The Link — Summer 2024 Newsletter
The Link is a quarterly newsletter produced in coordination between Friends, National Wildlife Refuge Association, and Coalition of Refuge Friends & Advocates.
From the Editor
Dear Friend,
Here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes (actually 11,842 or even more, depending on how you count), we are concerned about water quality. Nitrates, PFAS (“forever chemicals”), chloride from road salt, and phosphorus are only some of the contaminants of concern. And then there’s plastic. It’s in the trash we recycle; it wraps the food and contains the beverages we purchase; and it litters the landscape. Worse, microplastics are in the food we eat, the soil we cultivate, the air we breathe, and even in placentas. While systemic solutions are needed, we must start somewhere, whether we go small or think big (see Plastic Free July). As individuals and members of Friends groups, we can help deal with the litter—including plastic—that harms wildlife, our own health, and the environment in general. In this issue we will highlight the efforts of three Friends organizations who have taken on the litter challenge with energy and creativity—and achieved results.
Making the most of litter:
- Friends of Buenos Aires NWR (AZ) helped remove litter “all the way to the border”
- Volunteer “grabbers” enjoyed brewery beverages following the Grabbers for Growlers event sponsored by the Merritt Island Wildlife Association (FL)
- Friends of Heinz Refuge (PA) have taken on plastic pollution in a big way
Also in this issue for Friends:
- Opportunities from Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates (CORFA)
- Learn about NWRA’s 2024 O’Brien Prize winner, Friends of Malheur NWR (OR)
- Review the winners of the 2024 Wildlife Refuge Awards, including Friends of Hackmatack NWR (IL/WI), winner of the 2024 Molly Krival Award
Read All Of The Stories!
Enjoy your summer!
Sue Hix
Editor
Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, MN
Credits
The Summer 2024 version of The Link has been a coordinated effort between the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Coalition of Refuge Friends & Advocates.
To receive the next issue of The Link, complete the form at the bottom of this page https://www.refugeassociation.org/refuge-friends-mailing-list. And please add refugeassociation.org to the safe list for your email account.
You’re invited to join the CORFA Facebook group, a place to connect with other amazing members of the Friends community to share information, insights, and experiences concerning nonprofit governance, management, and advocacy. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/coalitionofrefugefriends/ and request to join this private group.
- Sue Hix (Editor) – Friends of Sherburne NWR
- Joan Patterson (Co-editor)—Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates
- Eden Taylor (designer)— NWRA Communications Associate
- Friends Editorial Staff:
- Cheryl Hart—NWRA Board, Board member of Friends of Tualatin River NWR
- Kathy Woodward—Former NWRA Board Member, Board member of Friends of Great Swamp NWR
- Lisa Jansen-Rees—Coalition of Refuge Friends and Advocates Board, Board member for Friends of the Wichitas NWR