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Outdoors: Refuge Friends Walk Planned for May 4
May 3rd, 2009

Outdoors: Red Knots Return to Florida
May 2nd, 2009

Outdoors: Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge Open House Saturday
March 5th, 2009

Outdoors: FWC Plans Two Library Presentations
February 25th, 2009

Outdoors: FWC Announces January Programs
January 10th, 2009

Outdoors: Nature Walks in the Wild
November 28th, 2008

Outdoors: October Tides
October 2nd, 2008

Outdoors: Birding Event This Weekend
October 1st, 2008

Outdoors: "Kids With Cameras" Daycamp Planned
July 7th, 2008

Outdoors: Seahorse Key and Lighthouse Open Saturday
July 1st, 2008

Outdoors: Kids` Fishing and Tortoises Highlighted Saturday
April 14th, 2008

Outdoors: Celebrate Florida Archaeology Month
March 10th, 2008

Outdoors: Cedar Key Star Party
February 4th, 2008

Outdoors: Celebrate Greenways
October 25th, 2007

Outdoors: Swallowtail Kites Topic of FAVOR Speaker
March 12th, 2007

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Youth Discover Shired Island in Refuge Program

Youth Discover Shired Island in Refuge Program

Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge

Let`s Go OUTSIDE and Discover Shired Island

It was soon to be 94 degrees outside, but that didn`t stop the kids of Dixie County from discovering the story of Shired Island`s beginnings. Parents and grandparents joined in the fun, too.

These kids didn`t stop learning just because school`s out. They joined Ranger Pam and Volunteer Miranda Haire for a lesson about the first Indians of the area, and how and why they built the midden of shells. On the trail, the group observed some of the wildlife and marine life that made the coast so attractive to those first people who made tools, jewelry, and meals from shells.

The young explorers walked around the midden as long as a football field, discovering discarded points and pot shards scattered on the ground. They used magnifying glasses to look closely at shells and artifacts of the midden learning that everything they found must be returned to the exact spot from which it was taken.

"I think next time, we`ll bring cameras for the kids to take photos of their finds, as well as ospreys and herons in flight", said Ranger Pam Darty. The Lower Suwannee NWR has ten digital cameras and a portable printer in order to connect kids to nature through the lens of a camera.

Kids gathered around the Ranger to learn the ancient coil-method of creating pottery from river clay donated by Amy and Henry Gernhardt and Cedar Key Pottery. They were encouraged to create effigy pots with likenesses of wildlife seen in the Lower Suwannee NWR. After their day of discovery, the kids went home with their pottery, and goodies from the Refuge: posters, wildlife coloring books, and stickers.

If you are interested in signing-up your group, club, or scouts for this activity, call Ranger Pam at 352/493-0238, ext. 223.


Volunteer Miranda Haire, a Cedar Key sophomore, helps Chance Mayo with his pottery.


Kids made coil pots with clay donated by Amy & Henry Gernhardt of Cedar Key Pottery.

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