The 2022 Federal Duck Stamp contest will be held at the North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck, North Dakota on September 23rd and 24th. The Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) will be the host of this year’s contest. As a result, PPJV invited a number of partners, including Audubon Dakota, to host related side events which will celebrate and raise awareness of one of the most successful conservation programs in our nation’s history (ppjv.org). Audubon Dakota will be coordinating two events, details below.
Grazing the Grasslands
A Wildlife and Working Lands Tour at Black Leg Ranch
Wednesday, September 21 | 3:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Black Leg Ranch | Bismarck, ND
The first event will take place on Thursday, September 22nd at Black Leg Ranch in McKenzie, ND. In partnership with the Doan Family and staff from the ND Game and Fish Department, Audubon Dakota will host a ranch tour of Black Leg Ranch. The tour will begin with an introduction to the Federal Duck Stamp Contest and PPJV, followed by a series of presentations on the ranch through a field tour. Presentation topics will include history of Black Leg Ranch, grazing management, potential easement/potential USFWS programming, and Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) Initiative and management tied to priority bird species, which will be led by Audubon Dakota staff.
Immediately following the ranch tour will be a dinner, also held at Black Leg Ranch, where ACR certified beef will be served, and ACR national representatives will lead a discussion on conservation ranching. To wrap up the evening, Black Leg Ranch will host a Birds and Brews social. Our target audience includes students, families, community members from the nearby Bismarck-Mandan area, politicians, journalist, and birding groups. Lastly, our goal of the Ranch Tour is to broadly educate the public about the benefit of the Federal Duck Stamp and how conservation impacts their community, specifically which wildlife species and native plant species we need to protect.
Ducks at Daybreak
A Guided Birding Adventure at Atkinson Nature Park
Friday, September 23 | 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Atkinson Nature Park | Bismarck, ND
The second event will take place on Friday, September 23 at Atkinson Nature Park in Bismarck, ND. Atkinson Nature Park is enrolled in Audubon Dakota’s Urban Woods and Prairies Initiative. It's location along the Missouri River and the natural wooded area within the park is an ideal location for a guided birding walk. Audubon Dakota and local birding chapter members will take participants along the 1.65-mile nature trail. Binoculars and birding checklists for participants will be provided by Audubon Dakota, while PPJV will provide funds for items such as refreshments and mileage reimbursement for the bird guides. The target audience for the guided bird walk includes the general public, birding groups, and families. The goal of this event is to introduce the public not only to the native birds found throughout the park, but also to Audubon Dakota’s Urban Woods and Prairies Initiative.
Event is $5 for adults and children 12 and under are free. Registration required.
