You Are Invited to

snowy owl

NWRA is thrilled to invite you to join them on September 18th, for our 2024 Wildlife Refuge Awards! This event will mark our 30th year of honoring the remarkable individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the protection and conservation of our nation’s wildlife refuges.

? When: Wednesday, September 18, 2024
? Time: 7:30 PM – 9:15 PM ET
? Watch Live: 2024 Wildlife Refuge Awards Livestream

NWRA is especially excited to welcome Sally Jewell, Former Secretary of the Department of the Interior, and Lynn Scarlett, Former Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of the Department of the Interior, as their keynote speakers. They will share their valuable insights on conservation and the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

The evening will be hosted by our amazing Master of Ceremonies, Wayne Hubbard, award-winning host and producer. Wayne will guide us through this inspiring night as we celebrate the achievements of our 2024 awardees:

  • Wayne Selfridge – 2024 Refuge Volunteer of the Year
  • Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge – 2024 Molly Krival Award – Refuge Friends Group of the Year
  • Robert Luna – 2024 Refuge Employee of the Year
  • Okefenokee Protection Alliance – 2024 Refuge Advocate of the Year
  • David Lucas – 2024 Paul Kroegel Award – Refuge Manager of the Year

Please join NWRA for an evening of celebration as they honor the incredible contributions of these conservation heroes and their lasting impact on the National Wildlife Refuge System.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you then,

National Wildlife Refuge Association

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Nature Stores: Getting Started & Operating A Successful Store

Wednesday, September 18th, 2 – 3 pm ET

Our panel of accomplished Nature Store managers will cover the basics on how to start a Nature Store at your Refuge or Hatchery, provide tips on successful merchandise selection and marketing, and the basics of running an e-sales outlet.

Presenter

  • Ann-Marie Wildman, The “Ding” Darling Refuge Wildlife Society,
  • Julia Hinca, Friends of Ottawa Natioanl Wildlife Refuge,
  • Kathleen McKinstry Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge.
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Get Out the Vote 2024: A Friends Messaging Campaign

  • Post category:Advocacy
  • Reading time:2 mins read
message to vote
Get Out The Vote – logo

Telling the story of the National Wildlife Refuge and Hatchery Systems is crucial for public awareness and legislative support; but we know it can be daunting to create effective messages from scratch. Matthew Emmer with CORFA developed a campaign for Friends groups with a framework to tackle these important conversations locally while also sharing in a nationwide effort.

To assist Friends in your advocacy efforts he created a 2024 Messaging Kit. This kit provides a collection of assets and branding so that all Friends groups across the country can effectively communicate the challenges and needs of their individual sites, while maintaining a cohesive visual identity with the larger System.

Assets will address the current election season along with an overall message of support for the National Wildlife Refuges and Hatcheries.

While certain elements of this kit can be used to support in-person activities we have designed the campaign to be a digital-first, social media driven, experience.

We hope this kit will be a welcome addition to your advocacy efforts and that it will become an annual staple for you to use in each election cycle in the future.

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Great American Outdoor Act

  • Post category:Advocacy
  • Reading time:2 mins read

In 2020, the Great American Outdoor Act (GAOA) was signed. GAOA provides USFWS with Congressional appropriations of about $95 million a year for 5 years. The funds allow USFWS to address needed maintenance to facilities and infrastructure on wildlife refuges. If your refuge has benefited from these funds, we ask you to reach out to your members of Congress and let them know how your refuge and community have benefited from the funds.

To see if your refuge has or is benefiting from GAOA go to:

Note: For some items there is little detail. You are encouraged to talk to your Project Manager to get more specifics.

If you are planning to meet with your members of Congress during their recess from Washington, DC please thank them for funding these essential projects.

Photo credit: USFWS

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