News
Through the generosity of some of our great Board Members, each year we present a Refuge Friends group with the O’ Brien Prize. Refuge Friends groups are the lifeblood of the National Wildlife Refuge System serving as volunteers and stewards of their local national wildlife refuge. We are pleased to announce the Refuge Friends group that will be receiving the O’Brien Prize, Friends of Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Vermont.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association Board of Directors provides expertise, support, and a strategic vision for the organization. They are conservation experts, business leaders, volunteers, and advocates dedicated to our mission to protect, promote, and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of all Americans. Cheryl Hart is a Refuge Friends aficionado and currently serves on the National Wildlife Refuge’s Board and as the organization’s chair of the Friends Committee. Cheryl is also active in her local Refuge Friends group, Friends of Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon, and is on the board of NWRA’s partner Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates.
The April Photo Contest winner was a photo by Les Heiserman of a Canada Goose and six goslings. Les captured the amazing image at the D.C Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery & Archives in Spearfish, South Dakota. Nancy Cole, Booth Society Friends Gift Shop Manager, and Assistant Director submitted this winning photo. The pair of geese have been nesting on the island for at least the last 9 years. Visitors to the Hatchery eagerly await their arrival.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is requesting Refuge Friends’ testimony on behalf of National Wildlife Refuge System funding levels for the Fiscal Year 2023— this time for the Senate! Many of you already submitted testimony for the House back in March, but even if you didn’t you can still submit testimony to the Senate!
For March the winning photo taken by Bob Glennon is of a bison and a fiery red sunset at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, East Lake, North Carolina.
Bob shared with us captivating photos of the early bloomers at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern North Carolina. These early bloomers will produce the berries the black bears that reside on the refuge. Bob, also captured a great photo of the black bear.
The National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses more than 850 million acres of land and waters across America’s 568 National Wildlife Refuges, including 5 Marine National Monuments. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is responsible for managing these lands and is expected to fulfill its obligation to the Refuge System’s 64 million annual visitors and diverse wildlife on a budget of a mere 61¢ per acre per year, a fraction of what other land agencies receive. For comparison, the National Park Service receives $31 per acre for land management.
On March 29th, 2022 the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s, Vice President, Government Affairs, Caroline Brouwer testified in support of Bill H.R. 6734 Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act of 2022 to the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is excited to announce the third installment of the O’Brien Prize, an annual award for our Friends groups. The prize is named after Donal O’Brien III, a past Board Chair and longtime enthusiast of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Don is a generous supporter of the great work we do for national wildlife refuges and is very impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups.
For February the winning photo taken by Dale Bales, is of a bison and a fiery red sunset at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Prairie City, Iowa. Linda Frazier has other photos of the Refuge.
Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Prairie City, Iowa was established in 1990 with the purpose to protect, restore and reconstruct and manage native ecosystems of tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, and sedge meadow.
