Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge

Our community gallery walls are now filled with the awesome conservation pledges created by Endeavor Elementary 4th graders and Central Elementary Nampa 5th graders! These students proved that even one small earth‑friendly action can make a big difference. 💚🌎 Come visit their hard work now through July!

What’s your conservation pledge? Drop it in the comments and let’s keep the ripple going! 🌱

📷Adrienne Cruse/USFWS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expanding hunting and fishing opportunities all across the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System. For complete details on proposed rules and to provide public comments (due by June 26, 2026), please refer to: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FWS-HQ-NWRS-2026-1223-0001

Proposed changes at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge include:
• Change of language for hunting of “common snipe” to “snipe”
• Allowing hunting of Eurasian collared-doves and rock doves (feral pigeon) only during the State mourning dove season

📷 Chuck Traxler/USFWS

Take a stroll to our pollinator garden behind the Visitor Center! You'll find some blooming flowers and busy pollinator friends! 🐝

📷 Melisa Rodriguez/USFWS

This family‑friendly event invites everyone to contribute to a community art project while enjoying the beautiful nature of the refuge. Along with the art activity, there will be a mini‑lesson on migratory birds to spark curiosity and inspire creativity! 🌈

Event is led with Peques Nature Club. No registration required, join us anytime between 1 PM - 4 PM!

📷 Adrienne Cruse/USFWS

🌟Monthly Staff Spotlights🌟

Next up we have our very own trailblazer and Executive Director of Friends of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge, Diana Shafer! Diana always brings a compassionate, self-driven, and perceptive energy to our team. She loves connecting with people and organizations who are passionate about conservation and having a tangible place where we can all work together to protect and improve habitat!

👏Thank you Diana for everything you do!

May wildlife sightings from visitors using iNaturalist to share their refuge findings!

Photo Credit:
• Yellow-bellied marmot by kratzra/iNaturalist/CC-BY-NC
• Painted lady by jamesjarrett00/iNaturalist/CC-BY-NC
• Black-bellied plover by jamesjarrett00/iNaturalist/CC-BY-NC
• Rough-lipped darkling beetle by cobal/iNaturalist/CC-BY-NC

Spring is for surprise bunny sightings—keep your eyes peeled!

If you time your visit just right, you might spot our tiniest refuge residents hopping around the Visitor Center! 🐇

Thank you to everyone that joined us earlier this month for Discover the Breath of Nature event! We had an fun time thinking of ways to improve our air quality. Through painting stations, adding to a vision board, creating seed balls, listening to presentations, and simply being outside!

A big shoutout to our community partners Aimee and Bryan, Site Managers for The Air We Breathe initiative with Hispanic Access Foundation as well as the Leo's Club from Caldwell High School for their support and help with the event!

📷 Adrienne Cruse/USFWS

🎨 Open Muralist Call 2026

Friends of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge are commissioning local artists to create murals for the two remaining arches of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center! Please visit our website for more details and apply through the Open Muralist Call Form: https://forms.office.com/g/X3y6Pw9HFt

📷Adrienne Cruse/USFWS

Shout out to the Junior Refuge Managers of Lewis & Clark Elementary School!

Together we explored the joys of birding, bug observing, learning about our local habitats, and pledging to efforts of conservation 🐞🌳🐌

We even had a special visitor join us at our badge pinning ceremony, thanks Puddles for the high-fives 💙

📷Midaine de Tassigny/USFWS