April 1st, 2020

We are again being reminded of the important role nature and the outdoors play during times of crisis and stress. Connecting with nature improves our physical and emotional health. We can think of no better place to experience wildlife than on national wildlife refuges and that's why we work hard to promote, protect, and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System.

As you know, many national and state parks, national wildlife refuges and other public lands have been closed due to overcrowding to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Be sure to research the status of your local refuge and if you choose to visit wildlife refuges that remain open, remember that they are not at full staffing right now. Please do your part to keep them open by respecting CDC social distancing guidelines and following these measures:

Consider the time of day you venture out and avoid peak hours for public outdoor spaces. If there are lots of cars in the parking area, come back at another time, but comply with opening and closing hours.
Wash your hands before and after heading outside, whether alone or with others. Follow social distancing guidelines with your own companions, as well as with others you may encounter on the trails.
Respect all signage that may indicate trails, areas, or refuges are closed.
Let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back.
Take what you need to be self- sufficient, including extra water, proper clothing and footwear, a first aid kit and your cell phone.
Don’t go anywhere an emergency crew would have to venture to rescue you.
Stay on the paths and trails, and reconsider your activities if it’s muddy. Path and trail maintenance crews may not be out for weeks, so it’s up to you to leave them in good shape.
Bring bags specifically for trash and waste, and pack out your trash and any trash you (safely) find on your adventure. Then, go the extra step and don’t drop it into a public trash can, but instead take it all the way to your home and dispose of it there. The refuge may not have regular trash service for a while.
The public restrooms may not be open. Take care of your needs at home.
If you see someone breaking the law, notify authorities. Do not try to stop the behavior yourself.
Sanitize your gear when you return home.

While we practice social distancing at home, here are some alternatives:

Enjoy Your Backyard

While national wildlife refuges often represent the best places to see wildlife in your area, you might be surprised by what you can find in your own backyard. I encourage you to share what you are seeing on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Here at my house, we are creating a list of the birds we are seeing during this time and look forward to comparing it to what we see the next time we head out to our local national wildlife refuge.

Consider Indoor Options

If you live in an urban or populated area, it may be hard to find good outdoor options and still comply with social distancing guidelines. Consider some of these indoor activities that can help you stay connected to the natural world, and if you have a good idea - share it on our Facebook page.

We want this crisis to pass as quickly as possible and we know from the CDC guidelines that social distancing is the best way for us to flatten the coronavirus curve. National wildlife refuges continue to be managed for wildlife in spite of the coronavirus and will be there for us to enjoy when this crisis ends.

March 24th, 2020

Fees to enter national wildlife refuges have been waived, and with many public areas such as beaches and other parks being shuttered, there is a possibility that refuge lands will become more crowded than usual. At the Refuge Association, we remain very conscious of the spread of COVID-19 and the need to remain a minimum of 6 feet from other people, as per CDC guidelines. While we all want to get outdoors and experience nature, we ask that you be mindful of social distancing. If the parking lot at your local wildlife refuge is full, and too many people are congregating, perhaps rethink your visit and come back at a later time when it may not be so crowded.

As of today, we do not believe any wildlife refuges are closed, but if they become too crowded, they may be temporarily shuttered.

March 20th, 2020

In this rapidly evolving time, we should all take a moment to consider those that have been affected by the outbreak of COVID-19, as well as think about what we can personally do to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors.

The health and well-being of our staff, our families and the people we work with will always be our number one priority. Still, we play an important role in the protection, promotion, and enhancement of refuges and the Refuge System. We have to work hard to find ways to be mindful of the balance we must strike between playing a constructive role in supporting the effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, while still doing what must be done to protect national wildlife refuges and the landscapes beyond their boundaries.

The safety of our employees, community, and partners is our primary concern. Because of that, I want to personally reach out to you to provide an update on the actions that the National Wildlife Refuge Association is taking to help prevent the spread of the virus and support the health and well-being of our staff, our supporters, and the community.

Some of the steps we are taking include:

All DC staff are working from home for now and we have all the tools and resources to continue working from home.
I am encouraging all field staff to shift all non-essential in-person meetings to either a later date or to a phone/web-based meetings.
All non-essential travel should be postponed for the time being.
We have postponed the 2020 Awards Dinner, and have been working to reschedule it for late summer this year.
The Friends Fly-In scheduled for April 1-2 in Washington, DC will now be done virtually.

We are not stopping our fight to protect the National Wildlife Refuge System — and we encourage you to join us from the comfort of your home.

Staying physically apart is the right thing to do during the COVID-19 pandemic, but our physical, and mental health; and the health of organizations like your local refuge Friends group and the Refuge Association, depend on seeking out connections during this time. Social distancing does not mean we have to be socially distant.

You can help keep us connected. I am encouraging you to stay connected with us via our social media channels and help us reach others by forwarding this update to your friends and family and encourage them to join our community of refuge advocates. We turn this challenging time into an opportunity to expand our network and support one another by sharing creative ways to improve our physical and mental health by remaining connected to one another and our national wildlife refuges. Please consider sharing this blog with two friends and if you haven’t joined us already on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram - do so today.

March 18th, 2020

The National Wildlife Refuge Association is closely monitoring closures on national wildlife refuges due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As of today, Wednesday, March 18th, all wildlife refuges are open to the public on their roads and trails and we do not expect any closures of the exterior areas of refuges.

Many visitor centers remain open. We are, however, seeing visitor centers and administrative offices close throughout the country as the week progresses. Many of the largest refuges, such as Minnesota Valley NWR (MN), Bosque del Apache NWR (NM), and Patuxent NWR (MD) have already closed their buildings, and we anticipate more each day as each field station and region assesses risks.

We will closely follow refuge closures, and keep you informed if we hear of any refuges closing their gates to the public or allowing no access. If you hear of or see any such complete closures of refuges, please email us at nwra@refugeassociation.org or call us at 202.417.3803x31 and let us know.

In the meantime, stay safe, wash your hands regularly, and if you see another refuge visitor on the trails, make sure to wave hello and stay at least 6 feet apart!