Friends of Missisquoi Calendar
The Missisquoi “Marsh Mellows” will again use the observation platform at the Stephen Young Marsh as the center of their 17 ft. diameter circle and try to observe as many bird species as they can from that location during daylight hours. Anyone is welcome to come and join them for any part of the day. Last year 32 species were recorded, but they’ll be shooting for their record of 46 species set in 2018.
You may wonder, what exactly is a Big Sit!? Some call it a “tailgate party for birders.” It’s an annual, international, noncompetitive, extremely sedentary birding event organized by the New Haven (Connecticut) Bird Club. It’s like a Big Day or a bird-a-thon in that the goal is to count as many bird species as possible within a 24-hour period, but with the major restriction that observations must be made from within a 17-foot diameter circle! There are Big Sit! circles all over the world, including Guatemala, India, the Netherlands, England, Vietnam, and New Zealand. Participants can come and go as they please during the day, and the circle need not be occupied for the entire 24 hours. The platform at Stephen Young Marsh is well within the 17-foot limit. Rain date is Sunday, October 6th.
If you have any questions, contact Ken Copenhaver at copenhvr@gmail.com
The Walk for the Wild 5K Challenge can be completed on the trails or on the water!
The Friends will be at the refuge on Sunday, October 13th, to help you get moving in the right direction!
To complete the 5K Challenge and do some birding along the way, come to the refuge at 8:00AM to join in on a bird walk led by the Green Mountain Audubon Society.
To complete the 5K Challenge by foot, come to the Visitor Center anytime between 10:00AM and 3:00PM. You will be introduced to 3 of the refuge’s trails and a variety of habitats.
To complete the 5K Challenge by water, put in your canoe or kayak at Mac’s Bend between 1:00PM and 3:00PM. No canoe or kayak? No problem! There will be a limited number of kayaks on hand for those who may need one.
Can’t visit us during National Wildlife Refuge Week? You can still MAKE A DONATION to support the Friends. And you’re invited to COMPLETE THE 5K CHALLENGE VIRTUALLY from any national wildlife refuge or your favorite nature spot.
As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, the Friends of Missisquoi welcome Karen Bates from the VT Department of Environmental Conservation to discuss the management of the Missisquoi River watershed. Learn about how the Agency of Natural Resources develops watershed management plans for the Missisquoi River. The strategies support enhanced stewardship of the landscape draining towards the river to reduce pollutant loading and protect the ecosystems that play an important role in enhancing flood resilience.
The speaker, Karen Bates, watershed planner for the Water Investment Division has worked collaboratively with watershed partners to develop these plans over the last 20 years.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, the Friends of Missisquoi welcome Bridget Butler from the Friends of Northern Lake Champlain. The FNLC staff will share their work locally to improve water quality in the region and share simple ways you can take action at home and in your community.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
Like hunting, gathering native edible plants and fungi for sustenance and health used to be a way of life. Today, most people obtain what they need from a grocery or drugstore, and few know what native plants are edible or how to use them. Luckily there are some people who still know the gathering ways of their elders and incorporate foraged foods into their diet and as natural medicines.
As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, the Friends of Missisquoi welcome Donna Toneatti to give us some basics about native plants as foods and medicines. This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, the Friends of Missisquoi welcome Kevin Tolan to discuss everything grassland! Learn about the benefits and challenges of managing Vermont’s grasslands for birds and pollinators.
Kevin is a graduate student at UVM and a biologist with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies in Norwich, VT.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
Do you want to learn about the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge from the person who knows the refuge the best? As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, Ken Sturm, the refuge manager of the Missisquoi NWR will give a presentation on the highlights of the refuge. Ken has been the manager of Missisquoi since 2011.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
Donna Toneatti will lead a walk on the refuge and discuss the foraging native plants that can be used for food and medicines.
Please note: The physical taking of any plants or animals is prohibited on the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, so no plants will be removed on this walk.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events
As part of our National Wildlife Refuge Week festivities, the Friends of Missisquoi welcome Colleen Hickey to discuss the 2024 State of the Lake. The Lake Champlain Basin Program publishes the State of the Lake Report every several years to inform citizens and resource managers about the health of the Lake. Colleen will discuss the latest important findings from the recently published report.
This is one of a series of presentations at our Missisquoi Wildlife Fair. Visit https://friendsofmissisquoi.org/calendar for the schedule and details of the day’s events.
