The McNary National Wildlife Refuge is located on the backwater of Lake Sacajawea upstream of McNary dam on the Columbia River several miles east of Pasco, Washington.

What to See Outdoors

The main attraction are the yellow headed blackbirds. A colony nests in the high reeds on the south side of the lake within easy access of bird watchers. Those yellow-headed birds are more aggressive than the redwing blackbirds which are forced into nearby habitat. Marsh wrens nest in the same vicinity - a noisy little pair, and very energetic.

Mallards chatter and vie with gadwalls for territory on the water. Coots indifferently turn bottoms up along the water's edge. Canada geese scold as they take wing. Cormorants go for quieter waters and three white pelicans reconnoiter with swiveling heads before going on. Great blue herons and black crowned night herons feed on the rich wetlands critters and plants.

Doves mourn in the maples and robins chirp on the lawn. California quail cack caw from the rooftop and a Brewers blackbird cocks its white eye at me from the porch railing.

MEECe, The Learning Center

I am stuck in the office so I do not have the benefit of guided identification of other birds around the McNary refuge habitat. I arrange the stuffed specimens we acquired in the years before bird collecting was prohibited.

As newly appointed coordinator of activities and volunteers for McNary Environmental Education Center, affectionately called MEECe, I schedule refuge safaris and assign volunteer guides. Accredited teachers' workshops will be held monthly to help them use this environmental resource in lesson planning across the curriculum.

One MEECe Mission Accomplished

On June 6, 1997, ninety third graders came from Vista Elementary school in Kennewick (Washington) for a combination science and physical education field trip. Vicky Tillman, specialist for the school, developed an outstanding series of science learning activities using the ecosystems at McNary Refuge. Lesson plans allowed adult helpers to guide the students through activities that made the children aware of the need for different kinds of beaks and distinctive songs or calls. With the thumb and forefinger girls and boys built nests with twigs, string and mud to discover how hard birds worked to build their homes.

The Lucky Duck game illustrated the difficulties encountered by ducks and geese in their annual migrations what with predators, hunters, or poisoned grain. Children played the parts of birds or predators. The active game made players more aware of the hazards encountered by birds that must stop to feed and rest during migration.

The lesson plans instructed adults on helping children to think about such things as what a plant feels like, where it grows, and what eats it. They drew an imaginary plant and described where it would grow and what part it had in the web of life. Teachers observed, volunteers guided, and children had fun and lots of healthy exercise in the clean outdoors.

Naomi Sherer

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