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The Real Cost of the Shutdown: 565 Students Miss Out on Tamarac's Environmental Education
Our fall Environmental Education (EE) program started strong in mid-September. Several excited local classrooms of 3rd and 5th graders were able to visit, enjoying truly beautiful weather out on the refuge. Volunteers led them on engaging Habitat Cache Hikes among the prairie and the towering coniferous and deciduous forests.
But on October 1, all that crucial learning and connection came to a screeching halt.
Who is truly losing from this abrupt closure? The impact is felt deeply right here in our community:
565 Local Students: This is the total number of 3rd and 5th graders from 12 schools who were scheduled to visit Tamarac for the fall program during the month of October.
Dedicated Volunteers and Staff: The local teachers, Refuge staff, and Friends of Tamarac members—all neighbors in our communities—who spent hundreds of collective hours developing the curriculum and coordinating complex logistics, schedules, and transportation.
The core purpose of our EE program is simple: to give hundreds of local children a hands-on opportunity to experience, learn, and enjoy the outdoors in one of the most beautiful natural areas our region offers. It is a vital chance for them to discover more about and connect with nature—the very foundation of our food, comfort, recreation, and health.
As a Friends group, we strongly support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff who work tirelessly to maintain the refuge—allowing wildlife to thrive and people to enjoy. Without their dedication, Tamarac would not be the jewel it is. They are our neighbors and vital contributors to our strong and vibrant communities.
Let's help get them back to work! We urge you to contact our Minnesota Congressional representatives immediately and let them know the critical importance of keeping places like Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge operational. If nothing else, do it for the kids—our future.
(Click on each name below to submit your concern directly):
