The National Wildlife Refuge Association is excited to announce the third installment of the O’Brien Prize, an annual award for our Friends groups. The prize is named after Donal O’Brien III, a past Board Chair and longtime enthusiast of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Don is a generous supporter of the great work we do for national wildlife refuges and is very impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups.

Last year, the Friends of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex won the O’Brien Prize for their Bilingual Trail Video Project. They created short trail videos in English and Spanish showcasing the plants, animals, and habitats found within the William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge, the Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge, and the Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge.

This year, we are offering a prize of up to $3,000. In order to apply, please use this application form. Please email the completed form back to us by April 18th, 2022. We plan to announce the winner/s at the end of April.

Thank you for everything you do for your local refuge and for the National Wildlife Refuge System. We are very proud to call you our partners and recognize the very important work you all do. We look forward to receiving your application.