Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends

Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends (MVRF), is the official citizen support group of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife RefugeSince the Refuge was established in 1976, citizens have been involved with the expansion and enhancement of over 14,000 acres of protected habitat for both wildlife and lovers of the outdoors.

The MVRF are part of a network of more than 200 Friends groups across the nation that support the work of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Board of Directors support critical work in advocacy, fundraising, and support special events and educational programming with the Refuge. Co-located in the Bloomington Visitor Center, the Friends operate the Blufftop Nature Store, to provide visitors with educational resources related to the Refuge's cultural and natural history.  All proceeds from the nature store support the mission of the Friends. 

When you use any of the partner links you are leaving the USFWS web sites. DOI and the bureaus do not guarantee that outside Web sites comply with Section 508 (Accessibility Requirements) of the Rehabilitation Act.

Related Stories

Wall gallery of flower paintings
Next time you visit the Bloomington Visitor Center, stop by the Confluence Gallery to look at artwork inspired by nature, ecology, conservation, and the beauty of the Minnesota River Valley! Learn more about what is on display, as exhibits will rotate throughout the year.

Partner Category

We often partner with non-governmental conservation organizations on conservation projects, whether it's to conserve identified species such as the monarch butterfly or to advise on land acquisition for conservation so that it has the greatest benefit for species.

Friends groups are organizations of community members committed to helping national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries meet conservation goals that would otherwise be out of reach. 

Here we partner with a wider variety of other organizations on projects to meet shared conservation goals.

Other Partners

Here are just a few of our National Partners. You can view the full list of FWS partners, along with the regions and areas of focus our work together entails.

Partnership Services

Through our partnerships we are able to expand our capabilities through the inclusion of services in areas such as:

  • Grant opportunities
  • Sponsorship of grants
  • Cooperative Agreements

To find out more about how our partner provides services view our partner services below.