Audubon National Wildlife Refuge Complex — Attraction in North Dakota

I recently took my 40 students here on a field trip. This had the potential to be a showstopper of a hit... But despite calling ahead in advance, there were no guides or rangers to be found. We entered and visited the indoor center and looked at the exhibits waiting for someone. We finally talked to a human being and they said they had something set up for us in the meeting room. Sure enough there was an AMAZING activity: using plaster to cast footprints from silicon molds. But no adult to tell us the instructions. No directions, no instruction, just 40 styrofoam cups and 40 molds. With no background using plaster, I fumbled my way through experimenting to find the right consistency, students accidently poking holes in the cups, poor releasing molds, and a massive, MASSIVE mess.

The center was nice, informational, and interesting for my 8 year olds. The walk we took to decompress and recenter ourselves was a perfect length. But please, please, send a human to meet groups of people like that. Give us direction. Don't assume we know how to use...

Great 8 mile Auto Trail with beautiful views of the lake, islands, & birds. We went on the weekend while the visitors center was closed so we walked the trail behind the building. We saw several different species of birds, a couple adult deer, & a fawn hiding in the tall grass while walking the trail This was a beautiful, peaceful area. It's a great place for bird watching &...

Blue Goose Day was awesome! On top of that, the place is genuinely amazing. The visitor center is very hands-on and accessible. There are Braille labels and signs, tactile maps, large print books, audio tours, and captioned videos. It is the only accessible museum I've seen since moving to North Dakota. Great...