"I Want to Learn How I Could Help"
Stories from the "Friends in Action Conference"
Neil Griffy
Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge in Dover, Tennessee, doesn't have a Friends group. But it did have a friend in Washington, DC, for the "Friends in Action Conference." Neil Griffy lives near the refuge and just a few days before the conference decided he wanted to become a volunteer. "I used to see 100,000 ducks and now I see way fewer. I wanted to learn why and how I could help," Neil said.
After a short Internet search, he learned about the conference that would help him build a Friends group. Just the day before the conference started, Neil called Refuge Manager Walter Neasbitt to learn about the refuge's most pressing needs. Thanks to the conference, Neil will return to Tennessee with the skills and commitment to build local support for the refuge and its wildlife.
Beverly Heinze-Lacey
Beverly Heinze-Lacey has always been a friend of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A member of the Friends of Parker River, Beverly has been involved with the Friends movement from its outset. She recalled the first meeting more than a decade ago where some 50 people launched the Friends initiative and is proud that today there are nearly 250 groups supporting refuges across the country.
Beverly not only enjoyed learning from other Friends groups during the "Friends in Action Conference", but also believes the conference helps Friends groups realize they are part of a much larger system. "Friends are perpetuating the Refuge System so it's not going to be the 'best kept secret' much longer," she concluded.
Norma Wiley
Norma Wiley had never stayed in a big city hotel; she had not flown before the conference, eschewing opportunities to see her daughter perform in operas across the country. But when the Friends of Bayou Cocodrie, Louisiana, suggested she attend the "Friends in Action Conference," she booked the airplane ticket.
Newly elected as president of the Friends group, Norma became involved with the refuge because her son participated in the refuge's environmental education program. The refuge needs facilities to support environmental education and other youth activities. The conference's fundraising and membership seminars, along with conversations with other Friends groups, gave her the skills to build support in the community.
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