About 200 people turn out for spring celebration at refuge; ground broken for amphitheater

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge welcomed about 200 visitors on Saturday, May 18, to the spring celebration event, a celebration of World Migratory Bird Day and the spring season.

This year’s theme was insects and their importance to people and wildlife.

The spring celebration event was at the Oak Savanna Learning Center and included several booths to highlight all things birds, bugs and blooms. Visitors were able to learn about the hardships of bird migration during the Migration Challenge, enjoy a “In the Tall, Tall Grass” story walk from the Great River Regional Library, use scope and binoculars to find and identify birds, observe live honeybees and craft insect headbands.

A special presentation from Diane Hirigoyen with the Xerces Society taught visitors about the “Wonderful World of Insects.” Insects are not only an important part of the food chain for many animals, but they also provide essential services including pollination of wildflowers and crops, improving water quality and maintaining pest populations.

The Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge held the groundbreaking for the new amphitheater for nature education at the Oak Savanna Learning Center. Donors and community supporters joined with the Friends, the refuge and Terra Construction of Rogers to celebrate the achievement. The fully accessible amphitheater will be a place for the community to gather and learn about nature and is expected to be complete by the end of summer.

The Friends also offered a silent auction and the Eagle’s Nest Nature Store.

This event would not have been possible without the assistance of refuge volunteers and the support of the Friends of Sherburne.

Mark your calendars for the refuge’s next big event, the wildlife festival, on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Oak Savanna Learning Center.