Friends of Sherburne Announce Completion of Amphitheater
Friends of Sherburne Announce Completion of Amphitheater
The Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge are pleased to announce the completion of a new
amphitheater at the Oak Savanna Learning Center at the refuge! The public is invited to attend a
ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:15 a.m. during the Wildlife Festival on Saturday, September 28.
The amphitheater will be a place to host nature-related public events, provide an education space for
school groups, and jumpstart collaborative events with other nature-focused community organizations.
It will provide a gathering space for refuge activities such as bird and wildflower tours, nature hikes,
volunteer training, scout badge work, and more. The site is impressive with views of prairie, wetland,
and oak savanna habitats and the wildlife that live in the refuge.
The Friends wish to thank donors and partners for making the amphitheater possible and
acknowledge grants from the Central Minnesota Arts Board, Bernick Family Foundation and Knife
River. Refuge staff, Terra Construction and Damon Farber Landscape Architects were key partners in
the planning and construction of the facility.
To honor Indigenous Peoples, the original stewards of the land, the Friends commissioned artwork for
the new amphitheater from Holly Young, Dakota artist, and Giizh Agaton Howes, Anishinaabe-Ojibwe
artist. It is well known that many Tribal Nations including the Dakota and Ojibwe were strongly
connected to and thrived on the land and waters of the present-day Sherburne National Wildlife
Refuge. The artists collaborated to create an engravable design that incorporates Native values and
languages and includes plants and animals significant to the refuge. The presence of traditional yet
contemporary Native American art at the refuge gives visibility to the important past and current
presence of Indigenous Peoples in Minnesota.
During the Wildlife Festival, several programs about local wildlife and habitats will be held in the
amphitheater.
Celebrate Wildlife at the 29th Annual Wildlife Festival!
Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge and the Friends of Sherburne invite families and nature
enthusiasts to attend the 29th Annual Wildlife Festival, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Oak Savanna
Learning Center. The Festival will be a fun-filled free event featuring booths with hands-on activities,
meet-ups with Puddles the Blue Goose, education about Native American culture, exploration of
refuge wildlife and management, and tours featuring grazing goats. Other activities will feature a BB
gun range, native seed cleaning, live animal observation, discovery of aquatic invertebrates, and a
bird banding demonstration.
Additional highlights of the festival include:
• Friends silent auction and shopping at the Eagle’s Nest Nature Store.
• A presentation by the Wildlife Science Center at 12:00 p.m. will feature some of Minnesota’s
most remarkable raptors, including live hawks and owls.
• At 1:15 p.m. naturalist Al Batt will present on “spark birds,” encouraging participants to
discover the joy of birdwatching.
Free meals will be served for kids 17 and under, provided by L.L. Bean and National Wild Turkey
Federation and a food truck will be on site.
From 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., visitors will have the unique opportunity to drive along several refuge
service roads, providing access to areas typically closed to vehicle traffic.
The Oak Savanna Learning Center is located 1⁄4 mile west of refuge headquarters off Sherburne
County Road 9 at 16797 289th Ave NW, Zimmerman, MN 55398. Look for event signs to guide your
way.
For more information: email sherburne@fws.gov or go to www.fws.gov/refuge/sherburne/
Photo credit: Bruce Ellingson
Photo Caption:
The new outdoor amphitheater at the Oak Savanna Learning Center at Sherburne National Wildlife
Refuge will allow visitors and students to learn, connect and grow their knowledge of and appreciation
for the wildlife and habitats of the refuge. A fully-accessible 100+ seat amphitheater with unobstructed
views of the wetlands and oak savanna, the facility will provide a beautiful space for nature-focused
education and gatherings.
Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that nurtures an appreciation for and the conservation of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge through education,
volunteerism and philanthropy.
The artwork for the amphitheater was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from
the Central Minnesota Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural
heritage fund.
