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The Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
The latest updates | September, 2022
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Save the Date for GiveMore24! |
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is many things to many people. “It’s field trips” “it’s the Auto Tour Route” or “it’s that wildlife sanctuary down by the river.” It is of all of those things, and much more. The Refuge is just that: a refuge. For wildlife, yes. But also for people.
This Refuge provides a space for the grieving family member to find space, the recovering visitor can find peace, and migrating wildlife can find rest.
The Friends play a huge role in supporting every aspect of what the Refuge does, whether that is removing invasive species, buying volunteer snacks, planting native species, or bringing awareness to and about the Refuge and enjoying nature- we couldn't do any of it without support from individuals in our community like you. Join us on the biggest day of non-profit giving in Southwest Washington, #Givemore24, Thursday, September 22, 2022- and show your love for nature and everything that brings to your life, with a gift that keeps on giving.
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BirdFest & Bluegrass
Saturday, October 1st, 2022
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In 2022 BirdFest & Bluegrass will be entirely in person! The City of Ridgefield will be hosting in-person in-town events, including vendors and music in Downtown Ridgefield, plus we will have a self-guided Carty Unit Refuge hike, wandering trail stewards to answer questions, Sandhill Crane Tours, tours of the new Refuge office building, and a bus tour of the River ‘S’ Unit!
The Refuge will be fee-free, and seasonal trails will be open for an extra weekend!
Commemorative Buttons featuring the Bird of the Year, the Killdeer, on sale at Seasons Coffee & Tea inside of the Old Liberty Theater in Downtown Ridgefield, and Vancouver's Backyard Birdshop, for $5, starting now! Buttons will be available while supplies last during the festival as well.
On the Refuge
Carty Unit Activities – 28908 NW Main Ave, 10am-4pm
10am– Event Opening Blessing with Chinook Indian Nation
10:30am- Guided Geology Tour
Spotting Scopes with Vancouver Audubon
Community Partners booths
Self-Guided Wander Walk
Family Activities
New Refuge Office Tours Hourly
Photo Contest Reveal
River ‘S’ Unit Auto Tour – 1071 S Hillhurst Rd
10:00am: Visita Familiar Hispana
(Tour en Español / Spanish Language Tour)
11:30am-4:00pm: Auto Tour Bus Journey.
Tours every 1.5 hours.
Sandhill Crane Tours – Reservation Only
Saturday 10/1 & Sunday 10/2
6am & 5pm
Space limited, $30.00 per person.
Non-Refundable: If you need to cancel or change your reservation, please do so before 6pm Tuesday, September 27th. No refunds will be offered but we can release your spot for someone on the waitlist. More information at FRNWR.eventbrite.com
Downtown Ridgefield
Vendor Market – Overlook Park, 9am-2pm
Make your own souvenir from the 2022 BirdFest and Bluegrass!
Orienteering – Abrams Park, 10am-12pm
Used Book Sale – Ridgefield Library Community Room, 10am-3pm
Bluegrass Music
Bluegrass Jamming – 12pm-5pm
Outdoor Locations:
Ridgefield Craft Brewing Co. Taphouse: 120 N 3rd Ave, Back Porch, 12pm-4pm (21+ Establishment)
Sportsmans Public House: 121 N Main Ave, Back Porch, 12pm-4pm
Opus School of Music: 414 Pioneer St, Courtyard, 12pm-4pm
Carts by the Park: 219 Pioneer St, 12pm-5pm
Old Liberty Theater: 115 N Main Ave, 12pm-5pm
Indoor Locations:
Ridgefield Community Library: 210 N Main Ave, Teen Room, 12pm-5pm
Zebrun’s Starliner: 320 Pioneer St, Dining Room, 12pm-5pm
Bluegrass Performances – 11:45am-7pm
Overlook Park Stage, 113-131 S Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA 98642
Sportsmans Public House, 121 N Main Ave
Ridgefield Craft Brewing Co. Taphouse: 120 N 3rd Ave (21+ Establishment)
Events subject to change, more details and up-to-date information on our website, stay tuned!
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2022 Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge Photo Contest |
Submit your favorite nature images taken within the boundaries of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge to the 16th Annual 2022 photography competition!
CATEGORIES:
BIRDS
WILDLIFE
PLANT LIFE
LANDSCAPE & STRUCTURES
ADULT CATEGORY PRIZES:
1st Place [in each category]:
$150 Pro Photo Supply Gift Card*
Inclusion in Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply.
12 x19 high quality digital print from Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply
Honorable Mention:
Inclusion in Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply.
12 x19 high quality digital print from Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply
YOUTH CATEGORY PRIZE:
1st Place:
$75 Pro Photo Supply Gift Card*
Inclusion in Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply.
12 x19 high-quality digital print from Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply
Honorable Mention:
Inclusion in Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply.
12 x19 high-quality digital print from Gallery Showing at Pro Photo Supply
*Gift Cards from Pro Photo Supply
Submission Deadline: September 10, 2022
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Ridgefield Refuge Complex News & Events
Gate times for both units 6:00 am - 8:30 pm
Seasonal Trails close Sept 30th & re-open May 1st
*Except BirdFest, October 1st*
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The Carty Unit Oaks-to-Wetlands Trail, within the Oak Restoration area, is generally closed Thursdays for trail maintenance, watch for signs.
NOTE: The Washington State Discover Pass is not valid on Federally managed public lands, including National Wildlife Refuges. Find out more about fees & passes here.
Check the Refuge2020.info website for project updates on all our Refuges in the Ridgefield Complex.
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From the Contact Station
Summer to Fall Changes
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It seems like every day I have been scheduled to staff the Contact Station this summer it has been a high 90s day. Fortunately, most of those days had a nice breeze from the northwest making it tolerable, and many times delightful, until one or two in the afternoon that is. Many of us have taken up our duties sitting out on the porch. All the better to greet visitors while staying cooler. We also have had a lot of help this last month while our new volunteers are doing shadow assignments with the long-time volunteers. You will see new faces as Brent, Carl, Barb, and David join us in the coming months. We are so happy to have them with ...keep reading...
-Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer
image: White-breasted Nuthatch coming down cottonwood trunk heading toward feeder. Photo by Pat Snyder
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Check out what species are being seen on the Refuge here.
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Ridgefield First Saturdays
Multicultural Festival
September 3, 2022
Celebrate diversity with your community through fun activities and games, crafts, performances, and educational opportunities.
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Habitat Restoration
Goodbye Justine!
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I am sad to announce this will be my last Friends newsletter article. In September, I will be diving back into the academic world to pursue a Master’s in Environmental Management at Portland State University. Although I would love to continue working for the Refuge throughout school, I was offered a paid Graduate Teaching Assistantship, which also covers my graduate tuition.
Working for the Refuge has been such a rewarding and unforgettable experience. In April 2021, I started at the Refuge as a seasonal Biological Technician with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Then, I was fortunate enough to move right into the Habitat Restoration Technician role with the Friends. As I reminisce over this last year, my most fond memories have been tromping through the wetlands in waders (trying not to step on frogs) to harvest willows, finally becoming confident with plant identification, and getting to know all of our truly amazing volunteers.
While this might be goodbye for now, it is not goodbye forever. I still plan on visiting and volunteering at the Refuge as my school schedule allows. Like many of you, I believe nature is therapeutic and I plan on fighting to protect our natural spaces for the rest of my time here on this ever-changing planet. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve nature and pursue my lifelong passions.
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-Justine Casebolt, Habitat Restoration Technician
image: Justine Casebolt stands to the far left with volunteers and bagged-up invasive plants that have been removed from the Refuge.
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Species Spotlight
Bank Swallows
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Riparia riparia is the Bank Swallow’s scientific name. Given that it nests in stream banks and bluffs of rivers and streams, i.e. riparian areas, the name is appropriate.
The Bank Swallow is one of the most widely distributed swallows in the world. It nests around the globe at latitudes equivalent to the middle of the US and north into lower Canada and to the Brooks Range of Alaska. For the western hemisphere, it winters in South America down to middle of Chile and Argentina. In the Eastern hemisphere, where it goes by the common name of Sand Martin, it nests across Europe into Russia then winters in several countries of Africa and Southeast Asia.
-Susan Setterberg, Contact Station Volunteer
images sketched by Susan Setterberg
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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, 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 5 PM every third Monday of the month and will be on Zoom until further notice, contact us to join in!
2022: October 17, November 21, December 19
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2022 Merch- BirdFest & Bluegrass 2022 items coming soon! |
Check out our NEW store items, with more being added all the time! We have mugs that change colors, tote bags, sweatshirts, and more, all featuring our 2019, 2020, AND 2021 Refuge Photo Contest winning photos, 2021 Spring Break Youth Art Contest art, as well as the 2021 BirdFest & Bluegrass button image, and the "Back to the Refuge" logo!
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Get your friends and family (or yourself!) a gift that will remind them of nature's beauty and support a wonderful cause!
If there isn't something you like, you can always donate, or buy a membership to the Friends in someone's name - an annual gift program that supports wildlife, habitat, volunteers, education, and more.
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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. |
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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 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 Shovel & Thumb 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: Gary Grossman, 2018, 1st place Landscape Category, 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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