2021 O'Brien Prize For Refuge Friends Groups Update

2021 O'Brien Prize For Refuge Friends Groups Update

The 2021 recipient of the O’Brien Prize is the Friends of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex (FWVNWRC), Oregon for their Bilingual Trail Video Project. They are producing a series of 14 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. Each of the national wildlife refuges that the Refuge Friends group support are a part of the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Oregon. They have created a YouTube channel, posted videos of the first three trails, photographed and taken video footage for four additional trails, and identified seven additional trails for future videos. You can view all of the Friends Trail Videos on their YouTube Channel and one video of the series is shown below in both English and Spanish.

Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge earn Molly Krival 2021 Friends Group of the Year Award

Friends of St. Marks Wildlife Refuge earn Molly Krival 2021 Friends Group of the Year Award

It’s a popular spot to enjoy nature in North Florida, and now, the St. Marks Wildlife Refuge has received national attention. The Friends of St. Marks won a major award: Friends Group of the Year.

TWS member Steve Berendzen named outstanding refuge manager

TWS member Steve Berendzen named outstanding refuge manager

TWS member Steve Berendzen, refuge manager at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Alaska, received the 2021 outstanding refuge manager award from the National Wildlife Refuge Association.

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In the Spotlight: Striking the Right Chord at the Right Time

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In the Spotlight: Striking the Right Chord at the Right Time

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.

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House Bill Proposes Repeal of Oil and Gas Program in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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House Bill Proposes Repeal of Oil and Gas Program in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The National Wildlife Refuge Association strongly supports the language released yesterday by the House of Representatives in their Build Back Better reconciliation bill that repeals the disastrous oil and gas development program on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This bill also buys back the leases that were improperly sold in January to ensure they will be canceled. The language included in the bill would repeal the creation of the oil and gas program included in the 2017 Tax Act, repeal the addition of an oil and gas program as a “purpose of the refuge”, and buy back the leases sold in the last minute sale before the change of administrations.

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Leatherback Turtles Nesting Habitat Restoration in Puerto Rico

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Leatherback Turtles Nesting Habitat Restoration in Puerto Rico

Jessica Castro-Prieto and her team recently completed the nesting reporting for the 2021 nesting season which extends from April to July. 1,545 leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) nests were reported, with the municipalities of Dorado, Añasco, Maunabo, Luquillo, and Arecibo accounting for 70 percent of the total nesting activity in the island.

Martha Williams Nominated To Be The 23rd Director Of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Martha Williams Nominated To Be The 23rd Director Of The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

President Joe Biden has nominated Martha Williams to be the 23rd Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge Association is proud to support Martha Williams, who has been acting as Director since January 20th, and looks forward to supporting her confirmation in the Senate.

Moving Forward: An Urban Wildlife Refuge Program Update

Moving Forward: An Urban Wildlife Refuge Program Update

While public programs remain on hold, for the most part, the Urban Program continues to grow and strengthen partnerships with communities and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Urban Wildlife Conservation Program.