Wandering™
A Refuge from the World
Mar 29, 2005, 10:42

New Refuge Manager Dianna Ellis stands next to the bank of computers connected to microscopes in the Environmental Education Center at the refuge.

She wore a maroon colored government distribution overcoat and boots obviously made for walking through sodden and earthy fields. Golden stubble left from winter wheat, planted as feed for the wildlife, lay covering the ground like odd patches of carpet at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge in Boundary County, ID. Dianna Ellis, new Refuge Manager, strolled under the towering grayed and disarrayed branches of barren cottonwood trees while dozens and dozens of chirping black songbirds sat high overhead singing their almost deafening praises to an early spring.

Dianna’s long blonde hair floated in the breeze as she pointed to a pair of nesting bald eagles. Then, from the nearby marshy sky-blue pond, lined with stoic stands of mucky brown colored reeds, nervous Canada geese and shiny-headed mallards bolted skyward. “How can anyone have a bad day when they are out here,” she asked. Her voice carried an east coast brogue. Before coming to manage the Refuge in Boundary County, she worked on a US Fish and Wildlife Refuge in New York. “Being out here reminds me of my purpose…to bring nature to the people and make it available to everyone.”

You do not need an eagle eye to view this pair of lovebirds. Bald eagles sit near their nest located just yards from the vehicle trail at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, five miles west of Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

The Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1964, is in the backyard of the town of Bonners Ferry, ID.

However, more than town folk drop in to visit and participate in nature’s wonderland. According to Dianna, an estimated 20,000 people per year come from all over the world including England, Africa, Australia and Canada, to name a few.

The Refuge is a member on the Selkirk Loop, a nationally recognized scenic tour route. Views of majestic mountains range on three sides, the Purcell Range on the east, the Cabinet Range on the south, and the Selkirk Range on the west.

Boundary County artist Jean Mace captures the beauty of the Myrtle Creek Falls.

Visitors drive in vehicles or ride bicycles on a four and one half mile loop through the wetlands, or visit scenic creeks, ponds and waterfalls along any of several foot trails, some that are ADA accessible. Some come to fish and hunt during the season. The refuge has designated areas for waterfowl hunting on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Reservations are available for ADA accessible hunting blinds. Unless reserved, all blinds are open to state licensed hunters.

Inquisitive excited schoolchildren also come by the dozens to participate in “interpretive programs” provided at the refuge in its newly dedicated Environmental Education Center.

The Environmental Education Center, left, and Refuge office provide special presentations for the community and host interpretive programs for school students where they learn to identify animal tracks, wildlife and plants on the refuge.

The center coordinates with Valley View Elementary School for hands-on learning opportunities and nature walks. Students collect local samples of native plants from the refuge, put them under microscopes connected to the eight computers in the center for viewing, and then research their finds on the Internet. Teachers and Refuge workers show students how to identify the animal tracks, plant life and wildlife they see along the trails.

Wildlife and nature related topics are the focus of special presentations for the community as well. Brian Johnson, recently spoke on Grizzly Bears, Beth Paragamian, presented on the topic of live owls, and Jerry Pavia, focused on plant photography in a program he titled "Garden Song" after his book.

Upcoming on the Refuge calendar is the International Migratory Bird Day Festival held every year on the second Saturday of May; look forward to special speakers and naturalist led birding tours.

Dianna explained the Refuge welcomes individuals and groups interested in giving presentations at the Center. She encourages community members to telephone the Refuge, at 208-267-3888, to schedule times and dates for presentations on such topics as gardening for wildlife, bird identification, and waterfowl identification for hunters, as well as other nature related topics. The center has an overhead projector, slide projector, eight computers with MS PowerPoint software, microscopes, DVD and VHS.

The Center also provides a free local weather service to computer savvy individuals. Log on to Weather Bug for the download. The weather program provides local information from the equipment at the center. According to Janet, administrative assistant at the Refuge, “With this program, your computer will beep at you when there is a weather alert.”

Administrative Assistant Janet Satchwell encourages computer literate visitors to download the Refuge’s weather program.

To get to the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, turn left off Northbound US Hwy. 95 on to Riverside Road, just before the bridge crossing the Kootenai River in Bonners Ferry. Drive approximately five miles along the paved road that meanders alongside the westbound route of the Kootenai River. When the river heads northward on its run into Canada, the road stays westbound for two more miles through the wetlands before you reach the office and Center.

Do not wait until you get to the Refuge to look for wildlife. The entire river valley is a rest stop to migratory birds and a home for waterfowl, moose, elk, black bear, crane, red heron, coyotes, white tailed deer, river otter, hawks, bald and golden eagles, songbirds and redwing blackbirds. The marshlands include a wide variety of plant life such as cattails, cottonwoods, snowberry bushes, and conifers.

Migratory birds like the Tundra swans arrive in large numbers at the Refuge during the spring and fall months, to rest and feed.

According to Dianna, the 2,774 acre Kootenai Refuge is home to more types of wildlife than on some larger preserves managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In spring and fall, large numbers of animals, such as the Mallard ducks and Tundra swans, come to feed and rest on their way to Canada. Large herds of elk visit in the winter. Presently, the refuge boasts two pairs of nesting bald eagles. Last fall, a moose and her calf came up to the office window, said Dianna.

“The wetlands included in the preserve provide a different type of habitat and food source than higher elevations on the surrounding mountains,” she explained. In previous years, the local farmers planted crops on Refuge land. However, according to Dianna, the Refuge now plants its arable land in wheat and barley as feed for the wildlife.

Visitors are welcome to visit Dianna and Janet during office hours from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday. The Refuge is open from dawn to dusk, no visitors after dark please. “Even the animals need a rest,” said Dianna.

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