Wildlife art benefit to help DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program

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Wildlife art benefit to help DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program
(Released October 11, 2010)


The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Nongame Wildlife Program will be one of the beneficiaries of a wildlife art event on Oct. 14-15, at the Fifth Street Towers in downtown Minneapolis.

The event was created to raise money to fund the work of the organizations that protect and preserve loons, egrets, pelicans and other Minnesota birds that will or have migrated to the Gulf of Mexico and might be affected by the oil spill.

“The Gulf region, the marshlands, the wildlife and local residents are living through conditions we cannot imagine, but we hope monies raised will show that Minnesotans care and urgently want to help,” said Maggie Gray, the host and event organizer.

Money raised will help the Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program, which is a long-term project of the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. With the generous assistance of volunteer observers, the DNR annually gathers information about common loon numbers on more than 600 lakes distributed among six regions, or “index areas” of the state.

WILDLIFE ART BENEFIT HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Oct. 14, 8 a.m. - Photographers, potters, sculptors and other artists will be exhibiting and selling their work and silent auction begins.
Oct. 14, 5 p.m. - Public reception and presentation by DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program Supervisor, Carrol Henderson.
The DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program, the National Audubon Society and Tri-State Bird rescue will be the beneficiaries of this event.