NATIONAL ELK REFUGE TO HOST A SERIES OF CENTENNIAL EVENTS

From the National Elk Refuge:

National Elk Refuge Manager Steve Kallin is pleased to announce an exciting line-up of programs scheduled for Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 to celebrate and honor the Refuge’s 100-year history. The weekend centennial celebration dates were selected to coincide with the historic date of August 10, 1912 when an Act of Congress set aside lands “for the establishment of a winter game (elk) reserve in the State of Wyoming, lying south of the Yellowstone Park . . .”

Centennial activities will kick off at 10:30 am on Friday, August 10 at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center, located at 532 N. Cache Street in Jackson. An hour-long program, free of charge and open to the public, will take place on the Visitor Center lawn. Invited guests include Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar or his representative, Wyoming Governor Matt Mead, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe, and Regional Director Steve Guertin. The program will features music, speakers, a short performance by Theodore Roosevelt impersonator Case Hicks, and birthday cake. Parking will be limited; persons attending the event are encouraged to car pool, use off-site parking, or walk from START bus stops such as the Home Ranch Parking Lot located three blocks south of the Visitor Center at the corner of North Cache and Gill Streets.

The National Elk Refuge administrative offices at 675 E. Broadway Street and the Historic Miller House, located three-quarter mile north of the Refuge’s entrance off East Broadway Street, will be closed on Friday, August 10 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm so all Refuge staff can attend the ceremony. Case Hicks, portraying Theodore Roosevelt at Friday’s ceremony, will also offer two hour-long programs later that same weekend, giving audiences an opportunity to learn about Roosevelt’s establishment of the nation’s first wildlife refuge in 1903 and his important contributions to present-day conservation efforts. In character, Hicks will offer a special children’s program on Friday, August 10 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, entertaining the audience with stories of his childhood and adventures. Free prizes will be given to all children ages 5-12 attending the program, including a limited number of “Teddy Bears.” A second full performance for persons of all ages will be held on Saturday, August 11 from 10:00 to 11:00 am. Both Theodore Roosevelt performances will be at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center and are free of charge.

Other events at the Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center include:

Friday, August 10, 3:00 to 3:30 pm: Slideshow and talk by the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum entitled “Homesteader Hopes and Reality in the High Country of Jackson Hole.” The program will share the history of homesteaders and settlers in the valley through stories of early day residents and historic photographs.

Friday, August 10, 4:30 to 6:30 pm: “Partners in Pathways” celebration, bicycle ride and free barbecue. Sponsored by Friends of Pathways, Jackson Hole Community Pathways, Town of Jackson, Teton County, and the National Elk Refuge. Persons planning to leave the Visitor Center to participate in the ride should park at the Home Ranch Parking Lot located three blocks south of the Visitor Center.

Saturday, August 11, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm: A ranger-led presentation giving insight to the legendary mountain men or fur trappers who lived and trapped in Jackson Hole in the 1820s and 1830s. Dressed in appropriate attire, a Grand Teton National Park ranger will discuss and demonstrate many of the specialized skills that were required of these brave and industrious individuals.

Sunday, August 12, 4:00 pm: Raffle drawing for a Henry Holdworth’s framed photo entitled, “Winter’s Refuge.” The photo is currently on display at the Visitor Center, with ticket sales available through August 12 at 3:30 pm.

A number of weekend events are also scheduled for the Historic Miller House, located ¾ mile north of the Refuge’s entrance off East Broadway Street in Jackson. They include:

Friday, August 10, 12:00 to 4:00 pm: Flint knapping demonstration by artist Tom Lucas, who has a working knowledge of the methods of ancestral tool making.

Friday, August 10, 12:00 to 4:00 pm ; Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm:

Period costumes and props on loan from the Jackson Hole Playhouse. A variety of costumes of all sizes will be on display and available for try-on and photographs.

Saturday, August 11, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm: Chuckwagon cooking demonstration with free samples, provided by Western Range Catering.

Sunday, August 12, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm: Quilting demonstration by the Jackson Hole Quilt Guild.

Two additional public programs will be offered at locations other than the Refuge’s two primary visitor services facilities. They include:

Friday, August 10, 1:00 to 2:30 pm: Refuge staff will lead a public feed shed tour to give participants an opportunity to learn more about the Refuge’s supplemental feeding and irrigation programs. Persons on the tour will drive caravan-style to the feed shed and must provide their own transportation. The tour, offered free of charge, will depart from the Historic Miller House at 1:00 pm.

Friday, August 10, 7:00 to 9:00 pm: An evening of storytelling and reminiscing, entitled “Refuge Reflections: A Manager’s Perspective,” will be held at the National Museum of Wildlife Art, located on the west side of Highway 89, 2½ miles north of Jackson’s Town Square. The program will include interviews with four National Elk Refuge Managers, followed by a social hour to meet and visit with each of the speakers. A schedule of activities, listed by day, can be found on the National Elk Refuge’s home page at www.fws.gov/nationalelkrefuge. “We encourage families to come out and enjoy a variety of fun, educational programs and be a part of the celebration,” Kallin said.

For further information on any of the individual events, please call the Refuge administrative offices at 307.733.9212.

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NATIONAL ELK REFUGE CELEBRATES 100 YEARS — AUGUST 10-12, 2012

NATIONAL ELK REFUGE TO HOST A SERIES OF CENTENNIAL EVENTS