WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 13, 2021) –
Mary Weiler and Kevin Weiler; volunteers at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, FL, have been named the country’s outstanding 2021 Volunteers of the Year, by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The award, given annually, recognizes outstanding accomplishments of volunteers in support of the operation and management of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The Weilers are dedicated to the refuges that they serve, including Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Working well beyond the hours required by their volunteer agreements, they work long hours at special events and/or come into work extra days, beyond their normal schedule. When told that they should enjoy their day off and not overwork themselves, Mary simply replies “But you need the help!”
Mary is keenly aware there is much to do when running a refuge, especially one with the millions of visitors that MINWR hosts. Her right-hand man is her husband, Kevin. Kevin carries out many of Mary’s plans and brings to the refuge a supremely positive attitude. Whenever asked to perform a task, no matter how unglamorous, his response is a congenial “That’s what I’m here for.”
When Covid-19 struck, Mary and Kevin continued to volunteer at the refuge. As a retired nurse, Mary became a leader in implementing health and safety policies for the visitor service program. She utilized her knowledge of the best types of PPE to protect staff. She advised on which types of cleaners would be effective sanitizers. Mary uses the authority of her status as a nurse to be sure everyone complies with CDC recommendations and because she is respected by the staff, they follow her advice.
Mary turned down offers to re-enter the nursing workforce, preferring to lend her expertise to the refuge. She collaborated on designing safe systems that would allow low-risk volunteers to return to the refuge to assist visitors who were visiting in exponentially increasing numbers. Kevin of course is there to help with plans, setting up tents, installing sneeze guards, moving tents, installing signage, etc.
Although Mary and Kevin Weiler have only been volunteering with the National Wildlife Refuge System for a little more than 5 years, they have each contributed over 7,000 hours of service. They split their time between Merritt Island NWR and the Long Island NWR Complex. The Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of seven national wildlife refuges, two refuge sub-units, and one wildlife management area. Collectively, the ten units are approximately 6,500 acres in size. Each unit is unique and provides a wildlife oasis amongst Long Island’s urban settings essential for the livelihood of migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, fish, and other wildlife. The strategic location of Long Island in the Long Island Pine Barrens & along the Atlantic Flyway makes it an important nesting, wintering, and migratory stop-over area for hundreds of species of birds.
On August 28, 1963, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered into an Interagency Agreement with NASA to manage all lands within the Kennedy Space Center that are not currently being used for NASA KSC operations. These lands, known today as the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, provide habitat for more than 1,500 species of plants and wildlife. With an excellent long-term working relationship among NASA, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, this unique area is a shining example of how nature and technology can peacefully co-exist.
The Weilers along with all of the 2021 National Wildlife Refuge Association Refuge Awards winners will be celebrated at a reception and dinner on November 19th, 2021 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The event will also be streamed live on Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube allowing everyone to celebrate the accomplishments of the awardees.
The 2021 Refuge Awards program will be MC’d by Wayne Hubbard. Mr. Hubbard is the host and producer of the award-winning program: Urban American Outdoors, which is the first multicultural outdoors TV show in the country, which has been on air weekly since 2003.
Since 1994, the National Wildlife Refuge Association has honored the outstanding accomplishments by refuge managers, refuge employees, volunteers, Friends groups, and refuge advocates through our Refuge System Awards program. The National Wildlife Refuge System depends on the dedication of individuals and groups like this year’s award winners to manage, protect, promote, and enhance the world’s largest network of lands and waters set aside for wildlife conservation.
For more information about the 2021 Refuge Awards or for more information about the National Wildlife Refuge Association, please visit https://www.refugeassociation.org/awards.
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As the leading independent voice advocating on behalf of the National Wildlife Refuge System, the mission of the National Wildlife Refuge Association is to protect, promote and enhance America’s wildlife heritage through strategic programs that serve the System and wildlife beyond its boundaries.
For more information, visit www.refugeassociation.org or contact Courtney Lewis, National Wildlife Refuge Association, 202-577-3200.