Welcome to the Friends NewsWire
The Friends NewsWire provides a series of ready-to-use stories each month. Refuge Friends can use the stories in their online or printed publications. The Friends NewsWire occasionally provides photos.
To download a story or photo, simply right click on the link, and scroll the fly-out menu to "Save Target As." Save the file to your preferred location on your hard drive.
If you have questions about the NewsWire, please contact Refuge System Chief of Communications Martha Nudel, 703-358-1858 or Martha_Nudel@fws.gov.
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February 2010 Downloads
A Place of Renewal – And What We Take for Granted By Greg Siekaniec, Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System. Chief Greg Siekaniec write about what it takes to mentor young people to become tomorrow's conservationists. Chiefs column.doc (Word 26K)
Coming in from the Cold. During 10 unseasonably frigid days in January in Florida, 2,148 sea turtles were rescued from Mosquito Lagoon at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge — saving wildlife in a most dramatic way. Coming in from the cold.doc (Word 23K)
To Green Your Garden, Go Native. Now may be the time to order seeds of wildflowers native to your region that will give you low-maintenance blooms and support native birds, insects and other pollinators. To Green Your Garden.doc (Word 33K); alpine anemone usfws.jpg (JPG image 144K); butterfly weed and butterfly.jpg (JPG image 1.41 MB)
Duck-Drawing Time. Youngsters in grades kindergarten-12 have just a little more time to prepare their entries for the 2010 Junior Duck Stamp contest that combines science and art to teach students about waterfowl conservation. Junior Duck Stamp.doc (Word 27K)
December 2009 Downloads
Holiday Memories This holiday season, create lifetime memories and establish new family traditions by getting outdoors with your camera Create Family Memories.doc (Word 25K)
From the Chief: Talk to — and Become — the Media. Reporters can be tough as nails — except when they learn about a national wildlife refuge from Friends who love them. From the Chief.doc (Word 25K)
Kevin Kilcullen Receives Meritorious Service Award. Kevin Kilcullen, chief of visitor services for the National Wildlife Refuge System, has been honored for more than 30 years of outstanding achievement – including innovations in cultural resource protection. Kevin Kilcullen Awarded Meritorious Service.doc (Word 25K)
November 2009 Downloads
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| Refuge PSA (PDF 2.48 MB) |
Refuge System Communications Win Awards.Two newsletters and one marketing campaign from the National Wildlife Refuge System have been cited for their excellence. Communications Awards(Word 27K).
Eight New Moth Species Discovered in Hawaii. Researchers from the University of Hawaii have discovered eight new moth species on three islands within Papahânaumokuâkea Marine National Monument. New Discovery in Hawaii (Word 24K)
One Egg Could Mean Another. For the first time in more than 125 years, a common guillemot, or murre, hatched an egg on Matinicus Rock, one of 50 islands in the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Murre egg (Word 23K)
September 2009 Downloads
Fighting Fire with fire. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has turned to the medium that kids love -- video games – to encourage them to go outside. Neighborhood Explorer (Word Doc 24K)
Google Earth Includes Refuge Boundaries. Google Earth allows users to display high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery of virtually any place on earth – and now the boundaries of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Google Earth Includes Refuge Boundaries (Word Doc 27K)
Two top Department of the Interior officials write about meeting the challenge of climate change as it poses a threat to the places we love. Strategic Plan Op-ed 9.29.09 (Word Doc 29K)
August 2009 Downloads
First Egg in 125 Years: For the first time in more than 125 years, a common guillemot, or murre, hatched an egg on Matinicus Rock, one of 50 islands in the Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Murre on Maine (Word Doc 23K). Murre Nest (JPG image 602K)
Seeing Farallon the Only Way You Can: A first-ever Web cam is now providing live images of bird and ocean activity from remote Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Web Cam at Farallon (Word Doc 22K)
You can use these print "ads" to remind people about the importance of buying Duck Stamps -- even if they are not hunters: Stamp PSA Youth (PDF Doc 66K). Stamp PSA Egret (PDF Doc 64K)
Rare Bird Fossils May Be 8,000 Years Old: Rare bird fossils have been found during restoration of tidal pools on Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge. Rare Bird Fossils in Hawaii (Word Doc 23K).
July 2009 Downloads
A column by National Wildlife Refuge System Greg Siekaniec talks about what qualities are possessed by those who work for and with the National Wildlife Refuge System. Column by Refuge System Chief.doc (Word Doc 25K) and Column by Refuge System Chief.pdfPDF document 54K).
Add your photo to the Photo Mosaic now being created on a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site. Get outside flyer (JPEG image 207 K)
Pacific Regional Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is purchasing renewable energy – taking one more step to avoid global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon Footprint.doc (Word Doc 28K) and Carbon Footprint.pdf (PDF Doc 9K)
A new Refuge System interactive Web site, Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges (http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting/), lets hunters search for just the game and location they want. Online Information for Hunters.doc (Word Doc 54K) and Online Information for Hunters.pdf (PDF Doc 54K)
June 2009 Downloads
Public Service Announcements
Kid_PSA_30_second.wmv
(Left click to play PSA; right click to download PSA).
May 2009 Downloads
Southeast Regional Director Sam Hamilton writes on the importance of engaging youth in an awareness of nature.
What If A Bird Sings And No One Hears It (27 KB MS Word document)
What If A Bird Sings And No One Hears It (33 KB PDF)
Snap A Memory: Share your wildlife photography on a Photomosaic
Snap A Memory On A Wildlife Refuge (25 KB MS Word document)
Snap A Memory On A Wildlife Refuge (35 KB PDF)
Snap A Memory (photo by Matt Poole) (334 KB JPEG Photo)
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Counting On Moonlight. Conservationists between that nightjars -- birds that become more active in the brighter phases of the moon -- are declining, and so the Center for Conservation Biology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, has organized volunteers in 38 states to count their occurance along 400 routes that cross or skirt more than 60 national wildlife refuges.
Counting On Moonlight (26 KB MS Word document)
Counting On Moonlight (44 KB PDF)
Top Wildlife Spots. Two national wildlife refuges are among the top 10 wildlife hot spots featured in Coastal Living Magazine
Top Wildlife Spots (24 KB MS Word document)
Top Wildlife Spots (37 KB PDF)
Not Ready for His Swan Song. A venerable trumpeter swan nicknamed Solo has become a legend at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge in Washington.
Not Ready For His Swan Song (26 KB MS Word document)
Not Ready For His Swan Song (48 KB PDF)
Trumpeter Swan Photo (191 KB JPEG Photo)
April 2009 Downloads
A photo of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, taken by Mark Cromwell of Oklahoma, will be the official photo gracing the 2010 America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Pass.
America the Beautiful Pass (32 KB MS Word document)
America the Beautiful Pass (15 KB PDF)
Photo of Bosque del Apache NWR (421 KB JPEG)
The drought that has plagued the Southwest for the past several years is taking a toll on the world's last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes.
Drought Threatens Whooping Cranes (26 KB MS Word document)
Drought Threatens Whooping Cranes (50 KB PDF)
Two national wildlife refuges are putting new twists into geocaching.
Get the Travel Bug (28 KB MS Word document)
Get the Travel Bug (55 KB PDF)
Refuge Chief Greg Siekaniec calls accelerating climate change "a compelling conservation challenge" in his column.
Climate Change by Greg Siekaniec (29 KB MS Word document)
Climate Change by Greg Siekaniec (12 KB PDF)
Barbara's Bakery, a long-time corporate partner with the National Wildlife Refuge Association, has launched a contest geared toward getting people to discover and experience the remarkable diversity of wildlife and habitats that national wildlife refuges protect.
Barbara's Contest (21 KB MS Word document)
Barbara's Contest (14 KB PDF)
March 2009 Downloads
Migratory Bird Conservation Commission
(29 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF)
National Marine Monuments
(26 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF)
Photo - 2 fish (47 KB PDF)
Threat of Pythons
(21 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF)
National Wildlife Refuge Association Names Volunteer and Friends of the Year
(21 KB MS Word document)
(10 KB PDF document)
Marie Springer photo (501 KB jpeg)
Friends Group photo (466 KB jpeg)
February 2009 Downloads
Greg Siekaniec is the new Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Here is his first column. Please use his byline if you plan to use the column.
Chief's Corner, by Greg Siekaniec
(30 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
A record number of Friends and staff of national wildlife refuges came together February 21-23 for the largest national Friends Conference held in the history of the Refuge Friends movement.
(24 KB MS Word document)
(13 KB PDF document)
Friends Conference Binder Cover (882 KB PDF document)
Refuges Host More Visitors
(20 KB MS Word document)
(9 KB PDF document)
January 2009 Downloads
New Refuge System Chief
Greg Siekaniec, a 24-year veteran of the National Wildlife Refuge System, has been named the new Assistant Director for the Refuge System by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall.
(25 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF document)
Siekaniac Photo (34 KB JPEG)
Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Established
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved on December 23, 2008, establishment of Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Pennsylvania.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(10 KB PDF document)
Cherry Valley Photo (116 KB JPEG)
Wild Condors Mark Milestone
Seven wild California condor chicks left their nests in California in 2008 - marking a successful breeding season, with the wild population now outnumbering the condors in captivity for the first time since the birds started being reintroduced in 1992.
(26 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
Palmyra Atoll Refuge is a Ramsar Site
Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge has been designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance - the first in the United States to include coral reefs.
(22 KB MS Word document)
(11 KB PDF document)
Palmyra Atoll Photo (22 KB JPEG)
Making Energy Efficiency Pay Off
Two national wildlife refuges- San Andres Refuge in New Mexico and Ottawa Refuge in Ohio - have received national awards for innovations in energy efficiency.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(10 KB PDF document)
December 2008 Downloads
Public Lands for the Holidays
The annual America the Beautiful – the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, which provides unlimited access to public lands, including national wildlife refuges, is one great gift for the holiday season.
(22 KB MS Word document)
(15 KB PDF document)
National Friends Conference in February
What may be the largest gathering of representatives of nonprofit Refuge Friends organizations and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is planned for February 21-13 in Washington, D.C.
(24 KB MS Word document)
(13 KB PDF document)
Right click here to download a large version of the header graphic.
Grab Some Binoculars
Eighty national wildlife refuges will be able to offer visitors a new pair of loaner binoculars to focus on wildlife with new clarity.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(11 KB PDF document)
Stocking Stuffer for Conservation
Celebrate the spirit of the season by stuffing holiday stockings with a federal Duck Stamp, $15.
(25 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
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| Photo Credit: USFWS |
October 2008 Downloads
Hunting Information at Click of Computer Mouse
"Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges" is available on the Web.
(24 KB MS Word document)
(13 KB PDF document)
Wildlife Enthusiasts Contribute to National Economy
A report shows that expenditures nationwide for wildlife watching equal the revenues generated from all spectator sports, amusement parks and arcades, non-hotel casinos, bowling centers and skiing facilities combined.
(22 KB MS Word document)
(15 KB PDF document)
Get Outdoors, It's Yours! Gets Kids Off the Couch
A new campaign by the Department of the Interior encourages children, educators and families to experience nature firsthand.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
Independent Analysis Finds Refuge System Struggles to Meet Goals
An independent evaluation has found that the Refuge System experienced an 11 percent decline in real purchasing power between FY 2003 and the FY 2008 requested budget.
(27 KB MS Word document)
(20 KB PDF document)
September 2008 Downloads
"Pain at the Pump"
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall, writing on ways in which national wildlife refuges have been implementing energy efficiencies.
(26 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF document)
White-Nose Bat Syndrome
White-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats was first documented in New York in the winter of 2006-2007 and has now been found in at least 26 hibernacula (caves and mines where bats hibenate) in New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut.
(27 KB MS Word document)
(17 KB PDF document)
Ivory-billed woodpecker
State coordinators and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service representatives will meet in September to discuss plans for the 2008-2009 search for the ivory-billed woodpecker.
(23 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF document)
Riparian Restoration
San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge in California will have the largest riparian woodland in the San Joaquin Valley after 500,000 woody shrubs are planted on 2,200 acres over the next four years.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(10 KB PDF document)
Ivory-billed Woodpecker Graphic
(39 KB JPEG)
June 2008 Downloads
Refuge System Chief Geoffrey L. Haskett writes that while the Refuge System is widely known as a leader in preserving the nation's wildlife and natural wonders, it is less renowned for its protection of archaeological and historic sites. It shouldn't be.
(23 KB MS Word document)
(12 KB PDF document)
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the National Trails System, five trails on national wildlife refuges have been designated as National Recreation Trails by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.
(28 KB MS Word document)
(15 KB PDF document)
For the first time in 100 years, the total population of wild and captive-bred whooping cranes exceeds 500 birds.
(25 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has joined a national education program to help encourage people to get outside as part of a move for better health.
(26 KB MS Word document)
(14 KB PDF document)
May 2008 Downloads
Refuge Chief Geoffrey L. Haskett, writing on importance of maintenance staffs on national wildlife refuges.
(22 KB MS Word document)
(11 KB PDF document)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service launched the Refuge System Birding Initiative in 2006.
(35 KB MS Word document)
(16 KB PDF document)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is gearing up to eradicate invasive rats from Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
(22 KB MS Word document)
(11 KB PDF document)
For the first time in 100 years, the population of whooping cranes exceeds 500 birds.
(21 KB MS Word document)
(15 KB PDF document)
April 2008 Downloads
Geoff Haskett Message (22 KB MS Word document)
Fossil At Bosque del Apache (22 KB MS Word document)
Osprey Adventure (27 KB MS Word document)
Osprey Adventure Cover (39 KB JPEG)
March 2008 Downloads
Largest Freshwater Turtle in North America Gets a New Home (22 KB MS Word document)
Take a DVD Tour of America's National Wildlife Refuges (22 KB MS Word document)
Medicine Disposal Partnership (31 KB MS Word document)
Last updated:
February 4, 2010
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