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Why Congressional Appropriations Are Important To The National Wildlife Refuge System
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.
An Opportunity For Your Refuge Friends Group! 2022 O'Brien Prize Request For Proposals Announced
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.
Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest February 2022 Winner— Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
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.
Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photography Contest
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is partnering with Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates to host a monthly photo contest for Refuge and Hatchery Friends groups across the country. The Friends Photo Contest started as an idea by the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates Facebook group last year and has quickly grown in engagement, you can read more about the contest here.
Refuge & Hatchery Friends Photo Contest Winner— Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge
You may have heard about the first winner of the Friends Photo Contest and the refuge’s fantastic fungi in the Winter 2022 Edition of The Link. Nicole Souza’s stunning photos of fungi at Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge caught our attention, so Assabet River NWR was featured for the month of December.
2021 O'Brien Prize For Refuge Friends Groups Update
The 2021 recipient of the O’Brien Prize is the Friends of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (FWVNWRC), Oregon for their Bilingual Trail Video Project. They are producing a series of 14 short trail videos in English and Spanish showcasing the plants, animals, and habitats found within the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, the Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, and the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge. Each of the national wildlife refuges that the Refuge Friends group support are a part of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Oregon. They have created a YouTube channel, posted videos of the first three trails, photographed and taken video footage for four additional trails, and identified seven additional trails for future videos. You can view all of the Friends Trail Videos on their YouTube Channel and one video of the series is shown below in both English and Spanish.
An Opportunity For Your Friend Group: The 2021 O’Brien Prize
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has an opportunity for you!! Through the generosity of some of our great Board Members, we are announcing our 2021 O’Brien Prize, an annual award for Refuge 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.
Announcing The Winners of the 2020 O’Brien Prize For Refuge Friends
We are pleased to announce the two national wildlife refuge Friends groups who will be receiving the O’Brien Prize; International Wildlife Refuge Alliance of Detroit, MI, and Friends of the Mariana Trench National Wildlife Refuge, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands.
An Opportunity For Your Friends Group: Announcing The O'Brien Prize
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has an opportunity for you!! Through the generosity of some of our great Board Members, we have established 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 Refuges and is very impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups.