[mou] MRVAC Holiday Auction this Thursday

[Steve Weston]

This Thursday (11/16) the Minnesota River Valley Audubon Chapter (MRVAC) 
will hold its annual Holiday Auction at the Minnesota Valley National Refuge 
Visitor's Center at 3815 American Blvd East in Bloomington (exit I-494 at 
34th Avenue).  Drop off auction donations, check out other items and enjoy 
refreshments starting at 6 pm, Begin silent auction bidding at 6:30 pm. 
Live auction starts at 7:00 pm.

We are raising money for field trip grants so school groups can visit the 
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge for Environmental Education and to 
purchase good quality waterproof binoculars for the students' use at the 
Refuge. Matching funds are in the making so that each dollar raised would 
become four dollars!

Some of the items available this year include:
- a Raven spotting scope and a Radian ProGt Tripod donated by Eagle Optics. 
This is a 78mm straight through viewing scope with a 20-60x variable 
magnification eyepiece with a close focus of 17 feet. ($489 value).
- A Behind the Scenes tour of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and the 
Whooping Crane Reintroduction Project. Tour includes a dawn visit to a blind 
to observe bird handlers training whooping cranes with the ultralights. Meet 
personnel from Operation Migration, the International Crane Foundation & 
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center.
- Bob Janssen has generously donated a field trip for six one morning next 
spring.
- or how about a one-night stay at the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport 
Mall of America hotel.
- or bid on the opportunity to spend some time with the flight crew at the 
Raptor Center. Watch up close as they put some of the rehabilitated raptors 
through their "paces", flying on the U of M St. Paul campus Mall.

We hope to see you at the auction, but if you can not make it, you can 
submit a bid on any or all of the six items described below via email or 
phone no later than November 15, to Heidi Ferguson at 651-488-5775 or 
kinglet102@msn.com.

Steve Weston on Quiggley Lake in Eagan, MN
sweston2@comcast.net