News
Volunteers make the world work….better. Thanks to the Friends of Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge (Friends) in Southern California, more people are learning about the refuge and why it’s so vital to its nearby communities. This group's countless hours of service and its long-term commitment to nature and conservation earned the Friends the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2022 Molly Krival— Refuge Friends Group of the Year Award.
Don’t mess with the National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System). If you do, Federal Wildlife Officer Robert Peloquin of Las Vegas is there to set you straight, with education, awareness and dignity. For his 20 years of service at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex (DNWRC), dedication to the Refuge System and his record of accomplishments, Robert was recently named the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s Employee of the Year.
Don’t tell Rod Colvin to find a hobby. With the number of hours he dedicates to Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Nevada, spare time is limited, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Rod was recently named the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2022 Volunteer of the Year. He will be recognized for this honor at the Wildlife Refuge Awards dinner, which will take place on Wednesday, September 14, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC at 6 p.m. Media is welcome to attend and cover the program.
Within the hustle and bustle of everyday life lies a world of nature and conservation that is vital to the vibrancy of its surrounding communities. Although many of us have not yet experienced the peace and serenity of a national wildlife refuge, we are all fortunate that there are those who dedicate their lives to the preservation of these wild and unique places.
Every year, the National Wildlife Refuge Association honors the outstanding accomplishments by refuge managers, refuge employees, volunteers, Friends Groups, and refuge advocates through our Refuge System Awards program. Today, we begin accepting nominations for our 2022 National Wildlife Refuge Awards. The deadline for nominations is March 7th, 2022.
For the Friends of the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge located on the Gulf Coast in north Florida, the challenge became, “How do we bridge these obstacles? How can we get out of the ‘idle’ mode and move forward?” The task, coincidentally, meshed well with some musical research I was doing at the time. In a short video, guitarist Mark Knopfler was patiently describing playing a basic guitar chord.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association's annual Refuge Awards brings together supporters and lovers of our National Wildlife Refuge System. The event honors the outstanding achievements of Refuge System staff, leaders, volunteers, supporting groups, and advocates. It is a chance to celebrate those who make the National Wildlife Refuge System the greatest network of conservation lands and waters in the world.
In 2021, the National Wildlife Refuge Association is still planning on holding this event in person. But we will be implementing protocols for safety.
