Warsaw, Virginia: The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge will host a series of special activities to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week from October 13 to 19. The activities will include pontoon boat rides, kayak paddles, a special birdwatching competition, dedication of a wildlife mural, and a visit to an iconic site not usually open to the public. It’s a great opportunity to visit the Refuge and discover this amazing resource.
“We are pleased to join in this annual celebration of our Refuge System,” said Refuge Project Leader Marcie Kapsch. “We really hope those who visit regularly and those who have never visited before will join in the celebration by attending one or more of the fun events we have planned.”
The Refuge will open its Fones Cliff unit to the public for the day on Sunday, October 13th. This historic site, known as Matchopick for the Native American village that was located nearby, is where Captain John Smith encountered the Rappahannock Tribe in 1608. It sits atop 100-foot cliffs overlooking the River and Beverly Marsh and hosts the largest eagle population on the East coast. The unit is not yet regularly open to the public.
Also on October 13th, the Refuge will participate in the “The Big Sit,” an annual global birdwatching competition to document as many bird species as possible from inside a 17ft circle. The Refuge will set up its circle on the top of the cliffs at Matchopick. There should be great views of migrating songbirds, waterfowl, and eagles. No experience is necessary to participate, and skilled birders will be on hand to help identify the birds. The birdwatching takes place between 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. but visitors may come and go as they like. The Refuge will have optical equipment available.
The activities will move to the Cat Point Creek unit on Thursday, October 17th. Visitors can join in guided kayak paddles and experience the beauty and serenity of Cat Point Creek and Menokin Bay in early autumn. The Refuge will provide kayaks and all necessary gear, or you can bring your own. The paddles will depart at 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., and reservations are required so email afrench@menokin.org (tag REFUGE WEEK) to reserve your place.
The Refuge will dedicate the mural “Welcome to Our World” at the Cat Point Creek unit on Friday, October 18th at 5:00 p.m. This colorful mural, designed and painted by local artists, volunteers and students, features local wildlife species set in the natural habitats of the Refuge and helps visitors identify the wildlife they encounter on the Refuge. The artists will explain how they created the mural and discuss plans for future murals on the Refuge.
The Refuge will close out the week’s celebrations on Saturday, October 19th, with pontoon boat tours on the Rappahannock River to explore Fones Cliffs from the water. Three one-hour tours will depart from the Carter’s Wharf ramp next to the Fones Cliff Matchopick Unit at 10:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. Reservations are required and the tours are very popular, so email contact@RWRFriends.org or call 703 624-3195 to save your spot.
Steve Colangelo, President of the RWR Friends, a nonprofit that supports the Refuge and the Refuge system, encouraged residents to take advantage of all the refuge has to offer. “The Refuge is offering some different activities during this special week, but a visit to the refuge almost always results in a special encounter with wildlife.”
The Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1996 to conserve and protect fish and wildlife resources in the Rappahannock River basin. It currently has more than twenty units in five counties on both sides of the river that protect over 10,000 acres. Six of the units are open to the public every day of the year from sun-up to sun-down. These units offer gentle hiking trails and wildlife observation platforms. Some of the units have fishing ponds or provide access to tidal creeks with fishing piers and canoe, kayak, and small boat launches.
You can learn more about the Refuge at the Friends web site at RWRFriends.org.
The Matchopick Fones Cliffs unit is on Carter’s Wharf Rd. in Warsaw and the Cat Point Creek unit is at 2570 Newland Rd., Warsaw. For more information about the events and to register, email contact@RWRFriends.org or call 703 624-3195.
Visit your national wildlife refuge!
