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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T190000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20260406T192421Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T192421Z
UID:10000057-1775671200-1775674800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:State of the System Report: President's Budget\, Refuge Funding\, & What Comes Next
DESCRIPTION:Join Desirée Sorenson-Groves\, President & CEO of the Refuge Association\, for a timely State of the System briefing focused on the FY2027 President’s Budget\, what it signals for National Wildlife Refuge System funding\, and what to watch as Congress shapes budget decisions. We’ll also share ways supporters can help strengthen refuges in the months ahead. \nPresenter \n\nDesirée Sorenson-Groves came back to the Refuge Association in October 2024 as the President and CEO. Her career has been focused on protecting and enhancing the National Wildlife Refuge System\, first as a grassroots organizer for the National Audubon Society\, then as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Refuge Association. After 14 years at NWRA\, Sorenson-Groves became the Director of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign where she managed an Indigenous-led\, multi-pronged effort to stop any development in the Arctic Refuge. She comes back to NWRA after leading Defenders of Wildlife’s public and private lands programs as their Vice President of Land & Habitat Conservation. She has a B.A. in Geography from George Washington University and resides in Fort Valley\, VA with her husband and two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.\n\nSign Up!
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/state-of-the-system-report-presidents-budget-refuge-funding-what-comes-next/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T190000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20260223T131652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T131815Z
UID:10000052-1774378800-1774378800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards
DESCRIPTION:The Refuge Association is hosting the 2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards — A Virtual National Celebration of the Refuge System — on Tuesday\, March 24\, 2026\, at 7:00 pm ET (6:00 pm CT / 5:00 pm MT / 4:00 pm PT). \nRSVP link to share: https://refugeassociation.org/livestream\n(When people RSVP\, they receive the Zoom link and event reminders by email. They can opt in to stay on our email list\, but otherwise won’t get ongoing messages from us.) \nFriends groups and volunteers help make refuges welcoming\, resilient\, and loved. This livestream is a chance to show up for one another — to celebrate the Friends groups\, volunteers\, and refuge staff who keep refuges thriving. We are one Refuge System\, and our movement is more powerful when we show up together. \nIf you’re able\, would you share the RSVP link once this week\, and then again as we get closer to March 24th? \nTo help lighten the lift\, we created a short Friends Share Toolkit  with ready-to-use social captions and a newsletter blurb you can drop into your next update. \nThank you so much for helping spread the word. \nTogether we are Refuge Strong\, \nDesirée Sorenson-Groves\nPresident & CEO\nNational Wildlife Refuge Association
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/2025-national-wildlife-refuge-awards/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T190000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20260304T144507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260304T144507Z
UID:10000054-1774375200-1774378800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Build Your Own Backyard Refuge
DESCRIPTION:As the seasons change\, so do the needs and behaviors of our feathered friends. Let Laurel share her tips for staying in tune with nature this nesting season and learn how to turn your yard into a backyard refuge! \nThe New Mexico Backyard Refuge Program is an initiative to expand wildlife habitat in the Albuquerque area by encouraging residents to share space with wildlife by adding native plants and caring for their yards with wildlife-friendly practices. We share our backyards with hundreds\, even thousands of different plants and animals\, but as cities grow\, places for wildlife become fewer and farther between. All species are in constant need of suitable habitat in which to dwell and give the next generation a chance to thrive. With wildlife gardening\, we can enhance our own outdoor spaces while providing resources for our wild neighbors to make their homes. Even in urban areas\, we can make changes that allow other species to flourish with us. Wildlife gardening provides a means of cooperating with our wild neighbors by being aware of their needs and deliberately creating spaces that we can share with our wild neighbors. \nFrom a large\, one acre lot that can host numerous different trees\, shrubs and flowers\, to a deck or balcony large enough for just a small container garden\, everyone can contribute by making an effort to garden for wildlife and landscape for conservation. \nRegister Now
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/build-your-own-backyard-refuge/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260220
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260221
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20260113T133941Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260202T141439Z
UID:10000048-1771545600-1771631999@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:USFWS Accepting Application for Friends Academy
DESCRIPTION:FWS is now accepting applications for Friends Academy. The academy will take place at National Conservation Training Center from July 20- 24\, 2026. Applications are due February 20\, and applicants will be notified by March 20 of their status. Lodging and meals will be provided and participants will be reimbursed for their travel expenses (so all expenses are covered).\n\nApplicants can self nominate or be nominated by an FWS staff person or another Friends group member. Regardless of how the applicant is nominated\,the  FWS partner must provide their input on the application. The type of nomination (self vs. someone else nominating the applicant) does not affect the review process.\n\nAttached is the application but it can also be found on FWS’ website. Note this form was updated 1.30.26 to make it easier to fill.\nhttps://www.fws.gov/media/friends-academy-application\n\nIt  is also accessible from the landing page of the SharePoint site for FWS folks-\nhttps://doimspp.sharepoint.com/sites/fws-FF09R00000/SitePages/Friends-Landing.aspx\n\n\nIf there are any questions please contact Linda Schnee.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/usfws-accepting-application-for-friends-academy/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260115T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260115T160000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20260108T235238Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260110T125431Z
UID:10000047-1768489200-1768492800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY: Director's Order:  Review of the National Wildlife Refuge System
DESCRIPTION:Joshua W.D. Coursey joined the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service following 13 years as Founder and President/CEO of the Muley Fanatic Foundation (MFF)\, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of mule deer and their habitat. Under his leadership\, MFF evolved from a grassroots initiative into a nationally recognized conservation force\, with active chapters in seven states\, members in all 50 states\, and more than 700 Life Members.\n\n\nCoursey’s leadership earned him a respected voice in broader wildlife and hunting policy efforts. He co-chaired the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease Working Group in 2020\, has served on the Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition since 2017\, and was a member of Governor Gordon’s Wyoming Wildlife Taskforce.\n\nJoshua is a native of Wyoming\, and serves as Senior Advisor to FWS Director Brian Nesvik.  He was recently tasked by Director Nesvik to lead a comprehensive review of the National Wildlife Refuge System\, its organization\, its workforce\, facilities and management structure.\n\nAs part of this review\, he is seeking feedback and ideas from State Agencies and Partner organizations\, including Refuge Friends Groups.   This Webinar is an opportunity for the Refuge Friends Community to learn about this review and to understand how best to provide him with meaningful feedback.\n\n\nSign Up!
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/directors-order-review-of-the-national-wildlife-refuge-system/
CATEGORIES:Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251218T070000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251218T200000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20251207T043256Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251207T044559Z
UID:10000046-1766041200-1766088000@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:State of the System Report: Gratitude\, Grit & the Road Ahead
DESCRIPTION:As we approach the longest night of the year\, we pause to reflect—with gratitude for the wild places that ground us and resolve to protect them through whatever comes next. \nJoin Desirée Sorenson-Groves\, President & CEO of the National Wildlife Refuge Association\, for a timely briefing on the state of the National Wildlife Refuge System. With the fallout from the recent government shutdown still unfolding—and the threat of another on the horizon—America’s wildlife refuges are facing some of their toughest challenges yet. \nFrom deepening staff shortages to chronic underfunding and shifting policy winds\, the path forward is not without obstacles. But in these darker times\, new light begins to shine: innovative partnerships\, community-led conservation\, and a growing movement of people ready to defend our nation’s wild heritage. This webinar offers a chance to take stock\, find hope\, and recommit to protecting the lands and wildlife that sustain us all. \nPresenter \n\nDesirée Sorenson-Groves came back to the Refuge Association in October 2024 as the President and CEO. Her career has been focused on protecting and enhancing the National Wildlife Refuge System\, first as a grassroots organizer for the National Audubon Society\, then as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Refuge Association. After 14 years at NWRA\, Sorenson-Groves became the Director of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign where she managed an Indigenous-led\, multi-pronged effort to stop any development in the Arctic Refuge. She comes back to NWRA after leading Defenders of Wildlife’s public and private lands programs as their Vice President of Land & Habitat Conservation. She has a B.A. in Geography from George Washington University and resides in Fort Valley\, VA with her husband and two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.\n\nSign Up! \n 
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/state-of-the-system-report-gratitude-grit-the-road-ahead/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20251215
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20251216
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20251120T070036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251120T080041Z
UID:10000042-1765756800-1765843199@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:USFWS Partnership Mentoring Program
DESCRIPTION:Deadline for Accepting Applications Extended Until 12/15/25\nFriends groups along with their FWS Partners have an opportunity to apply for the FWS Friends Mentor Program. The Fall Application is now available. Applications will be accepted until December 15\, 2025. \nWhat is the Mentor Program? In many ways\, it is just what you want/need it to be. Each mentoring relationship is different but\, in a nutshell\, Friends and their Refuge Management decide on the topics they would like to learn more about or have help with. That is part of the application. It could be training the board\, planning a joint project\, or\, after this long Covid winter\, a reboot to get your board and FWS staff excited about working together again\, for example. \nOnce you have submitted the completed application it will be reviewed by the FWS Friends Coordinator\, Linda Schnee\, and the Regional Friends Coordinators. If your application is selected\, you will be assigned a team of experienced and trained mentors\, usually one FWS staff and one Friends Board/Staff person who will work with you on fleshing out an agenda\, and then will come to your refuge to conduct a 2-day training. \nAt the end of that training\, your group will identify a set of 3 or 4 objectives that you want to accomplish in the next year. Mentors then check in with you on a regular schedule to offer help\, guidance\, encouragement\, and lots of cheers for the good work you are doing. \nSound like something that your group would benefit from? I’ve been on both sides of mentoring\, as a Friends mentor and as a board member of a group being mentored and I can tell you from personal experience that this program provides a couple of skilled “consultants\,” for a year\, free-of-charge to your Friends group and your Refuge. So\, what are you waiting for? Get that application going! \nShould you want to find out more about the benefits of this program check out the 2023 recording about the USFWS Mentoring Program.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/usfws-partnership-mentoring-program/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250615T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250615T170000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250530T172619Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250603T184828Z
UID:10000023-1750006800-1750006800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Deadline for Written Testimony to the Senate
DESCRIPTION:The Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior\, Environment\, and Related Agencies is accepting written testimony on the Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations. For instructions on how to submit your testimony go to https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/owt_guidelines_interior_fy_26.pdf \nDeadline for submitting testimony is close of business Sunday\, June 15\, 2025.  \nExample: Testimony by Bill Durkin\, Friends of Rachel Carson NWR\, Maine. 
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/deadline-for-written-testimony-to-the-senate/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T233000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250612T233000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250603T184758Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250603T184758Z
UID:10000024-1749771000-1749771000@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Take Action
DESCRIPTION:The National Wildlife Refuge System is at a breaking point but the President’s FY2026 budget proposes funding the Refuge System at just $412 million—a 22% cut from current funding. The last time the Refuge System’s budget was this small was 2007.  To put it in perspective\, the FY2010 number adjusted for inflation would be over $730 million today. \nWe need Congress to act—and we need you with us.\nWe’re calling on the Senate to provide $731 million in FY2026 to restore the Refuge System’s budget to 2010 levels\, adjusted for inflation. Without this investment\, more staff will be lost\, invasive species will spread unchecked\, and critical programs for wildlife and communities will disappear. \n95 Friends groups signed the House version of this letter in April.\nPlease note: This Senate letter is a repurposed version of the House letter so if you already signed onto that House letter\, your organization will automatically be included in this Senate letter (so you do not need to sign on again). Please check the list of signers at the end of the letter to confirm your group is listed. (It’s okay to sign again if you’re not sure—we’ll avoid duplicates on our end.) \nSign on by Thursday\, June 12 at 11:59 PM ET.\nDownload the Senate Letter with Signers>>\nSign-On Here by June 12th at 11:59 PM ET \nLet’s show the Senate that Refuge Friends from across the country are united—and will not stand by as our refuges are pushed past the breaking point. \nThank you for all you do for national wildlife refuges\, \nDesirée Sorenson-Groves\nPresident & CEO\nNational Wildlife Refuge Association
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/take-action/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250520T170000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250513T190712Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250513T190712Z
UID:10000021-1747756800-1747760400@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Friends SHARE session: a time to connect and collaborate
DESCRIPTION:CORFA is hosting the next Friends SHARE zoom call and this month we’ll be focusing on the advocacy efforts being made by Friends’ groups around the nation.  We’ll have a panel of Friends who have approached advocacy in different ways. \nPlease join us on May 20th at 4:00 pm EST. Please RSVP by May 15th and we will send you a zoom link for the call. Registration is required in advance to receive the zoom link. \nOur first 60-minute discussion will be a panel discussion with the following presenters: \n\nPhil Dodderidge\, Florida Key Wildlife Society: an overview of the FKWS video testimonial project\n\nAnn Bell\, Friends of Midway Atoll NWR: using social media and consensus building strategies. \n\nLisa Mayo\, Friends of Blackwater NWR: using their website to tell the refuge story and current threats to the refuge system.\n\nFollowing these presentations and Q&A time\, we’ll have brief updates of the regional advocacy conversations by representatives of regions 1 & 7\, Region 3\, Region 4\, Region 5 and Region 8. Following very brief presentations\, we’ll have the opportunity to talk about additional strategies and concerns. \nIn the time remaining\, we will have our usual Open Discussion time. If you have a burning question for the call\, that you’d like to discuss with other Friends\, or you’re looking for expertise on a specific subject\, please let us know and we’ll do our best to be prepared and find help! The sooner you can let us know\, the better. \nThe Zoom call is only for a member of a Friends group or their staff. Feel free to share this invite with your board members and other Friends groups. To ensure everyone can fully express themselves\, ask tough questions\, have their comments heard and respected\, and be assured that conflict will be respectful the call will not be recorded\, and we ask all participants to review and agree to our Safe Space Guidelines. \nRSVP: To coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by May 15th with Friends SHARE in the subject line. In the body of the email tell us the name of your Friends group. \nWe are looking forward to getting together. \nCORFA’s Friends SHARE Team \nMike Baldwin\, Ceal Craig\, Cheryl Hart\, Sarah Meyer\, Joan Patterson\, Polly Sheppard\, Willem Stoeller\, Joan Van Gorp\, Kathy Woodward\, Tom Worthington\, Maria Montag \nP.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/friends-share-session-a-time-to-connect-and-collaborate/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250513T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250513T190000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250512T114703Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250512T114703Z
UID:10000020-1747159200-1747162800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:A Year Behind the Scenes at Bosque del Apache
DESCRIPTION:A Year Behind the Scenes at Bosque del Apache\, with Claire Revekant\, Refuge Senior Biologist\nBosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a beautiful and fragile wetland in the New Mexico high desert and a rare section of the Rio Grande that requires intense management to mimic historical behaviors after man altered the river. Join us as Claire Revekant\, Senior Wildlife Biologist\, gives us a peek at some of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into maintaining this heavily managed refuge year-round and why it is so important. \nQuarterly OASIS Zoom calls are now open to the public\, so please invite your friends and family to come learn about our beautiful refuge and the OASIS\, a sustaining community of hope! This is the perfect time to join as a monthly donor by giving a monthly gift in any amount that feels right for you – you’re in control of when to start\, stop and make changes to your level of monthly giving! \nRegister Now
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/a-year-behind-the-scenes-at-bosque-del-apache-2/
CATEGORIES:Event
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250416T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250416T150000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250402T142430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250402T142520Z
UID:10000015-1744812000-1744815600@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:2025 Chat with the Chief: Refuge System Funding\, Workforce\, Budget\, & Priorities
DESCRIPTION:SAVE the DATE for a ZOOM CALL\nRegistration will be open soon. \nJoin Cynthia Martinez\, Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System\, for an update on: \n\n\n\nFunding and workforce changes\nFY 2025 budget and priorities\nHow Friends can help tell the National Wildlife Refuge System story\n\n\n\nCynthia Martinez\, Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A fifth-generation New Mexican\, Cynthia Martinez is the first woman and Hispanic to lead the Refuge System. She began her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1993 and became Chief of the Refuge System in 2015. She came to Refuge System headquarters in September 2010 as chief of the Division of Visitor Services and Communications\, where she led the process for developing the Refuge System’s 2011 Conserving the Future vision conference and subsequent documents – the renewed vision for growth and management of the Refuge System. Martinez was deputy chief of the Refuge System from 2012 to 2015. Before coming to Refuge System headquarters\, Martinez was the manager at Desert National Wildlife Refuge Complex in Las Vegas\, Nevada. She has a bachelor of science degree in general biology from New Mexico State University and a master of science degree in fisheries and wildlife science from University of Arizona.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/2025-chat-with-the-chief-refuge-system-funding-workforce-budget-priorities/
CATEGORIES:Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-02-101731.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250415T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250415T170000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250413T091151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250413T091151Z
UID:10000017-1744736400-1744736400@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Place-Creation: An Invitation to Imagine the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
DESCRIPTION:Presented by Tyra Olstad\, 2024 Voices of the Wilderness Artist in Residence on the Arctic Refuge \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe “Voices of the Wilderness” program connects artists of all different media and styles to federally managed Wilderness areas with the hope that the artists give voice to what might otherwise seem like remote\, unknowable places. In return for the trip of a lifetime embedded with refuge field crews\, artists provide to the refuge a work of art based on the residency. You will experience Tyra’s art at this presentation.  With her spoken word and visual images\, Tyra Olstad will invite you to envision the Arctic Refuge\, to actively immerse yourself in the landscape\, and to imagine the Arctic from different  perspectives and at different scales. (Think like a tussock!)  It’s intended for audiences who know little about the Arctic\, much less the Refuge\, to experienced Arctic travelers who will be encouraged to consider the place with fresh eyes. An Arctic Refuge staffer described her presentation as “goose-bumpy good.” Come let her take you to the Arctic. \nLearn more about the artist and her work HERE.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/place-creation-an-invitation-to-imagine-the-arctic-national-wildlife-refuge/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T220000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250317T122400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250317T122400Z
UID:10000014-1742331600-1742335200@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Finding Refuge: Alaska Refuges's gifts to Your Mind\, Body\, and Spirit
DESCRIPTION:Matt Conner supervises the large diverse visitor services programs of the Kenai Refuge. But this talk is the result of his personal transformation as the result of health concerns. Matt is now a certified personal trainer eager to incorporate health benefits in management activities. He was instrumental in adding outdoor exercise equipment to the Kenai Refuge Multi Use Trail tying the exercises to animal adaptations so that wildlife appreciation and exercise can go hand in hand. We will hear how he has combined his lifelong passion for nature and wildlife with his new found passion for healthy living. Matt will discuss how refuges provide opportunities for healing and health through exercise\, nature immersion and as a source for whole foods and spiritual connection. \n\nMatt is speaking at the Kenai Refuge with watch parties in Anchorage and Homer as well as zoom. Details and zoom link here. https://alaskarefugefriends.org/findingrefuge-3-25/
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/finding-refuge-alaska-refugess-gifts-to-your-mind-body-and-spirit/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250218T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250218T180000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250204T160148Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T225831Z
UID:10000010-1739898000-1739901600@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:It Was Worse than We Thought: Half of Alaska's Murres Killed in Heat Wave
DESCRIPTION:Heather Renner\, lead scientist on the team that established the scope and cause of this tragedy\, will be speaking at the Alaska Maritime Refuge in Homer with watch parties in Soldotna and Anchorage and on zoom. The program is at 5 pm Alaska time\, 9 pm East Coast \, etc. For details and Zoom link go to https://alaskarefugefriends.org/murres-2-25/\nAs early as summer 2015\, Refuge biologists could tell something was amiss at common murre breeding colonies in Alaska. Murres were not showing up to breed like they have year in and year out. And then\, the bodies started washing up on the beaches. In winter 2015 – 2016\, half of Alaska’s common murre population\, 4 million birds\, died in the largest single species die-off for any bird or mammal species in recorded history. And they haven’t recovered yet. Hear from Heather Renner\, Supervisory Biologist of the Alaska Maritime Refuge\, on the refuge’s work to document the scope of this unprecedented tragedy.\nWhen birds die at sea\, only a small percentage of the carcasses washes up on shore. What did it really mean in terms of total bird death that 62\,000 carcasses were recovered up and down the coast from California to the Bering Sea? Breeding colony counts were needed to give a clearer picture. Unfortunately\, for a few years after the die-off\, murres didn’t breed successfully\, so biologists couldn’t be sure how many had died and how many just weren’t returning to the colonies to breed. When breeding returned to “normal”\, biologists learned the true scope of the die-off. Heather is one of six coauthors of a paper published in Science in December of 2024 that caused a considerable stir over the magnitude of the tragedy\, the lack of recovery seven years later and the reason – a heat wave in the ocean.\nThe refuge where much of this drama played out\, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge\, is an unusual and unusually remote refuge of 2500 islands\, headlands and rocks stretched across more than 1000 miles of Alaska’s coastline. It is one of the world’s premiere seabird refuges\, with 40 million nesting seabirds. Heather’s team includes biologists working in groups of two to three in field camps on uninhabited islands scattered along the coast. This group of dedicated scientists has been documenting since the 1970’s the status of seabirds\, their numbers and breeding success; it was these data that allowed firm conclusions as to the extent of this tragedy. Data used in this analysis spanned two huge marine ecosystems\, the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. They also included seabird monitoring data collected on Togiak and Alaska Peninsula/Becharof national wildlife refuges\, as well as data collected by Alaska Department of Fish and Game (Round Island) and Middleton Island. Long-term ecological datasets like this are incredibly rare and are urgently needed to understand which species are most vulnerable in our changing ocean.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/it-was-worse-than-we-thought-half-of-alaskas-murres-killed-in-hear-wave/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250218T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250218T150000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250205T195938Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250205T195938Z
UID:10000011-1739887200-1739890800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Capitol Conversations: A Look At Wildlife Refuge Conservation In 2025
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a special Refuge Friends webinar where Desirée Sorenson-Groves\, President & CEO\, of the National Wildlife Refuge Association\, will break down what’s happening on Capitol Hill and what it means for national wildlife refuges\, conservation funding\, and grassroots advocacy in 2025. With a new Congress in session\, new players at the Department of Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service\, and key policy decisions ahead\, this is a great opportunity to learn how Refuge Friends and supporters can engage in advocacy efforts to protect and strengthen the National Wildlife Refuge System. \nPresenter \n\nDesirée Sorenson-Groves re-joined the Refuge Association in October 2024 as the President and CEO. Her career has been focused on protecting and enhancing the National Wildlife Refuge System\, first as a grassroots organizer for the National Audubon Society\, then as the Vice President of Government Affairs for the Refuge Association. After 14 years at NWRA\, Sorenson-Groves became the Director of the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign where she managed an Indigenous-led\, multi-pronged effort to stop any development in the Arctic Refuge. She comes back to NWRA after leading Defenders of Wildlife’s public and private lands programs as their Vice President of Land & Habitat Conservation. She has a B.A. in Geography from George Washington University and resides in Fort Valley\, VA with her husband and two Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.\n\nSign Up!
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/capitol-conversations-a-look-at-wildlife-refuge-conservation-in-2025/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=Pacific/Honolulu:20250211T170000
DTEND;TZID=Pacific/Honolulu:20250211T183000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250130T122944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250130T122944Z
UID:10000009-1739293200-1739298600@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:Mōlī of Kaua`i - A rare treasure among us
DESCRIPTION:Mark your calendars! Our Princeville Moʻolelo free lecture series will continue on Tuesday\, February 11th with the return of Hob Osterlund. Hob is a wildlife enthusiast who knows a lot about mōlī! She founded the Kauaʻi Albatross Network and dedicates her time to the preservation\, protection and celebration of our beloved mōlī\, or Laysan albatross\, along with the other endangered wildlife of Kauaʻi. Hob is an award-winning author\, photographer\, birding guide\, Safina Center Fellow\, guest lecturer and more. In this presentation\, you’ll enjoy her amazing photos and delightful stories and learn how you can help protect this important iconic species.\n\n\nThe North Shore of Kauaʻi is the only place in the world where this majestic species nests within a human community. This\, and the challenges they face due to climate change\, make it our kuleana to help protect these birds\, which nested here long before human contact. Be a proud Kauaʻian and learn how you can help protect our mōlī and other endangered wildlife.\n\n\nFree Lecture Series: Tuesday\, February 11\, 2025 5:00-6:30pm in the Princeville Community Center. The presentation will also be available via Zoom. For more information\, visit www.kauairefuges.org/princeville-moolelo.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/moli-of-kauai-a-rare-treasure-among-us/
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250121T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Anchorage:20250121T170000
DTSTAMP:20260415T193347
CREATED:20250115T180411Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250115T180411Z
UID:10000008-1737478800-1737478800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com
SUMMARY:What Really Matters
DESCRIPTION:All welcome on zoom. A great discussion on the value and future of refuges with Andy Loranger\, Kenai Refuge\, 2018 refuge manager of the year and Steve Delehanty\, manager of the Alaska Maritime\, reflect on what their careers have taught them. Both are retiring this week. https://alaskarefugefriends.org/what-really-matters-1-25/ for link and details.
URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/what-really-matters/
CATEGORIES:Event
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