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Saying Goodbye to a Friend
Sydney Anne Reisbick is fondly remembered. She died under sunny skies October 17, 2017 at the Ray Hickey House in Vancouver, WA. Born July 10, 1943 in Anchorage, AK to Howard Chesnut Hollingsworth and Oma Claire Hollingsworth, she pursued a life of intellectual curiosity, stalwart integrity and devotion to wildlife, nature and people. Upon completion of her Bachelor’s Degree from Washington State University, Dr. Reisbick went on to serve in the Peace Corps, stationed in Uruguay and later completed her Doctoral Degree at the University of California at Berkeley in Physiological Psychology. Dr. Reisbick served as Associate Professor of research at OHSU and other academic institutions and was involved in research activities at the Oregon Primate Center. As a true bibliophile, she owned and operated a used book store and internet café in Vancouver, WA.
Dr. Reisbick was known for her vocal and philanthropic support of a myriad of community organizations, including Vancouver Audubon, Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and served as President for Friends of Clark County, a conservation advocacy and watch group. She also was a member of All Saints Episcopal Church since 2001, and served fully and quietly in areas such as Altar Guild, The Bishop’s Committee and ministries involving the Clark County Food Bank and the homeless community.
Dr. Reisbick was an avid explorer of the world around her, both in her  smaller community and the world at large. As a birder, ecologist, conservationist, neighbor and friend, she fully immersed herself toward community building and outreach. Dr. Reisbick was married to Doug Odell Reisbick who died in 1992. She is survived by her brother, Wiley Hollingsworth, sister, Claudia Trigve, and niece, Anjanette Steinman.
Along with these pursuits, Dr. Reisbick established a fund in support of a dream for a Community Nature Center. In lieu of flowers and cards contributions can be made to Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, c/o Dr. Sydney Reisbick, P.O. Box 1022, Ridgefield, WA 98642.
Thank you,
Gail Alexander
Acting President- Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
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Join Us:
Saturday, November 18th, at 4:00 pm
(click image to view larger)
Wings of the World stands 15 feet tall and is made of stainless steel and glass. Glass panels shaped like bird wings depict scenes that represent different parts of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Underneath the panels, steel feathers and trios of Swifts extend 3 and 4 feet from the pole, are kinetic and turn when the wind blows. The sculpture reminds us what the efforts of just a few people can do to change a community and have an impact on an entire region.
Learn the history of Overlook Park, celebrate the lives of five dedicated citizens and enjoy the gathering place they helped to create. Light refreshments will be served.
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BirdFest & Bluegrass 2017 Success!
The Friends would like to thank everyone who contributed to the great success of BirdFest and Bluegrass 2017! We had a banner weekend with beautiful weather, excellent crowds, and a wide range of family-friendly, bird-loving activities!
Special thanks go out to the City of Ridgefield for hosting all of the family events at Overlook Park, and helping us bring back Bluegrass to town. We had a great showing of Bluegrass pickers, livening up the atmosphere. Thank you to all of our food and Marketplace vendors, to the Audubon Society of Portland for bringing their Birds of Prey back to Ridgefield, to Vancouver Audubon for leading birding hikes and setting up scopes on the Refuge, to the Old Liberty Theater for hosting the Love Thy Nature film screening and our keynote presentation, to Ridgefield Kayak and Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership for their water tours, to the Chinook Indian Nation and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde for their participation in the Traditional Salmon Bake, and to Pro-Photo Supply for their great photography hikes and sponsoring the photo contest!
Our keynote presentation by Tony Starlight and Dan Varland from Coastal Raptors was a huge hit - thank you to everyone who came out for this highly entertaining and informative collaboration!
We want to thank the Refuge staff for the enormous time and effort that goes into all of the Refuge events, including the Crane Tours, the hikes and workshops, and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse programs. And lastly, a huge thank you to all of our dedicated volunteers, especially our planning committee members. Without these amazing individuals and staff, and all of the time and energy they contribute, we would not have this festival.
To all of our partners and sponsors who help us create a weekend jam-packed with excellent events - THANK YOU!
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BirdFest & Bluegrass Clothing!
 Do you miss the fun already? Do you just love vultures, bluegrass music, or supporting a good cause? Then come get the BirdFest & Bluegrass Button design on a t-shirt, sweatshirt, tank top, and more! Proceeds go to fund this wonderful family event, and the unique habitat and education programs on the refuge! Online only, get yours today!
Check out our Zazzle Store here!
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Upcoming Events to Save the Date for:
Keep an eye out for more information on these events coming 2018!
 Friends Annual Member Dinner: Sunday, January 21st, 2018- 4-6pm, Location: TBT
Ridgefield NWR Complex Volunteer Training:  April 7, 4, 21 & 28, Locations Vary- check for updates HERE
Cathlapotle Plankhouse Season Opening: Saturday May 5th, 2018, 12-4pm 28908 NW Main Ave Ridgefield, WA 98642
 Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Annual Fundraiser 2018:
Friday, July 20th, 2018 - Evening, Lucy's Garden - 3302 NW Carty Rd, Ridgefield, WA 98642
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Photo Contest Calendars Coming Soon!
Keep an eye out in the next few weeks for the launch of our 2018 Photo Contest Calendars!  These 2018 Calendars go from January to December 2018 and feature all of the 2017 Ridgefield NW Refuge Photo Contest Winners, their places, and identification of the subject of the photos- as well as facts about the wildlife, habitat restoration information, important dates, and the "Praise the Refuge" poem by Kate Gray. The first few weeks of sales will be pre-sale- make your orders during this time to guarantee shipment by Christmas! Calendars produced by Yearbox.com!
2017 Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest Winners
Click here link to view all the winners- names and places as well as identification of the subjects!
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex
News & Events
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Fall Reminders!
1. The Kiwa Trail is closed until May 1st! See you then!
2. The River 'S' Auto Tour Route is cars only until May  1st! Your car is your blind, keep that in mind.
3. When you do visit, remember to bring water!
4. There are no trash receptacles on the refuge! Please pack out what you bring in.
5. There are no picnic areas on the refuge, while we encourage you to stay hydrated and filled with protein while you walk, please do not leave the trails or leave trash behind.
 6. While the berries look ripe and inviting, please do not pick, eat, or remove anything from the refuge! Wildlife depend on these food sources, many berries aren't meant for humans, and some plants are treated with herbicides to keep them off trails.
6. As always, no dogs are allowed on the refuge, as well as bikes, fire, running or bird-song playback.
Have a fun and safe visit!
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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Chinook People Past and Present
Featuring Chinook Vice Chairman Sam Robinson
Thursday, November 2nd- 7:00pm- Clark County Historical Museum
 CCHM’s First Thursday Museum After Hours on November 2nd at 7:00pm features Chinook Vice Chairman Sam Robinson. He will present a talk titled “Persistence for Survival – Chinook People Past & Present.” In this talk, Sam will discuss the history of the Chinook Nation’s existence and relationship to the United States from contact to the continuing struggle for federal status.
Experience the beauty of traditional and contemporary Native American beadwork from across the Northwest Coast, Plateau and Plains regions. Tools, raw materials and finished beaded objects dating from the mid-1800’s to present day remind our audience that Native Americans continue to be a vibrant part of the fabric of our community.
Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and students, $3 for children under 18, and free with a museum membership.
Please contact us at (360) 993-5679, by email info@cchmuseum.org or visit their website today for more information.
Field Trips 2017
In light of our changing community and the increased need of educators to be supported through new learning standards, we have decided that this is a perfect time to evaluate and revise our education programs. We have been doing much of the same thing for a decade now and know that we can serve students and educators better.
In order to engage educators and their support staffs in this process we will have to dedicate staff time that would normally go to scheduling and running onsite field trips. This means we will not be offering on-site guided field trips for the fall of 2017. We do hope to resume programming in the spring of 2018. Please stay tuned to our website for updates and opportunities to be involved in this process.
If you would like to be added to the contact list for these updates email Ridgefieldeducation@fws.gov
Questions? Contact Juliet at Juliet_McGraw@fws.gov or call (360) 887-4106
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Habitat Restoration
Updates & Events
Geese, Periwinkle, Plantings and More
Do you remember the aerial conversations of the cacklers as they fly in  their ill-formed formations? My head must have been too full of bulrush and blackberry to remember at first. With the first set of heavy clouds came the first sets of geese and a flood of memories. Now I remember! And the geese, after all, is why we toil so diligently. Our refugees!
This month, I found bulrush in Ruddy and Canvasback wetlands! It may have been the latest in the season bulrush was ever found. I wonder what the geese think? Keep Reading...
Contact sean_davis@fws.gov for more details.
Now you can sign up to volunteer easily on our website! Check it out by clicking here!
Check out more about Habitat Restoration here!
Questions? Contact Keith_Rutz@fws.gov for more information
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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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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 Photo Contest Honorable
Mention
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Enjoy 5% off at the Sportsman's Steakhouse and Saloon in Historic Downtown Ridgefield with your member card! 
