Getting in touch with wildlife

The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge enthralled some 500 visitors on Saturday, Oct. 14, with live owls, guided nature walks, and opportunities to shoot rubber ducks with a cork gun. A chilly wind had some people turning up their collars, thrusting their hands into their pockets, and seeking shelter in the garage that usually houses the refuge’s forest-fire fighting equipment. Others, more intrepid, were setting forth across the refuge in the hope of seeing members of the 225 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians that live within the refuge’s wild acres. In the background, Big Boss Sausage’s acoustic band provided music especially composed for the occasion. “We love this place,” said bandleader Mat Checker, better known as “Mingo.” Checker said that his Wantage roots go back to the 18th century when his ancestors first settled in the area. “Oh, I have stories to tell,” he said, mentioning one of his ancestors, a poet who lived on “the mountain,” and chronicled the lives of the people and animals inhabiting the region. Refuge Week this year had a certain poignancy for Refuge Manager Edward Henry, who recently learned that his position at the refuge is in jeopardy because of federal budget cutbacks. The current plan is for oversight of the refuges to be transferred to staff at the Great Swamp National Refuge at Basking Ridge. Congressman Scott Garrett, who visited briefly, said that he was doing all he could to try to help Henry stay. Local municipalities, including Wantage and Vernon, also have been imploring Garrett to keep Henry at the refuge. “Ed Henry has been a good neighbor to us,” said Wantage Mayor Jeffrey Parrott. “We’d love to see him stay.”