Stressed No More

The Grand Opening of the McNary National Wildlife Refuge Education Center in Burbank, Washington, was a huge success. The ribbon was cut on October 7, 2009, by Robyn, the head of NWR Region One from Portland, Oregon. USFW staff and volunteers welcomed over 500 kids, parents, grandparents and unrelated folks who came to join the activities in the Celebration on Saturday, October 10, which consisted of observing birds, planting native plants, painting of tiles for plant identification, viewing mud critters at the pond edge, observing knapping of arrow heads, touching pelts of local mammals and charts showing relation of the five main species of vertebrates that progressed by natural selection – fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The first evidence of the spinal column in evolution was traced to 300 million years ago.
The significance of the Opening is that it replaced the original Education Center building, a six room house, opened in 1997 and has continued through the efforts of creative and dedicated volunteers who formed a 501(c)3 education organization that can accept funds for the Refuge and lobby congress to urge support for the entire National Wildlife System. Began through the partnership of the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society and the McNary National Wildlife Refuge, the Center opens the hearts and minds of thousands of people, mostly school aged kids, each year with hands-on natural science programs and by outreach to other organizations and festivals.
The preparation for the opening was intense for several weeks by both USFW staff and volunteers. Now that the event has transpired, satisfaction takes over with a deep sigh of relief in the knowledge of a job well done. The surrounding community is to be congratulated for the development and support of a natural habitat where people can come any time from dawn to dusk any day of the year to renew or replenish their hearts and spirits.
Naomi Sherer