Welcome Back!!! Refuge Staff at the Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival on Saturday.

Refuge Fire Expert Vic Doig talks with a colleague at the Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival.

Hurray! The Refuge staff members are back on the job.  We are going to post a piece about what had to be left undone while the shutdown rolled on for 35 days.

But first wanted to report that the Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival on Saturday January 26 was a huge success. As we have mentioned in Friends News Briefs in the fall, Refuge staff fire expert, Vic Doig was on the planning committee.

Thanks to Vic and all the committee for pulling together a marvelous community event. Vic was able to be there officially on Saturday, since the shutdown endedFriday afternoon. He was unable to arrange to have Refuge fire equipment there, as planned, but other agencies brought equipment and visitors had lots to see and learn.

Photos of the event by the Gainesville Sun are available, as is an excellent article by journalist Cindy Swirko.