Archive for the 'Midwest Region' Category

Sep 23, 2010

Open Houses on the Proposed Hackmatack NWR

The Friends of Hackmatack are urging supporters to attend U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Open Houses on the proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. This blog has reported on the proposed creation of the refuge (Feb 13 and April 10), which would be located in northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin.
In October 2010, as part of their [...]

Sep 04, 2010

Environmental Education at National Wildlife Refuges

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently ran a report on the many national wildlife refuges that have partnerships with local schools and use refuges as outlets for environmental education.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa is one of those refuges:

When DeSoto Refuge began its program in 2006, refuge staff aimed it primarily at students [...]

May 19, 2010

Winning Names Selected for Upper Mississippi Refuge Islands

Back on February 13, 2010, this blog reported on an effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to have the public help name nine new man-made islands built in backwaters between Brownsville, Minnesota and Stoddard, Wisconsin, as part of a wildlife habitat restoration effort at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The [...]

Apr 10, 2010

USFWS Agrees to Study Proposal for Hackmatack NWR

In a major victory for refuge supporters, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a preliminary plan for a proposed Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, which will lead to a two-year study that will determine whether the first national wildlife refuge in the Chicago region should be created.
On February 13, this blog reported on the [...]

Feb 13, 2010

Friends of Hackmatack Work for Creation of New Refuge

The Friends of Hackmatack are working to build support for the creation of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in the Chicago Metro area (about 60 miles from Chicago and 50 miles from Milwaukee).
According to the members:

We are a group of local citizens from Walworth County, Wisconsin and McHenry County, Illinois, working on a rare opportunity [...]

Feb 13, 2010

Name an Island in the Upper Mississippi River Refuge

The Winona Daily News reports that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking the public to help name nine new man-made islands built in backwaters between Brownsville, Minnesota and Stoddard, Wisconsin, as part of a wildlife habitat restoration effort at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. The islands are among 26 to [...]

Dec 08, 2009

Turtle/Fish Poacher Caught at Shiawassee NWR

Mlive.com reports that officials from the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources caught a turtle and fish poacher who was removing painted turtles, snapping turtles, largemouth bass and channel catfish from near the refuge’s Green Point Environmental Learning Center.
According to Mlive.com:

Officials said they received several reports that a man [...]

Dec 02, 2009

Guardsman To Give Iraq Birding Talk at Ottawa NWR

The News-Messenger reports that Maj. Randel Rogers of the Ohio Army National Guard will present “Birding from the Trenches” at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio. While serving at Al Asad Airbase, Rogers encountered 124 species of birds and numerous mammals, including the elusive jungle cat.
The talk will feature photos [...]

Nov 27, 2009

Operation Migration Hangar Vandalized

Operation Migration is a nonprofit group that has been working with various nonprofit and government partners to create a migrating flock of whooping cranes between Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to two different Florida national wildlife refuges. You’ve probably read about how their ultralight aircraft leads the cranes down south and teaches them how [...]

Nov 04, 2009

Refuge Volunteer Receives President’s Call to Service Award

The Frazee Forum in Minnesota reports that Friend and volunteer Denis Mudderman of Cotton Lake has won the President’s Call to Service Award (given on behalf of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation) for over 5,000 hours of service performed at Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the Frazee Forum:
With his tech savvy skills, [...]

Oct 22, 2009

Ottawa NWR Wants to Build Strong Friends Group

News-Messenger.com reports that on October 30, a meeting will be held where Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Manager Doug Brewer and representatives from refuges in New Jersey and Colorado will get together with current and future volunteers to provide everyone in the community a way to be part of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
If you’d like to [...]

Aug 31, 2009

Necedah NWR Breaks Ground on Visitor Center

The Juneau County Star Times is reporting that the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin has broken ground on its new Visitor Center. Both public and private sector interests worked together to obtain grant money to build the center. (Photo: Left to Right - Congressman Ron Kind, Acting USFWS Director Rowan Gould, Midwest Regional Director [...]