› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › Help › NW Refuge?
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Trekkin and Birdin.
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09/30/2007 at 3:56 pm #1725507
I realize that placing geocaches in National Wildlife Refuges is illegal. Period. However—-
I know that one was done along the Upper Mississippi, in which cachers collected information from boat landing signs, then brought the answers to the office in Winona. We did that one.
Here’s what I’d like to somehow do. At the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, anyone can get up and be at the observation platform by around 6AM during flight training season, and they may be treated to a fly over of the ultralight training the Whooping Crane chicks. I’d like somehow to bring folks to experience that, and maybe some will even be inspired by that experience to help out Operation Migration, the group that has worked tirelessly the past 6 years to develop this eastern flock.
Ideas? I know virtuals are no longer allowed, but somehow they managed to get the one set up out of the Winona office this last summer.
Even if this never comes to fruition, I’d highly recommend a visit here. Two summers ago I managed to join the “inside tour,” where we were taken to one of the wet pens and met the handlers fully costumed, then watched as the birds took wing behind the ultralight. We also had a driving tour of the closed off areas and I managed to get a pretty special photo from the van of one of the Whoopers from the First Family, the pair that successfully reared chicks last summer. It’s a great place to just wander around. Others have even been treated to views of the wolf pack that roams the area.
10/01/2007 at 1:59 pm #1879500Why not just make an event out of it?
10/01/2007 at 5:31 pm #1879501It would be interesting to see this. However, I’ve had mixed feelings about supporting Necedah as I didn’t feel that it was the best spot for the Whooping Cranes.
When the placement of the cranes was being debated, the biologists recommended Crex Meadows in Grantsburg. It had a larger area, lower powerline densities (a major cause of death for whooping cranes which tend to fly low to the ground), better food supplies, cleaner water (Necedah’s water is contaminated with small amounts of chemicals from the cranberry industry), and less noise pollution (particularly related to jets from Fort McCoy). Our trumpeter swans (which have similar habitat requirements and were successfully reintroduced into the state at Crex Meadows) have average clutch sizes double that of Necedah’s. However, when the decision was made, Necedah was chosen primarily based on politics. Necedah has always been federally managed, while Crex Meadows in managed by the Wisconsin DNR. Since the introduction project is a federal one, the powers that be did not feel that feds and the WDNR could get along. IMO, I don’t think that was really acting in the birds’ best interest.
The only factor that I can see that supported Necedah was that they are 2 1/2 hours closer to the crane biologists from the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo.
Sorry to hijack your thread. Have you considered an Earthcache?
10/02/2007 at 9:55 pm #1879502No, I appreciate the background. I’ve come into the OM support since the time the project began and wasn’t aware that other sites had been in consideration. Crex is surely more removed, and you’re probably right, it was the proximity to the Crane Foundation that figured in to the final choice of Necedah. I know there are a number of programs that allow people to visit Necedah to watch the training flights, then head to Baraboo.
That said, it is still worth a person’s time to go there and see this happen. I am not sure how I could make this into an earthcache. I do have another place in mind where I can bring folks to see how the geology of place is instrumental in bringing back another endangered bird, though! I’m waiting for my first earthcache to complete the approval process, then I’ll tackle the next. I think right now the gc.com approvers are waiting for the state guy to let them know the notification has been received and passed along to the local land manager. I’m guessing very soon; it was mailed last week after getting the state guy’s approval.
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