BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Denver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20250309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20251102T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20260308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20261101T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20270314T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20271107T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260218T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260218T150000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260203T181928Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T181928Z UID:10000050-1771423200-1771426800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Marine National Monuments & Their Role in the National Wildlife Refuge System DESCRIPTION:Take a break from winter’s cold; come explore the warm\, colorful and vast Marine National Monuments of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Susan White will lead this webinar; guiding us through the Pacific Marine National Monuments and explaining how they are managed as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. \n😎 Put on your sunglasses\, forget about the snow and ice\, and learn about these special watery places. 🌊 \nPresenters\n \n\nSusan White retired from the USFWS after 28 years and has spent about 36 years in conservation overall. Her career took her from Florida’s Keys to J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge\, and to Hawai’i\, with stops in Washington\, DC\, and Detroit River International Refuge. Susan retired as Deputy Area Supervisor of the vast Pacific Islands refuges and Marine National Monuments.\nBarry Christensen retired from USFWS in 2011 after a 31-year career managing national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts throughout the U.S.\, including a 3.5-year term as Refuge Manager of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.\n\nSign Up!\n  \n  URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/marine-national-monuments-their-role-in-the-national-wildlife-refuge-system/ CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-03-131410.png ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260220 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260221 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 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 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/usfws-friends-refuge-headwaters-upper-miss-nfwr-winona-districtjpg-scaled-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260219T132226Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T132226Z UID:10000051-1771948800-1771952400@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Friends SHARE Zoom call DESCRIPTION:It’s time to SHARE! This month our opening topic will focus on gift and donor management systems used by Friends’ groups around the country. We will also have open discussion rooms for small groups on topics of your choosing. \nThere will be time at the end of the call to reconvene and field any hot topics or urgent issues you may have. If you have a critical issue 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 when you register and we’ll do our best to be prepared and find help! \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.  \nDate: Tuesday\, February 24\, 2026 \nTime: 4:00 PM ET\, 3:00 PM CT\, 2:00 PM MT\, 1:00 PM PT \n  \nYou need to register for this SHARE session. To register send an email to coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by February 23rd with Friends SHARE in the subject line and the name of your Friends group in the body of the email. \nWe are looking forward to getting together. URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/friends-share-zoom-call/ CATEGORIES:Friends SHARE ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Screenshot-2025-09-12-105341-e1771507449604.png ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260318T150000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260304T144551Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260305T121241Z UID:10000053-1773842400-1773846000@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Dark Skies and Wildlife DESCRIPTION:🌝 Just in time for International Dark Sky Week (April 13–20\, 2026)\, join us for a conversation about how nighttime light affects wildlife\, habitat\, and human health. 🌌 \nWhether urban\, rural\, or somewhere in between\, every national wildlife refuge has a nighttime light footprint. Bill Kowalik\, PhD\, Board Chair of DarkSky Oregon\, will share what light pollution means for wildlife and people\, plus practical steps we can take on refuges and in our communities to reduce our light footprint. \nJanelle Wicks\, Executive Director of Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge\, will highlight their annual Malheur After Dark event and share ideas for celebrating the night sky as a natural resource at your refuge. \nO’Brien Prize spotlight: During the webinar\, we will highlight Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge’s Malheur After Dark event\, a project supported in part by the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2024 O’Brien Prize for Refuge Friends. We will also share a brief update on the O’Brien Prize and ways Friends groups can start thinking about project ideas for this year’s opportunity\, request for proposals releasing soon! \nPresenters\nBill Kowalik\, PhD is the Board Chair and a founding board member of DarkSky Oregon. He has three degrees in the earth sciences and decades of experience in remote sensing and technology development. \nJanelle Wicks is the Executive Director of Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and helps lead community-based programs like Malheur After Dark that connect people to refuges through the night sky \nSign Up! URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/dark-skies-and-wildlife-2/ CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/PAHR_NightSky_2022-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260318T190818Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T190818Z UID:10000055-1774368000-1774371600@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Friends SHARE Zoom Call DESCRIPTION:Get ready to SHARE! CORFA is hosting the next Friends SHARE zoom call and this month we’ll be focusing on the America 250/Freedom 250 initiatives planned for this year\, the difference between the two\, what the Department of Interior is doing and finding out what different Friends Groups are doing or planning to do. \nWe will also have open discussion rooms for small groups on topics of your choosing. \nPlease join us on Tuesday\, March 24th at 4:00 pm ET. Please RSVP by March 22nd and we will send you a zoom link for the call. Registration in advance to receive the zoom link. \nWe will also have time at the end of the call to reconvene and field any hot topics or urgent issues you may have. If you have a critical issue 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. \nDate: Tuesday\, March 24\, 2026 \nTime: 4:00 PM ET\, 3:00 PM CT\, 2:00 PM MT\, 1:00 PM PT \nRSVP: To coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by March 22nd  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\, Joan Patterson\, Polly Sheppard\, Willem Stoeller\, Joan Van Gorp\, Kathy Woodward\, Tom Worthington\, Maria Montag\, Janelle Wicks \nP.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/friends-share-zoom-call-2/ CATEGORIES:Friends SHARE ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-18-150733.png ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T190000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 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 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-04-094429.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260324T190000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 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\, \nDesirĂ©e Sorenson-Groves\nPresident & CEO\nNational Wildlife Refuge Association URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/2025-national-wildlife-refuge-awards/ CATEGORIES:Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-23-080919.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260407T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260530T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260407T113224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T130908Z UID:10000058-1775548800-1780160400@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:The O'Brien Prize for Refuge Friends DESCRIPTION:An Opportunity For Your Refuge Friends Group\nEach year the National Wildlife Refuge Association awards the O’Brien Prize to very deserving Refuge Friends organizations. The prize is named after Donal O’Brien III\, a past Board Chair and longtime enthusiast of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Don was a generous supporter of the great work we do for national wildlife refuges and was always very impressed by the dedication and effectiveness of Refuge Friends groups. \n2026 RFP is Available!\nThe National Wildlife Refuge Association is pleased to announce our seventh O’Brien Prize. This prize is a grant that will be awarded to one or more Refuge Friends groups whose project(s) will help build their connection with their community. This application will be used to determine which Friends group(s) will receive the grant(s). Please submit a request for any amount up to $7\,500. \nProjects must: (1) heighten the public awareness of the Friends Group\, (2) bring an enduring value to the Friends Group and bring benefit to the refuge\, and (3) the prize money must cover the full or nearly full cost of the project. \nProposals are due Friday\, May 30th\, 2026. Please submit your applications and direct any questions to Courtney Phelan at cphelan@refugeassociation.org or 202-577-3200. \nClick here to download the application! URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/the-obrien-prize-for-refuge-friends/ CATEGORIES:Grant ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Winter-2023-P7-Patuxent-PBahizi.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260408T190000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 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 DesirĂ©e 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\nDesirĂ©e 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 ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-06-152037.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260413 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260425 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260413T141934Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260413T141934Z UID:10000060-1776038400-1777075199@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Written Testimony for House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior\, Environment\, and Related Agencies DESCRIPTION:As in past years\, interested parties can submit written testimony to be included in the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior\, Environment\, and Related Agencies. \nAn electronic copy of your testimony must be recieved no later than 5pm eastern on Friday\, April 24\, 2026. \nThe National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) will be sending to Friends organizations suggested talking points. NWRA will request $761 million in the FY 27 budget for the National Wildlife Refuge System. \nClick for complete instructions. \nExample of testimony submitted in 2024 URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/written-testimony-for-house-committee-on-appropriations-subcommittee-on-interior-environment-and-related-agencies/ CATEGORIES:Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-06-152037.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260415T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260415T150000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260406T191908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T191908Z UID:10000056-1776261600-1776265200@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Endowment for our Refuge's Future DESCRIPTION:Join us for a quick start to thinking about an Endowment to help secure the future of your Refuge.  There are many details involved\, but on this webinar\, we’ll give you an outline of how to start\, and what challenges to expect. Such as: \n\nDeciding what the purpose of your Endowment would be. This will vary a lot from refuge to refuge but deserves a lot of thought.\nFinding a Foundation or other organization to maintain and invest your Endowment\nCreating a starting mailing list\, or group of founding donors\nForm a committee to deal exclusively with the Endowment and fundraising\nMaintaining records and documenting progress\nReaching goal and deciding on disbursements\n\nOur presenters were instrumental in starting the endowment at Hakalau Forest NWR HI in 2015. It is now just short of $3M and they plan to reach $3.5M by the end of this calendar year. \nPresenters \n\nSharon Scott\, Board member of Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR\, and Chair of the Endowment Committee.  Co-Founder of Hakalau Endowment\nMike Scott\, Former Board member of Friends of Hakalau Forest\, and co-founder of Hakalau Endowment.  Mike was also a USFWS endangered species biologist in Hawaii from 1974-84\, and conducted a 5-year survey of all native forests on the main islands of Hawaii\, which contributed to identifying Hakalau Forest as a native bird “hot spot”\, and helped get the Refuge established.\n\nSharon and Mike have been involved with Hakalau for over 40 years\, and still work toward protecting its species and habitats. \nSign Up!\nWe look forward to seeing you then\, \nNational Wildlife Refuge Association &\nCoalition of Refuge Friends & Advocates URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/endowment-for-our-refuges-future/ CATEGORIES:Webinar ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-06-151240.png ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260426T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260412T115358Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260412T115358Z UID:10000059-1777222800-1777222800@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Drones Over Kuaihelani DESCRIPTION:Join Friends of Midway Atoll for their upcoming live webinar\, Drones Over Kuaihelani\, featuring guest speaker\, biologist & drone operator Anna Vallery! She will take you behind the scenes of how cutting-edge drone technology is transforming seabird monitoring on Midway Atoll. The presentation will include a slideshow and a live Q&A session at the end! \nSave the Date – Sunday\, April 26\, 2026 \n\n11:00am Hawai’i Time\n2:00 PM Pacific Time\n5:00 PM Eastern Time\n\nDuring this webinar\, Anna will discuss: \n\nThe challenges and opportunities of working with seabirds in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands\nHow drones are being used to support monitoring efforts\nHow imagery from drones can be analyzed to count birds\, distinguish between breeding and non-breeding albatross\n\n
and more!  \nSpots are limited—reserve yours now:\nhttps://friendsofmidway.org/register-for-our-live-webinar-drones-over-kuaihelani/ \nThis is your chance to experience Midway in a whole new way—and connect more deeply with the impact you can make as a valued part of our FOMA community. \nMahalo for being part of this journey\, URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/drones-over-kuaihelani/ CATEGORIES:Event ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-12-075232.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260428T170000 DTSTAMP:20260418T030842 CREATED:20260416T140303Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260416T140303Z UID:10000061-1777392000-1777395600@coalitionofrefugefriends.com SUMMARY:Friends SHARE Call DESCRIPTION:Get ready to SHARE! The next Friends SHARE Zoom call is on Tuesday\, April 28th at 4pm Eastern and we’ll be focusing on nature stores. \nOur speakers will be: \n\nJoan Van Gorp\, long-time member\, and past president of Friends of Neal Smith NWR and active participant in CORFA programs. Joan is heading up an effort to build a “nature store resource group”– we’ll let her explain it!\nSally Dery is the Merchandising Team Leader for Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands NWRs. They have a physical store (on an island!) and an online store.\nJanelle Wicks\, ED\, or Jill Bachman\, Nature Store Manager\, representing the Friends of Malheur NWR\, will describe their physical nature store and online shop. Janelle is also on our SHARE call planning team.\nMaria Montag\, President of Friends of California Condors Wild and Free\, will share their experience\, and hardships\, of experimenting with an online store. Maria is also on our SHARE call planning team.\n\nWe will also have time at the end of the call to reconvene and field any hot topics or urgent issues you may have. If you have a critical issue 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 when you RSVP 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. \nDate: Tuesday\, April 28\, 2026 \nTime: 4:00 PM ET\, 3:00 PM CT\, 2:00 PM MT\, 1:00 PM PT \nRSVP: To coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by April 26th with Friends SHARE in the subject line. Register in advance to receive the zoom link. In the body of the email tell us the name of your Friends. \nWe are looking forward to getting together. \nCORFA’s Friends SHARE Team \nMike Baldwin\, Ceal Craig\, Cheryl Hart\, Joan Patterson\, Polly Sheppard\, Willem Stoeller\, Joan Van Gorp\, Kathy Woodward\, Tom Worthington\, Maria Montag\, Janelle Wicks \nP.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call. URL:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/event/friends-share-call/ CATEGORIES:Friends SHARE ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-18-150733.png ORGANIZER;CN="Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)":MAILTO:coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR