The Friends of Sherburne are an active and talented group. Many of our members are already refuge volunteers as well as frequent refuge visitors. Have you ever thought of giving your time or using your skills to help with a Friends' project? Tasks come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of commitment.
Some ways you can become involved-
Tending a Friends' booth at a business expo, county fair, or refuge event.
Assisting with Gift Shop duties, such as arranging merchandise, checking inventory, or placing orders.
Assisting with fundraising activites.
Making presentations about the Friends and its refuge activites to local civic organizations.
Serving on the Friends' Board.
Please volunteer your time and talents to the Friends of Sherburne by contacting us at FEEDBACK or emailing info@exploresherburne.org.
A Good Monday Morning
by Ken Brennen, Volunteer Sherburne National Wildlfe Refuge
Monday, April 12. This didn't feel like the old "Oh no, the weekend's over" Mondays of my career work days. I got up in a state of happy anticipation at 5:00 AM with a commitment to assist in the weekly waterfowl survey that spans the spring migration season at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Another survey will be conducted during the fall migration. But for now this would be a new experience for me and I savored the thought of facing yet another venture into the natural world.
At our rendezvous point Refuge Biologist Lizzy Berkley and I swigged some warm coffee to fight off the morning chill then hopped into her white refuge truck. We bounced and jounced along miles of the internal "roads" that wander across the refuge. We navigated across parts of the refuge inaccessible to the public during the March 1 - August 31 sanctuary period set aside for breeding and nesting. This comprises most of the 31,000 acre refuge area. As we started out we were watched by many curious, inquiring deer scattered through the oak savanna areas. At one point a large wide-eyed white tail, ears erect, stood in the road facing us directly, not movingg for what seemed a long while in animal time. I was as curious as to what her animal mind might be doing as she probably was about our presence in her living room.
Along the way we encountered groupings of not so common ducks, some up close. As Lizzy did the counting I recorded her information on a special tally form. Here are a few of the species we saw: Hooded Merganser; Scaup; Bufflehead; Mallard; Ring Neck duck; Wood duck; Northern Shoveler; Pied Billed Grebe.
At times we did a bit of conferring. Part of the fun was pointing things out to one another as we moved along. In the tall-grass areas we passed numerous congregations of wild turkeys with males strutting their stuff for the choosey, seemingly nonchalant females. We saw a number of eagle nests with parents in residence; seven immature (one-four year old) bald eagles in a group plus numerous mature eagles here and there; "our" trumpeter swans and geese in the early stages of pairing and nesting; tons of coyote tracks; a mink running down the middle of the road ahead of us; and some elusive, ephemeral pasque flowers finishing their early spring tenure.
In several ponds we spotted beavers swimming along as busy as - well, beavers. Some of the hidden little pond and marsh areas seemed to call out for us to stay, relax, observe, and be plucked out of the normal flow of time. But we had a mission to complete. By the end of our three hour survey I realized how truly lucky I am to have this incredible opportunity to volunteer at Sherburne Refuge.
If you're in our area of east central Minnesota you might find a volunteer opportunity at Sherburne NWR that will add a deep sense of satisfaction to your life. There's plenty to do. Check Exploresherburne.org for more information.
If you live elsewhere, check for opportunities on your home turf. Since the US Fish and Wildlife Service manages over 500 refuges there's a good chance you live near one. If not, there might be a nature center in your area that could use some help. Right in your own backyard you might find a place where you can make a satisfying contribution while finding respite from the noise and busyness of everyday life.
Interested in becoming a refuge volunteer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? Visit their website for more information.
