Wildlife Refuge offering free nature programs this month

Press Release, Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

BASOM – Learn about wildlife and outdoor skills at a variety of free guided tours, trail walks, and classroom presentations provided by the Friends of Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge. Visitors are able to stop by the refuge’s Cayuga Overlook on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to see and learn about bald eagles from Friends volunteers. The Cayuga Overlook is located on Lewiston Road in the Town of Alabama, and offers excellent viewing of resident bald eagles flying near their nest.

Join experienced birders and outdoor guides to learn about the region’s wildlife. Birding By Car is an opportunity to discover the refuge’s overlooks in both Genesee and Orleans counties, and the birds found there. I

roquois National Wildlife Refuge includes 10,283 acres of federally protected lands that includes wetlands, forests, grasslands, and walking trails visited by 75,000 people each year.

As warblers and other songbirds return to the area, join a trail walk on the refuge to learn about their habitats and behaviors. Participants may also see herons, ospreys, hawks, swans, coots, geese, and a variety of ducks in the wetland areas.

The beginner survival skills and bird feeder workshops will teach you the how-to for enjoying the outdoors. These presentations are held at the visitors’ center at 1101 Casey Rd., Basom, NY. To register, call 585-948-5445.

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge April Free Program Schedule:

Saturday, April 6

Eagle Watch 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Birding By Car 9 am – noon with Garner Light at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Family Nature Walk 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. with Emma DeLeon at Kanyoo Trail, Lewiston Rd.

Saturday, April 13

Eagle Watch 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Bird Feeder Workshop – 1 p.m. with Orleans County Soil and Water at the Visitors’ Center.

Warbler Walk 10 a.m. – noon with Marvin Jacobs at the Headquarters Trail at the Visitors’ Center.

Saturday, April 20

Eagle Watch 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Birding By Car 9 a.m. – noon with Joel Strong at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Family Nature Walk 9 a.m. with Bob Confer at Onondaga Trail.  Limit 12.

In Pursuit of Warblers presentation 1 p.m. with Moe McNalley Aderman at the Visitors’ Center.

Saturday, April 27

Eagle Watch 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Cayuga Overlook, Lewiston Rd.

Beginner Survival Skills presentation 10 a.m. – noon with Marvin Jacobs and Emma DeLeon at the Visitors’ Center.