Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge
Encyclopedia
Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an 1,800 acre (7.3 km²) bird sanctuary, located within the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state
of Alaska
and partially within the city limits of Fairbanks
. It consists of wetland
s, fields, and forest
s. Except to the south, the refuge surrounds the former farm of Charles Albert Creamer (1889-1974), a former chicken rancher from Washington state who moved to Fairbanks in 1927 and established Creamer's Dairy at mile 2 (km 3) of the Ester
Road (today's College
Road), which operated until shortly after the 1967 flood. Creamer saved waste grains from his barn to feed migrating birds. After Creamer's death, the area became a state sanctuary associated with the Alaska Bird Observatory. Among the birds that flock to the sanctuary in late summer are sandhill cranes, mallard ducks and Canada geese.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and partially within the city limits of Fairbanks
Fairbanks
Fairbanks may refer to:Places in the United States*Fairbanks, Alaska, city*Fairbanks, California, unincorporated community in El Dorado County*Fairbanks, Mendocino County, California, former settlement*Fairbanks, Indiana, unincorporated community...
. It consists of wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, fields, and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. Except to the south, the refuge surrounds the former farm of Charles Albert Creamer (1889-1974), a former chicken rancher from Washington state who moved to Fairbanks in 1927 and established Creamer's Dairy at mile 2 (km 3) of the Ester
Ester, Alaska
Ester is a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the 'Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 2,422 at the 2010 census...
Road (today's College
College, Alaska
College is a census-designated place in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, United States. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,493 in 2007....
Road), which operated until shortly after the 1967 flood. Creamer saved waste grains from his barn to feed migrating birds. After Creamer's death, the area became a state sanctuary associated with the Alaska Bird Observatory. Among the birds that flock to the sanctuary in late summer are sandhill cranes, mallard ducks and Canada geese.