Friends volunteers and FWS personnel from across the country convened at the 2008 National Friends Conference held April 4th through 6th at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, WV for a variety of training workshops, roundtable discussions and networking opportunities geared toward equipping citizens with the tools to make their refuges and the broader Refuge System stronger for the future. The more than 270 participants represented 170 refuges spanning 46 states.

Hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge Association, the “Friends for the Future” Conference featured sessions covering how climate change impacts refuges: ways in which refuge supporters can address threats from beyond refuge boundaries; and how refuges can help connect children with nature.

Plenary speakers included dignitaries and topic experts ranging from a welcome from Dale Hall, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NWRA President, Evan Hirsche, and the Keynote by Lyle Laverty, Assistant Secretary, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Department of the Interior, to presentations by Dr. Virginia Burkett, Chief Scientist for Global Change Research, U.S. Geological Survey, and Dr. Cheryl Charles, President and CEO, Children and Nature Network, culminating with a question and answer period with Geoffrey L. Haskett, Chief, NWRS and Evan Hirsche.

NWRA led a special “Beyond the Boundaries” track that provided more than 65 participants representing over 20 Friends groups with the tools and knowledge they need to engage their local communities, effectively negotiate conservation strategies with private landowners, and communicate conservation needs through the media.

 

Friends Conference Photo Gallery

Friends visit Capitol Hill