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It was a foggy, misty day, a perfect day for Canada geese who make their home at the Noxubee Wildlife Refuge. We, all thirty-four of us, entered the Goose Overlook area to view these large gray and black waterfowl with their distinctive honk as they fly overhead and spar over territory. The Overlook is suspended above the habitat that supports not only geese but also widgeons, wood duck, wild turkey, and deer. Above, the songbirds
sing and even a hummingbird remains, perhaps too late to migrate.
The construction of the Overlook is rather simple, a long plank walkway which feeds into a rectangular deck. The walkway and deck are gray, damp, and
slick. Fall maple and oak leaves as well as pine needles cover the gray, worn planks. The sides of the walkway are parallel lines of mossy covered wood, broken by perpendicular wooden supports. As one progresses along the walkway, one becomes suspended above the ground, much like a bird in a tree. As the altitude increases, wire is between the wooden side rails for protection. On the rather large deck is a telescope for viewing the wildlife.
Directly below the deck is a marshy area with rich black soil. Then the water meets the soil. The water is filled with cypress knees that provide resting areas for herons. The geese are in a shallow area preening themselves and honking at their neighbor. They pay us no attention. Several fly in, honking as they come in that familiar V formation. The air smells of pine and cedar that is just beyond the Overlook and across the gravel road. There is no visible pollution except for a carelessly thrown beverage can. There is a feeling of tranquility, in spite of our classmates! Andrea, the wildlife educator, has met us and given us some explanations about the Refuge. We notice man helping Mother Nature with two man-made feeding stands and a wood duck nesting box. Beyond the water area is a field which provides food for deer. Earlier in the morning, there had been two doe and a buck in that field. It is not unusual to see wild turkeys. The trees are in the process of loosing their leaves. The maple leaves are red and brown. The sugar maples have golden leaves and seem to dance with the bright yellow and pale green leaves of the ginkgoes. Pines and cedars provide a background for this colorful
display. We think how fortunate we are to see nature and her creatures not just in our textbooks but in person. The Refuge is only twenty minutes from our school campus. The Goose Overlook is a popular place. The telescope is a new addition, and it allowed us to see wildlife and habitat more closely.
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