Director's Order: Review of the National Wildlife Refuge System
2026-01-15 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
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.

Coursey’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.

Joshua 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.

As 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.

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Friends Get Together 1.27.26
2026-01-27 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
The first Friends SHARE call of 2026 is on January 27th at 4:00pm ET! SHARE calls aim to connect Friends groups and foster relationships within the broader Friends community. Our goal is to get to know and learn from each other through sharing stories, information, resources, expertise and by asking questions.
Please join us on January 27th at 4:00 pm ET for the next SHARE call. Our call will include an opportunity to talk more about the Director Order 230 and the call with Joshua Coursey, Senior Advisor to the Director of the USFWS, on Thursday, January 15th. Hopefully, you were able to attend the Zoom call but if not, you are still invited to attend the SHARE call and learn about what was presented. A recording of the call will be posted on the CORFA website when it is available.
For the SHARE call, we plan to spend about 20 minutes discussing the Zoom call and its implications. Following that conversation, we will break into small groups and have open discussion for another 20 minutes, with each small group discussing the topics of interest to their participants. If you have a burning issue you’d like to discuss, please let us know at the beginning of the call and we can set up a small group just for that topic.
The whole call should not last more than one hour. We will leave time at the end for announcements or other news.
Please RSVP by January 25th RSVP to coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com with Friends SHARE in the subject line. In the body of the email tell us the name of your Friends group and we will send you a Zoom link to the call.
The SHARE calls are only for members of Friends groups or staff of Friends groups. Feel free to share this invitation 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.
We look forward to seeing you on January 27th at 4:00 pm ET.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team
Mike Baldwin, Ceal Craig, Cheryl Hart, Joan Patterson, Polly Sheppard, Willem Stoeller, Joan Van Gorp, Kathy Woodward, Tom Worthington, Maria Montag, Janelle Wicks
P.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call.

Marine National Monuments & Their Role in the National Wildlife Refuge System
2026-02-18 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
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.
😎 Put on your sunglasses, forget about the snow and ice, and learn about these special watery places. 🌊
Presenters

Susan 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.
Barry 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.

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USFWS Accepting Application for Friends Academy
2026-02-20
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).

Applicants 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.

Attached 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.
https://www.fws.gov/media/friends-academy-application

It is also accessible from the landing page of the SharePoint site for FWS folks-
https://doimspp.sharepoint.com/sites/fws-FF09R00000/SitePages/Friends-Landing.aspx

If there are any questions please contact Linda Schnee.

Friends SHARE Zoom call
2026-02-24 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
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.
There 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!
The 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.
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM PT

You 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.
We are looking forward to getting together.

Dark Skies and Wildlife
2026-03-18 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
🌝 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. 🌌
Whether 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.
Janelle 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.
O’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!
Presenters
Bill 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.
Janelle 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
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Friends SHARE Zoom Call
2026-03-24 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
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.
We will also have open discussion rooms for small groups on topics of your choosing.
Please 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.
We 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.
The 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.
Date: Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM PT
RSVP: 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.
We are looking forward to getting together.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team
Mike Baldwin, Ceal Craig, Cheryl Hart, Joan Patterson, Polly Sheppard, Willem Stoeller, Joan Van Gorp, Kathy Woodward, Tom Worthington, Maria Montag, Janelle Wicks
P.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call

Build Your Own Backyard Refuge
2026-03-24 18:00 - 19:00 (America/Denver)
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!
The 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.
From 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.
Register Now

2025 National Wildlife Refuge Awards
2026-03-24 19:00 (America/New_York)
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).
RSVP link to share: https://refugeassociation.org/livestream
(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.)
Friends 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.
If you’re able, would you share the RSVP link once this week, and then again as we get closer to March 24th?
To 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.
Thank you so much for helping spread the word.
Together we are Refuge Strong,
Desirée Sorenson-Groves
President & CEO
National Wildlife Refuge Association

The O'Brien Prize for Refuge Friends
2026-04-07 08:00 - 2026-05-30 17:00 (America/New_York)
An Opportunity For Your Refuge Friends Group
Each 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.
2026 RFP is Available!
The 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.
Projects 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.
Proposals 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.
Click here to download the application!

State of the System Report: President's Budget, Refuge Funding, & What Comes Next
2026-04-08 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
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.
Presenter

Desirée 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.

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Written Testimony for House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
2026-04-13 - 2026-04-24
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.
An electronic copy of your testimony must be recieved no later than 5pm eastern on Friday, April 24, 2026.
The 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.
Click for complete instructions.
Example of testimony submitted in 2024

Endowment for our Refuge's Future
2026-04-15 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
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:

Deciding what the purpose of your Endowment would be. This will vary a lot from refuge to refuge but deserves a lot of thought.
Finding a Foundation or other organization to maintain and invest your Endowment
Creating a starting mailing list, or group of founding donors
Form a committee to deal exclusively with the Endowment and fundraising
Maintaining records and documenting progress
Reaching goal and deciding on disbursements

Our 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.
Presenters

Sharon Scott, Board member of Friends of Hakalau Forest NWR, and Chair of the Endowment Committee. Co-Founder of Hakalau Endowment
Mike 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.

Sharon and Mike have been involved with Hakalau for over 40 years, and still work toward protecting its species and habitats.
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We look forward to seeing you then,
National Wildlife Refuge Association &
Coalition of Refuge Friends & Advocates

Drones Over Kuaihelani
2026-04-26 17:00 (America/New_York)
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!
Save the Date – Sunday, April 26, 2026

11:00am Hawai’i Time
2:00 PM Pacific Time
5:00 PM Eastern Time

During this webinar, Anna will discuss:

The challenges and opportunities of working with seabirds in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands
How drones are being used to support monitoring efforts
How imagery from drones can be analyzed to count birds, distinguish between breeding and non-breeding albatross

…and more!
Spots are limited—reserve yours now:
https://friendsofmidway.org/register-for-our-live-webinar-drones-over-kuaihelani/
This 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.
Mahalo for being part of this journey,

Friends SHARE Call
2026-04-28 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
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.
Our speakers will be:

Joan 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!
Sally 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.
Janelle 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.
Maria 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.

We 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.
The 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.
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM PT
RSVP: 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.
We are looking forward to getting together.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team
Mike Baldwin, Ceal Craig, Cheryl Hart, Joan Patterson, Polly Sheppard, Willem Stoeller, Joan Van Gorp, Kathy Woodward, Tom Worthington, Maria Montag, Janelle Wicks
P.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call.

2026 National Wildlife Refuge Awards!
2026-05-01 - 2026-06-08
For more than 50 years, the National Wildlife Refuge Association has worked to protect, promote, and enhance the National Wildlife Refuge System. We are continually inspired by the people whose dedication, leadership, and care make conservation possible every day.
That’s why we’re excited to open nominations for the
2026 National Wildlife Refuge Awards!
Each year, these awards recognize outstanding individuals and groups who go above and beyond for national wildlife refuges, whether as a dedicated refuge manager, an exceptional employee, a committed volunteer, an inspiring Refuge Friends group, or a steadfast advocate.
Nominate Someone Today
Nominations are now open, and the deadline to submit your nominations has been extended to June 8, 2026. Award recipients will be announced in August 2026 and celebrated at the 2026 National Wildlife Refuge Awards ceremony and celebration.
Previously submitted nominations may be updated and resubmitted. If you know someone who has been nominated before but not selected, we encourage you to nominate them again.
Visit our website to learn more about the award categories, nomination criteria, and inspiring stories of past winners >>
As we look forward to this year’s awards, we invite you to help lift up the people and groups whose passion and care are protecting wild places, nurturing wildlife, and strengthening the communities that are deeply connected to our national wildlife refuges. Nominate someone deserving today!
If you have any questions not covered in our Nomination Guidelines, please contact Debbie Harwood at dharwood@refugeassociation.org.
Thank you for all you do for national wildlife refuges,
The National Wildlife Refuge Association

How You Can Advocate for the Refuge System This Spring
2026-05-06 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the Refuge Association, for a timely advocacy briefing on how supporters can help strengthen the National Wildlife Refuge System this spring. Coming off our Hill visits, we’ll share key takeaways, walk through the priorities we’re advancing, and outline clear next steps you can take right away.
We’ll cover:

Federal appropriations for the National Wildlife Refuge System (FY2027 Funding Fact Sheet: https://www.refugeassociation.org/s/FY2027-Funding-Fact-Sheet.pdf)
The Legacy Restoration Fund (Great American Outdoors Act) to support habitat restoration and conservation (GAOA Reauthorization Fact Sheet: https://www.refugeassociation.org/s/2026-GAOA-Reauthorization-Fact-Sheet-jgyl.pdf)
Transportation reauthorization to improve wildlife crossings, habitat connectivity, wildlife corridors, and visitor access (Transportation Bill Fact Sheet: https://www.refugeassociation.org/s/Transportation-Bill-Reauthorization-Fact-Sheet.pdf)

We’ll close with specific actions you can take to help move these priorities forward, plus time for Q&A.
Presenter

Desirée 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.

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Take Action
2026-05-08 - 2026-05-14
Thank you! Because of your support, 87 Friends groups and partner organizations signed on to the Refuge Association’s FY2027 House testimony calling for stronger funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Together, we urged Congress to provide $761 million for the Refuge System’s Operations and Maintenance account, restoring funding to the FY2010 level adjusted for inflation. This funding is urgently needed to help refuges address severe staffing shortages, care for wildlife and habitat, maintain visitor services, support public access, and meet growing conservation needs.
You can read the submitted House testimony here >>
We are now preparing the Senate version of this testimony.
If your organization signed on to the House testimony, you do not need to sign on again. We will automatically include your organization on the Senate version unless you ask us to remove it.
Please review the Senate version and signer list to confirm your organization is included and listed correctly >>
Sign-On to the Senate Testimony by Thursday, May 14th at 5 pm ET
Please let us know by Thursday, May 14th at 5 pm ET if your organization would prefer not to be included on the Senate version, if your organization’s name or state needs to be updated, or if your Friends group did not sign on to the House testimony but would like to be added. **This sign-on letter is for Friends groups and partner organizations, not individuals, please stay tuned next week for a advocacy alert for individual supporters.**
If your Friends group would also like to submit your own testimony, you can find instructions from the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee here >>
Your voice matters. When Refuge Friends speak together, Congress hears directly from the local communities, volunteers, and partners who stand with national wildlife refuges every day.
Thank you for all you do for national wildlife refuges,
Desirée Sorenson-Groves
President & CEO
National Wildlife Refuge Associatio

Anniversary Grants
2026-05-18 08:00 - 2026-07-15 17:00 (America/New_York)
The Fish and Wildlife Service Retirees Association has fund for Friends groups celebrating anniversaries. These grants are intended to support celebrations of significant anniversary events of their Service site, e.g. 10. 50, 75, and 100. Even if the anniversary doesn’t end in a 5 or a 0, the celebration could be honoring conservation heroes like Aldo Leopold, Ding Darling, etc., and title the event America 250th.

The 2026 application is on the CORFA website at https://coalitionofrefugefriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/APPLICATION-Anniv-Grant-MASTER.docx

The submission deadline has been extended until July 15 for events scheduled from 1 July to 31 December 2026.

Blue Goose Passport
2026-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a sneak peek at the new Blue Goose Passport prototype, a refreshed experience designed to help visitors connect more deeply with national wildlife refuges and hatcheries.
The new Blue Goose Passport transforms refuge and hatchery visits from a simple checklist into a dynamic, rewarding experience that turns exploration into a valued, collectible achievement. This refresh is designed to motivate repeat visits and strengthen the personal connection visitors feel with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service public lands.
This webinar will be especially helpful for Refuge Friends groups interested in visitor engagement, nature store opportunities, and ways to encourage deeper connections to refuges and hatcheries.
Presenter

Kristen Gilbert is the Branch Chief of Interpretation and Digital Services for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Sign Up!
We look forward to seeing you then,
National Wildlife Refuge Association & Coalition of Refuge Friends & Advocates

Friends SHARE call on 5.26.26
2026-05-26 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Get ready to SHARE! CORFA is hosting the next Friends SHARE zoom call and this month we’ll be focusing on the role an Annual Appeal can fit into your overall fundraising strategies.
Please join us on Tuesday, May 26th at 4:00 pm ET. Please RSVP by May 25th and we will send you a zoom link for the call. Registration is required in advance in order to receive the zoom link.
We will also have time at the end of the call to field any hot topics or urgent issues you may have. 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.
Our presenters for the May call will be:

Sirena Lao, Executive Director, Don Edwards San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society
Alison Schaub, Executive Director, Friends of Minnesota Valley NWR

The 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.
Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM PT
RSVP: To coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by May 25th 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.
We are looking forward to getting together.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team
Mike Baldwin, Ceal Craig, Cheryl Hart, Joan Patterson, Polly Sheppard, Willem Stoeller, Joan Van Gorp, Kathy Woodward, Tom Worthington, Maria Montag, Janelle Wicks
P.S. We thank the National Wildlife Refuge Association for providing Zoom for the call.

Transportation & The Refuge System
2026-06-10 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a Refuge Friends webinar with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Transportation program staff on the importance of transportation infrastructure for national wildlife refuges. Transportation investments help keep refuges and hatcheries safe, accessible, and connected. From roads, trails, and bridges to wildlife crossings, transportation planning plays an important role in visitor access, habitat connectivity, wildlife conservation, and refuge operations.
Presenters will provide an overview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Transportation Program, how it supports refuges, and why these investments matter for wildlife, visitors, staff, and surrounding communities. This webinar will be recorded.
Presenters

Vince Ziols, AICP serves as the Acting Federal Lands Planning Program Manager for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, where he oversees nationwide transportation planning and research programs, and manages the USFWS’s Transportation Safety Management System. In this role, he works to reduce safety ‘hot-spots’ at and near USFWS stations and lower wildlife-vehicle collisions by supporting the development of wildlife crossing infrastructure projects. Vince has a Master of Urban Planning & Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and is a Certified Planner with the American Planning Association. Vince specializes in advancing multimodal transportation networks, enhancing interagency coordination, improving wildlife connectivity and conservation, and developing resources for public land management. He grew up in Chicago, IL and now lives in Detroit, MI, and is an avid biker, hiker, gardener, urbanist and environmentalist.
Eric Bergey comes from the Infrastructure Management Division, where he serves as the National Federal Lands Transportation Program (FLTP) and Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) Program Manager, overseeing transportation planning, funding, and disaster response efforts across the USFWS. He manages more than $55 million each year in transportation and emergency relief funding, helping regions deliver projects, respond quickly to natural disasters, and keep refuges and hatcheries safe and accessible. Much of his work focuses on long-range planning, solving budget and construction challenges, and working closely with regional staff, Federal Lands Highway, and other partners to move projects forward. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a focus in geology and sociology, as well as a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems. Eric lives in Denver, Colorado, with his wife and two kids, ages 7 and 11. Outside of work, they enjoy camping in the mountains with their trailer, fishing, hiking, and spending as much time outdoors as possible.

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Friends SHARE session - building influential relationships
2026-06-23 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The next Friends SHARE call will focus on how Friends are working with others to make their refuge or hatchery a priority in their community. The call will kick off with Friends sharing how they built influential relationships, helpful resources, and engaging stories.
Desiree Sorenson-Groves from the National Wildlife Refuge Association will join us to share how NWRA is collaborating with other conservation groups to stand up for the needs of the refuge system. These relationships have become crucial given threats to our public lands.
Please join us on Tuesday, June 23, at our special time of 6:00 PM ET. RSVP by June 22 to receive the Zoom link. Advance registration is required.
This Zoom call is only for members of Friends groups and their staff. Please feel free to share this invitation with your board members and other Friends groups. To help create an environment where everyone can speak openly, ask difficult questions, and be heard respectfully, the call will not be recorded. We also ask all participants to review and agree to our Safe Space Guidelines.
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2026
Special Time: 6:00 PM ET, 5:00 PM CT, 4:00 PM MT, 3:00 PM PT for this session
RSVP: Email coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by June 22 with “Friends SHARE” in the subject line. Include the name of your Friends group in the body of the email. Register in advance to receive the Zoom link.
We look forward to being together.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team

Friends Information Meeting on Proposed Rule Change to Federal Financial Assistance
2026-07-07 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Friends you are invited to an information meeting to discuss proposed changes to federal grant rules that could significantly affect how Friends group receives and manages federal funding.
The federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published sweeping proposed revisions to 2 CFR Part 200 (the rules that govern all federal grants) on May 29, 2026. If finalized, these changes take effect October 5, 2026. The public comment window closes July 13, 2026.
For meeting details go to Rule Change for Federal Grants & Other Financial Assistance

Refuge Budgets 101
2026-07-22 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York)
Join us for a Refuge Friends webinar with Greg Knadle, Refuge Association Board member, for an overview of how the National Wildlife Refuge System budget and federal appropriations process work.
This webinar will help Friends better understand how refuge funding moves through Congress, what key steps shape the annual budget process, and why sustained funding is essential for national wildlife refuges, wildlife conservation, visitor access, and local communities.
Greg will draw on more than 30 years of experience working across federal wildlife, natural resources, and appropriations programs to help demystify the budget process and answer questions from Friends.
Presenter:
Greg Knadle brings over 30 years of experience in wildlife conservation, federal policy, and strategic advocacy to the Refuge Association Board. His career includes pivotal roles with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including Refuge Operations Specialist and Refuge System Budget Specialist, where he contributed to both on-the-ground refuge stewardship and national budget formulation and planning.
Greg also served as professional staff on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee from 2003 to 2009, advising across multiple federal natural resource accounts, including the National Wildlife Refuge System. He later joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as Vice President of Government Relations, where he helped secure and shape funding for wildlife and natural resources programs. Most recently, Greg worked as the Federal Grants Coordinator for the New Mexico Congressional Delegation in both the House and the Senate.
Greg is now a natural resource and federal budget consultant, wildlife and nature photographer, and artist in Falls Church, Virginia.
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Friends SHARE session - newsletters
2026-07-28 16:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
We hope you’re ready to SHARE! CORFA is hosting the next Friends SHARE zoom call on July 28th and this month we’ll be focusing on newsletters and how to maximize their value.
Following the presentations, we’d like to get your feedback on a couple of questions related to your needs and wants, and how CORFA and connections with other Friends groups could help.
After that we will have time to discuss any issues, questions or updates you may have. 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.
Please join us on Tuesday, July 28th at 4:00 pm ET. Please RSVP by July 27th and we will send you a zoom link for the call. Registration is required in advance in order to receive the zoom link.
Our tentative presenters for the July call will be:

Vanessa Thurk, Executive Director, Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges
Malina Chavez, Nature’s Nest & Communications Assistant, Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges
Andi Ford, Executive Director, Friends of the Bear River Refuge

This Zoom call is only for members of Friends groups and their staff. Please feel free to share this invitation with your board members and other Friends groups. To help create an environment where everyone can speak openly, ask difficult questions, and be heard respectfully, the call will not be recorded. We also ask all participants to review and agree to our Safe Space Guidelines.
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM ET, 3:00 PM CT, 2:00 PM MT, 1:00 PM PT
RSVP: Email coalitionrefugefriends@gmail.com by July 27th with “Friends SHARE” in the subject line. Include the name of your Friends group in the body of the email. Register in advance to receive the Zoom link.
We look forward to being together.
CORFA’s Friends SHARE Team
