Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
17076 293rd Ave., Zimmerman, MN. 55398
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Myrna Krueger, Board Member
Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge
FriendsofSherburne@gmail.com
February 8, 2021
Friends of Sherburne NWR Nature Store Goes Online
While the Friends of Sherburne Eagle’s Nest Nature Store remains closed for in-person
shopping, we’re pleased to announce that we now offer online shopping at
SherburneEaglesNestStore.com! Let your “fingers do the walking” from the warmth of home
and browse the selection of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge knit caps and fleece
headbands. Or how about some hand-made “upcycled” wool mittens with fleece lining? If
books are your thing, review the selection of field guides and other books geared to
naturalists of all ages. We also have a large selection of nature-themed apparel, puzzles,
books, and stuffed animals to engage the kids when they aren’t outside exploring nature.
Refuge Trails Are Open!
Blue Hill, Mahnomen and the Oak Savanna Learning Center trails, and their respective
restroom facilities, are open from 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset and will be
packed following significant snowfalls for better hiking conditions. If a parking lot is full when
you visit, please continue on to another trail. Cross-country skiers will want to know that
classic tracks have been set on the Mahnomen Trail. There is no fee for cross-country skiing
and the refuge does not have equipment to check out. Reference the home page of the
refuge website for trail updates: fws.gov/refuge/sherburne.
Want to go snowshoeing? You can snowshoe on service roads and venture off-trail through
February 28. Hot Tip: Try snowshoeing the Prairie's Edge Wildlife Drive--but please don't
block the entrance gate when you park. The refuge is offering free snowshoe checkout,
based on availability. There are additional requirements this year and they include:
• Sending request by Thursday at 8 am to alaina_larkin@fws.gov (for large groups, it's
to your advantage to request earlier and include approximate numbers/sizes needed).
• Scheduling and attending a ten-minute video chat to go over the snowshoes and
bindings.
• Providing requested sizes and numbers of snowshoes at least one day prior to
pick up.
• Scheduling a pickup time on Friday between 12 pm - 4 pm. Pickup is at the Oak
Savanna Learning Center at 16797 289th Ave NW near Zimmerman.
• Arriving at your scheduled pickup time and loading snowshoes into your vehicle.
• Returning snowshoes in good condition to the Oak Savanna Learning Center at your
scheduled time the following Friday.