UPCOMING Events
MAY 1st 2010 -- Peep's and Pastries
To attend please register with the refuge, because space is limited to 20 people.
MAY 8th 2010 -- Great Migration Rally
JUNE 5th 2010 -- Kid's Fishing Clinic
SEPT. 17th 2010 -- Monarch Mania
OCT. 16th 2010 -- Wildlife Refuge Week Celebration
Watch the web site and local newspapers and radio stations for announcements
of dates and times for all of this years events.
WINNERS 2009
When the eagles landed Contest
Sterling contest winners
Winners of the Sterling Grade School “When the Eagles Land” Contest were (left to right in front row): Taya Wilson, third place; Lindsay Gilmore, second; and Dalton Stewart, first place. Pictured in the back row are Susan Sankey, Friends board member, and contest sponsor Todd Rowland, representing Alden State Bank.
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PEEP'S and Pastries
MAY 1st 2010 AT 8AM; EARLY MORNING BIRD TOUR
When the shorebirds, or peeps, arrive in April and May, the Friends hold an early morning birding tour complete with rolls and coffee or tea. The tour, led by knowledgeable birders, is limited to 20 people. If you would like to take part you need to register for this one by calling the refuge
620-486-2393.
The Refuge is an important stopover for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds on their way to arctic breeding grounds. There are also several species of birds arriving to stay through the summer at the Refuge, including egrets, ibis and the endangered least tern and threatened snowy plover.
ADDITIONAL Events
NIGHT TOUR
Discover the Refuge after dark, when many of the crea-tures not seen during the day can be spotted. Partici-pants ride in vans and SUVs along the Refuge roads using spotting scopes to find deer, beaver, coyotes, bob cats, raccoons and any other nocturnal creature that may be out and about.
The tour is scheduled in November or December, weather permitting, and is limited to 20 to 25 participants. Refreshments and hot chocolate and coffee are served at the end of the tour.
WHEN THE EAGLES LAND
An educational program that introduces area fourth and fifth graders to the Refuge and birds in the falcon family - hawks, falcons, eagles - or owls, in which kids guess when the first eagle appears at the Refuge. The program is offered every other year, with the latest in 2009. Bald eagles, and sometimes golden eagles, arrive in the fall, following migrating
ducks, geese and cranes. The eagles over winter at the Refuge as long as the waterfowl remain, feeding on weak or sick birds.
The Friends of Quivira, the Refuge, Great Plains Nature Center and Minnis Chapel in Macksville, St. John and Stafford, sponsor the program. In September or early October, representatives from the Refuge, GPNC and FOQ travel to each of the schools in Stafford County, presenting a 20- to 30-minute show with a live bird from GPNC to fourth grade students. Students then make educated guesses on when the first bald or golden eagle will be spotted at the Refuge. Refuge staff note the date and time of the first eagle and the three students picking the closest times receive cash prizes of $20, $15 and $5 provided by Jay Minnis, Minnis Chapel in Stafford, Mitch Minnis, Minnis Chapel Inc. of Macksville, St. John, and FOQ.
The winners for 2009 were:
From Macksville Grade School - First, Jarrod Kuckelman; Second, Zak Solko; and Third, Alex Freeman.
From St. John Elementary - First, Melissa Bartlett; Second, Olivia Falk; and Third, Quincy Smith.
From Stafford Elementary - First, Kaylee Eckart; Second, Nakita Foos; and Third, Austin Davis.
From Sterling Grade School – First, Dalton Stewart; Second, Lindsay Gilmore; and Third, Taya Wilson |
