Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships

Where the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Community, and Partners come together to promote conservation

 
Children fishing off of pier at Masonville Cove with Baltimore skyline in the background, courtesy of National Aquarium.

Masonville Cove

(Baltimore, MD)

Children fishing off of pier at Masonville Cove with Baltimore skyline in the background, courtesy of National Aquarium.
Children fishing off of pier at Masonville Cove with Baltimore skyline in the background, courtesy of National Aquarium.

Masonville Cove Urban Refuge Partnership evolved from the need to place and use material dredged from Baltimore Harbor. This is a partnership of the Chesapeake Bay Ecological Services Field Office and Patuxent Research Refuge at the Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center on a restored Maryland Port Administration site on the Patapsco River. This project created a place and an opportunity for the local residents and schoolchildren in Baltimore, MD to connect with their natural environment and participate in meaningful stewardship projects.

The adjacent communities of Brooklyn and Curtis Bay are geographically isolated and challenged by income inequality, concentrated poverty, limited public transportation, high crime, and low high school graduation rates. Living Classrooms Foundation leads curriculum development and students are reached through activities with the National Aquarium. Environmental internships are available to students from the local high schools.

Masonville Cove Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership is also the cornerstone of a larger initiative, Baltimore Wilderness. With a coalition of partners, including the Chesapeake Conservancy, Baltimore Wilderness is creating a network of protected outdoor spaces, connecting area residents to Baltimore’s rich natural and cultural resources.

Fact Sheet

Additional Links & Resources

Partnership Contact Information

Genevieve LaRouche
Supervisor
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Chesapeake Bay Field Office
(410) 573-4577
genevieve_larouche@fws.gov

Brad Knudsen
Refuge Manager
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Patuxent Research Refuge
(301) 497-5582
brad_knudsen@fws.gov

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Masonville Cove

(Baltimore, MD)

Child looks on with wonder while learning with Common Ground.

New Haven Harbor Watershed Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(New Haven, CT)

Child looks on with wonder while learning with Common Ground.
Photo Credit: Common Ground.

Based on community-based wildlife conservation, this project will create a network of wildlife-friendly habitat oases and habitat improvements in municipal parks, schoolyards, vacant lots, front yards, and units of the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge. Partners in this highly diverse neighborhood include Yale Urban Resources Initiative, National Audubon Society, EPA Long Island Sound Study, City of New Haven Parks and Recreation, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. New Haven Public Schools, and Common Ground: High School Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center.

Fact Sheets

Additional Resources

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Forth graders describe their Schoolyard Habitat restoration plans to Common Ground High School Students Students work together to transform turf grass area into a native plant restoration site . Stewart B McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and US Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteers work with students to build outdoor classrooms throughout the city. Stewart B McKinney National Wildlife Refuge and US Fish and Wildlife Service Volunteers work with students to build outdoor classrooms throughout the city. Artists point to their drawings on a bilingual sign they helped design with the Yale Peabody Museum for their Schoolyard Habitat. Biologists with the USFWS and Audubon Connecticut work with students in New Haven, CT to plan habitat restoration work near their school grounds. Signs in Spanish and English designed by students and the Peabody Museum to describe Schoolyard Habitat Sites and their connection to the Sound. Students collect biodiversity data on 6 plots along the West River to monitor the effectiveness of restoration. Students collect biodiversity data on 6 plots along the West River to monitor the effectiveness of restoration. Students identify invertebrates and analyze data on biodiversity response to habitat restoration. New Haven Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Map. Students at 3 urban schools visit Long Island Sound with USFWS Refuge staff to learn about the importance of the Sound, their connection to it and what they can do to keep the Sound healthy. Students work alongside conservation professionals to better understand conditions in the Sound and the connections between their homes and schools in New Haven and the health of the Sound. USFWS director Dan Ashe, Region 5 director Wendi Weber and local students at New Haven Urban Wildlife Refuge Designation.

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New Haven Harbor Watershed

(New Haven, CT)

Children at nature camp participate in an outdoor learning activity.

Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Providence, RI)

Children at nature camp participate in an outdoor learning activity.
Children at nature camp participate in an outdoor learning activity.

Providence, one of the most diverse cities in the United States, represented by 38% Hispanic, 16% African American and 6% Asian and Pacific Islanders, anchors a metropolitan population of 1.6 million. Rhode Island's capital offers a 110-year old park system that spans over one hundred parks in twenty-six neighborhoods throughout the city. All of the parks are within a half-mile of a school, and many parks are on a bus stop or in walking distance. Using this park system as a portal to reach the urban community, the Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex, the U.S Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) Coastal Program, together with the Partnership for Providence Parks and the Department of Providence Parks, formed the nationally designed Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership (PPUWRP). At the heart of this partnership is the nationally recognized Roger William Park Zoo, who is working with the Service on conservation breeding programs, particularly the New England Cottontail.

This urban refuge partnership engages the parks Friends' Groups, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Narragansett Tribe and many conservation organizations in Rhode Island. Through a Memorandum of Agreement an Urban Refuge Conservation Program Coordinator was hired to represent the Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, and to bridge the various conservation organizations, with the Park System, Friend's Groups, schools, and local business to leverage funding and technical support for wildlife habitat enhancements, environmental education, nature classes, and interpretive signs. The Program Coordinator, April Alix, serves as a catalyst and facilitates training for the community parks and serves as a liaison connecting schools with partners to bring a collective conservation message to urban families where they live and work. This is especially significant since the population of Providence has a 28% poverty rate, and many do not have the resources to travel to the rural national wildlife refuges. Creating a growing urban presence and connecting urban youth with nature is an important initiative with the Service and its conservation partners.

Fact Sheet

Additional Links & Resources

Contacts

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Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

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Providence Parks Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Providence, RI)

Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Credit: USFWS.

Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Seattle, WA)

Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Credit: USFWS.
Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Credit: USFWS.

A Kokanee Salmon Partnership targeted to increase awareness, understanding, and support of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, and conservation of aquatic ecosystems and native species at Lake Sammamish State Park and the Issaquah State Hatchery, as well as city parks and trails crossing Kokanee spawning streams. Phase I focuses on development of an interpretive plan and design; Phase 2 includes design and development of interpretive media options to be placed at over 600 acres of public lands and spaces, and Phase 3 focuses on staffing.

Fact Sheet




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Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership
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Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Seattle, WA)

Eggers Woods WI.

Forest Preserves of Cook County Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Chicago, IL)

Eggers Woods WI.
Eggers Woods WI.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is one of the country’s oldest and largest public land agencies boasting more than 69,000 acres of diverse ecosystems. Managing the various native habitats is not possible without partner organizations and individuals who contribute a significant amount of resources, energy and personal time. These entities not only care for the preserves, they also play a critical role nurturing the next generation of conservation leaders. The Urban Refuge Partnership focuses is an outstanding example of collaborative conservation efforts – a partnership with Audubon Chicago Region and Eden Place Nature Center. Together, these organizations offer a step by step model of nature learning. Beginning in urban neighborhoods, participants then work their way up the ladder of engagement opportunities which expands into the forest preserves, and ultimately connects with National Wildlife Refuges. The partnership launched the Wild Indigo Nature Exploration initiative, a project where community engagement workers (“fellows”) are hired within, and work from their respective neighborhoods to connect their local communities with nature through guided nature hikes, field trips, outdoor activities, and restoration workdays. The fellows are trained in basic ecological and habitat restoration principles and can identify local plants, birds, and animals. With this knowledge, they become an unstoppable force for positive engagement.

Jennifer Johnson, Community Engagement Coordinator for Wild Indigo, says it best: “We are community‐based in a very intentional sense, we want to be with people and share the experience of being out in nature with them.” This approach was on display on May 30th, when the Wild Indigo program and the Friends of the Forest Preserves led a volunteer workday that established a shrub-land migratory bird habitat at Kickapoo Woods. Over 40 local volunteers braved the dreary weather to plant and cage 150 shrubs that will serve as a valuable source of food and refuge for dozens of bird species in their migratory marathons. For many of the community members that participated, this event facilitated their engagement with their local preserve in a new way. Off the walking trails and away from the picnic area, they dug holes, planted Elderberry, American Filbert, Red-osier Dogwood, and Blue-fruited Dogwood, and caged them to prevent deer from browsing the shrubs. Johnson noted: “From high schoolers, to families, to veteran volunteers, it was good to see how everyone was able to work together, promote teamwork, build leadership skills, and at the end of the day to see all our hard work produce a tangible outcome.” Thanks to the support of the Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, the event was yet another important step in Wild Indigo’s journey to promote program participant’s reconnection with nature in an urban landscape.

Additional Links & Resources

Contact Information

To contact the Wild Indigo program, please e-mail us at wildindigo@audubon.org or give us a call at 312-453-0230 ext. 2005.

17 N. State St, Suite 1650
Chicago, IL 60602​

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Forest Preserves of Cook County Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Forest Preserves of Cook County Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Forest Preserves of Cook County Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. Forest Preserves of Cook County Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.
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Forest Preserves of Cook County

(Chicago, IL)

L.A. River Rover

L.A. River Rover Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Los Angeles, CA)

L.A. River. Photo Credit: Ian Shive
L.A. River. Photo Credit: Ian Shive

Bringing People to the River and the River to the People:This projectinvolves building a River Rover that will house interactive exhibits including an interactive model of the LA River watershed. This is an outside vehicle serving as a self-directed activity as well as a staff guided tool to teach conservation to a very urban audience in areas throughout the watershed.  

L.A. River Rover Fact Sheet

 

 

 

 

 

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L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA L.A. River Rover - Los Angeles, CA
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L.A. River Rover

(Los Angeles, CA)

Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.

Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Houston, TX)

Houston Wildlife Refuge Partnership.
Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.

We are working with many partners in Houston to bring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's conservation message to the fourth largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Working with city staff, we are incorporating wildlife conservation and education into the Houston Parks and Recreation Department's after school and summer programs that reaches thousands of young people. We are helping our partners build capacity and expand their own conservation efforts through technical support, training and community service projects. And we are creating pollinator gardens along bayous, city parks and busy intersections. The five national wildlife refuges within 60 miles of downtown Houston offer a diversity of experiences for urban residents to get outside and enjoy nature.

Fact Sheet

Additional Links & Resources

Partnership Contact Information

  • Nancy Brown, 512-339-9432

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Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership - Clinton Park kids at Anahuac NWR
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Houston Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Houston, TX)

Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Refuge Partnership.

Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Refuge Partnership

(Albuquerque, NM)

Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Refuge Partnership.
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Refuge Partnership. Credit: USFWS.

One of the newest urban wildlife refuges, Valle de Oro, with the help of Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, Friends of Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, Audubon’s Birds of a Feather Program, and Center for Southwest Culture, will establish an urban presence before the refuge officially opens in 3-5 years. This includes a community garden at the Mountain View Community Center, a part of the National Conservation Training Center’s Building Urban Community Habitats with Youth Program.

Fact Sheet

Additional Links & Resources

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Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

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Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Urban Refuge Partnership

(Albuquerque, NM)

Eggers Woods WI.

Condor Kids

(Santa Barbara, CA)

Condor Kids trip to Bitter Creek.
Students learn about planting with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer. Credit: USFWS.

Condor Kids is a pilot education program that will introduce local Fillmore Unified School District students to conservation efforts occurring in their backyard to protect the critically endangered California condor. Moreover, it will help to increase awareness, understanding, and support for wildlife conservation among urban youth in Ventura County. This program is designed to build the students’ skills in science, technology, creative thinking, and math through diverse lesson plans that cover topics such as geography, biology, history, and conservation.

Students will take field trips to Hopper Mountain and Bitter Creek National Wildlife Refuges, which are critical condor nesting and foraging areas, in order to meet wildlife biologists, observe condors in the wild, and learn about potential career opportunities. Partners include the Santa Barbara Zoo and Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Additional Links & Resources

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Condor Kids. Condor Kids. Condor Kids.
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Condor Kids

(Santa Barbara, CA)

Groundwork-Wallkill Connection: Fostering Urban River Stewards

Groundwork-Wallkill Connection: Fostering Urban River Stewards

(Yonkers, NY)

Groundwork-Wallkill Connection: Fostering Urban River Stewards
Groundwork youth help to remove debris from the daylighted section of the Saw Mill River, downtown Yonkers (July 2014).

The Yonkers-based environmental non-profit organization Groundwork and the USFWS's Wallkill River NWR have been working together since 2011 to promote conservation and stewardship among the youth of low-income Yonkers neighborhoods. Each year, Groundwork has brought 12-50 youth to the refuge for conservation-oriented work days that promote understanding of resource conservation issues, the USFWS, and the NWRS among urban youth. With the recognition of this partnership, Service staff are also travelling to Yonkers to lend expertise and resources to the creation of a riparian pocket park adjacent to the Saw Mill River, to be enjoyed by residents of an adjacent public housing complex. Working side-by-side, refuge staff and Yonkers youth have built relationships that connect the Service to this community, and the community to its river.

Additional Links & Resources

Fact Sheet

Photo Gallery

Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth and refuge staff celebrate following a day of autumn olive control at Wallkill River NWR (September 2012). Wallkill Connection: Groundwork ambassadors smile for the camera during the Groundwork 2012 National Summit, held at Wallkill River NWR (October 2012). Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth enjoy a paddle down the Wallkill River during the organization's 2012 National Summit, held at the refuge (October 2012) Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth offer testimony to the life-changing power of nature experiences during the organization's 2012 National Summit, held at the refuge (October 2012) Wallkill Connection: A Yonkers work crew prepares to tackle autumn olive control at Wallkill River NWR (July 2012). Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth and refuge staff haul invasive tree-of-heaven trees off of the Appalachian Trail at Wallkill River NWR (July 2013). Wallkill Connection: Students and staff among the pile of invasive trees removed during a work day at Wallkill River NWR (July 2013). Wallkill Connection: Members of Groundwork's summer Green Team clear autumn olive from Wallkill River NWR (July 2012). Wallkill Connection: Members of Groundwork's summer Green Team clear autumn olive from Wallkill River NWR (July 2012). Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth nurture riparian plantings at the Walsh Road pocket park along the Saw Mill River, Yonkers. Plantings were reared from refuge seed stock in the refuge's greenhouse. (September 2014). Wallkill Connection: Students spread topsoil during the final stretch of improvements at the Walsh Road pocket park, Yonkers. (September 2014). Wallkill Connection: Celebrating a day of hard work at the Walsh Road pocket park, Yonkers (September 2014). Wallkill Connection: Students who worked to create the Walsh Road pocket park celebrate their achievements at a ribbon cutting event, Yonkers (October 2014). Wallkill Connection: Groundwork youth help to prepare the foundation for the new pocket park at the Walsh residential housing unit, Yonkers (July 2014).

Videos



Partnership Contact Information

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Walkill Connection: Fostering Urban River Stewards

(Yonkers, NY)

Students participate in CERF activity.

Habitat Is Where It’s At

(New Orleans, LA)

Students participate in CERF activity.
Students learn about planting with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer. Credit: USFWS.

Underserved New Orleans students will help restore degraded wetland in Bayou Sauvage Refuge, while learning about wetland habitat. Younger students will cultivate and grow marsh grass and trees in schoolyard nurseries. Older students will help with project planning, data collection and biological monitoring to assess restoration success. Partners include the University of New Orleans Coastal Education and Research Facility.

CERF Days with Lusher Middle School

On March 23rd, fifty seventh graders from Lusher Middle School in New Orleans arrived at the Coastal Education Research Facility (CERF) outside of Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge for the first of three days of field trips focused on learning about wetland habitats and wildlife. This series of partnered programs is part of a larger mutual effort between University of New Orleans (UNO), U.S .Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), and LSU Coastal Roots to inspire urban students to become the stewards of environment. This collaboration is recognized officially under the Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership program.

For the first day the organizations involved set up hands on learning activity stations structured around five relevant coastal topics. Each partner groups facilitated a different learning station. Areas of focus included a hands-on lab about water quality with their science teacher and fish ID with the LDWF who brought along plenty of examples. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Park Rangers along with Student Conservation Association interns guided students in dip net sampling collecting an abundance of invertebrates for identification, some who were even given some creative names. The students were lead in discussing the value of wetlands and how they provide a first line of defense against storms by CERF staff. Groups jumped at the chance to work together to create a watershed structure at the “Walnut Bayou” that would prevent erosion of the bayou banks, the crushed walnut shells give the setup its name. At the final station, the students weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty doing some restoration work including finishing the construction of the rain garden and planting Hackberry trees and Yaupon around the property for future groups to monitor. On the second day of field work students planted 200 Cypress trees provided by the project partner LSU Coastal Roots. The trees were planted in the Bayou Sauvage NWR Ridge Trail unit as part of a larger goal of restoring the once vibrant maritime forest habitat that was located in this area prior to Hurricane Katrina. The trees planted here will continue to be monitored by local New Orleans students as this project continues. In total over 100 students participated in this three day workshop of partnered programs that provided a variety of hands-on service learning projects on the wetlands that surround their city including their importance to both humans and wildlife.

Photo Gallery

Habitat Is Where It's At: Students examining fish. Habitat Is Where It's At: Students work together on an outdoor project. Habitat Is Where It's At: Students work together on an outdoor project. Habitat Is Where It's At: Sunset view of the New Orleans skyline from the refuge.

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Habitat Is Where It’s At

(New Orleans, LA)

Community Greening Project Participants

Community Greening and Restoration Project

(Denver, CO)

Community Greening Project Participants
Community Greening Project volunteers.

We are working through this urban wildlife refuge partnership to bring the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wildlife conservation message throughout the Denver metropolitan area and surrounding communities.

Our valued partners Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK), Denver Parks and Recreation, Trust for Public Lands, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and other community organizations are joining together to restore a 5.5-acre parcel of degraded land and detention pond in Montbello to serve as a natural play and environmental education area for families and youth.

This location will provide a natural area for historically diverse and limited income neighborhoods to enjoy, learn, and explore. In the future, a bike and walking path will provide safe access to Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge with over 15,000 acres of shortgrass prairie habitat and wildlife. The Refuge offers wildlife observation, hiking, fishing, nature and environmental education programs.

Future development for this location includes the construction of an education center and the restoration of native short grass prairie. Long term goals of the Community Greening and Restoration Project will include community stewardship projects focusing on environmental education, watershed improvement, riparian restoration, and invasive species management.

Three national wildlife refuges are part of the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge Complex and are within a 10 to 30 minute drive from downtown Denver. Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Two Ponds and Rocky Flats national wildlife refuges offer unique opportunities to connect with nature near a major metropolitan area.

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Community Greening and Restoration Project

(Denver, CO)

PSJA group photo

PSJA, Preserving for Future Generations

Pharr/San Juan/Alamo, TX

PSJA group photo
Students learn about planting with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer. Credit: USFWS.

A partnership between the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo Independent School District and the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge will bring nature back to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. With the help of students, teachers, parent volunteers, community leaders, and Refuge staff, this partnership will restore school campuses to native habitats for the benefit of wildlife and student education. These sites will serve as avenues for students and members of the community to learn about the region’s unique Tamaulipan Brushland ecosystem -- found only in the four southernmost counties of the state in the U.S. – and about conservation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

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PSJA, Preserving for
Future Generations

(Pharr/San Juan/Alamo, TX)

An educator works with two students on a crayfish lesson.

Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt)

(Philadelphia, PA)

An educator works with two students on a crayfish lesson.
An educator works with two students on a crayfish lesson.

John Heinz Refuge at Tinicum and the National Audubon Society will expand a program that engages Philadelphia residents in conservation through hands-on programming in schools, in neighborhoods and at the refuge. The program includes a native plant propagation program at Fairmount Park and citizen science activities at the refuge. FedEx is a partner in the project.

Additional Links & Resources

Contact Information

Lamar Gore, Refuge Manager

John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
America's First Urban Refuge
8601 Lindbergh Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19153

p: 215.365.3118 x:122
c: 413.207.1939
f: 215.365.2846

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Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt). Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt).
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Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship (NESt)

(Philadelphia, PA)

South Fork UWRP

South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Atlanta, GA)

South Fork UWRP
Four volunteers from Boys & Girls Club Atlanta join Sally Sears of the South Fork Conservancy, far right, during trail clearing on MLK Day 2015. Submitted photo.

The South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership is collecting and analyzing data on plant and animal populations as well as water quality at the degraded confluence of the south and northforks of Peachtree Creek. The nine partners, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will build creek access and engage underserved communities in monitoring and sustaining current restoration and green infrastructure efforts, in order to return this historic waterway to its rightful place as a respected asset of the region’s natural resources for the benefit of people and wildlife.

Fact Sheets

Additional Links & Resources

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South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge

Videos


CBS 46 News Peachtree TV Atlanta - Channel 17
Episode 254 - South Fork Conservancy - Segment 1

Partnerships

Contact Info

Kimberly Estep
Executive Director, The South Fork Conservancy
P.O. Box 5433
Atlanta, GA 31107
Kimberly@southforkconservancy.org
Office: (770)954-6108
Cell: (770)467-7493

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South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Atlanta, GA)

Anchorage Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Anchorage, AK)

Empowering Anchorage’s Youth through Outdoor Leadership Development to Bring a Diversity of Perspectives and Citizen Engagement to Conservation of Alaska’s Migratory Birds, Wetlands and National Wildlife Refuges: The project will help restore 30 miles of Anchorage streams, provide opportunities for urban youth and families to engage in wildlife conservation, mentor urban and rural youth ambassadors to promote shared perspectives and leadership, and engage nontraditional partners to achieve shared conservation and urban community development objectives. The project will connect Anchorage’s diverse urban neighborhoods to their wild backyards, and foster unity among future urban/rural conservation leaders.

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Anchorage Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Anchorage, AK)

Springfield Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Springfield, MA)

Springfield Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership volunteers.
Students learn about planting with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer. Credit: USFWS.

A Coalition of Action: Youth, Community and Partners Engaged in Environmental Education and Restoration: Students and community members will engage in environmental education and urban restoration projects to create a network of conserved habitats in the Connecticut River watershed.

 

 

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Springfield Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

(Springfield, MA)

Standards of Excellence

Photo of Nekton sampling during SMI training. Photo Credit: Katrina Papanastassiou/USFWS

Where We Are

Children holding Get Your Goose On! flags at Togiak National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Alaska.

Know Your Community

Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. Credit: USFWS
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Last modified: July 19, 2016
All Images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Unless Specified Otherwise.
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