The Office - Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

We are getting settled in to our new volunteer assignment at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  Life in a wildlife refuge is different than our previous positions in national and state parks.  In the latter, the departments we worked for, their primary (or so it seemed) mission was to serve the people, at this wildlife refuge people are not first on the list.

But that is by design, it is a wildlife refuge, not a public park or zoo.  This refuge has just shy of 25,000 acres in its borders, only about 3,000 of it is accessible to the public.  The rest is fragile habitat and wildlife that is limited to human exposure.

However, that does not mean that Bitter Lake NWR is unfriendly to the public, just the opposite.  This facility has a really nice and relatively new (2011) Visitor Center and Headquarters building that was designed with the public very much in mind.  And this is where we work out of each day we are on duty.

The entrance to the visitor center from the parking lot does not hint at how great the rest of the visitor's experience will be.  There is a hint of the adobe/pueblo style that is typical for New Mexico but the other side leaves you thinking Frank Lloyd Wright.

Also not obvious from the front entrance is that the whole facility is set high on a bluff overlooking the marshes below.  

The rear of the building has a soaring arched awning that spans an inviting outdoor observation deck that comes complete with picnic tables.

There is an indoor observation deck too, and it comes with comfortable rocking chairs.  A pair of binoculars and your favorite drink and you'll be set for some serious bird watching.

The center of the Visitor Center is occupied by a nature exhibit.  I don't know who built the displays but they did a bang up job.  The dioramas are among the best quality of all the places we have been.

The above photos were taken from the back of the facility looking towards the front.  Early morning light coming in these east-facing windows made for a tough exposure.  But this same light is exactly what was needed for this next photo.  The large arch not only provides a dramatic awning for the outdoor observation deck but it also encompasses large panes of glass with murals of native flora and fauna.

And what visitor center would not be complete without a gift shop?  This is also our "base of operations".  When not doing daily routine chores such as watering the plant exhibit islands around the building, tending to the live fish exhibit, running the video for visitors or rounding up all the dust that blew in the day before, we greet visitors and run the gift shop cash register.

Not all assignments are routine though.  We have done some tree planting, updated and "refreshed" bulletin boards throughout the park, delivered dragon fly art contest entry forms to elementary schools all over the county and created fact sheets about the refuge's resident animals.  John is currently working on drawing (via computer) fire extinguisher maps for all the buildings and fire escape routes for same.

We are working Thursday, Friday and Saturday for now.  May first we will rotate with our co-volunteers and work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.