2005 Friends Conference Expected To Draw Record Crowd
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Nearly 300 Friends leaders attended the National Friends Conference in 2003. A full day was devoted to visiting Congressional representatives.
Photo credit: NWRA |
Ron Tillier with Friends of Blackwater NWR, MD, never fully understood the incredibly complex federal budget process until he attended the National Conference for Friends of the National Wildlife Refuge System in 2003.
Not only did that learning process persuade the group to send a representative to the 3rd National Friends Conference in Washington, DC, February 4-6, 2005. So did the chance to cement relationships with members of Congress. "I never thought national leaders would be as accessible as they are," Tillier said. "We could never have built the relationships without the conference."
More than 300 leaders of the Refuge Friends movement are expected to gather for the "Friends in Action Conference" that will build on the "Conservation in Action Summit" and expand the groups' knowledge and organizational know-how.
The "Friends in Action Conference" will offer more than a dozen educational workshops, including fundraising and board development techniques. Sessions on community partnerships, the federal appropriations process and media relations will be offered as well.
Moreover, the conference is a singular opportunity to meet with Friends representatives from across the country. "Our goal is to provide Friends groups with essential skills and information to build a stronger National Wildlife Refuge System for the benefit of the public and wildlife resources," National Wildlife Refuge Association President Evan Hirsche noted.
The Association and the National Wildlife Refuge System are sponsoring the conference.
For more information, contact Max Schenk, director of Friends and constituent outreach for the Association, 800-996-6972; or Trevor Needham, Refuge System national Friends coordinator, 703-358-2392. You can also visit http://www.refugenet.org/new-events/announce.html.
View the draft agenda (120 KB PDF)
Distinctive Viewpoints will Open National Friends Conference >>
Wide Range of Workshops is Hallmark of Conference >>
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