GooseFest 2010 is scheduled for October 16-23.

 

Greenwing Day filled with learning of outdoor life

The Kenmare News, 8/11/10

By Caroline Downs

Shane Weigand knew exactly how to hold his audience’s attention during Greenwing Day on Saturday. “If you don’t like creepy-crawlies, you might want to scoot back a little bit,” he said as each group of kids joined him at Station 5.

None of the kids ever scooted back. In fact, most leaned forward as Weigand, a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biological technician working at the Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge this season, talked about the insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles that live in the marshy areas along the Des Lacs lakes. Joe Breidenbach, the new Ducks Unlimited regional director for North Dakota, assisted with the various aquariums and buckets that held marsh animals for the kids to see.

To illustrate key points, Weigand scooped up insect larvae, leeches, snails and minnows. Within minutes, kids from preschool to high school could list differences between frogs and toads and describe the way a crayfish propels itself backward to swim.

When Weigand asked, “So, do you guys want to hold some toads and minnows?”, the kids were ready. Each group spent about half the allotted time gathered around a wading pool, gently handling the small creatures themselves and admiring a lone salamander Weigand showed.

And before the kids left the creepy-crawlies, they lined up cheerfully to sanitize their hands against the slight risk of undesirable bacteria that could be present in the water or on the frogs’ skin.

Seventy kids joined representatives from the USFWS, North Dakota Game & Fish Department, Ducks Unlimited and Kenmare GooseFest for the annual Greenwing event held at the Boat Dock area northwest of Kenmare on the Des Lacs refuge. The popular outdoor activity day attracted kids from Kenmare, Bowbells, Stanley, Minot, Carpio and Columbus, like always.

Kids from Bismarck, Hazen, Bottineau, Menoken and Jamestown, as well as Fergus Falls, MN, and Alamitos, CA, also joined in the fun. Seven stations were available for the young participants to try on the roles of naturalist, researcher, hunter, artist and game warden.

David Colby of Kenmare shared his turkey calls, blinds and decoys with the groups as they discussed the joys and frustrations of wild turkey hunting. More than one person covered his or her ears when a friend blew a turkey call for the first time.

Aaron Robinson of Dickinson, an upland game biologist with NDGF, staged elaborate games of hide-and-seek as kids learned about the radio collars used to track sage grouse activity in the southwestern part of the state. After an introduction to the collar’s use and merits, two or three members from each group pretended to be sage grouse and hid themselves with a collar. The rest of the kids tracked the “birds” using the same telemetry equipment Robinson takes to the field to follow grouse.

Tami Gravesen of DakotaBlessings Studio in Kenmare facilitated an art activity where youth and adult artists chose a map of the refuge or a page from a nature book to highlight with words and drawings of waterfowl.

Judges chose three drawings as prize winners for the morning, with all the pictures to be prepared for display later this fall at the Des Lacs NWR headquarters, Kenmare Branch Library and Ward County Public Library.

The BB gun shooting station allowed the kids to practice their gun handling and shooting skills under the watchful eyes of Chuck Leet, Merle Wallstrum, Mitchell Ingerson, Paul Neve and other adult volunteers. “And all of them take their targets with them,” Leet said about the focused young shooters, “as proof of what they did.”

Dave Bolin, Des Lacs NWR manager, hosted a station that focused on the purpose and techniques of duck banding. He showed the group a map of the United States liberally sprinkled with dots up and down the center of the country and into Canada, where birds banded at the Des Lacs, Upper Souris or J. Clark Salyer refuges had been recovered later. Each Greenwing participant was also “banded” for the day after his or her height and wingspan (arm length) were measured and recorded, with prizes given during lunch time to some of the banded Greenwings.

The NDGF game warden station put the kids directly into the action of hunting season, after they received badges as “deputies.” Experienced wardens guided them through hunting regulations, with the young deputies applying their knowledge in one of two scenarios.

Some of the kids confronted a pair of goose hunters who violated several laws that day, including baiting birds, shooting too many birds, using lead shot and drinking alcoholic beverages.

The other kids dealt with two obnoxious deer hunters who lied about their use of bows and rifles and were improperly licensed, among other problems. With guidance from the wardens, the temporary deputies made the proper arrests and cleared up the illegal hunting situations.

After making the rounds of the stations, the Greenwings relaxed with lunch by the lake and were awarded door prizes, posters and T-shirts courtesy of the day’s sponsors.

A bus on loan from the Kenmare school district transported most of the kids back to town, while others rode with their parents.

Greenwing Day always provides plenty of highlights, but some of the braver kids who had the courage to hold one of the green racers or the garter snake at Weigand’s station may never forget that close encounter with a reptile, especially when Weigand made his own confession.

“I’m not a big fan of snakes,” he said as the kids watched him try to extract one from the leaves and sticks in their aquarium. “They’re the creepy part of the marsh.”