Assabet River NWR Trail Naming Contest
Sponsored by The Friends of the Assabet River NWR

The trails in the refuge need names. Submit a winning name and win fame and prizes!.

Contest Period: The contest runs from June 1 through November 1, 2008.

Winners and Prizes: Prizes will be awarded for submissions in three age groups: 12 and Under, 13-18, and Over 18. Prizes include:

• 3 pairs of compact binoculars generously provided by Wild Birds Unlimited of Sudbury.
• Women's snowshoes generouosly provided by the Maynard Outdoor Store of Maynard.
• A $15 gift certificate generously provided by Brine’s Sporting Goods in Sudbury.
• A gift certificate for a weekend kayak rental for a weekend generously provided by EMS of Acton. Package includes the kayak, paddle, PFD, and straps and pads to load it on a car.
• Waist packs with water bottles (three sets) generously provided by REI of Framingham.
• $25 gift certificate generously provided by Erickson Grain Mill of South Acton.
• History tour of the Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge - go on a personal tour with your family with Paul Boothroyd of the Maynard Historical Society describing the history of the refuge.
• Wildlife tracking experience - go on a wildlife tracking session with your family. Provided by members of the Assabet Keeping Track team.
• Photograph of a refuge scene - by longtime volunteer and photographer Marijke Holtrop. Framed and matted.
• Photograph of a refuge scene - by David Griffin. For more information about Dave Griffin and his photography, see FARNWR previous events.
• Songs of the System CD - collection of music commemorating the Centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System features songs written and performed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff.
• T.R. Bears - These Teddy Bears dressed as Teddy Roosevelt are provided by the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Read about the history of the TR bears and the origin of what we now call Teddy bears here.
• The Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers by Ron McAdow. A comprehensive guide to canoeing, wildlife, and history of the Concord River basin. Autographed and provided by Ron McAdow.
• Maynard Massachusetts - this volume is from the Images of America series by Paul Boothroyd and Lewis Halprin. Over 200 photographs bring to life the history of this diverse community first settled over 300 years ago. Autographed and provided by Paul Boothroyd.
• Maynard - this volume is from the Postcard History Series by Paul Boothroyd and Lewis Halprin. Through vintage postcards, this volume shows how Maynard, once a farming community, has retained its friendly, small-town character.
• National Audubon Society Field Guide to New England by Peter Alden. This easy to use field guide of the region's wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, mosses, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, butterflies, mammals and more. Several autographed copies are provided by author Peter Alden.

Contest Rules:

• Submissions should be from one or more of the following categories:
  • Natural Resources (e.g., plants, animals and nature)
  • Landscape/Scenic (e.g., forest, river, geological features and man-made structures such as bunkers and power lines)
  • Historical/Cultural (e.g., old farms or homes, past land use)
• Trail C, Trail X, Patrol Road, White Pond Road and Craven Lane are excluded from the trail naming contest. Trails of the south portion of the refuge are included in the contest.
• Grand Prize and First Prize winners will be selected by the judging panel based on originality and applicability to categories
• In the event that more than one person submits a winning trail name, there will be a drawing to determine the winner
• Each person/family may send a maximum of five submissions. The five submissions can all be for the same trail or a variety of trails.

Background information on the history of the refuge and the origin of these trails can be found here. For background information about birding on the refuge, click here for recent article by Ron Lockwood in the Bird Observer. For additional background information about the refuge, including the Comprehensive Conservation Plan, go to here.

Eligibility: The contest is free and open to the public. Members of the Board of the Friends, employees of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and their immediate family members are not eligible for prizes, but may participate in the contest. A panel comprised of Refuge staff and Friends will judge the entries. Decisions of the judging panel are final. Winners will be notified via mail or email shortly after the winners have been determined. Prizes must be picked up at Complex Headquarters located at 73 Weir Hill Rd., Sudbury, MA 01776.

Entry Forms: Entry forms and maps are available at refuge kiosks and the Refuge Complex headquarters at 73 Weir Hill Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. Or, click here to print an entry form.

The Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge consists of 2,230 acres of land within the towns of Sudbury, Hudson, Stow and Maynard, with portions along the Assabet River. It consists of varied woodland, wetland, fields, a pond and streams and is home to diverse wildlife, including migratory birds. Visitors can explore a variety of wildlife-dependant activities, including photography, observation, interpretation, environmental education, hunting and fishing. There is a dynamic system of trails spanning over 15 miles. Assabet River NWR is one of eight national wildlife refuges managed within the Eastern Massachusetts National Wildlife Refuge Complex of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.