Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day this weekend at a national wildlife refuge

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May 11, 2012

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May 11, 2012

Celebrate International Migratory Bird Day by visiting a national wildlife refuge! | Timothy Vidrine

Across the Americas International Migratory Bird Day will be celebrated this weekend and throughout the month of May.

May is one of the most anticipated months for many birdwatchers around the United States.  Familiar birds begin returning to local hotspots. Some birds will stay through the summer; others are just stopping over on their way to destinations further north.  Birders eagerly await the arrival of birds like warblers in their bright breeding plumages, and many other spring specialties.

But where do many birders flock to see migrating birds?  National wildlife refuges, of course!

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/05/celebrate-international-migratory-bird-day/

At Currituck NWR: No horsing around when it comes to protecting native wildlife

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May 9, 2012

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May 9, 2012

Piping plovers are one of the endangered species that occasionally nest at Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina | Steve Greer

Situated in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Currituck National Wildlife Refuge is a beachfront haven for a wide variety of common and endangered species. The 4,500-acre wildlife refuge includes a variety of habitat that ranges from sandy beaches to grassy dunes, forests, thickets and marshes. It is home for wading birds, shorebirds, ducks, hawks and many types of mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Endangered piping plovers and loggerhead sea turtles take advantage of the protected sandy beaches to lay their eggs, and rare plants like the seabeach amaranth grow at the base of rolling dunes.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/05/at-currituck-nwr-no-horsing-around/

Birding Community E-bulletin: May

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May 4, 2012

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May 4, 2012

This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats.

This issue is sponsored by the producers of superb quality birding binoculars and scopes, Carl Zeiss Sport Optics:

You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
http://refugeassociation.org/news/birding-bulletin/

May Birding Community E-bulletin

RARITY FOCUS

SAFER SKIES OVER ONTARIO?

ACCESS MATTERS: AVAILABLE STATE ATLASES

TIP OF THE MONTH: SPARE PAIR

BOOK NOTES: BOB HINES BIO

JUNIOR DUCK STAMP ART CHOSEN

LOS ANGELES: BIRD INTEREST GROWS AT URBAN SCHOOL

ANOTHER BIRDING DIVERSITY MEETING

ROAMING CATS AT CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/05/birding-community-e-bulletin-may/

NWRA attends Everglades event with Vice President Biden and Senator Bill Nelson

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April 23, 2012

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April 23, 2012

Vice President Joe Biden speaks to an audience in Florida about conservation achievements in the Everglades. Pictured with Senator Bill Nelson (seated left) and Representative Alcee Hastings. | Evan Hirsche

NWRA President Evan Hirsche attended an event in Florida today, where Vice President Joe Biden spoke about the Obama administration’s recent accomplishments conserving the Everglades. Florida Senator Bill Nelson, and Congressman Alcee Hastings joined Mr. Biden at the event.

The Vice President spoke passionately about the 18,000 square-mile Everglades ecosystem, which he described as a “national treasure” encompassing an area much larger than the protected Everglades National Park.  Biden emphasized the economic importance of the “River of Grass” as a tourist destination, and noted that over $1.5 million has been invested in protecting the Everglades since President Obama took office.  He estimates that these restoration efforts will generate $46.5 billion in net revenues over the long haul.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/nwra-attends-everglades-event-with-vice-president-biden/

Three simple steps to make a difference for wildlife on Earth Day

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April 20, 2012

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April 20, 2012

Volunteer at a national wildlife refuge this spring and help inspire the next generation of conservationists. | Robert G. Allen

Every year, Earth Day inspires people around the world to step back and consider the environment on a planetary scale, while also finding ways to make a difference on a local scale. Here are three steps that you can take to make a difference for wildlife this earth day.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/three-simple-steps-to-make-a-difference-for-wildlife-on-earth-day/

Promote Volunteering on Refuges on Earth Day and Every Day

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April 18, 2012

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April 18, 2012

Joan Patterson

Refuge volunteer
Volunteers and Refuge Friends are vital in helping the Fish and Wildlife Service achieve wildlife conservation and public outreach goals on our national wildlife refuges. | ‪Robert G Allen

Have you considered promoting volunteer projects on your local refuge to a larger audience? The National Wildlife Refuge Association launched a new web page today to promote refuge volunteer opportunities. Southwest Airlines, our official airlines, began promoting the page to their customers in a press release this morning.

If you want to promote approved volunteer projects on our website please send us the date, time, location, short description of the project, and contact information.  You can send us the link if you already have your project posted on your website or Facebook page.

With Earth Day being celebrated globally on Friday, it is the perfect time to get out the word about volunteer events on your local refuge to a broader audience. Eventually our volunteer page will be a feature of the new Friends website, which is currently being developed by NWRA.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/promote-volunteering-on-refuges-on-earth-day-and-every-day/

Birding Community E-bulletin: April

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April 10, 2012

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April 10, 2012

This Birding Community E-bulletin is being distributed to active and concerned birders, those dedicated to the joys of birding and the protection of birds and their habitats.

This issue is sponsored by the producers of superb quality birding binoculars and scopes, Carl Zeiss Sport Optics:

You can access an archive of past E-bulletins on the website of the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA):
http://refugeassociation.org/news/birding-bulletin/

April Birding Community E-bulletin

RARITY FOCUS

MORE WHOOPING CRANES WINTERED AWAY FROM ARANSAS

BERMUDA PETREL NUMBERS TOP 100 NESTING PAIRS

SPOTTED OWL PROTECTION REVISITED

ASA WRIGHT CENTRE UNDER PRESSURE

NEW WRINKLE FOR CRP

BLACK SWIFT WINTERING AREA DISCOVERED

IBA NEWS: LWCF MISSED OPPORTUNITY

ACCESS MATTERS: THE MAGIC BUNTING

BOOK NOTES: PELAGIC BIRDS

TIP OF THE MONTH: PLAY UP THE MNEMONICS

MORE SPRUCE GROUSE PLANS

GOOD FUN: SH*T BIRDERS SAY

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/birding-community-e-bulletin-april/

The Flyer E-newsletter: April

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April 9, 2012

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April 9, 2012

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Of Shifting Islands, Cars, and Climate Change

It isn’t often that a plan to move a parking lot sparks a major controversy worthy of a Congressional hearing. Surprisingly, this is exactly what transpired in a coastal community over a proposed plan to move the beach parking lot at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia.

Further south, a different controversy has been brewing for more than a decade in North Carolina’s Outer Banks concerning a deteriorating bridge connecting Nags Head to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge. The Herbert C. Bonner Bridge connects popular beachfront barrier islands that are traversed by a road riddled by washouts and mounting maintenance costs.

In both cases, the mix of sea level rise as a result of climate change,  desire for vehicular access and the realities of ever-shifting barrier islands have combined to form a toxic cocktail of vitriol in these coastal communities.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/april-flyer/

Friends of Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge

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April 5, 2012

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April 5, 2012

Friends FOCUS
The Friends of Rachel Carson helped secure Timber Point for the Rachel Carson NWR | David Jourdan

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge is situated along Southern Maine’s picturesque coastline, an area famous for its rugged beaches and beautiful scenery. It is home to a diverse array of wildlife that includes waterfowl, eagles, migratory shorebirds, and rich lobster fisheries. With so many appealing features, property along Maine’s coast is highly sought out for summer homes, and is a region encroached on by development and threatened by habitat loss.

The 5,300-acre Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge protects important habitat along Maine’s shoreline. Established in 1966, the refuge was later named for Rachel Carson, the world-renowned environmentalist author of Silent Spring, now in its 50th year in print, and former employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is home to many species threatened by habitat loss throughout coastal Maine and New England, including the piping plover, New England cottontail, and two species of sharp-tailed sparrows.

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/friends-of-rachel-carson-national-wildlife-refuge/

The Great American Public Lands Sell Off

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April 3, 2012

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April 3, 2012

INSIDE WASHINGTON

Evan HirscheLast Thursday the House of Representatives passed a budget proposal authored by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) that not only slashes funding for all conservation programs, including the National Wildlife Refuge System, but also outlines plans to sell off millions of acres of public lands to private interests as a way to pay down the national debt.

Paul Ryan’s Path to Prosperity cites a bill sponsored by Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz that “proposes to sell millions of acres of unneeded federal property,” and suggests that “such sales could also potentially be encouraged by reducing appropriations to various agencies.”

This alarming proposal from House Republicans is a shortsighted and unsustainable fix to much larger problem. Public lands provide recreation opportunities for millions of Americans each year, and annually generate billions of dollars in economic activity according to a recent report. Selling public lands would put a small dent in the debt at the expense of losing public places where Americans hunt, fish, hike, watch wildlife, and enjoy the outdoors, while at the same time sacrificing vital economic drivers in local economies!

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Permanent link to this article: http://refugeassociation.org/2012/04/the-great-american-public-lands-sell-off/

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