Friends of the Savannah                           
Coastal Wildlife Refuges
January 2010
 
Vol 2, #1
gators
An e-newsletter distributed to the members and supporters of Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc.
In This Issue
Board of Directors Profile
Refuge Staff News
Expertise Needed!
Visitor Center Update
Refuges in the News
Volunteers Needed
Thanks to our Donors
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Board of Directors Profile
Dr Wasil Khan
 

khan
Dr. Wasil Khan has had a life-long interest in nature and the outdoors.  Raised in the low country, he attended the College of Charleston, then received his MD at the Medical College of South Carolina.  He currently practices Allergy and Immunology in Savannah.
 
His special interest is reptiles, and he maintains a collection of native critters that he uses in educational programs.
 
Wasil is the Chair of our Visitor Center Committee, and is very involved in planning for the Grand Opening.
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Refuge Staff News

metz
Pat Metz 
 
It is hard to imagine the Savannah Coastal Refuge Complex without Pat Metz.  Pat, who retired on January 2, 2010, has spent her entire 32 year career in the F&WS supporting and advocating for our local refuges.  The up side?  Now she can be a Friends group volunteer!  For an in depth story about Pat and her career, click HERE to read Mary Lander's story in the January 17th Savannah Morning News.
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Expertise Needed!
 
The Friends group is looking
to prepare podcasts to enhance the refuge exoperience for visitors.  We are also considering a low-power radio broadcast that visitors can listen to in their cars as they drive along the wildlife drive at Savannah NWR.
If you have experience on producing or managing in these areas, please contact [email protected].
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Welcome Friends:

The New Year is here, time for another edition of the Friends group e-newsletter.
 
The next three months will be busy ones for the Friends group.  On March 6th we will co-host the Grand Opening of the new Visitor Center at the Savannah NWR.  National and local dignitaries have been invited for the program, ribbon-cutting, tours of the new facility, and other activities.  All Friends group members in good standing will receive an invitation, so watch your mailbox!
 
On March 31st your Friends group will be holding our second General Membership Meeting.  We are planning an educational program and will vote on bylaws changes and elect four Board of Director's members.
 
We are also preparing to open "The Gator Hole", the Friends group nature and book store located in the Visitor Center.  (Anyone with retail experience who would like to help out with the store should send an e-mail to [email protected].)
 
Volunteer opportunities are also being set up for February.  One involves clean-up around the Visitor Center including pulling up the silt fences left over from construction and some repairs on the trail.  The other involves clearing overgrowth from Tomkin's Island in the Savannah River to increase nesting sites for terns arriving in the spring (see below for more details).
 
Your continued support will determine what and how much we can accomplish.  If you are not already a member, be sure to sign up on the web site.  If you are already a member, please consider making an additional donation and/or purchasing our new Friends Group Logo Lapel Pin.  Your contributions are tax-deductible.

Sincerely,
 
Board of Directors
Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc.

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Savannah NWR Visitor Center
visitor center final
F&WS moved their offices in to the VC in September, and the contractors returned this week to finish up the exhibits.  The official Grand Opening and ribbon cutting ceremony (by invitation only) will be March 6, 2010, with the center opening to the public on Monday, March 9th.  Watch your mailbox for more details.
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  Refuges in the News
Recent newspaper articles from the Savannah Morning News

Savannah NWR manager Russ Webb talked to reprter Mary Landers about the effect of the recent cold snap on the thousands of ducks over-wintering on the refuge in this January 8th story
 
Friends group member and Wilderness Southeast guide Karen Grainey was featured in this January 3rd article about Audubon's 110th Annual Christmas Bird Count.
 
Friends group member and Savannah Morning News contributor Diana Churchill wrote about her Christmas Bird Count experience around Harris Neck NWR in this Decemeber 29th article.
 
On November 18th, the Morning News posted photos from the annual Wheelchair Hunt at Savannah NWR.  Read the article HERE.

 
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Volunteers Needed! 
Island clean-up scheduled for February 10th, 2010
Tomkin's Island is a five acre spoils island in the mouth of the Savannah River.  It was created in 2005 by the Corps of Engineers as mitigation for spoils disposal activities in Jasper County, SC.  It has rapidly become an important nesting site for Royal and Sandwich terns, with more than 7000 nests noted at last count.
Tomkins_terns
 
Unfortunately, Tomkin's Island now needs help if it is to remain a haven for terns and other birds.  The island is in danger of being overgrown by grasses and weeds, obliterating the open areas that nesting terns require.
 
In the Fall of '09, F&WS staff and volunteers visited the island, uprooting some of the shrubs and spraying herbicide of the grasses.  On Wednesday, February 10th, another expedition will be mounted to complete clearing the island by uprooting and burning the remaining vegetation. This will be an all-day, physical project, requiring a trip in a small open boat, and the date will be weather and sea-condition determined.  If you are interested in this project, contact [email protected].
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Thanks to our Donors!
 
The Friends group wishes to thank the following donors for their generous contributions:

 

Supporter: ($100-$249)
Dennis and Francine Baer
Dave and Lois Chafin
Dr. H. Clark Deriso
John Edman
Dr. Will Garrett
Dr. Ben Hubby
J, Hunter Hurst and Family
Karen and Mike McGinty
Dr. Julia Mikell and Family
Dr. Robert and Erica Rollings
Beth and Steven Roth
Richard and Doris Shields
 

Sponsors ($250-$499)
Dr. Michael Weinman
Dr. Karen Hanna
Dr. Jim and Theresa Portzer
 

Patrons ($500-$999)
Dr. Roy and Lynda Baker
Dot Bambach and Matt Ryan
Dr. Robert and Terri Beard
Swamp Girls Kayak Tours (Sue Chapman)
Allyn Schneider
Brent and Debby Shields on behalf of Diego Shen Shields

Benefactors: ($1000+)
John and Nancy Davis
Dr. Richard and Leslie Shields, Jr.
Georgia Emergency Associates (Savannah) (Dr. Brian Kornblatt)
Water-dog Outfitters (Hilton Head) (Lisa and David Fleming)


Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc. is a Non-Profit 501(c)3 organization incorporated in Georgia.
You received this e-newsletter because you are  a member of the Friends Group or you expressed an interest in learning more about us.  If you wish your e-mail address removed from our subscriber list, click on the SafeUnsubscribe link at the bottom of this issue.
To find out more about us, or to download a membership application, click on the link below.



FSCWR, Inc
PO Box 16841
Savannah, Georgia 31416
Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc.