Friends of Heinz Refuge Named 2026 O'Brien Prize For Refuge Friends Winner
For Immediate Release August 7th, 2026
Contact: Eden Taylor etaylor@refugeassociation.org
$7,500 award will launch the Field to Fork Community Conservation Series at Philadelphia's John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
PHILADELPHIA, PA – The National Wildlife Refuge Association has named Friends of Heinz Refuge the recipient of the 2026 O'Brien Prize for Refuge Friends. The $7,500 award will support the Friends' new Field to Fork Community Conservation Series, creating welcoming, hands-on opportunities for Philadelphia-area residents to connect with conservation, outdoor recreation and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, America’s first urban national wildlife refuge.
National Wildlife Refuge Association President and CEO Desirée Sorenson-Groves presented Friends of Heinz Refuge President Mary Batt with a ceremonial check on Thursday, August 6th at the archery range at John Heinz NWR. The presentation was followed by the refuge's Try Archery event, where participants received beginner-friendly instruction and experienced one of the hands-on activities the new series will expand.
President of Friends of Heinz Refuge, Mary Batt is presented with the 2026 O’Brien Prize check by Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association | Eden Taylor / Refuge Association
"What impressed the O'Brien Prize selection committee so much was that this project reaches new audiences, strengthens community partnerships, expands conservation education and creates long-lasting connections between people and their national wildlife refuge," said Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "The Field to Fork Community Conservation Series is exactly the kind of project the O'Brien Prize was created to support."
"The Friends of Heinz Refuge are really grateful for this. This is all about conservation. Hunters are conservationists, and this program reaches out to the community," said Mary Batt, President of Friends of Heinz Refuge. "The first year I helped, there was a woman in her 80s who harvested her first buck. It was absolutely amazing. With these funds, we will have the opportunity to purchase educational materials and equipment. We will put these funds to good use, I promise."
Connecting Field Skills With Conservation Stewardship
The Field to Fork Community Conservation Series will build on the refuge's mentored archery deer hunting program. Working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission and National Deer Association, Friends of Heinz Refuge will introduce youth, adults and first-time participants to the conservation history of hunting, deer biology, habitat management, hunting ethics, archery skills and field game care.
Try Archery event participants get ready to release arrows at John Heinz NWR, PA | Eden Taylor / Refuge Association
The series will include community workshops on hunting and conservation, pop-up archery experiences, field dressing and venison processing demonstrations, venison tastings, outreach designed to increase access to outdoor recreation, and volunteer mentor training. Hand in hand, these activities will create new pathways for residents to learn about sustainable food systems, ethical harvesting and the role of managed hunting in wildlife and habitat conservation.
The award will also provide lasting value. Equipment, educational materials, outreach resources and mentor training will become long-term assets, strengthening the Friends' capacity to offer community-centered programming while expanding volunteer engagement and awareness of the organization and the refuge.
A Prize Honoring The Power Of Refuge Friends Organizations
The O'Brien Prize is an annual award for Refuge Friends organizations whose projects deepen community connections, heighten public awareness of Friends groups and create enduring benefits for national wildlife refuges. The 2026 award is the seventh O'Brien Prize presented by the National Wildlife Refuge Association.
The prize is named forDonal O'Brien III, a former Refuge Association Board Chair and longtime champion of the National Wildlife Refuge System. O'Brien was a generous supporter of the Refuge Association and deeply admired the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups across the country.
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Friends of Heinz Refuge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in carrying out the educational, interpretive and public-use missions of John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. Through education, outreach, service, habitat restoration, volunteer engagement and nature-based recreation, the Friends connect people with nature and help make the Refuge an accessible and welcoming place for communities throughout the Philadelphia region.
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum was established in 1972 through local activism and is celebrated as America's first urban national wildlife refuge. Located in Philadelphia, the refuge protects freshwater tidal marsh, open water, mudflats, woodlands and other habitats that support a rich diversity of native fish, wildlife and plants while providing opportunities for environmental education and wildlife-oriented recreation.
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.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association is the only nonprofit solely dedicated to supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System. The 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 promoting programs that maximize the system's conservation impact.
**Note to editors**
High-resolution photos, video and footage from the August 6th check presentation and Try Archery event are available. Please contact Eden Taylor at etaylor@refugeassociation.org or 717.515.3528.
