What's New!
Who Doesn’t ♥ Paco, QWR’s Resident Chinchilla?
Show your love for Quogue Wildlife Refuge by buying an I ♥ Paco t-shirt! We have youth and adult sizes in both styles for only $18.00 each. Call, email or stop by to purchase your t-shirt today! QWR makes it easy to SHOW YOUR LOVE!
Summer 2010
Time for Summer Camp
This summer marks the 41st anniversary of Quogue Wildlife Refuge’s Summer Ecology Program! There is still time to enroll your child in one of our fun and exciting camp sessions where they will explore our natural world, learning skills and lessons that they will carry with them throughout their lives! For more information and for camp applications, please visit Summer Field Ecology Program 2010.
Internship Opportunity
The Quogue Wildlife Refuge has intern positions available for college students interested in the Natural Sciences, Wildlife, Environmental Education, or Biology. An internship at the QWR is a great opportunity to learn about the various natural habitats of Long Island including the Pine Barrens, freshwater ponds, bogs, saltwater marsh and the native flora & fauna found in each. For further information, please contact Marisa Nelson at 653-4771.
Benefit Auction items wanted
Quogue Wildlife Refuge is currently accepting donations of AUCTION ITEMS for our 4th Annual Summer Benefit "Wild Night for Wildlife". Each year generous and caring individuals donate wonderful prizes to be auctioned at our benefit, helping QWR raise funds necessary for the day to day operations of the Refuge. Be creative! It is a great way to gain exposure for a new business or product! In order to be listed in our benefit program, all donations must be received at the Refuge office by Friday, July 2, 2010. Please contact us with any questions, 631-653-4771.
QWR Green Events
Let your GREEN show by having a cocktail party or wedding at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge! For the first time ever, QWR is allowing use of the Nature Center and outdoor areas for Green Events! Enchant your guests with cocktails served by Old Ice Pond or in our beautiful Butterfly Garden or hold your holiday party by a toasty fire in our cozy Nature Center. The possibilities are endless! Show your love of nature and your support of QWR by having your next special event in an extremely special place! For more information please call 631-653-4771 or email us at info@QuogueWildlifeRefuge.org
We hope you will attend our Wild Night for Wildlife, the Refuge’s biggest fundraiser. Please call the office if you did not receive an invitation. It will surely be a ‘hoot’!
Enjoy the season of summer on Long Island, amongst the Pine Barrens and the beautiful Atlantic!
Spring 2009
Highlights
The rains of Spring have brought the emergence of fiddleheads and skunk cabbage in the swamp, and bell shaped blossoms on the blueberry bushes. Spring has been and always is lovely at the Refuge. Spring has been and is always lovely at the Refuge. It is a wonderful time to experience the busy activity of the local wildlife. We are excited that a pair of wood ducks was spotted up at North Pond, hopefully making use of the nesting box put in place by the scouts so many years ago. An osprey has been on the nest and guarding the area at the Fairy Dell Boardwalk. Ruby throated hummingbirds have arrived to their summer grounds and have been observed near the Nature Center. They are Long Island’s only species of hummingbirds, and putting up a nectar feeder for them in your yard may attract them for your viewing.
This is also the time of year when the rains and warm weather cause our trails to grow like wild, and volunteers are always welcome to lend a hand in trail trimming. We were happy to have ten students from Shoreham Wading River High School volunteer in the animal cages with us. They accomplished a lot of work and we look forward to their return in the fall. Refuge staff has been enjoying the seasonal changes, and have been busy with school groups, summer camp and benefit planning, and all of the other good things that go on at the Refuge.
Refuge Educator, Landon, will be leaving the Refuge to head off on an adventure on the West Coast. He is very excited to be leading groups of teens backpacking in the mountains of Oregon and Washington. We wish him well on his adventures and he will surely be missed!
The evening air is filled with sounds of Spring Peepers and the nearby call of the Whippoorwill. Do join us for a night hike sometime, when the forest transforms as the nocturnal creatures awaken. Our spring programs were well attended, and we are always looking for new presenters. If you know of someone who would like to give a nature related presentation, let us know.
A gorgeous Red-tailed Hawk has 'moved in' to our outside complex and joined another female Red-tail in the corner cage. She was cared for by North Fork Animal Hospital for a few months after she was found with a broken wing. Unfortunately she is non-releasable due to the injury, so we will provide her with a happy and healthy home.
Eagle Scout Project
We are excited to announce the completion of an Eagle Scout Project by John Laadt. He has mapped out the mileage for three different hikes, and a newly designed map and trail markers will help hikers find their way easily. Special thanks to John Laadt for making this all happen and allowing QWR to be the beneficiary of this wonderful project, and to all those who helped made this new addition to the Refuge possible: Mike Denys of Scopinich Sign Works for donating the sign production, Kristian Einstman for designing the sign graphics, Florence Building Supply for donating the supplies use in making the sign, Scout Master Joseph Bilardello, James Monette, Zachary Prost, Liam Gilsmith, Jack Laadt and Boy Scout Troop 414 for all their hard work. Great job everyone!
The Refuge would like to thank the Westhampton Garden Club for the generous donation for the purchase a flat screen television which will be used for presentations during meetings held in the Nature Center by various groups.
We also thank the Belt & deRopp Families
and the 58 to 64 - 40th Street Corporation, Inc.
for their continued support and for the generous
donation that is
providing the Refuge with two new generators.
Free Energy Audit
Did you know that your home, with its heating plant, air conditioners, electronics, lighting and appliances, is your single largest personal source of greenhouse gases and other pollution?
LI Green, a local not for profit environmental group affiliated with the Suffolk County Energy Alliance, Stony Brook Advanced Energy Center, Bethpage Federal Credit Union and the Suffolk County Executive's office has started an important program to help make our homes more energy efficient. LI Green offers any Long Island homeowner a Free Home Energy Audit. Trained energy professionals will visit your home and meet one on one to study your home's energy challenges. Following this meeting an individualized Home Energy Action Plan is generated, specific to your residence's needs. The goal is very attainable. Expect to see at least a 25 to 30% reduction in your home's energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions for a very modest investment at the same time your home becomes toasty warm.
To signup for your Free Home Energy Audit visit http://www.ligreen.com/quogue or call 631-721-1908.>
Fall 2008
The Refuge trails and shorelines of the ponds have been ablaze with burnt oranges, golden yellows, and fiery reds making for a lovely autumn season here at the Refuge. Staff, volunteers, and visitors have been enjoying themselves during this time of year. Our fall programs have been a success and we'd like to extend a very special thank you to over 130 volunteers of all ages who participated in this year's Spooky Walk and Enchanted Forest Trail! Thanks to each and every one of you for committing your time, energy, and creativity to a "fun" fundraiser for the QWR.
The Refuge would also like to thank the Quogue Volunteer Fire Department and Quogue Village Police Department for providing safety to over 1,200 visitors during the weekend of our Halloween Programs.
Thank you to the following businesses for generous donations and participation:
Fairview Farms at Mecox, LLC
Revco Electrical Supply
Reptile Rob's and Family
Sunset Court Deli
Seaside Electric Inc.
Talmage Farm Agway
Walter Zilnicki, Inc.
Westhampton True Value Hardware
Westside Deli
Thank you to Refuge friend, artist, and Quogue School Art Teacher Ginger Anderson, and the students of the Enrichment Program who artistically designed and painted decorations for our Halloween Trails! Thanks again to all who have helped make these programs possible and we look forward to next year!
Our Year End Appeal has been mailed to Refuge members and to folks in the community. We thank you for your support and ask that you please renew your membership and support to such a wonderful place. The QWR is open 365 days a year, free of charge and is a non-profit organization so your donations are tax-deductible and they really make a difference!
We think we've made it through another hurricane season without any major storms – but please note the Generator item on the Wish List. The Refuge does not have a generator and we are hoping to acquire two so that during a power outage we can keep our animals happy and healthy by keeping our tanks running, the heat lamps on, and the freezers operational, so there is always a fresh supply of food for all the animals.
We have had a special treat this season. For the first time, the Refuge hosted a program by the Shinnecock Nation. Storyteller and dancer, Andrea Godoy, taught us all about her native tribe and before you knew it, we were all up and dancing! The Refuge is always open to suggestions for programs, and we welcome new presenters.
As many of us try to simplify our lives, to give ourselves more time or meaning, or to tread lighter on planet earth, I encourage you to come to our program on January 14th, "Simple Steps to a Green Household". If you plan on giving gifts this season, consider a meaningful QWR gift. More information on QWR programs is in the Upcoming Events section.
The staff at QWR wishes you a wonderful winter season that allows you some time to enjoy nature and the beauty that surrounds us, as well as a happy and healthy 2009.