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BirdFest & Bluegrass 2018 The 19th Annual BirdFest & Bluegrass Festival is this weekend, October 5th-7th!
 2018 marks the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, National Geographic, the National Audubon Society, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and BirdLife International will join forces with more than 100 other organizations and millions of people around the world to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.”
Note- this year we will have a new schedule- all in town events will be Saturday only, with kick-off events Friday evening, and Refuge-centered events on the Carty Unit Sunday. Make sure you take a moment to stop and buy the button with benefits! Get free ice cream, entry to the Misty Mamas Concert Saturday afternoon and more! (click flyer to view or download)
We hope to see you Friday, October 5th for our kickoff event at the Sportsmans Steakhouse from 5:30-7:30pm. There will be food, raffle prizes, BirdFest-themed drinks, and more! Have fun while supporting the Friends!
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Thank you for the GiveMore24 Support!  Thank you for supporting the Friends during the GiveMore24 campaign! 74 individual donors helped us blow past our $5,000 goal over the course of the campaign. The funds raised during GiveMore24 will be an integral source of support for our habitat, cultural, and education programming on the Refuge. From all of us at the Friends, thank you! |
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Purple Martin Monitoring results and Fall Migration
As previously reported here, our Purple Martin condominiums (i.e. gourds on poles) were set up in April by Randy Hill and his team along with help from Vancouver Audubon. There were 48 units set up around the refuge (usually eight on each pole). One pole could be observed from the entrance of the River S. Initially, a single gourd was placed on each pole on April 3rd; sort of a “new homes coming” signal to the martins. The full sets were completed later in the month.
The team has been working on this project for six years now, so the first order of business... Keep Reading...
-Susan Setterberg, Volunteer & Board President |
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex
News & Events
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Naturalist-led Hikes - Birding at Ridgefield NWR
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 7:30 am to 3:30 pm at
360-887-4106.
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Cathlapotle Plankhouse
Don’t forget all the great BirdFest events still happening on the Carty Unit on Sunday, October 7th, including partner booths, Salmon Bake and more!
Second Sunday- Welcoming Fall to the Lower Columbia River
October 14, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
8:00 AM “Early” Bird Walk with Refuge Naturalist.
12:30 PM “Life in the Big House”
Join Jordan Mercier (Confederated Tribes of the Grand Rhonde), as he discusses the role and meaning of the Plankhouse in the Lower Columbia River region of the Pacific Northwest.
2:00 PM Refuge Naturalist-led Walk
Join us for a wetlands walk focused on the changing of the seasons and the resulting impact on the landscape. Meet at the bump-out (bench area) of the Carty entrance bridge.
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Plankhouse Tours and Activities
Explore hands-on displays inside the Plankhouse and family-friendly activities throughout the day.
Cathlapotle Plankhouse- Carty Unit, 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642- Free with $3.00 per vehicle refuge admission. (click flyer to view or download)
Stay tuned for next month and learn more about all of the events across the county for Native American History and Culture Month.
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
As summer on the Refuge comes to a close and V formations of various species glide onto the refuge, Friend’s volunteers were busy both at Ridgefield and in the Gorge restoring, improving, and creating habitat for a variety of species. Hours were spent clearing and spraying blackberries and other invasive plants in preparation for upcoming winter plantings. Tens of hours of seat time was put in by our volunteer tractor operator who, alongside FWS and Friend’s staff, mowed for the benefit of waterfowl and the reduction of competition within our past plantings. Keep Reading...
General Habitat Questions? Contact Keith_Rutz@fws.gov for more information |
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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge,
Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards Events
(click to view larger or download) |
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Help the Friends and the Refuge When You Shop
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, PK822. 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.
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.
Or Shop Online and Give through Giving Assistant
 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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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 Refuge Photo Contest Honorable Mention |
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