Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends Named Recipient of the 2025 Molly Krival Award – Refuge Friends Group of the Year

For Immediate Release September 26, 2025
Contact: Eden Taylor etaylor@refugeassociation.org

Virginia grassroots conservation organization honored for decades of community leadership, partnerships, and 65,000 hours of service

WARSAW, VA – The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to announce that Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends has been named recipient of the 2025 Molly Krival Award – Refuge Friends Group of the Year, one of the top honors of the 2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards, now in their 31st year. The Refuge Association’s annual Wildlife Refuge Awards honor those whose service strengthens the National Wildlife Refuge System — the nation’s largest network of public lands and waters dedicated to wildlife conservation.

Since 2009, the Friends have contributed more than 65,529 volunteer hours, including 5,935 in fiscal year 2024 alone, to support Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which spans four counties and protects more than 9,000 acres within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The refuge’s tidal wetlands, grasslands, and forests sustain bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, and countless species of fish and wildlife, while also protecting water quality for the Bay and providing recreation opportunities for surrounding communities.

Rappahannock River Valley NWR is one of over 570 national wildlife refuges that make up the National Wildlife Refuge System — a network of more than 850 million acres of lands and ocean that conserves wildlife while providing clean water, flood protection, and outdoor recreation for communities nationwide. The Friends’ leadership has touched every part of the refuge, from restoring habitats and mentoring volunteers to connecting thousands of families and school children across Virginia to nature, making them a model for Refuge Friends groups across the Refuge System.

Protecting Fones Cliffs with the Rappahannock Tribe

Among the Friends’ most significant contributions is their decades-long work to protect Fones Cliffs, a critical bald eagle habitat and a sacred site of the Rappahannock Tribe. Once threatened by large-scale development, the cliffs are now permanently protected thanks to collaborations among the Friends, the Tribe, and refuge staff and other conservation partners, including the Chesapeake Conservancy and The Conservation Fund.

In 2025, nearly 1,000 acres of ancestral land were returned to the Tribe, which will co-steward the cliffs with the Rappahannock River Valley NWR. The Friends played a vital role in raising awareness, securing resources, and building partnerships to ensure this historic rematriation.

Volunteer Power & Habitat Work

With more than 65,000 volunteer hours logged since 2009, the Friends provide critical capacity to the refuge. Their projects include habitat restoration, trail maintenance, wildlife monitoring, and support for conservation education programs that reach schools and communities throughout the Northern Neck.

“We are proud and honored to have such and active and successful Friends Group. They consistently provide support to the Rappahannock River Valley NWR and achieve their goals by  building strong community relationships, providing clear communication between staff and members, and fostering an unwavering passion to protect our natural resources. Staff are incredibly lucky to have their support so we can keep the needle moving forward for the mission of the NWRS.”  said Marcie Kapsch, Project Leader, Eastern Virginia Rivers NWR Complex: Rappahannock River Valley NWR, James River NWR, Presquile NWR, Plum Tree Island NWR.

Engaging Communities in Conservation

The Friends are leaders in connecting people to nature. Signature programs include Kids Fishing Day, which draws families from across the region; Wheelin’ Sportsmen events that provide accessible outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities; school field trips and scholarships for local youth; and volunteer-led bird walks, workshops, and public events.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition,” said Steve Colangelo, President of Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends. “This achievement reflects the tireless efforts of our members, volunteers, and partners. Together, we’ve worked to protect wildlife, engage the community, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the natural beauty of the refuge.”

Advocacy & Leadership Beyond the Refuge

The Friends have extended their impact far beyond the boundaries of the refuge. They have testified to Congress and worked with partners on initiatives to enhance the refuge’s role as a good neighbor in Essex, King George, Caroline, Richmond, and Westmoreland Counties and beyond, while safeguarding the protections for wildlife habitat that the refuge provides.

They are also leaders regionally and nationally, active in the Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates, the Chesapeake Gateways Network, and long-term partnerships with the Refuge Association and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends show us what the heart of the Refuge System looks like,” said Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “From protecting sacred landscapes to planting trees along the river, they’ve built bridges between the refuge and the community. Their leadership doesn’t just help one refuge — it shows how Refuge Friends groups everywhere keep the Refuge System strong, vibrant, and rooted in local care while making a national impact.”

“Stand on the banks of the Rappahannock River and you see a story of connection — a river flowing to the Chesapeake, a landscape sacred to the Tribe, and a refuge alive with eagles and herons,” said The Honorable Lynn Scarlett, Board Chair of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. “The Friends have woven those threads together, engaging people of all ages and showing us the very best of what Refuge Friends groups can do.”

Recognition Events

Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends will be recognized locally at a celebration on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 1:00 pm at Cat Point Creek Lodge in Warsaw, Virginia, a property now owned by the Rappahannock Tribe. A community tree planting will take place beforehand from 8:30 – 11:30 am at the Fones Cliffs unit of the Refuge located on Carter's Wharf Rd., Warsaw VA, GPS coordinate 38°03’48.4″N 76°55’06.7″W. To RSVP and for more information please visit refugeassociation.org/rappahannock.

Their story will also be featured nationally during the 2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards — Virtual National Celebration of the Refuge System on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 7:00 pm ET.

To learn more visit refugeassociation.org/awards.

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As the only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System, the National Wildlife Refuge Association protects, promotes, and enhances America’s wildlife heritage through strategic programs that serve the Refuge 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.

The National Wildlife Refuge Awards, presented annually by the National Wildlife Refuge Association since 1994, honor the exceptional contributions of volunteers, professionals, and partners who strengthen the National Wildlife Refuge System. Now in their 31st year, the awards celebrate the people whose passion and dedication protect wildlife, restore ecosystems, and connect communities to the natural world.

The National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest network of public lands and waters in the world dedicated to wildlife conservation, encompassing more than 570 refuges and 850 million acres. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, refuges provide critical habitat for thousands of species and offer opportunities for Americans to experience nature through hiking, hunting, birding, photography, and education.

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff.