On Sept. 4, Assistant Secretary of the Interior Lyle Laverty took U.S. Rep. Michele Bachman up on her invitation to visit Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge. Located within 50 miles of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge preserves 30,700 acres of oak savannah, Big Woods and wetlands. Bachman, representative of Minnesota’s sixth congressional district, had invited Laverty to join her and others to learn about plans for the new refuge “Discovery Center.” The Friends of Sherburne, a nonprofit group that gives assistance and support for refuge projects, has committed to raise funds to build a new facility there. The new Discovery Center will include a visitor center with classrooms, exhibits, offices, an outdoor classroom, trails and other amenities.

Sue Hix, president of the Friends of Sherburne, gave a presentation to a group of 35 people including Laverty and Bachmann. “The Discovery Center will benefit area students and families, as well as visitors from throughout the state and across the country — and it will benefit our local economy,” Hix said.  Both a welcome center and gateway to the refuge, it will provide information, interactive exhibits, access to trails and outdoor activities, and classrooms for environmental education. “With a growing concern about the effects of ‘nature-deficit disorder’ on children, we will be able to offer kids in our area an opportunity to connect with nature in a safe, supportive environment,” Hix said. “We expect visitation to the refuge to double with a Discovery Center.”

The Friends of Sherburne has been advocating for a new visitor center at the refuge for more than eight years.  In June 2007 it began planning for a capital campaign to raise $6 million to build the new facility. The friends group then decided not only to raise the money but also to build the facility. The group hired an architect, an exhibit-design company, a general contractor and a consultant to do a feasibility study. Consequently, it is now prepared to show potential donors pre-design drawings of exhibits, trail systems and the facility itself. The plans also contain components that will help the facility qualify for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The friends group received the results of the feasibility study for the project early this summer. The study indicated that it will be possible, though challenging, for the group to raise the funds to build the Discovery Center. It also noted most people outside the vicinity of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge do not understand or know what USFWS is, let alone the refuge. The Friends group immediately started planning a media campaign to precede the capital campaign that they had planned to start in the first quarter of 2009.  As part of their efforts to raise awareness of USFWS and the refuge, friends-group members have been diligently contacting their legislators.  Bachmann has been engaged and very supportive of the friends group and their efforts.

Laverty, too, expressed his appreciation to the friends group during his visit to the refuge. He thanked them for their support of the refuge and congratulated them on winning the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2008 Friends Group of the Year award. The group has played a critical role in representing the community in matters related to the refuge and in protecting, conserving and enhancing the refuge itself. “Without this group, the refuge simply could not provide the high-quality visitor services and community support the citizens of this area deserve,” said Anne Sittauer, refuge manager at Sherburne.

The Friends of Sherburne’s support of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge has earned it the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2008 Friends Group of the Year award. The group has played a critical role in representing the community in matters related to the refuge and in protecting, conserving and enhancing the refuge itself. “Without this group, the refuge simply could not provide the high-quality visitor services and community support the citizens of this area deserve,” said Anne Sittauer, refuge manager at Sherburne.

Related Links:

Sherburne NWR: http://www.exploresherburne.org/

Sherburne NWR Friends Group: http://www.exploresherburne.org/history.html

U.S. Fish and Wildife Service: http://www.fws.gov/