CROCKETT, AN OFFICIAL warden dog with Vermont Fish and Wildlife, will be at Dead Creek Wildlife Day demonstrating how he sniffs out gun powder. The warden dog will retire from the department in October.
Photo courtesy of VTF&W

Do you enjoy hunting, fishing, birdwatching, or learning about Vermont’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems?

If so, head to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Addison on Saturday, Oct. 1., for the 20th annual Dead Creek Wildlife Day.

Early risers can begin the day with a bird banding demonstration at 7 a.m. Two large tents at Dead Creek WMA headquarters — located off Route 17, west of Route 22A — will open at 9:30 a.m. featuring wildlife-related exhibits and activities such as decoy carving, building bluebird boxes and nature crafts.

The Dead Creek Visitor Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring displays about conservation and wildlife management in Vermont. This year you can enjoy a guided walk along with Visitor Center interpretive trail to learn about various features and habitats.

There will be a number of live critters — including a selection of snakes, turtles, raptors and more — that visitors can see up close and learn about their ecology. New this year will be a bat house-building program, and Wild Kitchen will be on the road with campfire cooking. There will be a presentation on the eastern meadowlark and an hour of learning how to take photographs of wildlife.

This will also be the last year to see Warden Dog Crockett in action sniffing out gun powder as he retires from the department in October. Retriever dogs will be working in the area ponds, and all of the favorite nature walks will be happening. All events are free, and a free shuttle bus will provide regular access to nearby field events throughout the day.

“We want to welcome visitors to the 20th year of the popular Dead Creek Wildlife Day,” said Amy Alfieri, manager of the Dead Creek WMA. “The activities are fun, the demonstrations are very exciting, and the setting is beautiful. Visitors love to see the live animals and working dogs, and the kids love to build their own bluebird box to take home.”

The festival is hosted by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, Delta Waterfowl, and Otter Creek Audubon Society.

For more information and a schedule of events visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website (vtfishandwildlife.com) and check under Watch Wildlife.