingenuity to solve problems is what gave her hope for a kinder future. Like Jane, I believe we possess almost an inherent need to fix, solve, explore, and make better our world. And for these reasons, I’m choosing to celebrate everything that the promise of a new year holds.
ałqui,
-Juliet McGraw, Community & Cultural Education Director Friends of Ridgefield NWR
Photo by Virginia Scott
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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. RNWR Page here.
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Habitat Restoration Updates & Events
2020 Habitat Recap
Despite the challenges brought about by COVID-19, this was not a quiet year for our Habitat Restoration Crew. In the first portion of the year we had to put a halt on our volunteer programs, but our staff was still able to partake in the mission-critical work required to maintain the health of the Refuge Habitats. By Mid-Summer, our Volunteer Team had worked very hard on preparing a COVID-19 protocol for volunteer work parties. We were able to bring in some of our highly trained volunteer base for mission-critical work, such as Bulrush searches in the wetlands at Ridgefield NWR, and Western Pond Turtle habitat maintenance at Pierce NWR.
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As Fall arrived, we shifted some of our efforts into planting site preparation & control of invasives at the Carty Unit in Ridgefield. With COVID-19 numbers back on the rise over the last few months, we decided to put a halt on all volunteer programs until after the New Year. We want to extend a huge thanks to those volunteers that were willing to devote their time & expertise to the Refuges during such an unprecedented time! We would not have had such a successful and productive year without you.
After the New Year, our Habitat Restoration Staff will be focusing heavily on planting Willow stakes at Turtle Lake. Our volunteer base can expect to be invited out to this planting event, but keep in mind that due to COVID-19, we are planning on having single-person/household-only work parties. Feel free to check out my Habitat Restoration Blog here for updates on this project & more!
-Emily Lane, Habitat Technician
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Volunteering with the Friends
Happy New Year!
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I wanted to thank all of the Refuge Complex volunteers for their hard work and patience with us during 2020. We have been working hard behind the scenes to create a stronger, better, and safer volunteer program for you! The hope for 2021 is to start bringing back more volunteers to the refuge! Keep an eye on your inbox for upcoming habitat restoration volunteer opportunities!!!
-Elena Tinoco, Volunteer Coordinator
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Check out what species are being seen on the Refuge here.
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Ridgefield First Saturdays - Move, Play, Eat!
January 4, 2021 – February 28, 2021
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For many households, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant an increased amount of time at home and an endless list of canceled events and activities. To start out 2021 on the right foot, the City of Ridgefield is encouraging you to set aside time each week to Move, Play, and Eat with your household using our activity, game, and recipe suggestions!
Each week they will share a new idea for an activity, game, and recipe. These will be posted on their Move, Play, Eat webpage (coming soon!) and shared on social media. On Saturday, January 9th and Saturday, February 6th we will have take home activity bags, a scavenger hunt, and live activities.
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Species Spotlight
Gadwall Duck
Mareca strepera
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When you visit the Refuge, a lot of the time it is easy to assume that the brown ducks you are seeing alongside the easily identifiable Mallard Duck are females, but that is not necessarily the case! Gadwall are about the same size as Mallards and have a fairly large, square head with a steep forehead. The main way to tell the differences between Mallards and Gadwall is that the Gadwall bill is noticeably thinner than a Mallards. In flight...Keep Reading...
-Samantha Zeiner, Administrative Coordinator
Photo by Lyn Topinka
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Become a Business Alliance Member!
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 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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Join the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Board for their monthly meeting. Meetings start at 5pm every second Monday of the month and will be on Zoom until further notice, contact us to join in!
January 11th, February 8th, March 8th, April 12th, May 10th, June 14th, July 12th, August 9th, September 13th, October 18th (moved for Indigenous Peoples Day), November 8th, December 13th
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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 click here. You can search for us by our name, Friends of Ridgefield NWR, or by our non-profit number, PK822. Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you are helping earn a donation to support the Friends and Ridgefield NWR. If you do not have a Rewards Card, ask at the Customer Service desk of any FM store.
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Log on to smile.amazon.com and shop as you usually would - .5% of your purchase will be donated directly to the Friends! Use the link with your existing user name and password. When prompted to select a charity, choose the Friends of Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. |
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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Would you like to enjoy a cup of coffee from Ridgefield's Seasons Coffee 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 a meal 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?
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The Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge promote the enjoyment, understanding, and protection of native and endangered birds, other wildlife, and their habitats. We focus on our local community and the Pacific Northwest. |
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Business Alliance Members: |
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Granting Organizations & Partners: |
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Header Photo Credit: Raul Moreno, 2017, 2nd Place, Refuge Photo Contest |
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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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