Since the last newsletter, your Friends group has received membership renewals from: Steve Livingston and Pat Adamcak, Bonnie Gregory, Rosemary Matsko, Amy Ochoa, Diana Churchill, Pat Wolters, Joe and Kathy Ginett, Cindy Oprita, and Stuart and Regina Sonnen.

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Our special thanks to Lawrence and Joanne Judkins who renewed at the Supporter Level and Diane Rand who earned Life Membership by renewing at the Patron level.

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New Friends Group members: Kelly and Susan Murphy, Dr. Daniel Good, Willie and Sandra Allen, Tom and Barbara Lake, Ben Coggins, Skip Schwanfelder and Pam McCoy, Douglas Moon, Arnie and Elly Weisbrot, Giff and Allie Beaton, and Zac Gohsman.

Special thanks to Karen Marts who joined at the Supporter Level, Dr Cecil Hudson who joined at the Sponsor Level, and Debra Barnard-Keinath who acheived Life Membership by joining at the Patron Level.

Welcome to the Friends!

How about you?

It's never too late! If your membership has lapsed you can update or upgrade it on our website, by mail, or in person at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center. Memberships are now based on the date your payment is received rather than on the calendar year. So today is a good time to renew!

Not sure if you are current? E-mail webmaster@coastal refuges.org and you'll receive the info, or go to the website and click on "Forgot Password" and enter the email address you used when you joined. If the site doesn't find you, you are not current.

Not a member yet? Choose your membership level from the list below and send in your check or join on the website. Membership dues and donations are tax deductible.

Giving a gift membership is also a great gift idea.

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Individual $15 per year.

Family $25 per year

Supporter Level $100-249 (with one-year family membership for each $100 donated)

Sponsor Level $ 250-$499 (with one-year Family membership for each $100 donsted)

Patron Level $ 500-$999 (includes Life Membership)

Benefactor Level $1000 or more (includes Life Membership)

Download our membership application HERE.

More Thanks in Order

The Information Desk and The Gator Hole at Savannah NWR would not function without the dedicated volunteers who answer questions, hand out maps, and ring up sales. So far in 2012 we have raised more $23,000 in sales and donations at The Gator Hole. Thanks to everyone who gives of their time to make it happen!

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Focus on Friends

Around our region...

The Southeast Regional Office of the US F&WS puts out a quarterly bulletin called "Focus on Friends" that details activities of other Friends groups around the southeast. Click HERE to see the latest and access the archive of previous issues.

Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges Board of Directors and Officers:
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Rick Shields, President

Allyn Schneider, Vice-President
Dot Bambach, Secretary
Tim Kilty, Treasurer
Dave Chafin
John "Crawfish" Crawford
Linda Etchells
Sharon Lindsay

Friends Group Board of Directors
Your Board of Directors meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center. As always, all members are invited attend, take part in discussions, and share your ideas with the Board. Our next meeting is on Thursday, September 27, 2012.

Calling all volunteers!

The success of Friends Group activities depends on you! If you would like to help out at the Savannah NWR visitor center, or assist with other projects, please sign up at webmaster@coastalrefuges.org

Friends group photo contest coming!

Friends group member and avid photographer Tracy Toogood is organizing a photography contest for photos taken on one of our refuges. Winning photos will hang on display at the savannah NWR Visitor Center.
Watch your e-mail in box for details.

Science Corner

Loggerhead sea turtles nests have exceeded 2,180 this summer in Georgia, easily breaking last year's 1,992 count, the previous record high since comprehensive monitoring began in 1989. Of the estimated 183,788 eggs laid - a total that includes all sea turtle nests on the coast - more than 76,700 hatchlings emerged.

loggerhead

On the downside, sea turtle strandings in Georgia reached 164, the most recorded from Jan. 1-Aug. 18 since at least 2007. Three of the eight turtles found dead or injured during the most recent week showed signs of being hit by boats, a leading threat.

To learn more about these amazing critters check out this video from Georgia Outdoors. Loggerheads: The Epic Journey.

Friends:

It's been a long time since the last e-newsletter, but we are re-energized and ready to go with a monthly publication to keep you informed about Friends group activities and what is happening on our seven National Wildlife Refuges.

If you are involved in Friends group or volunteer activities, please send in brief reports of your activities (with photos if possible) for posting on our web site or in this newsletter. Sharing these stories helps to spread our message of preserving wildlife and wildlife habitats, and show how rewarding being a volunteer can be.

Also, be sure to check out our website for access to more resources and to register for upcoming events.

"Work to make a living...Volunteer to make a difference!"

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Refuge Week 2012 Activities

We will celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week this year on Saturday, October 13th and Sunday, October 14th. Saturday's activities will feature Wassaw Island NWR. Sunday we will once again cruise up the Savannah River into the Savannah NWR aboard a replica river steamboat.

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On Saturday the 13th we will leave by boat from Delegal Creek Marina at The Landings (map) at 8:30 AM and plan to return by 4:00 PM. Activities on Wassaw will include beach ecology hikes, bird banding demonstrations, bird observation hikes, a photography workshop, and a special presentation by our favorite ex-president, Teddy Roosevelt (as portrayed by Joe Wiegand, back by popular demand).

shoebirds_wassaw

There is no charge for any of the activities, but reservations are required since seating on the boats is limited. Guests must be at least 8 years old to sail with us. For more info or to reserve your seats, call 843-784-2468 or email webmaster@coastalrefuges.org.

Saturday's activities are presented in partnership with the University of Georgia's Marine Extension Service. Many thanks to Friends group Directors Crawfish Crawford and Bob Williams for helping to make this day happen.

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On Sunday the 14th, we will gather on River Street in downtown Savannah at 12:30 PM for a three-hour narrated tour of the Savannah River and the Savannah NWR aboard the Georgia Queen Riverboat. Refuge staff and "TR" will provide the commentary as we sail through a seldom-visited portion of the refuge. This cruise was a big hit last year, so if you missed it then, don't make the same mistake again! "TR", the "father" of the National Wildlife Refuge System, is a tremendously entertaining and informative presence on the cruise.

A buffet lunch may be purchased with your ticket . Drinks and snacks are also on sale aboard, or you may "brown-bag" it. Tickets are available by phone at 912-232-6404 or online at Savannah Riverboat Cruises. Tickets for adults are $22.95 ($42.99 with lunch), and $14.30 for kids 3-12 ($24.20 with lunch).

There are a limited number of complimentary tickets available to Friends members (they do not include the lunch). If you are a Friend, contact us at webmaster@coastalrefuges.org or at 843-784-9911 about ticket availability before buying a ticket from Savannah Riverboat.

A shout-out to FWS staff Monica Harris, Amy Ochoa, and Christine Fox for their work in putting this all together, and to Savannah Riverboat Cruises for their willingness to cruise with us again.

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Friends Group Strategic Planning Retreat

The Board of Directors of the Friends group has for some time been discussing what we need to do to become a more effective and productive organization. The Board decided to bring together interested Friends members, Friends leaders, and an experienced facilitator to develop a Friends Group Strategic Plan covering the next few years.
Developing a Strategic Plan involves taking a realistic inventory of our current and future resources, both material and human; deciding what our goals and objectives should be for the near future; developing a plan for how to use or obtain the resources necessary to achieve those goals; and establishing a method to track and monitor our progress.

strategic planning

This marks a maturation for the Friends group and a way to ensure that we remain relevant and productive while carrying out our mission.
We are fortunate to have Joan Patterson joining us as our facilitator. Joan is currently Director of Grassroots Outreach for the National Wildlife Refuge Association and has worked with many Friends groups around the country on similar tasks.

Watch your in-box and the web site for the draft plan that will come out of this session, as we will be soliciting your input before finalizing the plan.

Youth Conservation Corps at Harris Neck

(This article was prepared by Jamie Letendre, FWS YCC Adult Leader. It is the first in a series of articles about the refuges in the southern half of the Complex)
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The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) summer employment program is designed for young men and women from all segments of society, who work, learn and earn together by doing projects on public lands to further the development and maintenance of the natural resources of the United States by America's youth. These activities will prepare them for the ultimate responsibility of maintaining and managing these resources for the American people.

Three objectives of this program include: to accomplish needed conservation work on public lands; to provide gainful employment for young men and women from all social, ethnic, economic, and racial classifications; and to develop an understanding and appreciation in the participating youth of the nation's natural environment and heritage. This summer's Harris Neck NWR YCC crew was: Brad Thomas - 18; Bryan Mixon - 16; Tyler Buckley - 16; and Alan Ham - 15.

The YCC was busy with both maintenance and biological projects. Maintaining trails, both on Harris Neck NWR and Blackbeard NWR, pressure washing buildings and structures around the refuge, and management of the refuge grounds were on-going projects. Additional learning opportunities arose when the boys assisted our maintenance department in the replacement of the cleats and rub-rails around the public floating dock at the Barber River Boat Ramp.

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YCC crew (with SCA intern, Grant Deal and volunteer, Tyler Ruoff) relax after the completion of their first major project at Harris Neck NWR Barbour River public boat ramp. The floating dock received new bumpers and cleats.

Photo credit: USFWS, Kimberly Hayes

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Tasks like these provide experience in utilizing equipment and tools that they may not have access to otherwise. Another project YCC accomplished involved the use of carpentry tools in the construction of 25 'foil' frames - square structures that are placed over sea turtle nest sites that exclude predators, but allow for hatchlings to escape the nest and make their trek to the ocean.

The crew also assisted in numerous biological endeavors at Harris Neck NWR. Water and soil sampling methods were learned and carried out. They observed a loggerhead female laying her eggs on Blackbeard NWR, learned a great deal at the Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Center, and trapped and banded mourning doves.

Looking good at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center!

The lobby tower project at Savannah NWR Visitor Center is now complete. The hard work of the FWS staff, and the artistic talents of Kim and Rob Russell and Robin Puckett have produced a visually stunning view as visitors enter the lobby. Kim and Rob created the bird models and transported them to Savannah from their studio in Wisconsin. Robin painted the canvas panels and personally delivered them from her home in North Carolina. The artists also spent days assisting staff with the installation. You've got to see it to fully appreciate it.

tower_display

Latest from US Fish & Wildlife Service

The July/August issue of Refuge Update is now available. Read about the how successful Tamarac NWR has been in rescuing the trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator) from the brink of extinction over the past 25 years.

Hope you enjoyed the newsletter, send your comments, articles, photos, or ideas for articles to: webmaster@coastalrefuges.org.

Sincerely,

Rick Shields
President
Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc.