<html><div style='background-color:'><DIV> <P><BR><BR></P></DIV> <DIV></DIV><BR><BR><BR> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV> <DIV></DIV>>2nd Annual Birding Weekend <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Morris WMD & Big Stone NWR <DIV></DIV>>May 2nd - May 4th <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Friends of the Morris Wetland Management District and Friends of Prairie will host a free guided birding weekend May 2-4, 2003. Activities will be centered in Morris at the Morris Wetland Management District office and at the Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>March 2003 is the 100th Birthday of the National Wildlife Refuges. Help us Celebrate the Centennial on May 2nd, Friday afternoon at 1:00PM with the unveiling of our new Centennial Waterfowl Production Area, which will include an exclusive opportunity for duck banding. Doug Buri (our expert guide and consultant from SD) feels that a small group of birders would be able to attend this event, bird on the return trip to Morris (40 minutes away), have dinner, and enjoy a slide presentation that evening. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Registration will start on Friday morning (WPA excursion) and continue Saturday morning, May 3rd, at the Morris WMD office located 4 miles east of Morris MN. The birders will explore various parts of the northern tall grass prairie pothole country managed by the Morris WMD followed by a dinner in the evening to share the days sightings and preview Sundays event. On Sunday morning, May 4th, bus tours will leave from the same location at 7AM. This tour will visit a number of locations on the trip southwest to the Big Stone NWR and return to Morris at noon. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Guides for the event are Bob Janssen, Jerry Bonkoski, and Doug Buri. Mr. Janssen was the editor of The Loon, the Minnesota Ornithologists Union journal, for over 35 years. He has authored two books, Minnesota Birds and Birds in Minnesota. Bird watching became Jerry Bonkoskis passion 30 years ago. Since that time, he has been active in the pursuit of new birds throughout Minnesota, and he has a list of over 350 species. Jerry is the current MOU President. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Doug Buri is the founder of the original Big Stone Bird Festival and one of the coordinators of the fall Shorebird Workshop at Big Stone NWR. Doug combines a talent for teaching with knowledge of the area and its bird population. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>This birding event is sponsored and funded by West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, Prairie Renaissance Project (Morris/Blandin Partnership) and hosted by Friends of the Morris Wetland Management District and Friends of Prairie. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Pre-reservations must be made by April 14, 2003. Please reserve your space, call the Morris WMD office at 1-800-248-5868 (320-589-1001) or email [email protected]. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Motel Information: <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Best Western Prairie Inn: 1-800-535-3035 (local) <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Super 8: 1-800-800-8000 (1-320-589-888 local) <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES AND WETLAND MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS! <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Friends Of the Morris Wetland Management District <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Kate & Dale Livingston <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>10 Ridge Road <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Morris, MN 56267 <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>US Postage <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>. <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>Kate & Dale Livingston <DIV></DIV>>Email [email protected] <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>> <DIV></DIV>>--------------------------------- <DIV></DIV>>Do you Yahoo!? <DIV></DIV>>Yahoo! Tax Center - forms, calculators, tips, and more <DIV></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr>Protect your PC - <a href="http://g.msn.com/8HMBENUS/2755";>Click here</a> for McAfee.com VirusScan Online </html>
