Refuge Report for FOTMWC Board Meeting September 29, 2021

Refuge Update for Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex Board Meeting

Good shorebird habitat at Knox and Seneca Flats
Good waterfowl habitat at the Main Pool but the ducks probably are hard to see in the vegetation and back of the marsh.
We hosted 6 maintenance workers from other refuges who installed a new water control structure at Kipp Island and did some much needed dike repairs. Work is ongoing and the Thruway Authority is also doing work on that culvert so Kipp North is drawn down to facilitate the work and Kipp South needs to be kept low as well. The Kipp North drawdown attracted more than 150 great egrets along the draining ditches.
We are conducting our annual marsh vegetation monitoring. Coverage by plant species that provide high quality waterfowl food is more than 100% (layers over layers over layers) in the Main Pool indicating a successful drawdown.
We sprayed invasives along all the dikes to prevent spreading them when we mow and do dike work.
We are working on setting back vegetation, especially cattails, at Larue’s Lagoon to improve habitat quality.
Let’s Goat Buffalo spent a month at the Refuge so goats could continue clearing invasives in Unit 17.
Refuge grasslands were hayed or mowed to maintain high quality grassland habitat.
MARSH has come to an end for the season. For updates, contact Nick.

A list of hunting seasons on the refuge is located here. The refuge’s Youth Waterfowl Hunt took place Saturday, October 2, at Tschache Pool. The MAC-sponsored Youth Waterfowl Hunt will be making use of the Sandhill Crane Unit on October 2.
With the Friends’ help, we were able to hire 2 interns who will help us run the check station through January and the Visitor Center and Nature Store through November. Sonja will be here on Saturdays. Raina will be here on Sundays.
Weekend hours for the Visitor Center have been changed; we are closing at 3:00 pm rather than 4:00 pm
Andrea is going to Buffalo to present two after school programs for K-5th grade groups, this week and next week, to help support the Iroquois NWR’s Urban Refuge goals. Programs will be introductory sessions about the Junior Duck Stamp program.
Montezuma’s Wild Walk & Winedown 5K Walk to raise awareness about the National Wildlife System will take place on Sunday, October 10, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, kicking off National Wildlife Refuge Week. We will have a booth at the Montezuma Winery for participants to check in and check out, as well as to provide outreach to other winery visitors. Friends’ representatives are welcome to share our table!