(KLZA)-- Mound City, Missouri -- Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge invites everyone to visit the refuge during National Wildlife Refuge Week October11th - 18th. Several special activities are planned starting October 11th. Join local birders from the Midland Empire Audubon Society members participating in The Big Sit, on Saturday, October 11th, (an event sponsored by Bird Watcher’s Digest). The Big Sit will take place on the auto tour route near the Eagle Overlook trail. These birders will be conducting a count during the day from a 15 foot circle. Join in the fun and see if this year’s count can top the record.

October 18th, will starting the fall season with the refuge contact station being open from 9:30A.M.-4:00P.M. The contact station is open seven days a week during the busy migration period from October 18th-December 7th. Volunteers will be available to answer visitors’ questions and provide information regarding the best wildlife viewing areas. Visitor will have an opportunity to shop in the Friends of Squaw Creek Nature Shop throughout the year. Visitors can reach the headquarters by traveling Interstate - 29 north of St. Joseph, Missouri to Exit 79 then driving Highway 159 south three miles to the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge.

Other special events included Refuge Family Day on October 18th giving everyone a chance to get active on the refuge. This year several special activities were available to refuge visitors from 9:00A.M.- 2:30P.M. Let the sportsman in you come out as you participate in activities and learn more about the refuge. The event is being sponsored by refuge partners in conservation: Missouri Westerns Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Friend of Squaw Creek and USDA Wildlife

Services. Participants will have an the opportunity to: canoe in in a wetland, sharpen you fishing skills, handle frogs and snakes , testing out the tools biologist use every day, and more! Northwest Missouri Longtails Chapter of Pheasants Forever will be hosting a free shooting event near the refuge during the same time.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 560 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 fishery resource offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitats such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit the regional website at: http://www.midwest.fws.gov or the national at http://www.fws.gov.

The Squaw Creek Refuge website can be accessed at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/squawcreek.