Photo contest beckons you at Swan Lake

SUMNER, MO — Sneak on out to Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge for a peek at the Refuge sanctuary in the winter time, before the Refuge gates officially open in March. The gates will open at 10 am and close at 5 pm on Saturday, Feb. 9. Lots of wildlife viewing opportunities are available at this time of year when Snow Goose and Bald Eagle concentrations can sometimes be at their highest on the Refuge. Tour the Refuge and stop by the Visitor’s Center to get maps and details of what areas are open and when you leave be sure to stop by and report the location of eagles, snow geese, and any other interesting species on the large interactive map! There will also be a photo competition throughout the day; over 30 photos entered in the contest last year. Each participant will be able to submit up 4 photos of refuge wildlife, landscapes, or visitors that they took with their own camera while out on Swan Lake for the Sneak-a-Peek. The camera needs to have a removable SD or SDHC card that the refuge staff can download pictures from. The photos will be printed out and put on display in the Visitor’s Center until the Swing the Gates celebration on March 2. They will also be posted online on the Swan Lake NWR Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/swanlakenwr). The winner will be determined at the Swing the Gates ceremony by popular vote during the day and likes on the Facebook page and will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Friends of Swan Lake gift shop.