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Volunteer NewsletterDeer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
September 2020
Though the Visitor Center is currently closed, the neighboring mountain cottontailsare still greeting refuge visitors! (USFWS/Susan Kain)
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has temporarilysuspended in-person volunteer activities. We look forward to seeing you at the refuge again when it is safe to continue volunteeractivities. Please see the "Help from Home" section below for inspiration about how youcan support wildlife and the National Wildlife Refuge System mission from your home orneighborhood. We will let you know when in-person volunteer activities resume.
Volunteers Especially Needed ForVirtual Public Engagement: Help connect the community and refuge on Facebook.Citizen Science: Help celebrate and document refuge biodiversity through iNaturalist.
See Help From Home below for more information.
What's New?
September brings the start of hunting season. For the hunters among you, have a safeand enjoyable hunt. For other refuge visitors, please take appropriate precautionswhen visiting the East and South Side Recreation Areas. Cheers!Congratulations to Maintenance Worker Brian Clifford. He was recently recognized with aSTAR award (Special Thanks for Achieving Results) for his can-do attitude, self-motivation,and attention to detail in maintaining refuge infrastructure during initial COVID-19 responseefforts. Well done! Around the Water CoolerHave you noticed the new refuge leash loaner stations? These were installed at severalhigh-use access points to increase awareness of and compliance with pets-on-leashregulations. Visitors with dogs can borrow a customized "Deer Flat National WildlifeRefuge" leash to protect wildlife and other visitors. Staff also carry leashes when touringthe Refuge to initiate positive interactions with visitors with dogs off leash.
When it is safe to return to in-person volunteering, we plan to recruit dogs (and theirowners!) to be BARK Rangers. BARK Rangers will pledge to follow refuge policy to keeptheir dog, other visitors, and refuge wildlife safe. They will also share BARK Rangerconcepts with others: Bag your pet's waste, Always leash your pet, Respect wildlife, andKnow where you can go. Let us know if you (& your dog) would like to be BARK Rangers.
Friends of Deer Flat Wildlife RefugeThe Friends of Deer Flat is a non-profit organization that supports therefuge. Friends projects include field trip bus scholarships, refuge events,and restoration projects. Tax-deductible memberships start at $10.To support the Friends, email [email protected] or visithttp://www.friendsofdeerflat.org/2015/10/friends-of-deer-flat-newsletters/ for more info.
Upcoming EventsUnless otherwise noted, events take place at the Visitor Center.
Nature Explorers—Postponed as of now (was scheduled 9/24) We hope you'll beable to join us soon for this event where preschoolers use their natural curiosity andparticipate in guided nature explorations. 3-5-year-olds and their parents are invited to beprepared to be outside and get a little dirty. On the fourth Thursday of each month.Free. Rain or shine, cold or hot. Service dogs only.
Bee visiting a native curlycup gumweed flower (USFWS/Susan Kain)
Gumweed is named for the shiny sticky-ness on the leaves and theglobe-like bracts below the flowers. Touch one of these currently-flowering
perennials on an upcoming refuge visit to experience this yourself.Botanists speculate that the gummy-ness may help the plant retain moisture
(https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/cc_gumweed.html).
Help from HomeVirtual Volunteering Opportunities: If you're looking for something to do to help therefuge from afar, check out these remote volunteering options.
Virtual public engagement: During this uncertain time we are working toengage with our community via Facebook. Volunteers can come up with post ideas,collect materials (photos, links, etc.), and/or build posts. Need some inspiration?Recent post themes have included:
Neighborhood Nature (what you're seeing close to home)Stewardship Saturdays (close-to-home service ideas)Favorite nature journaling ideasStories of how you enjoy the refuge and other natural areasYour photos, old or new, of refuge wildlife or habitats
Citizen science: Join a community of local and global naturalists and help uscelebrate and document refuge biodiversity. Post observations of your own, keeptrack of what you've seen, and explore and help identify what others are seeing,both near you and on the other side of the world! It's simple:
From the refuge, snap photos of the living things you see and post them toiNaturalist, orFrom home:
Help identify observations already posted to the Deer Flat NWR project.Post your old refuge photos to get them identified and make themavailable for research.
Visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/deer-flat-national-wildlife-refuge ordownload the app today!
Screen shot ofDeer Flat NWR
iNaturalist projectshowing recentobservations.
Many thanks to thosewho are uploading
their observations ofRefuge biodiversity!
Spanish-language translation: Are you fluent in Spanish? If so, please helptranslate visitor or student materials or proofread translated materials for accuracy.
Volunteer OpportunitiesFollowing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and recommendations from stateand local public health authorities about COVID-19, Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge hastemporarily suspended in-person volunteer activities. We will notify you when in-personvolunteer activities begin again and look forward to seeing you at the refuge then.
Quick! Hop over to the refuge to spend some time connecting with nature!(USFWS/Susan Kain)
Know anyone who might be a good fit? Please pass this newsletter tofamily, friends, and neighbors! To sign up or find out more, contact
the Volunteer Coordinator at [email protected] or (208) 467-9278
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge13751 Upper Embankment Road
Nampa, ID 83686
No longer interested in receiving the monthly newsletter? Please let us know.
