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Where the Wild Jobs Are
Karen Bullock, a rising junior majoring in English at Spelman College in Atlanta, knew little about refuges or wildlife conservation before this summer. Growing up in Boston’s inner city, the natural world was hardly a centerpiece of her upbringing. Yet, because of a new partnership between the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Student Conservation Association (SCA), she is now working at the visitor center and running kids’ programs at Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on the south coast of Rhode Island. As a result of her positive experience, Karen wants to pursue a career in conservation focusing on writing and wildlife policy.
Matthew Magruder’s interest in the Refuge System began when he visited a refuge as a 17-year-old Eagle Scout. A senior at the University of Mary Washington in Virginia, Matthew is spending the summer welcoming visitors and maintaining refuge grounds at Sachuest Point NWR, near Newport, RI. A participant in the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP), Matthew hopes to secure a position in land management or field biology. SCEP Students are given top preference if they choose to seek permanent employment in their previous internship position.
Karen and Matthew represent the special opportunity we have to engage diverse students in conservation careers at a time of economic retraction and job shortages. In a typical year, the Refuge System hires about 620 individuals under Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) and SCA programs. But thanks to the funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, refuges in 2010 will be able to hire an additional 790 individuals under YCC, SCA, Americorps and similar programs. When NWRA advocated last fall and winter for stimulus funding to support ‘green jobs’ on refuges, these are some of the opportunities we had in mind.
At a time when refuges and the larger conservation landscape face perhaps the most daunting array of challenges ever, it’s critical we cultivate a new generation of creative, passionate and educated citizens who will grow into future conservation leaders. When these young adults join the dedicated Refuge System workforce, they will see the direct and valuable impact their time and talents can have on preserving and protecting our nation’s wildlife heritage. To this end, we applaud Karen, Matthew and the more than 1,000 other young adults who have seized the opportunity this year to explore a career in wildlife conservation. We know their experiences on refuges will help equip them to actively support the natural treasures around them, whatever path they choose to follow.
Onward and upward!
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Now is the Time! Please Help NWRA Help Refuges and Wildlife.
As the NWRA nears the close of its fiscal year on June 30, we're at a moment of great opportunity for wildlife and refuges – but we need your help. As with other non-profit organizations, NWRA has experienced funding challenges stemming from the sagging economy this year. Yet, even with conservative expenses and revenues, we’ve helped make an extraordinary difference for refuges:
* In partnership with Friends groups and diverse national partners, NWRA led efforts to secure more than $200 million for refuges through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These dollars are already on the ground helping rebuild refuge infrastructure and restore vital wildlife habitat;
* Building on a successful track record of training refuge Friends volunteers to become successful advocates for refuges, NWRA in February led more than 230 Friends to Capitol Hill to communicate with their decision-makers about the needs of their respective refuges and the Refuge System funding crisis;
* Working with conservation partners, NWRA generated extensive media coverage and Congressional awareness around the “Road to Nowhere” through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska;
* Through its “Beyond the Boundaries” program, NWRA has played a key role in rallying support for land conservation efforts as at the Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River, Florida, and fostering new collaboration between refuges and both public and private partners, as at Desert Complex in Southern Nevada and on the Oregon Coast.
In all cases, it is the NWRA’s unique ability to work effectively with a range of diverse national and local conservation partners to achieve tangible conservation results for our national wildlife refuges.
Our biggest challenge moving forward is ensuring that the Refuge System pursues a big vision for the future that takes into account a shifting landscape as a result of climate change, and growing need to work effectively and efficiently with other public and private partners.
As we conclude our fiscal year, it’s vitally important we enter the new fiscal year financially robust and ready to seize opportunities and address challenges facing the Refuge System.
Please take a moment to make a generous donation to ensure the next year is as successful as the last! Whether it is $10 or $10,000, we need you on our team!
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Meet the New Department of Interior Leadership
Six months after President Obama’s inauguration, the new administration finally has many of its Department of Interior leadership positions in place. These Interior Department officials are responsible for key policy decisions that impact public lands including the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, a former Senate colleague of President Obama’s, was nominated and confirmed to his cabinet level position shortly after the President took office. As Secretary, Salazar oversees the management of most conservation and federal land management agencies, including the National Wildlife Refuge System under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bureau of Land Management. The Interior Department is also responsible for overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as oil, gas, and mineral rights leases on federal land.
More recently, the Senate confirmed David Hayes to the position of Deputy Secretary of the Interior, a position he also filled under former Secretary Bruce Babbitt during the Clinton Administration. As the second ranking member of the Interior Department, Hayes will continue to draw on his expertise in water management, endangered species, and federal land management.
Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Will Shafroth will coordinate policy decisions for the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System. Serving concurrently as Salazar’s Chief of Staff, Strickland now has a dual role in the Interior Department.
As Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, Rhea Suh will play an important role in overseeing the Department of the Interior’s administration of stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The coordination of Interior Department policy as it relates to resources and conservation in Alaska will be the responsibility of Director of Alaska Affairs Kim Elton and Special Assistant for Alaska Affairs Pat Pourchot.
Earlier this month, the Obama administration announced that it intends to nominate Sam Hamilton to the position of Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the only major appointed position impacting refuges yet to be filled. We look forward to supporting Hamilton, the current Regional Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region, through the nomination process.
Visit our Department of Interior leadership page for more information.
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Obama Administration Signals Intent to Nominate Sam Hamilton As FWS Director
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FWS Director nominee Sam Hamilton holds sedated LA black bear during routine checkup.
© Cindy Dohner, FWS |
The Obama administration announced its intent to nominate Sam Hamilton as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Hamilton is a career biologist with over 30 years of experience with the FWS and is currently the Regional Director for the Southeast Region.
Hamilton has worked for the Service in an array of capacities. He started his career with the Youth Conservation Corps building fences on national wildlife refuges, has played an instrumental role in restoring vital habitat in areas such as the Florida Everglades, and presently has authority over 128 wildlife refuges in the Southeast.
Hamilton has also led development and implementation of innovative carbon sequestration projects that have restored more than 80,000 acres of carbon-rich habitat. “He was a strong supporter of carbon programs at a time when many other regions weren’t interested” said George Chandler, North Louisiana Refuges Project Leader. “From what I understand he really had to stick his neck out to get these projects off the ground.”
The programs have been extremely successful, and Hamilton has committed himself to both acquiring and reconstructing habitat. Chandler observed that Hamilton has been particularly supportive of a project to remove a levee and restore the natural hydrology at Upper Ouachita NWR in what is one of the largest floodplain reconnection projects in the United States (See New York Times Article).
As regional director, Hamilton has championed the Refuge Friends movement. “Sam has always been extremely supportive of Friends of Black Bayou and Friends groups in general,” said Ann Smith, of the Friends of Black Bayou in Monroe, Louisiana. She said that she has been impressed with his interest in learning about refuge issues not just from fellow FWS staff, but also directly from volunteers and Friends. “He’s a real refuge guy,” she added.
If confirmed by the Senate as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hamilton will be responsible for managing the National Wildlife Refuge System and National Fish Hatchery System as well as enforcing the Endangered Species Act.
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House/Senate Propose Refuge System Increases for FY10
On June 18, the House Appropriations Committee passed their version of the Interior Appropriations bill, which includes a $40 million increase to the annual budget for the National Wildlife Refuge System for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) - $20 million more than the $20 million increase for the Refuge System requested by President Obama. If enacted, this $40 million increase would bring the operating budget for the Refuge System to $503 million, roughly $3.35 per acre for the 150 million-acre System. The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies has also approved an increase, but short of the House number by $14.6 million.
The House recommendation would make refuges one of Congress’s leading conservation priorities and builds upon the significant increases in FY 08 and FY 09. The House request also includes the full $15 million needed for inflationary costs - the requests from the Senate and President do not.
NWRA and our partners in the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) will urge the Senate to adopt the House funding level. A full House vote is expected as early as June 25th but could be moved until after the July 4th recess. The full Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a vote on June 25th with a final floor vote after the recess. The House and Senate will then conference to iron out the differences.
NWRA and CARE had requested $514 million to put the Refuge System on the path to full funding by FY 2013. CARE estimates the NWRS would need at least $808 million annually to meet fundamental wildlife conservation and public use mandates.
To encourage your elected officials to keep the $503 million budget recommended by the House, please visit our what you can do page to take action and learn more.
Watch a video update on appropriations from Desiree Sorenson-Groves, VP of Government Affairs.
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NWRA Participates in National Climate Change Wildlife Adaptation Forum
As Congress continues to move closer to vote on historic "cap-and-trade" climate change legislation, the executive leadership of the Fish and Wildlife Service and partner organizations including the NWRA convened in early June to discuss a collaborative national strategy to address the imminent impacts of climate change on our wildlife. The summit follows recent acknowledgement from the Obama administration that climate change is “unequivocal.” From melting sea ice in the Arctic to rising sea levels and stronger storms on our coastal refuges to changing ranges of species, climate change is happening and will have lasting impacts on our wildlife refuges.
NWRA President, Evan Hirsche, attended the Conservation Leadership Forum held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia June 2-3. The two-day forum that engaged non-governmental organizations, states and other federal agencies focused on defining a national collaborative strategy to address climate change adaptation throughout regions, across federal agencies, and between public and private entities.
As follow-up to the leadership forum, NWRA will work closely with FWS and other conservation partners to define and facilitate the implementation of a national climate change adaptation strategy. This comes at a critical time for climate change legislation, as House of Representatives is set to vote on climate change legislation that, as it currently stands, will provide a percentage of revenue generated from a nationwide carbon cap-and-trade program to funding wildlife conservation and adaptation - including the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Take Action - Visit NWRA's Refuge Action Network Alert to act on Climate Change Legislation.
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AK Governor Palin Urges Secretary Salazar to Launch Izembek Road Study
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This "Road to Nowhere" through Izembek NWR would have treacherous driving conditions, high maintenance costs and devastating effects on the region's wildlife. © FWS |
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has written a letter to Secretary Salazar requesting that the Interior Department initiate an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the proposed road and land exchange at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge on the Alaskan Peninsula. The 30-mile single-lane gravel road, described in NWRA’s Road to Nowhere report as “a taxpayer boondoggle,” was authorized by Congress with the passage of the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Bill (P.L. 111-11).
The Izembek “Road to Nowhere” was rejected by Congress in 1998 when they instead provided the tiny community of King Cove $37.5 million to address medevac and health care facility needs, including a $9 million hovercraft ferry. A more than half a million dollar K Street lobbying campaign last year by King Cove culminated with the road’s inclusion in the landmark public lands bill signed by President Obama earlier this year. The bill authorizes a land exchange that would allow a road to be built through the ecological heart of Izembek NWR, a Congressionally-designated Wilderness area. If approved, the road will disrupt and damage an ecologically sensitive isthmus that is home to thousands of migrating waterfowl, and set a dangerous precedent by violating the intents of both the Refuge System Improvement Act and the Wilderness Act.
As approved by Congress, the 2009 Omnibus Public Lands Bill requires that an EIS be prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to determine the road’s impact on refuge wildlife and habitat. Upon completion of the EIS, Secretary Salazar must deem the land exchange to be “in the public interest” before construction could begin. In the event that the road and land exchange fail to meet that standard, the land will remain federal property managed by the refuge and will not be transferred to the state of Alaska.
To begin the NEPA process, the state must first convey its intent to transfer state land in exchange for the federal land as part of the agreement. In her letter to Secretary Salazar signed June 16, 2009, the Republican former vice-presidential nominee stated that the exchange is indeed Alaska’s intent and requested that the Interior Department begin the NEPA process as soon as possible. Whether this satisfactorily meets the requirements of the law is not yet known, as Governor Palin still needs the state legislature to approve the land exchange. As noted in the letter, although the Alaska State House has passed legislation approving the land exchange, the State Senate will not be able to do so until after the January 2010 resumption of their current session.
Read Governor Palin’s letter. Visit our Izembek informational page to learn more.
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CARE Stewardship Day
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NWRA interns Molly Coplan and Patrick Woolford and NWRA Regional Representative for Region 5, Terry Villanueva, provide maintenance at a Bombay Hook NWR informational sign during CARE's Stewardship Day.
© Desiree Sorenson-Groves
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On May 29, members of the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Management (CARE) spent the day at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware enjoying beautiful scenery and numerous wildlife sightings, and participating in activities to help out on the refuge.
Refuge personnel kicked off the day by providing an overview of Bombay Hook NWR followed by a refuge tour, which included stops to view a litter of fox kits and two impressive American snapping turtles. The day continued with activities such as painting refuge signs, updating the refuge’s informational kiosk and pulling weeds.
In the afternoon, the refuge managers took the CARE group to the Delaware Bay shore to witness the extraordinary annual spectacle of shorebirds gorging on horseshoe crab eggs. Along the shoreline, as many as 30 horseshoe crabs crammed into one square meter. Refuge staff explained how shorebirds such as the Red Knot synchronize their arrival to the area with the spawning of the horseshoe crabs so that the birds can refuel on the eggs before their epic flights take them from one end of the Earth to the other – one of the longest migrations on the planet.
CARE extends a special thanks to the Friends of Bombay Hook for providing lunch, and to the staff of Bombay Hook NWR for their help in making this summer’s stewardship day such a great success.
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New Duck Stamp Goes on Sale
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The 2009-2010 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp - the “Duck Stamp” - will go on sale this Friday, June 26.
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The 2009-2010 Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp - the “Duck Stamp” - will go on sale this Friday, June 26. Raising approximately $25 million annually for conservation of migratory bird habitat, the Duck Stamp is a vital tool for land conservation nationwide. Since the stamp’s creation in 1934, more than $700 million has been raised to help purchase or lease over 5.2 million acres of wetlands and grasslands from California to Connecticut. You might be surprised to learn that some of YOUR refuge was acquired with Duck Stamp dollars.
NWRA encourages everyone who has an interest in wildlife and habitat conservation to purchase a Duck Stamp. The stamp not only serves as a federal waterfowl-hunting license, but also as a free pass to all national wildlife refuges that charge admission fees. Additionally, 98 cents on every dollar spent on a duck stamp goes directly to land acquisition for refuges! The duck habitat purchased with Duck Stamp revenues also serves as home to herons, cranes, gulls, shorebirds, swans and all other treasured bird species that call wetland habitats home.
Every year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sponsors a design contest for the stamp, inviting wildlife artists to vie for the prestigious honor of having their work featured on the stamp. The winner of the 2008 contest and artist for this year’s stamp is Joshua Spies of Watertown, South Dakota. His painting, chosen from among 247 entries, is an acrylic oil painting of a male Long-Tailed Duck with a floating decoy nearby. The last time this species was featured on the Duck Stamp was in 1967, but at that time Long-Tailed Ducks were still known as Old Squaws. It is the first time in the history of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest that the same species has been featured twice under two different names.
To learn more about the history of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp and find out what percentage of YOUR refuge was acquired with Duck Stamp dollars or where you can buy a 2009-2010 stamp, please visit our page.
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NWRA Board Meets in RI
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NWRA Board, staff, guests and FWS staff break for a group photo on Block Island, Rhode Island NWRC. © Evan Hirsche
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Earlier this month, the NWRA Board of Directors held its annual meeting on Block Island, RI amidst the five refuges that make up the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex: Block Island NWR, John H. Chafee NWR, Ninigret NWR, Sachuest Point NWR, and Trustom Pond NWR. The board was joined by Greg Siekaniec, Chief of Refuges; Mark Musaus, Chief, Visitor Services, National Wildlife Refuge System; Walt Quist, Regional Chief of Realty, Northeast Region; Susan C. Adamowicz, Ph.D., Land Management Research and Demonstration (LMRD) Biologist, Region 5; and Andrew Milliken, Atlantic Coast Joint Venture Coordinator.
In addition to excellent presentations and discussions, the board elected officers for the 2010 fiscal year: Chair, Donal O’Brien; Vice-Chair, Tony Judge; Treasurer, Robert Morgan; Secretary, John Cornely. In addition, NWRA recognized with deep appreciation the leadership, energy and enthusiasm of Kathy Woodward, Phil Norton, Charles Estes, and Todd Veale, who are rotating off the board after completing 6 years of service.
A day and a half of field trips followed the meeting, providing board members the opportunity to tour all five of the Rhode Island’s national wildlife refuges and to learn more about the opportunities and challenges of wildlife conservation in Rhode Island where salt marshlands, beaches, red maple forests and coastal habitats converge. Board members learned about the Rhode Island NWR Complex’s myriad projects, including the piping plover restoration program, cooperative invasive species management, habitat restoration through landfill remediation, and the conservation of migratory songbirds such as saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrows through mist-netting and banding.
NWRA representatives came away impressed by the passion and dedication to wildlife conservation evidenced by every Region 5 FWS professional and member of the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island they encountered. NWRA extends special thanks to Charlie Vandemoer, Refuge Manager of the Rhode Island Refuge Complex, and Richard Thieke, Chair of the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island for their gracious hospitality.
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Steve Thompson Joins NWRA Board
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Steve Thompson, former Director of FWS Region 8, is a wildlife biologist and has served as manager of 4 NWRs.
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The NWRA is delighted to announce the recent addition of Steve Thompson to the Board of Directors. With more than thirty-two years of federal service with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Bureau of Land Management, Steve brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the NWRA board.
Steve served as the FWS Region 8 Director until August of last year, where he oversaw 130 national wildlife refuges totaling 3 million acres and 800 employees, with an annual budget of $150 million. In addition, Steve is a wildlife biologist and has served as a refuge manager for four different national wildlife refuges.
Steve is known for his creative vision and ability to bring together diverse stakeholders. By working collaboratively with private landowners for the conservation of natural resources and water on private and public lands, he has achieved notable successes - most recently in the Sacramento Valley and Klamath Basin.
Steve is the recipient of the Secretary of Interior’s Executive Leadership Award, Gold Level, and the Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executive, as well as numerous Fish and Wildlife Service Performance and Leadership Awards. Additionally, in 1994, Steve was the first recipient of the NWRA “Refuge Manager of the Year” award.
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Thank you Patrick, Paige and Molly
The NWRA is grateful to our interns Patrick Woolford, Molly Coplan, and Paige Crosby for their dedicated work with the NWRA this summer. With their assistance, the NWRA is accomplishing great strides in several crucial projects.
Patrick comes to the NWRA from Seattle, where he previously worked for an online finance publication. He is a graduate of Middlebury College with a degree in environmental studies and environmental policy. An avid birder since grade school, Patrick has long held a passion for conservation and the outdoors. Patrick is currently assisting in a variety of areas at NWRA, including attending hearings, writing for The Flyer, and updating reports.
Molly is a rising senior at the University of Richmond, where she will receive her degree in Rhetoric and Communication with a minor in Environmental Studies. She grew up in Baltimore and first became interested in environmental studies through a course in high school. Molly is currently working on a report detailing the effect of climate change on National Wildlife Refuge System.
Paige is a rising senior at the University of Virginia, where she is finishing degrees in Environmental Thought and Practice and Economics. She is from Richmond, VA and is currently working on our Beyond the Boundaries projects. Having been an outdoor enthusiast her whole life, Paige has an abiding interest in conservation issues.
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Refuge TV Launched
NWRA proudly announces the launch of Refuge TV, the new video component to www.refugeassociation.org. Refuge TV will provide timely updates about the work NWRA is doing both in Washington, DC and around the country. Visit our new Refuge TV page to see our premier reports:
Desiree Sorenson-Groves, NWRA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, provides an update on Refuge System appropriations. The House Appropriations Committee has passed their version of the Interior Appropriations bill with a $40 million increase to the annual budget for the National Wildlife Refuge System for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10), building upon the $20 million increase suggested by President Obama. Desiree discusses the Senate version, the next steps in the appropriations process, what you can do to help, and what this increase would mean for national wildlife refuges across the country if enacted. Watch the video.
We also present a special report on NWRA’s Southern Nevada Beyond the Boundaries project in connection with the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex surrounding Las Vegas, NV. NWRA President Evan Hirsche captures scenes, wildlife and interviews from Beyond the Boundaries Project Manager, David Houghton, Refuge Complex Project Leader Cynthia Martinez, and Ash Meadows Refuge Manager Sharon McKelvey. Watch the video.
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Friends Focus: Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island
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Friends of Natonal Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island President Richard Thieke (right) presents NWRA President Evan Hirsche with a check for $500 from the Friends to support the Refuge Association's work at refuges across the country.
© Greg Siekaniec
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The Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island was founded in 1997 to support all five national wildlife refuges in the state of Rhode Island: Block Island NWR, John H. Chafee NWR, Ninigret NWR, Sachuest Point NWR, and Trustom Pond NWR. Many of the 140 members of the Friends group are also volunteers on one or more of the refuges. Total volunteer hours last year topped 11,000. The Friends’ projects include adding solar panels to one of their visitor centers, building handicap accessible walkways, raising funds for the piping plover curriculum, hosting informational lectures and organizing a photo contest.
Due to declining budget and staff, the Sachuest Point NWR Visitor Center was closed during the winters in 2005-2007. Knowing that the closure affected over 9,000 recreational visits to the refuge, the Friends embarked on a campaign to raise funds to install a photovoltaic energy system (solar power) at the visitor center to reduce operational costs and to allow it to re-open during the winter. The Friends received sufficient donations to purchase and install the solar power system at Sachuest Point. The system offsets grid-based energy demand at between 25%-30% of the total building energy demand, significantly reducing costs to the Service. As a result, the Sachuest Point Visitor Center was re-opened to the public again during the 2008-2009 winter season.
In 2002, the Friends funded and constructed a viewing platform at the Sachuest Point NWR. This handicap-accessible platform provides outstanding views of the Island Rocks, an area used extensively by Harlequin Ducks. The viewing platform contains a multilevel viewing scope, which allows use by small children and others who have difficulty using the taller viewing scope, and has proven to be quite popular with the public.
The Piping Plover Curriculum, originally part of the “Piping Plover Restoration and Education Project,” was developed by volunteers and the Friends in the late 1990s and is still being used today. Volunteers worked closely with refuge staff to raise funds for the project. They then pulled together a group of teachers from the area to develop materials for middle school students. The resulting BEACH (Be Environmentally Aware Conserve Habitat) curriculum is an interdisciplinary project for middle school grades that focuses on the interdependence of the Rhode Island coastal zone ecosystem, the characteristics of plants and animals that live there, local endangered and threatened species, and learning from the past to start preserving this ecosystem for the future. The teachers developed the curriculum and materials, which they sent to all school science departments in the state. Busloads of kids come out every year for field trips to Ninigret NWR’s barrier beach. The Environmental Council of RI recognized the Friends this year at their 10th anniversary celebration of this wildly successful program.
Currently, the Friends are in the midst of hosting both their “Wildlife Wednesdays” summer lecture/video series and the 9th annual photo contest. Recent and upcoming Wildlife Wednesday topics include “Seals of Narragansett Bay,” “Restoring Maritime Habitats for Wildlife,” and “Bats.” The Friends are also accepting submissions to their amateur photo competition now through September 5. Their contest, which helps to raise public awareness about Rhode Island’s refuges, brought in nearly 100 image submissions last year.
During the NWRA Board’s recent meeting in Rhode Island, Friends President Richard Thieke presented NWRA with a check for $500. The NWRA is grateful to the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island for their commitment to their local refuges and to the work of NWRA and refuges across the country.
To learn more about the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island and the great work they’re doing, please visit them online at http://friendsnwr-ri.org.
Have you had an event NWRA should know about?
Email nwra@refugeassociation.org to be highlighted in a future Friends Focus!
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June 19: World Premiere of Wings of Thunder, a new film about the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
June 26: First day of sale for the 2009 - 2010 MBHC Stamp. Visit our Duck Stamp page to learn more..
June 29 - July 3: Independence Day recess, a perfect time to see your lawmaker. Go meet your lawmakers at Townhall meetings, pie-eating contests, barbeques, parades or any other community event, and tell them about your refuge and the Refuge System needs. You can also express your thoughts on new media sites such as Twitter or Facebook.
July 15: There is less than one month left to enter the 2009 Photo Contest! Visit our contest pages for more details on how to enter.
August 3 - September 4: Summer district work period is another great time to meet up with your Member of Congress and invite them to your refuge!
The Sun Never Sets on the National Wildlife Refuge System
The 150 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System stretches further than just coast-to-coast. Protecting everything from mountains to beaches, deserts to lakes, and tropical islands to Arctic ice, the Refuge System spans 12 time zones; when the sun sets on Green Cay NWR in the Virgin Islands, the System's easternmost refuge, the sun rises on Guam NWR, the System's westernmost above-water holding.
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