About Us
Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge is a grassroots nonprofit organization consisting of private citizens who provide volunteer and financial support to Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.
Visiting the Refuge
Trails are open every day from dawn until dusk and the Refuge Visitor Center is open daily Monday through Friday. Visitors are welcome to view the many educational exhibits, learn about refuge management programs and find out what’s going on at the refuge to benefit both wildlife and people. The Refuge Visitor Center hours are: [...]
Membership
Membership in Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge allows you to help support public education about important wildlife and habitat issues of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge. In addition, you receive: – A 10 percent discount on merchandise in the Refuge Office. – A chance to become a participant in Refuge activities and make a practical [...]
Refuge Manager’s Corner
The Warbling Vireo – photo courtesy USFWS Being my first spring at the Missisquoi NWR I was very interested how different migratory birds were using the refuge and was happy to see the great diversity and abundance of species during migration. Now we are well into the breeding season and birds have established defined territories that they defend while they nest and raise their young. One of the most obvious forest birds on the refuge both during migration and during the breeding season is the warbling vireo. This little neotropical migrant has a loud, relatively long and complex call which makes it an easy bird to hear and usually see on the refuge. Identification of this small vireo is sometimes based on what it doesn’t have: it lacks wing-bars, streaks on the breast, distinctive eye color or other bright markings which help birders discern between many different species of song birds. In fact the warbling vireo is a rather drab bird overall; buff colored and described...
Nature Notes
Black Tern
Black Tern – photo by Ken Sturm, Refuge Manager I am a small, dark bird found in freshwater marshes. You will see me buoyantly flying low over the water or marsh grasses, a dark shadow zig-zagging to catch insects on the wing. My closest bird relatives tend to be a crisp black and white, but I am the black sheep of the bunch. In Vermont, the best place to see me is at the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge where I like to nest. My nest is built...
Pickerel Weed
You may have seen me out in the marshes at the Refuge or along the edge of the Missisquoi River. I am a very common plant that likes to have my feet wet, so-to-speak. I bloom from spring to summer and have a lovely purple spike of small flowers. I grow to about two to three feet tall and have really large leaves that are lance shaped. Muskrats love to eat my roots and fish are known to take shelter in the shade of my leaves. Dragonflies and damselflies lay their eggs on my leaves and...
