Refuge Manager’s Update February 2026
Some winters are better than others. If you are like me, a winter that is snowy and cold enough that we keep the snow on the ground is a great winter. Sure enough, that is what we have had for the last few months.
Unfortunately, the great snow cover was coupled with extremely cold temperatures that made enjoying the snow a bit less enticing! However, the cold weather has made for excellent ice conditions. In fact, on February 13th it was announced that Lake Champlain had officially frozen over for the first time since 2019.
The good ice cover allows refuge staff and volunteers to complete field work in the wetlands, and we take advantage of these conditions when possible. The frozen wetlands and river allow the refuge staff to more easily check and maintain waterfowl nesting structures on the delta. Refuge volunteers conduct annual muskrat and beaver lodge surveys in areas of the refuge when the ice is safe to traverse. And our maintenance mechanic, Chris Whitaker, took advantage of the ice at Stephen Young Marsh to begin installing posts for a new “beaver deceiver.” We will install fencing around the posts in the spring to prevent beavers from plugging up the water control structure which otherwise is an almost daily maintenance need.
Winter is also a great time for the refuge staff to begin thinking about the upcoming field season. Our biologist, Judy Sefchick, secured funding for this field season to continue the native bee monitoring project at Stephen Young Marsh. This project is designed to monitor native bee use and abundance in areas that are in different stages of woody plant re-growth. Luckily, it also provided funding for a seasonal biological technician who we hope have at the refuge in mid-April!
I have also been able to continue meeting with students during the winter months to connect them to the refuge system and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each year I team up with a biologist from the USFWS Partners Program to meet with UVM students to discuss careers and the application process for federal employment. We have also begun discussing a possible project for a master’s degree student from SUNY Plattsburg for this summer, and I will soon be visiting the Saint Albans City School to talk to 5th graders about bird conservation!
So, winter has been snowy and cold, but also busy for us here at the Missisquoi NWR. We may have even snuck out for a lunchtime cross-country ski on the Discovery Trail once or twice! If you haven’t visited the refuge in the winter, now is the time! Grab some snowshoes or cross-country skis and visit one of our five trails to explore the refuge in winter.
by Ken Sturm, Refuge Manager, Missisquoi NWR