6th Annual Candlelight Ski Owl Prowl at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge

(U.S. Department of the Interior image)

(KNOX) – On the evening of Saturday, February 28th the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association will host the 6th Annual Candlelight Ski and Owl Prowl event at Rydell National Wildlife Refuge near Erskine, MN. The timing of this event will coincide with the breeding season of several local owl species, and hopefully good snow conditions, clear skies, and moderate temperatures.

The Rydell Visitor Center will be open throughout the event, which will run from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The Refuge’s Golden Pond and Church Lake trails will be groomed and lighted for this event. Visitors can ski, snowshoe, or even just walk the trails during this event. Even though luminaries will be distributed along these two trails, it is recommend that visitors bring a headlamp, if they have one. Along one of the groomed and lighted trails, an owl calling station will be set up where the calls of several owl species will be projected into the woods to try and generate a response from a resident owl.

Who-who-who knows what you might hear!  They will also have other interpretive displays available for visitors during the event they will have several pairs of adult and child size skis, as well as snowshoes, available for visitors to use, free of charge, on a first come, first served basis. When warming up in the visitor center participants will be able to enjoy snacks and refreshments, courtesy of the Friends of Rydell and Glacial Ridge Refuges Association.

If you have questions or want more information, contact Gregg Knutsen, Refuge Manager, at 218-686-4329 or gregg_knutsen@fws.gov. If foretasted temperatures for February 28th are below zero or wind chills in the double-digits below zero, the event will be cancelled and rescheduled for the following Saturday, March 7th.