December 19th, 2022
Friends of Seal Beach NWR earn NWRA Friends Group of the Year Award
The National Wildlife Refuge Association has named its Wildlife Refuge Award winners for 2022.
The awards, given annually by the Refuge Association, recognize U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees, Friends and volunteers for their outstanding contributions to conserving public lands and waters in the National Wildlife Refuge System. One of the winners are our Friends at Seal Beach NWR:
Molly Krival Refuge Friends Group of the Year
Friends of Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge earn NWRA Friends Group of the Year Award
WASHINGTON D.C. — JULY 7TH, 2022
Volunteers make the world work….better. Thanks to the Friends of Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge (Friends) in Southern California, more people are learning about the refuge and why it’s so vital to its nearby communities. This group’s countless hours of service and its long-term commitment to nature and conservation earned the Friends the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2022 Molly Krival— Refuge Friends Group of the Year Award.
This award recognizes the outstanding contributions by the groups of dedicated volunteers in Friends organizations who provide essential services to the Refuge System. This award is named to honor the late Molly Krival, a pioneer in the Refuge Friends movement throughout the Refuge System. The Wildlife Refuge Awards dinner will take place on Wednesday, September 14 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC at 6 p.m. Media is welcome to attend and cover the program.
“When engaging with the community one can always hear members of the Friends group talking passionately about this refuge and what a unique place it is for our urban area,” said Carolyn Vance, Friends of Seal Beach NWR President. ”Through the long-term commitment of our volunteers, we have also stepped in to ensure continuity when gaps in refuge staffing have occurred.”
SOME OF THE GROUP’S MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:
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Over the past few years, the Friends set up a booth at more than 25 events, many of which were in communities not visited before. This effort resulted in contacting over 7,500 people in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
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The Friends develop connections with various groups throughout the community such as the El Dorado Chapter of the National Audubon Society which is a frequent source for new volunteers, and the Seal Beach Fishing Derby sponsored by the Los Alamitos/Seal Beach Rotary Club.
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The group submits a series of articles about the Refuge in the local Seal Beach Sun newspaper guest column as a voice and advocate to increase awareness.