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Friends of the Savannah
Coastal Wildlife Refuges
February 4, 2013 |
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Friends:
It's been a while since the last newsletter, so we have some catching up to do. 2013 promises to be an active one for the Friends, with putting the final touches on our Strategic Plan in February, our 4th Annual General Membership meeting in April, Refuge Week and our second Photo Contest in October, and numerous projects and activities scattered betwixt and between.
We value your input, so please send ideas for articles, feedback on articles you've read, and other suggestions to help make this newsletter more interesting and useful.
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Friends Photo Contest
 | | Most Outstanding Photo - Wendy Brewer |
Our first Photo Contest was a big success! Thirty-six entrants submitted seventy photographs in six categories. Thanks to all those who participated, we were all very impressed by the quality of the photos.
Special thanks to Linda Soto, CEO of Bay Camera Company in Savannah, who helped us develop our judging criteria, and Garry Tucker, Tricia Lynch, and Susan Heisey from Fish & Wildlife Visitor Services who took on the difficult job of choosing the winners. Friends members Sharon Lindsay and Tracy Toogood were instrumental in making the contest work. Wendy Brewer won Most Outstanding Photo and a check for $100 with her entry "4 Golden Slippers". To see a list of all the winners, click on the link below.
All the winning entries are on display at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Great Year at The Gator Hole
The Gator Hole, the nature and book store operated by the Friends group at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center, increased sales by almost a third in 2012!
Since opening in March of 2010, The Gator Hole
has sold more than $85,600 in merchandise and collected more than $4300 in donations. All net proceeds from sales go to the Friends group for use on projects on the refuges.
We are restocking after a very good December, so be sure to stop by and see us.
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New Corporate Sponsor for the Friends
On February 1st, Dean Peterson, Social and Environmental Developer for the Savannah Distribution Center for IKEA presented the Friends group with a check for $1000.
IKEA, which manages a large distribution warehouse in Port Wentworth, is our newest corporate sponsor, and we look forward to involving IKEA employees in future volunteer activities.
Thanks so much to Dean and his staff and to IKEA.
If you know a local company that might be interested in supporting the Friends with financial or volunteer support, please let us know.
To learn more about IKEA, click on the link. IKEA |
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Interested in becoming an Interpretive Guide at Savannah NWR?
 Volunteers in our area will have the opportunity to become Certified Interpretive Guides by successfully completing a course put on by the National Institute for Interpretation.
The course will be offered from April 30 thru May 3, 2013, at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center.
Successful completion of the course entitles you to apply to be a certified guide and to develop and conduct interpretive programs on the refuges.
The course is limited to 15 participants and early enrollment is open only to FWS staff and to FWS volunteers with a deadline of February 15, 2013. After that date, any remaining slots will be made available to the public.
The course fee is usually $220, but those who enroll early will receive a reduced rate of $155.
As an incentive to our volunteers, the Friends group will provide a full scholarship to those volunteers who successfully complete the course and agree to present a total of four interpretive programs for the public over the next two years.
This is a great opportunity, but it is demanding and challenging - 32 hours of class work over four days followed by an exam. It is a way to step up your volunteer efforts to the next level by producing and presenting your own interpretive programs.
For more details click on the links, or call Monica Harris at 843-784-9911 ext 103.
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Santee NWR offers Photo Contest as part of Santee Birding and Nature Festival
The Santee NWR will sponsor their first Photo Contest this year in conjunction with the Santee Birding and Nature Festival. Entry deadline is February 22, 2013.
The Festival is slated for April 26-28, 2013 with many activities planned on the Refuge and in the surrounding area. Check out the web site for details.
Santee is just a short hop up I-95 on the shores of Lake Marion.
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What's Happening with the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project?
Georgia Public Broadcasting will air an episode of Prime Time Lawmakers that will include a panel discussion of the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project. FWS staff will be on the panel.
Orlando Montoya, Savannah-based producer for GPB, will present a lead-in to the panel including portions of an interview he did in December 2012 on Savannah NWR with Friends group President Rick Shields.
The episode is scheduled to air on Monday, February 4th at 7:00 PM on GPB (channels 9 and 440 on Savannah Comcast), following The News Hour. Set your DVR's to record for posterity!
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Ken Salazar to Leave DOI
 | Ken Salazar, Interior Secretary
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Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has announced he plans to leave his cabinet post in March, 2013. There is no official word on whom President Obama will nominate to replace him. The US F&WS is part of the Department of the Interior.
During his tenure he created 10 new National Wildlife Refuges and helped to repair the image of the department which had been wracked by scandal prior to his appointment.
Mr. Salazar, a former US Senator from Colorado, said he would return to his home there, and has not made public his future plans.
NT Times Article
Wikipedia Entry
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Where is your cat tonight?
As the debate rages on about how best to deal with feral cat populations, a new report just published has upped the ante for bird lovers. The report's authors estimate that domestic and feral cats in the US kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion (with a B) birds every year. This number is as much as seven times higher than previous estimates. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications on January 29th, was conducted by researchers at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Migratory Bird Center and the Midwest Regional Office of the US F&WS.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friends 4th Annual General Membership Meeting
Your Friends group will be holding our 4th General Membership Meeting on Saturday, April 6th, 2013 at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center. Details are still being worked out, so watch your inbox for details.
One of the functions of the meeting is to elect our Board of Directors. There are five positions coming open on the Board as current director's two-year terms expire. Dot Bambach, Dave Chafin, John Crawford, and Rick Shields have indicated that they will seek reelection. Tim Kilty, our current Treasurer, has decided not to run again.
If you are interested in being considered for a position on the Board, please send a brief bio including pertinent experience and why you want to join the Board to the address below. The deadline for nominations is March 6, 2013.
webmaster@coastalrefuges.org
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E-mail: webmaster@coastalrefuges.org
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