Summertime Is Advocacy Time – and YOU Can Be an Advocate

Editor’s Note:

We all have stories to tell about “our” refuges and hatcheries—why they are important to us, why we donate our hours as volunteers, why we support these special places as Friends. Our ability to tell our stories and communicate why our sites are important to us and our communities makes us good advocates—whether we’re speaking at a chamber of commerce meeting, to a member of the city council or a county commissioner—or to a member of Congress.

Congress will be on summer recess soon, so NOW is a good time to invite your representative/s to visit your refuge or hatchery! As you read the following tips and the personal account by Ian Bergemann, president of the Friends of Outer Island NWR in Connecticut, think of the story you can tell—and how you can make your own case for Congressional support and funding for the Refuge System. Then contact your representative/s and invite them for a visit!

Advice from the Pros . . . 

Libby Marking, Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge Association, observes that “one of the greatest advocacy tools in our arsenal are refuges themselves. Seeing the beauty and importance of a refuge firsthand through the knowledgeable lens of Friends fosters increased awareness and personal connection to the critical issues facing the refuge system. A visit to a refuge is effectively a call to action for our Members of Congress.”

Should be easy then, right? However, just in case you need them, we’re sharing some suggestions from Joan Patterson, CORFA board president, and seasoned advocate.

Hot Tips for Planning a Summer Visit

  • Make personal invitations to your legislators or their aides to visit your refuge or hatchery.

  • Show them why their constituency cares about the refuge or hatchery.

  • Get to know what your legislators care about. Check out their websites, committee assignments, voting records, and public statements.

  • Coordinate visits with your refuge’s or hatchery’s Service staff.

  • Note that the Senate will be on recess from August 8 to September 5, and the House will be on recess from July 30 to September 5.