Kids in Nature Day

Hosted by Cabela's Pheasants Forever, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Refuge Friends Inc. and United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Reservations Required, Event is Free

Waterfowl Hunters Party

Are you a hardcore duck hunter? If so, you will not want to miss the Waterfowl Hunters Party.These Ducks Unlimited fundraising events feature hundreds of Greenhead Gear decoys, Avery blinds and, of course, shotguns! This is a one-of-a-kind experience.Tell all your friends - this ain't your daddy's DU banquet!

Thursday October 16th from 6-9pm register now! $25 fee for this event. Tickets are not sold at the door. Oh, and get an extra one too, we don't want your hunting buddy to miss out!

The atmosphere is pure hunting. Hey, if you wear camo not only will you be dressed like most everyone else, you’ll be eligible to win a Benelli Nova 12 gauge Max-4 camo shotgun!

Horse/Hunt Event

The management of the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club has great respect for the desire to learn and grow, at any age. Some folks are lucky enough to grow up in a family that has passed on the tradition of hunting from generation to generation. Yet others are not so fortunate.

Come down and check the Horse and Hunt Event taking place in Correlation with the Federal Duck Stamp Contest being held for the first time ever in Minnesota this year. October 16th we are hosting an event featuring a fun filled day for the youth and their parents. It will be a jam packed all day Thursday with events such as trap shooting, that will be fun for the whole family.

Join us Thursday October 16th, 2008 from 11am-3pm; open to the public.

The Minnesota Horse & Hunt Club is a well-designed, comfortable facility for lodging and dining and provides the perfect setting to entertain friends, guests, and corporate clients. Entertainment is our specialty. Our veteran staff of hospitality managers is eager to help you plan your event and to provide the amount of assistance necessary to make your function memorable and successful.

Paddleford Boat Birding Trip

Audubon Birding Boat Cruise

A very special cruise is offered in cooperation with the nation's oldest, most prestigious wildlife art competition taking place this week as Minnesota hosts the 2008 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest in Bloomington. Join expert ornithologists from Audubon Minnesota in exploring the heavily wooded Great River Park area just up river from downtown St. Paul.

The Birding Boat Cruises are scheduled from Harriet Island from 9 a.m. and return at 11am on October 15. Tickets are $25 including sales tax and a donation to the Duck Stamp Program.

History Of Wildlife Art

Art of the Wild – Featuring Minnesota’s Federal Duck Stamp Artists October 7, 2008 – January 4, 2009

From notebook sketches by 18 th century naturalists to the digitized photographs of today’s most celebrated wildlife photographers, the legacy of natural history art comes alive in Art of the Wild, an exhibit from the Bell Museum’s permanent art collection. The show features more than 100 original paintings, illustrations, watercolors, and photographs from regional and national artists and features such prized works as John James Audubon’s original double-elephant folio prints and easel paintings by museum diorama artist Francis Lee Jaques. The exhibit also celebrates the 75 th anniversary of the Federal Duck Stamp program with original paintings by Minnesota’s 15 duck stamp winning artists— Minnesota has produced more winning artists than any other state.

Walk for Wetlands

Sunday October 12th, 2008
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Minnesota Valley National

Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington, MN

Members of Audubon will be available throughout the trail to help you identify the many different species of birds you will see and explain the importance of wetlands for bird habitat. The walk will prove to be an outstanding learning experience for kids and adults alike. While you are at it, why not gather pledges from your friends and family to raise money for wetlands restoration, enhancement and protection to help ensure we have places like this wonderful refuge for future generations to enjoy.

Prairie Wildlife Photo Contest

The Nature Conservancy is hosting a Prairie Photo Contest in conjunction with the Federal Duck Stamp Contest. For the first time ever, the Duck Stamp contest is being held in Minnesota, at the Bloomington Art Center. The contest is the most prestigious wildlife art event in the world, and draws thousands of artists and spectators each year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-- the federal agency that administers the stamp and contest; is assembling a packed calendar of events to complement the contest.

Many conservation partners will be sponsoring related events. The Nature Conservancy Minnesota Chapter’s 50th year celebration this year we invite you to take part in the first annual photo contest! Some criteria listed below and to check out more please visit our website to upload your photos now! www.nature.org/mnphotocontest

• Photo submissions showcasing prairie landscape and or prairie wildlife species


• Eligible contestants ages 18 and older


• Valuable prizes of $1200 total awarded to Top 5 winners and 5 honorable mentions and later displayed at prestigious museums.


• A panel of judges with expertise in prairies, wildlife, photography and conservation will select the finalists and winner.

Take your photos today! Show us what you discovered threw a lens when you get involved in your states environment. We are looking forward to viewing your beautiful nature shots that will help inspire your community and others to get involved in protecting and preserving. The Nature Conservancy, saving the last great places on Earth.

The Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest

A Tradition of Conservation and

the Arts Comes to the Midwest

The Midwest has a long tradition of wildlife conservation, waterfowl hunting and arts appreciation. These traditions will come together this October as Minnesota plays host—for the first time ever—to the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The winning design chosen by a panel of five judges during the contest will be made into the 2009-2010 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, or "Duck Stamp," the cornerstone of one of the world’s most successful conservation programs.

The 2008 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest will be held Oct. 17 and 18 at the Bloomington Center for the Arts, 1800 West Old Shakopee Road in Bloomington, Minn. A number of associated events sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners will take place during the weeks leading up to the contest.

Hosting the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest in the Twin Cities is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invites people to be a part of history. The contest judging is free and open to the public.

Since the inception of the Federal Duck Stamp program in 1934, sales of Duck Stamps have generated more than $700 million to acquire and preserve more than 5.2 million acres of migratory waterfowl habitat, including many waterfowl production areas that are part of the 97-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. No other program can match that cost-effectiveness.

The first Federal Duck Stamp was designed in 1934 by Iowa native J.N. "Ding" Darling, the director of the Bureau of Biological Survey, forerunner agency to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This first Duck Stamp sold for $1. In 2006, more than 1.6 million people purchased a Federal Duck Stamp.

Every American can make a difference in conserving our natural resources by buying Duck Stamps. Ninety-eight percent of the proceeds from every $15 Duck Stamp goes directly toward acquiring wetland and grassland habitat for birds, endangered and threatened species and other wildlife. You can see the benefits provided by Federal Duck Stamps at national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas across the nation.

Though waterfowl hunters 16 or older are required to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp, these stamps are not just for hunters anymore. Birders, conservationists and anyone interested in preserving wildlife and their habitat can contribute to conservation by purchasing a Duck Stamp. Federal Duck Stamps are also highly sought after by stamp and wildlife art collectors. And a valid Federal Duck Stamp provides free admission into any national wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee.

You can also see the benefits of Federal Duck Stamps at waterfowl production areas across the Midwest. The Service’s Small Wetlands Program, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, uses Duck Stamp dollars to acquire high quality wetland and grassland habitat across the Prairie Pothole Region of the upper Midwest.

These tracts of land are managed as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, protecting critical habitat for grassland nesting songbirds, shorebirds and wading birds, in addition to waterfowl. Many waterfowl production areas are open to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation including hunting, fishing, bird watching, photography and environmental education.
In the 50 years since the Fish and Wildlife Service began protecting waterfowl production areas, the Small Wetlands Program has been used to acquire more than 695,000 acres in fee and perpetually protect an additional 2.1 million acres by easements – all paid for using Duck Stamp dollars.

The Federal Duck Stamp Contest is the only federally sponsored art competition. Hundreds of prominent wildlife artists from across the country enter each year. While the winner receives no money from the federal government, the winning artist benefits from the increased visibility and sale of prints and artwork.

The Federal Duck Stamp Program also nurtures this nation’s future conservationists by sponsoring the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program, which for the past 16 years has helped children connect with their natural world through arts and science education.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information about the Federal Duck Stamp Program and to find out how to purchase Federal Duck Stamps, visit http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps.

The Bloomington Art Center is a nonprofit community art center whose mission is to stimulate creativity by making high quality arts programs accessible to people of all ages, skills and abilities.