Upcoming Events
2024 Fee Free Days
- January 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- June 19 (Juneteenth)
- August 4 ( Great American Outdoors Act Great American Outdoors Act
This landmark conservation law, enacted in 2020, authorizes the use of up to $1.9 billion a year in energy development revenues for five years for needed maintenance to facilities and infrastructure in our wildlife refuges, national parks, forests, recreation areas and American Indian schools.
Learn more about Great American Outdoors Act Day) - September 28 (National Public Lands Day)
- October 13 (first Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week)
- November 11 (Veterans Day)
August 2024
Community Meeting to Discuss World Heritage Site Nomination - Tuesday, August 13 from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Staff from the City of Waycross, Okefenokee Swamp Park, and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge invite you to a community meeting focused on the refuge’s journey toward World Heritage Site inscription and the anticipated economic benefits for the Ware County community. Special Guest Speaker Barclay Trimble from Mammoth Cave National Park will discuss how a World Heritage inscription has benefited the rural communities around Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky. The meeting will be moderated by Patrick Simmons, Business Integration Director with the City of Waycross. Additional speakers include Dr. William Clark, Chair of the Okefenokee Swamp Park Board of Trustees and Michael Lusk, Refuge Manager at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. An opportunity for participants to ask questions and make comments will follow presentations. This meeting is being sponsored by the Waycross Convention and Visitors Bureau. Meeting Location: C.C. McCray City Auditorium located at 865 Pendleton Street in Waycross, Georgia.
September 2024
Chesser Island Homestead Clean-up - Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
In celebration of National Public Lands Day, help us clean-up the Chesser Island Homestead and grounds in preparation for Pioneer Days in November. The homestead was built in 1927 and was the home of Tom and Iva Chesser and their seven children. The Chesser family are descendants of some of the original settlers in the Okefenokee Swamp. The refuge maintains this homestead and surrounding grounds where there are several outbuildings including a smokehouse, syrup shed, chicken coop, corn crib, and a hog pen. Preparation includes a thorough cleaning of all rooms and furnishings in the home's interior, maintenance and repairs to the exterior of the home such as rescreening windows and replacing door hardware, and yardwork including raking and repairing or rebuilding fences. To register for this event, please email joy_campbell@fws.gov.
October 2024
2024 CoastFest - Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Come see refuge staff and partners at CoastFest 2024 at the Mary Ross Waterfront Park in Brunswick, GA! CoastFest is an annual event hosted by our partners at Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Help us celebrate our natural resources with a wide range of activities, exhibits, and live entertainment, offering a fun and educational experience for visitors of all ages. Offsite location: Mary Ross Waterfront Park in Brunswick, GA.
Community Meeting to Discuss Proposed New Visitor Center Exhibits - Tuesday, October 8 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Join refuge staff to learn about the proposed exhibits for a new visitor center at the Suwanee Canal Recreation Area at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. The proposed exhibit design includes the ecology of the Okefenokee Swamp, native cultures, swamper families, history, management, the geologic processes over time of how the swamp was formed, and much more. Guest speakers will include staff members from Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and the members of the Design Minds team who are currently designing the new exhibits. An opportunity for participants to submit their own ideas and ask questions about the design will follow the presentation. Meeting Location: Charlton County Annex Auditorium, 68 Kingsland Drive, in Folkston, Georgia.
Okefenokee Festival in Folkston, GA - Saturday, October 12, 2024 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Come visit refuge staff at the annual Okefenokee Festival! Enjoy live music, food from local vendors, arts and crafts, and so much more. With something for everyone, this festival is the perfect way to spend your Saturday. Offsite location: 3795 Main St., Folkston, GA.
Walk for the Wild - Friday, October 18, 2024 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Did you know that humans spend 95% of their time indoors?! Help us bring humans back to the wild! In celebration of National Wildlife Refuge Week, join staff for a fun 5K walk to learn about the plants and wildlife that call the refuge home. Participants are encouraged but not required to dress up like their favorite refuge animal. Please bring plenty of water and wear appropriate footwear for the 3.1-mile walk. Registration begins at 5:30 pm. The walk begins at 6:00 pm and will end at approximately 8:00 pm. Meet at the Chesser Island Boardwalk Parking Lot.
November 2024
Pioneer Days - Saturday, November 23 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Discover how people once lived in Southeast Georgia at the time the refuge system was established in the early 1900s. Learn how settlers made soap, brooms, butter, quilts, baskets, and other everyday items. See how settlers washed clothes, smoked meat, and survived in and around the swamp. Sample biscuits and other items cooked on a wood-burning stove. Listen to the sounds of bluegrass music and four-note singing. Enjoy horses, mules, and other livestock. Join in the games your grandparents played - musical chairs, wheelbarrow races, and more! Finally, take part in a traditional sugar cane boil. Watch how to grind sugar cane using a traditional mule operated grinder, and sample the sweet cane juice. Watch as staff and volunteers boil down a vat of sugar cane juice and produce authentic pure cane syrup.