Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Visit our official website: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/necedah This is an official page of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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To learn more about our social media efforts, and to find a list of official USFWS social media sites, please visit our social media hub: http://www.fws.gov/home/socialmedia/

Our agency is known for our scientific excellence, our stewardship of lands and natural resources, and our dedicated conservation and wildlife professionals. While we hope that this page will help you stay connected to our w

ork, we also hope that it will keep us connected to you and the issues you care about. Your participation on this page is vital and all feedback is welcome--both good and bad. Your perspective is welcomed and we hope that conversations about the Service can be productive, fun, and engaging. More than 44,000 acres of WONDERFUL Wisconsin's Great Swamp carved by glaciers hosts habitats including wetlands, prairies, savannas, and forests. Necedah NWR is home to wildlife as large as black bears, wolves, and deer to the tiny Karner Blue butterfly. We have over 220 bird species that also call Necedah NWR home at various times of the year. Red-headed woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice spend all year here. Spring and fall migrations host thousands of cranes and waterfowl species. Enjoy a rare glimpse of whooping cranes from spring through fall as well as sandhill cranes, great blue herons, and many, many more. Enjoy outdoor activities year round from sunrise to sunset! Hike, watch wildlife, take pictures, participate in public programs, discover the visitor center and enjoy nature! The Visitor Center and Karner Korner Nature Store are open Monday through Saturday 9:00 am - 4:00 pm, excluding Federal holidays, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Saturday was a great day for a hike! Thank you to our Friend Joe for leading a hike at White-Tail Loop as part of the Wh...
07/13/2026

Saturday was a great day for a hike! Thank you to our Friend Joe for leading a hike at White-Tail Loop as part of the Whooper Wander Challenge. We look forward to the next guided hike on July 18 at Harvey's Pond! (https://www.facebook.com/share/1bjmwHATYa/)

Photos courtesy of Lauren and Kim McLaurin

We look forward to seeing you in July! The visitor center is open from 9am-3pm Monday-Saturday, including July 3rd and J...
07/01/2026

We look forward to seeing you in July! The visitor center is open from 9am-3pm Monday-Saturday, including July 3rd and July 4th.

Please see the links in the comments for our upcoming events! Preregistration is encouraged for all, and required (*) for some.

- July 11: Family Camp,* 1-4pm
- July 15: Whooper Walk, 9-10:30am
- July 17: Kids Camp,* 8:30am-3:30pm
- July 18: Guided Hike (Whooper Wander Challenge), 10am
- July 20: Meet The Birds Mondays, 11am-1pm
- July 25: Family Camp,* 1-4pm
- July 30: Tyke Hike, 10-11am

June brings us into summer visitor center hours! June, July and August 2026 the center will be open Monday – Saturday fr...
06/01/2026

June brings us into summer visitor center hours! June, July and August 2026 the center will be open Monday – Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm with help from the Friends of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge! Refuge trails and wildlife observation areas are open sunrise to sunset everyday o the year. We look forward to seeing you on your next visit!

Photo: Penstemon gradniflorus in bloom with its large purple flowers covered in raindrops at the visitor center entry by Katie Goodwin/USFWS

This year’s line-up, of speakers, vendors and interactive booths for the 4th annual Birds, Bees, and Butterflies Event, ...
05/30/2026

This year’s line-up, of speakers, vendors and interactive booths for the 4th annual Birds, Bees, and Butterflies Event, offers much to get excited about!
🐦10:00 am: Hikes, activities and booths by expert naturalists, local vendors, nature crafts, photo booth and more available for the day!

🐝Amazing Activities:
Whooper Wander Trail Challenge Low Impact Hike and Toddler Trot through the Ellen Allan Outdoor Areas starts At 10:00. Everyone is welcome to join a low impact hike to the Ellen Allan Outdoor Area. We’re counting birds, bees, butterflies! The walk is perfect for families with young children or anyone wanting to go slowly and discover what nature offers that day
Jessie Fritsch of Buzz in Art Studios will have her work in the fireplace room for the month of June. She will be at the refuge from 10-3 on the 13th to talk with visitors about her beeswax paintings. Weather permitting, she will do periodic demonstrations behind the visitor center throughout the day. https://buzzinartstudios.com

🤩Vendors of the day, selling merchandise relating to BBB include:
Nature inspired art quilts, quilted cards, handmade cards, mixed media, jewelry by 3Moms & Daughters
Art prints and wildlife by Meg Anderson
Pollinator-friendly shrubs perennials, trees, small fruits and herbs grown by Flutterbuzz Farm LLC
Local raw honey and beeswax products from Ards Bees
WI wildlife crocheted plushies by Sera Scurto of Hoops N Loops
Hand painted wooden picees and seasonal designs from Oddbuck Crafts
Handmade pottery with a press of nature by OWN Pottery Arts
A Wild Life Photo Booth with Mike Tucker

🍓Food on Site:🌭
Bake Sale – Friends of the Necedah NWR
Brat Stand - Friends of the Necedah NWR
Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables by Sunday Acres LLC
The Local Lemon Food Truck - fresh squeezed lemonade, loaded specialty lemonades, hotdogs, nachos, soda, chips, bottled water.
Community Meals & More will have a free scoop of ice cream for visitors, while supplies last from 11 am - 1 pm

🏡Inside the Visitor Center:
Puppet Shows:
Craft your own puppet to take home while supplies last
Fold cranes and butterflies
Shop the Karner Korner Nature Store - nature related gifts, books, art and more inside the Visitor Center

🕵️‍♀️Naturalist Led Areas:
Birds of the Refuge – Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Biological Staff
Queen Bumblebees - Summer Ranger Sam
Seeds and Plants of the Prairie – Alex Bouthilet, Wild Rivers Conservancy plant walks IDing and talking about the ecology and importance of native species
Bald Eagle Nests Exploration – Naturalist Donna Richardon
How Birds Spread Seeds – Jr. Ranger Phoenix
Birds, Bees, & Butterfly Kids Crafts – Volunteer Naturalists
💙Event happens rain or shine! Plan to spend the day with us before heading out at 3:00 pm

🎉Speakers:
Preregistration is encouraged for our featured speakers:
Speakers’ presentations are held in the visitor center classroom
Call 608-565-2551 and leave a detailed message
11:00 am: Gardening for Hummingbirds with Cathy Rock
1:00 pm: Karner Blue Butterflies of Necedah National Wildlife Refuge and Hike
Photo Collage: Upper left Karner blue butterfly, Activities Birds, Bees & Butterflies Free Outdoor Event, Saturday June 13, Tri-colored queen bumblebee flying into white blueberry blooms and green leaves of the bush by Katie Goodwin/USFWS

https://www.facebook.com/share/17ijq3GmTM/

Did you know the endangered Karner blue butterfly lives on the refuge year-round? Currently, they are in their adult for...
05/29/2026

Did you know the endangered Karner blue butterfly lives on the refuge year-round? Currently, they are in their adult form and can be seen flitting to and from flowers sipping nectar! Joins us
Saturday, June 13th to learn more about the birds, bees, and butterflies that call Necedah home!
See the event happenings at: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DBc2cJnUv/

Photo: Female Karner blue butterfly with open wings on a wild lupine leaf by Katie Goodwin/USFWS

Address

N11385 Headquarters Road
Necedah, WI
54646

Telephone

+16085652551

Website

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