Come to the
13th Annual Blackwater Open House

Saturday, October 4, 2008
8am - 4pm
Entrance fee waived; all programs free

 

9am-4pm - Outside Visitor Center

• Carrie Murray Nature Center Display -- live birds of prey on display
• Salisbury Zoo -- live birds of prey on display
• Horn Point Touch Tank -- kids can touch the swimming water creatures
• Jim Kirk Reptiles on display
• Kerry Turner Reptiles on display
• Butterfly Exhibit on display
• FWS Confiscated Endangered Species on display
• Fire equipment on display -- equipment used by Blackwater's fire crew for prescribed burns, wild fires, and in assisting Maryland's and Dorchester County's fire departments
• Jr. Refuge Manager Program for Kids - earn your Jr. Refuge Manager badge by attending five programs and learning the answer to one of your questions
• Kids' Archery - learn skills of archery with experienced hunter Stan Trice
• Meet Blackwater's "Tom Eagle" who greets the kids throughout the day

 

9am-4pm in Visitor Center

• Mary Konchar photography on display
• Jim Clark will sign his new book "Between Ocean and Bay: A Celebration of the Eastern Shore"
• Author Jennie Keats Curtis and Illustrator Marcy Dunn Ramsey will sign their new kid's book "Osprey Adventure"

 

10am-11am and 2:30pm - 3:30pm on Wildlife Drive

• Expert birder will man spotting scopes on the Wildlife Drive for assistance to viewers in sighting eagles and other birds.

 

9am-5pm - Great deals at the Eagles' Nest Gift and Book Store in the Visitor Center

Schedule of Events

8am	Bird Walk: Meet at the entrance to the Visitor Center. With leader Terry Allen, observe resident and migratory birds including eagles, Canada geese, ducks, herons, and song birds. Bring binoculars. Approximately 3 hours.
9am	Refuge Tour: Meet outside Visitor Center. Learn about the refuge and wildlife habitat management on a tour of the refuge with Fire Control Officer Bill Giese as you travel to areas not usually open to visitors. Approximately 1.5-2 hours.
9am	"Climate Change: Is It Getting Hot Here?": In Visitor Center conference room. Chelsea Corcoran will show how climate change will affect all of us in Dorchester County and how we might deal with it.
10am	"Top Tips for Wildlife Photography": In Visitor Center conference room. Learn how to photograph wildlife with photographer/writer Jim Clark. (Jim Clark is the photographer/author of "Between Ocean and Bay: A Celebration of the Eastern Shore")
11am	Live Peregrine Falcon Program: At table outside Visitor Center. Falconer Andrew Bullen will have his peregrine falcon to observe while you learn about this magnificent bird and how it has returned from near extinction by adapting to its changing environment.
11am	Eagle Prowl: Meet outside the Visitor Center with ticket in hand. Register to acquire ticket before 11:00am on day of event only. No pre-registration. Limited to 39 participants. Volunteers and refuge staff will help you locate eagles here on the refuge.
11:30am	Refuge Tour: Meet outside Visitor Center. Learn about the refuge and wildlife habitat management on a tour of the refuge with Deputy Refuge Manager Larry McGowan as you travel to areas not usually open to visitors. Approximately 1.5-2 hours.
12pm	Sika Deer Program: In Visitor Center conference room. University of Delaware graduate student David Kalb will provide life history and research being done on the exotic sika.
1pm	Nesting Bird Survey Results Program: In Visitor Center conference room. Why is the refuge looking for bird nests? What kind of birds nests are they searching for? What kind did they find? Learn the results from Biologist Sean Flint.
2pm	Eagle Prowl: Outside Visitor Center. Volunteer Zeeger de Wilde will help you locate eagles on the refuge. Limited to 35 participants. Register in advance at the Visitor Center information desk. About 1 hour.
2pm	Nutria Trapping Demonstration and Research Update: Meet at observation site. Nutria Project trappers will demonstrate how they trap nutria and bring you up-to-date on what's happening to this destructive invasive population and why.
2pm	Eagle Prowl: Meet outside the Visitor Center with ticket in hand. Register to acquire ticket after 11:00am on day of event only. No pre-registration. Limited to 12 participants. Volunteers and refuge staff will help you locate eagles here on the refuge.
2pm	Refuge Tour: Meet outside Visitor Center. Learn about the refuge and wildlife habitat management on a tour of the refuge with Refuge Manager Suzanne Baird as you travel to areas not usually open to visitors. Approximately 1.5-2 hours.
3pm	Harriet Tubman Program: In Visitor Center conference room. Park Ranger Steve McCoy and MD Office of Tourism's Marci Ross will provide the latest information on the development of Dorchester's first State Park & National Historical Site adjacent to the refuge. Harriet Tubman (Vernetter Pinder) will take you back to a time when she lived near this area.

 

Kids' Events

In addition to the displays and exhibits mentioned above, the following scheduled activities will be available for children:

9am	Kid's Bird Feeder Construction: On picnic tables outside Visitor Center. Construct bird feeder to take home. All materials supplied. No registration required.
10:30am	Kid's Live Reptile Program: At picnic table outside Visitor Center. Kerry Turner will show kids how reptiles are adapted to live in their environment with the live snakes and turtles she has on display.
11:30am	Kid's Butterfly Program: At table outside Visitor Center. Gardener Judy Slaughter will show kids what kind of butterflies and caterpillars are found at Blackwater and help kids to make a butterfly life-cycle picture to take home.
12pm	Wooly Bear Caterpillar Races and Caterpillar Program : Outside Visitor Center. Race your caterpillar and learn more about the Wooly Bear and whether it really predicts the weather.
1:30pm	Kid's Halloween Wildlife Program: At table outside Visitor Center. Carrie Murray Nature Center will display wildlife that are associated with Halloween. See and learn about these creepy crawlies!
2:30pm	Invasive Species Puppet Show: In Visitor Center conference room. Follow the migration of Mother Goose and her youngster to Blackwater Refuge and meet the wildlife that are invading the refuge.
3:30pm	Smokey Bear Visits Blackwater: Outside the Visitor Center. Meet Smokey Bear and find out how you can help prevent forest fires.

Note: Except for the bird walk and tours, programs will run approximately 30-45 minutes. Hurlock Lions will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, drinks, chips, etc. Chicone Ruritans will provide roast pork sandwiches. For information call 410-228-2677 or email maggie_briggs@fws.gov

Get directions to the Refuge

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge
2145 Key Wallace Dr
Cambridge, Maryland 21613
410-228-2677