The Friends of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Basking Ridge, N.J., have been selected by two prominent conservation organizations as the recipient of the National Wildlife Refuge System's Friends Group of the Year Award, according to Marvin Moriarty, northeast regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association () annually recognize a friends group for its exceptional contributions in support of a national wildlife refuge.
"The Friends of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge fortify the refuge's environmental education and outreach programs, service to the public, and its ties to the community," said Moriarty. "This group exemplifies the valuable role these volunteer citizen-based organizations have in advocating for and supporting the National Wildlife Refuge System's wildlife conservation and public use programs.?
The Friends of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge host, develop, and fund a variety of environmental education and outreach activities. In one year's time, the group developed a number of educational resources, including the Discovery Den, an activity and display room at the refuge; a wildlife tour guide; and "Swamp in a Box," a resource kit for area schools.
In addition to hosting a number of public programs, the volunteers staff the refuge's wildlife observation center and a bookstore and gift shop, providing visitor services on days when the refuge would otherwise be closed. The group funded a teacher education day and a summer intern position at the refuge. It also provided financial support for the establishment of an educational program at Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in partnership with the New Jersey Audubon Society.
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, located just 26 miles from New York City, protects 7,685 acres of swamp woodlands, hardwood ridges, cattail marshes, and grasslands for migratory birds and other wildlife.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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