For Immediate Release July 30, 2025
Contact: Eden Taylor etaylor@refugeassociation.org
Friends of Hagerman Awarded 2025 O’BrienPrize for Refuge Friends
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to award the 2025 O’Brien Prize for Refuge Friends to the Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge for their visionary work launching a citizen science bioacoustic bat monitoring program at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in Sherman, Texas.
The $6,000 grant supporters their “Music of the Night” initiative, a long-term effort to engage community volunteers in monitoring bat populations using cutting-edge acoustic technology. The project will help assess and protect local bat species, including the northern long-eared bat and tricolored bat, both of which are under increasing threat from habitat loss and white-nose syndrome.
“The Friends of Hagerman are doing exactly what the O’Brien Prize was created to recognize,” said Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “They’re stepping in to support critical refuge science, building deeper community ties, and using innovation to project some of our most misunderstood and ecologically important species.”
By pairing specialized acoustic detectors with advanced software, the project enables citizen scientists to help identify species across a range of refuge habitats. The data gathered will help inform refuge management decisions and contribute to broader regional and ecosystem-wide bat conservation efforts. The Friends group also plans to share findings through public presentations and youth education programming, further depending community engagement with science and wildlife.
The O’Brien Prize, named in honor of longtime Refuge Association Board Chair Donal O’Brien III, celebrates excellence in local conservation leadership. Now in its sixth year, the prize recognizes a Refuge Friends group whose work exemplifies community-driven support for national wildlife refuges. Each year, the Refuge Association awards up to $6,000 to a group whose project strengthens public engagement and supports the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Learn more and see past recipients at https://www.refugeassociation.org/obrien
About Refuge Friends
Refuge Friends organizations are community-based nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting national wildlife refuges. These grassroots groups raise awareness, coordinate volunteer opportunities, support habitat restoration, host educational programs, and advocate for their local refuges—all while working closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff. The O’Brien Prize celebrates the creativity, impact, and community spirit of Refuge Friends groups as they strengthen the mission of the Refuge system nationwide.
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As the only nonprofit solely dedicated to advocating on behalf of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Wildlife Refuge Association protects, promotes, and enhances America’s wildlife heritage through strategic programs that serve the System and wildlife beyond its boundaries. The organization addresses Refuge System funding, management, and strategic growth, while also promoting programs that maximize the system’s conservation impact.