Ouray National Wildlife Refuge Open House - May 8

[Diane_Penttila at fws dot gov]

Ouray National Wildlife Refuge will
celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by hosting its 10th Annual Open
House event on Saturday, May 8, 2004.  This event will include activity
stations for children of all ages and fun for the entire family.  Stations
include:  wetland insect identification, wetland bird identification,
live hawks, Refuge System information, invasive weed identification, build
a bird house, prescribed fire information, live endangered fish, and live
game birds.  This event provides an opportunity for boy scouts to
earn the Ouray NWR patch by participating in the open house.  The
event begins at 7:30 am and continues until 1:00 pm.

This event is a cooperative effort and
will include personnel from other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs,
the Uintah County Mosquito Abatement District, HawkWatch International,
Bureau of Land Management and support from local volunteers.

International Migratory Bird Day is
an annual event focusing attention on migratory birds that travel between
wintering grounds in Mexico, South and Central America, the Caribbean and
nesting habitats in North America.  It is an opportunity to celebrate
and support migratory bird conservation.  Migratory birds have been
the cause or catalyst for some very significant moments in conservation
history, including the creation of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
 Today the National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses more than 540
refuges including Ouray, which was established in 1960 "for use as
an inviolate sanctuary or for any other management purpose for migratory
birds".

For additional information on the Ouray
National Wildlife Refuge Open House, contact Dan Alonso, Refuge Manager
at (435)545-2522.