BIRDING NEWS 4

A respectable 17 birding teams braved bitter winter temperatures and wind chills during this year's BRRRRdathon – the World's Coldest Birdathon. Covering such northern Minnesota "coldspots" as the Sax-Zim Bog and locations along the north shore of Lake Superior as far south as Duluth and as far north as Grand Morais, birders braved the ultra-cold weather and reported 63 different wintering species. Conducted by Friends of the Sax-Zim Bog, teams competed to find the most bird species and raise money to support land protection and a variety of programs at the Sax-Zim Bog. 

For more than a century our national wildlife refuges have attracted birders looking to add a rare or iconic species to their life list, among millions of outdoor enthusiasts. The new national-level results from the National Wildlife Refuge System’s visitor survey shows that visitors to our nation’s national wildlife refuges had a 97 percent satisfaction rating in the quality of the overall experiences offered by national wildlife refuges across the United States. The survey monitored visitor experiences at refuges, with the results demonstrating the Service’s ability to meaningfully connect people with wildlife and the outdoors.