Kind of quiet here...check out Habitat Day in MN

16 years ago

Just in case you all thought I was getting lazy or just sittin' around whining about the cold.

Woke up this morning and realized some dog had nudged the alarm clock plug out of the wall part way trying to curl up on the dog bed in the corner, huh...amazing - not enough room for the 5 of us on the Queen-size bed. So the alarm didn't go off. But I'm not late...

Made it to the mall in Alex 45 miles away an hour and 25 minutes later, only 5 minutes late, and that's after I showered, dressed, fed the dogs and let them out...twice (ok they were both short outs :)

HABITAT DAY!!! Our Pope Co Pheasant Restoration group (like Pheasants Forever, but we're 2 years older and don't pay a CEO $600K) had a table representing ourselves and we are contributors to the Habitat Day sponsored by the Viking Junior Sportsmen's Club (the young people of another local wildlife/conservation group). The mall is filled with booths and tables about all kinds habitat/conservation stuff for all kinds of wildlife: DNR, US Fish & Wildlife Service, local Lake Associations, Ducks Unlimited, Local Game Wardens, PF, Nat'l Turkey Federation, local garden clubs, etc. Also demos from The Raptor Center at the U of MN, etc. The kids get to build bluebird and wood duck houses, paint T-shirts with bugs and turtles and stuff, make suet feeders, and bird feeders out of recycled pop bottles. All FREE.

They had wood pre-cut to make 750 bluebird house - and they RAN OUT! And there wasn't much left of the wood for 550 pre-cut wood duck houses. YEAH!!! The kids had a ball, and there's that many more that may be interested in the environment now!

Congrats to the Viking Junior Sportsmen of Douglas County!!

Gotta love these little kids - all they really get to do is push the trigger on a cordless drill and see a bird house get built, and they love it. Lots of help from the local scout troops too!

(most of these were taken early, the place was packed from 10am to noon, and it was cold and snowing!)

Thanks for looking, S

PS: I did get swept into Herberger's shoe sale..wasn't my fault...really, then had to trek out to my car to get my driver's license so they would take my check :0) So the day wasn't a total waste.

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Comments (9)

youreit
16 years ago
LOL!!! @ the shoe sale! Ohhhh, Sarah, many a lady has been swept into such madness. *sigh*

GREAT bunch of kids there!! Congrats to them on a wonderful turn out! There was a wonderful article in the Nov. 2007 issue of National Geographic entitled, "Hunters: For Love of the Land." Many folks don't realize that MOST hunters are the greatest conservationists this country has, and this article set a lot of stories straight in that regard.

Best of luck to your Pope Co. Pheasant Restoration group in the future!

Brenda
semper_fi
16 years ago
Thank Gawd Brandy wasn't there for this. One look at those guys in camo and she'd be thanking them for their service! LOL! :-)))

"Many folks don't realize that MOST hunters are the greatest conservationists this country has..."

True. But there are some huge nut jobs in that crowd too. Like any other group, you got your good apples and then a few rotten ones. The Wildlife Management Area where I ride from time to time borders some land leased by a hunting club. Some of this maze of trails leading to one mountain summit goes through their property. Recently a fellow biker reported that someone has nailed a beheaded wild boar to a tree with a NO TRESPASSING sign attached to him/her. What a cruel and wasteful way to deliver a message.

*LOVE* the OUTSTANDING organization that was put forth as seen in that 4th pic.
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sheepco
Original Author
16 years ago
I agree, unfortunately there are nut jobs everywhere.

This is the 5th year they've done this so the Viking Sportsmen are very organized.

What I like best is seeing a grandpa come with his grandkids, sometimes dad and mom tag along too :)
youreit
16 years ago
LOL @ Me & camo!! That is too funny, Fi guy!

Ack! What a sick thing to do, I agree. :(

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catherinet
16 years ago
How cool Sarah!
I especially like the pic of the little kid standing on the table, helping with the drill!
I'm afraid if they had that kind of thing at our local malls, people would be staring at it, befuddled, saying "What the heck is THAT stuff??" But its good to know that somewhere out there, people find this stuff interesting and fun! (and important!).
I'd prefer the guy who lives in the woods behind ours be a hunter.......instead of riding motorcycles through the woods. :(
Speaking of bluebirds.........I just saw one outside today that was the bluest bluebird I'd ever seen!!
Are you in any of those pics Sarah??
Thanks for sharing!
comettose
16 years ago
What a great job they did for the birds!

Awful about the boar. Scary actually and a waste.
sheepco
Original Author
16 years ago
Nope, I prefer to be behind the camera.

The first year I bought my little 5 acres I put out a bluebird house and had a pair nest. Haven't seen one in my yard since, and I have 3 boxes now. Really don't have much problem with predatory type birds either, but I think the fact that I'm surrounded by open fields for 1/2 to 1 mile in each direction makes my grove less attractive to many species of birds. But I see them around our area, so beautiful!

I also get a pair of wood ducks that check out the place each spring. Last year they sat in the big elm over my pond for about an hour before deciding it was too small. They prefer to nest in old boxelder trees rather than the nice nesting boxes I have for them!
sleeplessinftwayne
16 years ago
That is a Saturday that will make memories. I wish there were many, many more like that. Congratulations and thank yous to all those who took time to make smiles along with the birdhouses. Sandy
chickadeedeedee
16 years ago
That looks fantastic! What a wonderful project for everyone involved. :-)

Doing-Nothing-of-Value-Like-That,
Slacker C3D

Kind of quiet here...check out Habitat Day in MN

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Kind of quiet here...check out Habitat Day in MN

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