A21_SOW_Attch_1_Text_and_Photo_Outline.docx

Multi-media Exhibit – Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

Draft Flowchart*:

Screen Saver - screensaver has rotating photos and a title that peeks a visitor’s interest to learn more about the Refuge; visitor touches screen to bring up main menu.

Main Menu (brief introduction to the Refuge and content options that visitors can choose from) Interactive Screens (visitor learns more about the topic via text, photos, video, maps, brochures)

Screensaver (Exhibit title and 6 rotating images)

Main Menu (has intro text & sub-menu titles listed)

Sub-menu 2 Recreational Opportunities for You Sub-menu 1 Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate Sub-menu 3 Habitats and Wildlife

Walk the Headquarters Island Trail Forest Habitat and Wildlife (includes habitat description and management/ photos of plants, birds, & other wildlife) Cultural History

Celebrating Co-stewardship of Waubay National Wildlife Refuge Hike the Spring Lake Overlook Trail

Grassland Habitat and Wildlife (includes habitat description and management/ photos of plants, birds, & other wildlife) Climb the Observation Tower

Wabe (WAH beh) – A Waterfowl Nesting Place

Visit the Historic Fieldstone Shelter

Wetland Habitat and Wildlife (includes habitat description and management/ photos of plants, birds, & other wildlife)

Dakota Encounters (video)

Enjoy Hunting and Fishing

*The draft titles, text, and photos will be edited during submittal reviews; the number of screens may increase as the exhibit is developed.

Flowchart’s Supporting Information Screensaver Title: Discover and Explore Subtitle: Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

· Photos (8-10 photos)

· Sunset at Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

· View of prairie and lake (Jackie to provide filename 7A8A1601 by Sandra Uecker / USFWS)

· Purple coneflowers attract many species of butterflies and other insects, including this meadow fritillary.

· Diving ducks

· Ice formations on Waubay Lake

· Gadwall (drake and hen)

· sideoats grama

· Common milkweed

· Native prairie with colorful wildflowers

· Photo of entrance sign with Refuge in background

· View of trail with scenic background

· Aerial photo of Waubay National Wildlife Refuge Main Menu Intro: Waubay National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. Today, the Refuge has 4,650 acres of wetlands, tallgrass prairie, and forest habitats. You can observe 245 bird species – 100 of which nest here.

· Sub-menu 1: Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate

· Cultural History

· Text: include info about cultural history – please use “FPO” for now – hoping for text from Tribe.

· Graphic reference – map of Lake Traverse Reservation that also shows Refuge boundary (map to be developed by contractor)

· Celebrating Co-stewardship of Waubay National Wildlife Refuge

· Text: On September 5, 2023, the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate (SWO) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two governments for co-stewardship of the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge. This historic collaboration between the SWO and the Service will increase Tribal involvement in protecting, managing and restoring culturally significant wildlife and plant species, while promoting culturally aware educational opportunities for Tribal members, students, and visitors to the Refuge.

· Photos

· Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and FWS during MOU signing – “One of the pillars of this Memorandum of Understanding is to provide a foundation for the next generations to build upon and grow an appreciation for collaboration for the sake of the natural world we all exist in. Through interpretive and educational opportunities, we will enhance the experiences of visitors by providing culturally aware educational opportunities for Refuge visitors, indigenous peoples, and students.” – Matt Hogan, Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Jackie to provide 2 photos – filenames are DSCF1119 and DSCF1142 – photo credits are both Celeste Chen / USFWS)

· Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate drum circle during MOU signing (Jackie to provide 2 photos – filenames are DSCF1181 and DSCF1163 – photo credits are both Celeste Chen / USFWS)

· Painting on doors by Tribal school students - photo not yet available – please use “FPO” for now.

· Wabe (WAH beh) – A Waterfowl Nesting Place

· Text: The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, comprised of the Isanti or Santee Dakota (Sioux) people, called the area that is now Waubay National Wildlife Refuge, “Wabe” (WAH beh) – a waterfowl nesting place. Sidebar: Waterfowl, including ducks and geese, use the small wetlands as breeding habitat and a place to raise their young, while the grasslands provide nesting cover.

· Photos

· Canada goose on nest with two goslings and unhatched eggs – A clutch of eggs begins to hatch for this Canada goose. Hatchlings are covered with yellowish down and they leave the nest when 1-2 days old.

· Gadwall nest - Gadwall are a species of duck, along with mallards, blue-winged teal, and others, that nest in grasslands. The hen builds the nest and then lays one egg per day until she has a full clutch. She incubates the nest 24-27 days and once the ducklings hatch, she leads them to water where they can find food and shelter.

· Mallard hen and brood – A mallard hen leads her brood around on the shore to pick at vegetation and prey on the ground. They eat mainly aquatic insect larvae, earthworms, snails and freshwater shrimp.

· Dakota Encounters (video)

· Text: Dakota Encounters, a film by Christine Craton and Tim Schwab, tells the story of the first expeditions of Joseph N. Nicollet into the Sisseton region.

· Photos (background) on screen where visitor can select/play the video

· Nicollet’s map (taken from video) (if we need a higher resolution map, we can request it from the visitor center in Sisseton, SD) (Contractor to retrieve map from video)

· Other photos taken from video? (Contractor to determine which and retrieve other photo from video)

· Sub-menu 2: Recreational Opportunities for You Text: We invite you to discover and explore Waubay National Wildlife Refuge! Enjoy a hike through prairie grasslands or forest habitat; visit historic structures constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration; or participate in hunting and fishing activities. The Refuge is home to a variety of wildlife, which can be viewed while hiking or while using paddlecraft or non-motorized boats that are launched at boat access points.

· Headquarters Island Trail

· Text: Welcome to the Headquarters Island Trail. As you walk this trail, you will encounter forest, grassland, and wetland habitats that provide food and cover for more than 245 bird species and other wildlife. Sidebar: Watch for signs that feature names of wildlife in the Dakota language, spoken by the indigenous people.

· Graphic: Map of Headquarters Island Trail (touch to open) – (Jackie to provide PDF of map and legend from trailhead panel (FY23 project))

· Photos:

· A Tunnel of Trees in Fall Colors

· Trail through forest with sign that features Dakota language - photo not yet available – please use “FPO” for now.

· Close up of sign that features Dakota language - photo not yet available – please use “FPO” for now.

· Hike the Spring Lake Overlook Trail

· Text: Take a short walk on the Spring Lake Overlook Trail. Here, you can see colorful grasses and blooming wildflowers during spring, summer, and fall. As you view the nearby wetland, watch for pairs of ducks in early spring and broods of ducks in late-spring and summer. Birds such as American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants are commonly seen on Spring Lake.

· Photos

· Spring Lake Overlook Trail – photo not yet available – please use “FPO” for now.

· Prairie grassland and wildflowers Native prairie is made up of hundreds of species of grasses and wildflowers. The species and colors change with the seasons.

· Breadroot scurfpea, also known as Indian potato or prairie turnip, has an egg-shaped, starchy, tuberous root.

· American white pelicans forage by swimming on the surface, dipping their bills to scoop up fish, then raising their bills to drain water and swallow their prey.

· Pair of northern shovelers – Northern shovelers are dabbling ducks with large spoon-shaped bills. Comb-like projections on the edge of the bill help filter out tiny crustaceans and seeds from the water.

· Blue-winged teal brood – This blue-winged teal brood dabbles for high-protein insects in shallow wetlands. In the fall, their migratory journey can take them all the way to South America for the winter.

· Double-crested cormorants

· Climb the Observation Tower

· Text: The Observation Tower was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. Originally, the tower served as a vantage point where Refuge staff watched for wildfires. Today, you can climb 133 steps to reach the top, which is 110 feet above ground, for a view of the Refuge and surrounding area.

· Photos

· Observation tower (Jackie to provide filename IMG_5141 by Sandra Uecker / USFWS)

· Fire tower after original construction – (Jackie to provide filename Waubay Fire Tower 1200 dpi)

· A view of forest habitat, lake, and surrounding grasslands. (Jackie provide filename IMG_5076 by Sandra Uecker / USFWS.

· Visit the Historic Fieldstone Shelter

· Text: The fieldstone shelter was constructed by the Works Progress Administration during 1937 and 1938. The stones used during construction were collected locally and hauled to the site. Timbers, supports, and cross members for the roof structure were hand-cut from bur oak trees on the Refuge. Sidebar: The peaceful setting of the fieldstone shelter provides solitude and opportunity to listen for and view many songbirds.

· Photos

· Fieldstone shelter during construction (Jackie to provide filename Shelter Poles Roof Wall_SD_WBY_028)

· Fieldstone shelter during construction (Jackie to provide filename Shelter Rock Wall_SD_WBY_010)

· Fieldstone shelter present day (Jackie to provide filename 7A8A1612 by Sandra Uecker / USFWS)

· Eastern kingbird - Eastern kingbirds often perch in open areas and watch for flying insects, such as this wasp, to capture and eat.

· Common yellowthroat – Common yellowthroats nest in thick vegetation and are more often heard than seen, with their distinctive “wichety-wichety-witchety” calls.

· Enjoy Hunting and Fishing

· Text: Waubay National Wildlife Refuge is open to deer hunting and fishing per Refuge-specific regulations and in accordance with State regulations. Please pick up a Hunting and Fishing Information brochure that provides additional information and regulations.

· Graphics:

· Refuge map with hunting boundaries and fishing locations. (Jackie to provide separate map from hunting and fishing brochure.)

· PDF of entire brochure (2-sided) with information and regulations (Jackie to provide brochure PDF.)

· Photos

· White-tailed deer buck

· Person fishing (photo not available yet – please use “FPO” to reserve a spot) Sub-Menu 3: Habitats and Wildlife Note to contractor: for each of the 3 habitats listed below, we have included photos in these categories: plants, birds, and other wildlife. Please note that the first 6 species listed, are the priority photos to be used. There are additional species listed that can be used if you determine that our priority photos are not high enough quality/resolution.

· Forest Habitat and Wildlife

· Text: Headquarters Island is a forest habitat in the midst of prairie grassland surrounded by water. Here, basswood, bur oak, and green ash trees provide habitat for a variety of birds and other wildlife. Sidebar: Many migratory birds can be viewed during spring, summer, and fall. Others, such as downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers are here year-round.

· Background photo (if needed) – (Jackie provide filename IMG_4966 by Sandra Uecker / USFWS) – A view of forest with surrounding lake and prairie.

· Photos - Plants (touch to open) – displays 6 plants with names and one fact each.

· Virginia waterleaf plants thrive in the shaded understory of the forest.

· False Solomon’s seal is a native woodland plant with star-shaped flowers.

· Bur oak – The bur oak woodlands are surrounded by restored native grasses and Waubay Lake. Bur oak are very slow growing, fire-resistant, and cold-tolerant trees.

· Jack-in-the-pulpit – The intriguing blossom of jack-in-the-pulpit, a woodland perennial plant, is a large, cylindrical, hooded green flower with brown stripes.

· Smooth sumac shrubs are 10 to 20 feet tall and have green flowers that mature into a cluster of red fruit. – (Jackie to provide filename IMG 5385_Smooth Sumac Sandra Uecker USFWS)

· Wild raspberry (people collect) – NOTE: photos are not yet available. Will you please include “FPO” to reserve a spot for 2 photos? Can list each of these 6 species (wild raspberry….wild grape).

· Basswood

· Woodland phlox

· Gooseberry

· Green ash

· Wild grape

· Photos - Birds (touch to open) – displays 6 birds with names and one fact each.

· Adult bald eagles and an eaglet in a nest that measures 5-6 feet in diameter and 2 to 4 feet tall.

· Downy woodpecker – Downy woodpeckers eat mainly insects that live inside wood or tree bark as well as ants and caterpillars.

· Yellow warbler – In summer, the buttery-yellow male with chestnut streaking, sings it’s sweet, whistled song from the trees.

· Pileated woodpecker – Watch for the pileated woodpecker, one of the biggest, most striking forest birds of all. Listen for them whacking at dead trees in search of their main prey, ants, leaving behind a rectangular hole in the tree.

· Yellow-rumped warbler – The yellow-rumped warbler migrates through this area in spring and fall. While here, they flit through the canopies of trees and also sit on branches and catch passing insects.

· Sharp-shinned hawk – The sharp-shinned hawk is a tiny hawk that appears in a blur of motion. Long legs, short wings, and long tails help them move at top speed in pursuit of songbirds and mice.

· Great horned owl – Great horned owls are covered in extremely soft feathers that insulate them against the cold winter weather and help them fly quietly in pursuit of prey.

· Red-eyed vireo

· Blue-headed warbler

· Baltimore oriole

· Black-billed cuckoo

· Eastern wood-pewee

· Willow flycatcher

· Least flycatcher

· Photos - Other wildlife (touch to open) – displays 6 species with names and one fact each.

· A white-tailed deer fawn finds shelter from predators in the forest habitat.

· Two young raccoons – Raccoons are most active during the mornings and evenings (crepuscular) and at night (nocturnal). They are seen searching for food in a variety of areas, including the shorelines of wetlands and lakes.

· Tree frog – Treefrogs begin calling at wetlands or surrounding trees in early June. Males fertilize the eggs as the female lays them - 900 – 3,000 eggs in several clusters on submerged plants. The eggs hatch in 5 days and the tadpoles complete their metamorphosis in 2 months.

· Fox squirrel – A hardy resident in this area, a rust-colored fox squirrel rests in a snow-covered tree.

· A red fox peers through the grass as it hunts for amphibians, birds, rabbits, and small rodents.

· A wild turkey gobbler struts for a hen.

· Cecropia moth

· Grassland Habitat and Wildlife

· Text: Take a close-up look in the grasslands. A colorful variety of grasses and wildflowers provide food and shelter for nesting songbirds and waterfowl, butterflies, and other pollinating insects.

Sidebar: Historically, great herds of bison grazed the expansive grasslands and wildfires often started by lightning strikes or by indigenous peoples. Both grazing and fire removed matted vegetation and stimulated the growth of plants.

Today, Refuge managers mimic the effects of bison by working with ranchers to graze their cattle here to improve wildlife habitat. They also use prescribed burning to reduce dead vegetation, weeds, and invasive species, while promoting diversity and grassland health for migratory birds and other wildlife.

Sidebar: Prairie Restoration – Prior to this area becoming a national wildlife refuge, much of the land was farmed. Once established as Waubay National Wildlife Refuge, the fields were planted to a mixture of alfalfa, sweetclover, and wheatgrass. These areas have since been replanted to native grasses and wildflowers that are more representative of historic prairie plant communities.

· Photos - Plants (touch to open) – displays 6 plants with names and one fact each.

· Potential background photo for grassland habitat: Native prairie boasts a display of colors that change with the season.

· Big bluestem is a native grass with a seedhead that branches into three parts and resembles a turkey’s foot.

· Prairie coneflower is a bright and showy wildflower with a cylinder-shaped disc surrounded by yellow rays that droop.

· Dakota sage – Include “FPO” for text – hoping for Tribal input (Jackie to provide filename IMG 5349_Dakota Sage Sandra Uecker USFWS)

· Dew settles in on Indiangrass, a favorite native forage for grazing livestock. The seeds are also eaten by upland game birds and songbirds.

· Purple coneflower – The stiff stems of purple coneflower are capped with a single, showy flower head that attracts pollinating insects.

· Leadplant, a shrubby, deep-rooted plant that boasts purple blooms is an indicator of good quality prairie.

· A white-lined sphinx moth, also known as a hummingbird moth, nectaring on Rocky Mountain Bee plant.

· Maximillian sunflowers glow in the tallgrass prairie.

· Purple prairie clover

· Wild onion is a beautiful and delicate wildflower with an edible onion-like bulb.

· Switchgrass

· Porcupine grass

· Wild bergamot

· Photos - Birds (touch to open) – displays 6 birds with names and one fact each.

· Bobolink – While perched on a prairie plant, the striking male bobolink with a white back and black underparts, extracts seeds to feed on. They also eat weed seeds, insect larvae, adult insects, and spiders.

· Dickcissel – The breeding male dickcissel is colored like a miniature meadowlark, with a black V on a yellow chest. It’s basic song is a simple, buzzy dick-dick-see-see-see, which sounds like it’s name “dickcissel”.

· Western meadowlark – Western meadowlarks often perch and sing from a post Their flute-like melody rings across the prairie.

· Grasshopper sparrow – A thin, buzzing song indicates a grasshopper sparrow in the grasslands. They feed and nest on the ground, in a domed nest that is hidden at the base of a grass clump.

· Upland sandpiper and Upland sandpiper nest - The upland sandpiper feeds mainly on insects and nests in the grasslands.

· Northern harrier A male northern harrier above and female below engage in aerial acrobatics as part of a courtship flight.

· Marbled godwit

· American kestrel

· Photos - Other wildlife (touch to open) – displays 6 species with names and one fact each.

· Dakota skipper – A small butterfly found in mixed and tallgrass prairie, the Dakota skipper is dependent on native prairie to carry out its life cycle. As native prairie is converted to other uses, numbers of Dakota skippers have declined substantially.

· Coyote – Coyotes are year-round residents on Waubay National Wildlife Refuge. These omnivores eat prey such as deer, mice, rabbits, and berries, fruits, and nuts.

· Plains Garter snake – The plains garter snake, a non-venomous snake, is usually 1 to 2 feet long. These snakes eat eggs, frogs, insects, small rodents, and worms.

· Monarch butterfly (monarch on rabbitbrush)

· American badger – Badgers are solitary animals that are active at night. They have powerful forelimbs that allow them to tunnel rapidly through the soil.

· Regal fritillary butterfly on purple coneflower

· Black swallowtail caterpillar – A black swallowtail caterpillar crawls along a plant stem and will eventually become a beautiful butterfly.

· Thirteen-lined ground squirrel

· Red-bellied snake

· Wetland Habitat and Wildlife

· Text: Wetlands are depressions on the landscape. Some wetlands hold water for a few weeks and others hold water year-round. They nurture a variety of insect and plant life, which in turn attracts songbirds, shorebirds, wading birds, and great numbers of ducks and geese. Sidebar: Wetlands store rainwater and snowmelt – slowly filtering it and releasing it into underground aquifers.

· Photos - Plants (touch to open) – displays 6 plants with names and one fact each.

· Duckweed – Duckweed is an important source of food for many ducks, including this ruddy duck.

· Cattail – Cattails grow in in wetlands and provide food and shelter for many species of wildlife. A female yellow-headed blackbird will build a nest in cattails, while the male (above) defends the territory.

· Bulrush (Marsh wren near top) Bulrush plants are native and an important part of the natural ecosystem. The seeds are eaten by ducks and other birds; several bird species nest in bulrush stands; and a variety of animals, including geese and muskrats, eat the early growth and rhizomes.

· Smartweed A garden spider, perched on a smartweed plant, patiently waits to capture food in it’s web.

· Sago pondweed – Sago pondweed grows under the water surface and provides food for diving ducks such as canvasbacks and lesser scaup.

· A monarch butterfly sips nectar from swamp milkweed.

· Horsetail (Equisetum/scouring rush)

· Photos - Birds (touch to open) – displays 6 birds with names and one fact each.

· Canada goose – Canada geese mate for life and remain together throughout the year. Here, two pair have their goslings following closely behind.

· Mallard – Mallards are generalist foragers and eat a wide variety of food. They roam the shores, picking at plants and prey; in water, they dabble (tip forward) to eat aquatic plants and insects.

· American avocet – These American avocets face the oncoming surf on a large wetland. Using their slightly upturned bills, they skim the water to catch aquatic insects.

· Black tern – Black terns are charcoal-gray to jet black in color. Their delicate form and neatly pointed wings provide agility as they flutter and swoop to pluck fish from the water, or veer to catch flying insects.

· Franklin’s gull – During the breeding season, Franklin’s gulls eat mostly invertebrates, especially insects and earthworms.

· Yellow-headed blackbird – With a yellow head, a white patch on black wings, and a call that sounds like a rusty gate opening, the male yellow-headed blackbird catches your attention.

· Great blue heron

· Blue-winged teal

· Northern shoveler

· Lesser scaup

· Canvasback

· Common tern

· Forster’s Tern

· Wilson’s phalarope

· Photos - Other wildlife (touch to open) – displays 6 species with names and one fact each.

· Dragonfly – Dragonflies have nearly 360-degree vision and are fast flyers. This allows them to track a single insect and capture it in mid-air.

· American rubyspot damselfly – The American rubyspot damselfly is easily identified by the distinctive red spot at the base of its wings. This damselfly feeds on almost any soft-bodied flying insects - mosquitoes, flies, moths, and mayflies.

· Muskrat Muskrats are herbivores with diets consisting of bulrush, cattails, sedges, and other aquatic plants.

· Beaver – Beavers are large rodents that feed on leaves, inner bark, and twigs of trees and shrubs. They are capable of altering the environment by building dams, which form ponds that provide habitat for dozens of other species.

· Painted turtle – Recently hatched painted turtles make their way to the nearest pond.

· Leopard frog – The leopard frog is an amphibian with stages of its life cycle occurring both in water and on land.

· Snapping turtle

· Mink

· Blue-fronted dancer (damselfly)

· Familiar bluet (damselfly)

· River otter (rare/not high priority)

· Green darner (dragonfly)

· Blue dasher (dragonfly)

· Widow skimmer (dragonfly)