Schoolyard Habitat Grants:
A major Friends of Patuxent initiative was the application for and
receipt of a $52,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Office of the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. These funds were used to
establish a Schoolyard Habitat Coordinator position, to be shared with the Fish
and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office. The coordinator, Karen Kelly,
works with area schools, teachers, and students to establish wildlife habitat
on school grounds. She is also spearheading the development of a Schoolyard
Habitat Demonstration Area adjacent to the National Wildlife Visitor Center.
Additional funding was received for this project from a Chesapeake Bay Gateways
Grant ($14,457) and from a number of other donations and memorials.
Educational and
Volunteer Support:
Besides
schoolyard habitat support, the Friends assist the Refuge by printing
educational curricula materials, supporting the Maryland Federal Jr. Duck Stamp
Competition (helping to finance awards and purchasing lunch for the judges),
and printing and mailing a monthly Volunteer/ Friends newsletter. They also
operate the electric tram (hire and schedule drivers, pay insurance, sell
tickets, and invoice for group tours), which is a key component of the Refuge
interpretive and educational program.
Annual Wildlife Art Show and Sale:
$9,000 & $25,000 annual funds raised, the annual Art Show brings
positive attention and visibility to the Refuge, and is one of the Patuxent's
major annual events. In conjunction with the An Show, the Friends partner with
the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to help facilitate the Mary land
Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp Competition.
Wildlife Images Bookstore - New Ventures:
New
initiatives in the bookstore started in 2003 included the addition of a small
sales outlet at the Refuge North Tract Visitor Contact Station, and the
addition of several new products including bottled water, song bird boxes
(constructed by refuge volunteers), and the publication and sale of a series of
small interpretive guides and booklets about the flora, fauna, and history of
the Refuge.
The Friends of Patuxent continue to pay for advertising in several tourism publications including the Maryland Events Calendar. They also pay for memberships in a number of community and tourism organizations including the Baltimore/Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce, the Prince George's, Anne Arundel, and Howard County Conference and Visitors' Bureaus, Maryland Tourism Council, Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington DC. and others.
Event Support:
The Friends of Patuxent facilitated the receipt of additional funding for
the Patuxent Research Refuge for Centennial and fishing events by participating
in the Refuge Challenge Grant program, matching Fish and Wildlife Service funds
with volunteer services and other support.
Research Support:
The Friends of
Patuxent supports both the Patuxent Research Refuge and the United States
Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. They administer an
"Adopt-a-Crane" program to raise funds for the Whooping Crane
propagation and recovery program. They have supported "Frog Watch"
and native bee research projects, and have supported scientific meetings and
conferences.
Board meetings. They are scheduled on the fourth Thursday of
each month (time and location varies - check their web site, www.friendspwrc.org
or ask a member). The Board always needs good workers. Please tell a Board
member if you might be interested in participating in Friends'-sponsored
projects.
Board members include a mix of refuge volunteers and community leaders. They are as of October 2009:
Emy Holdridge,
Ed Grimes,
Evelyn Adkins,
Pauline
Chvilicek,
Rich Dolesh
Harlan Tucker,
Pat Dumais
Rod Burley, Refuge Volunteer
Lisa Garrett
Jeanne Latham, Refuge Volunteer
Brenda Stone, Refuge Volunteer
C. "Sparky" Sparks, Refuge Volunteer
Kathleen O’Malley
Douglas Meister Esq., Meyers, Rodbell, & Rosenbaum
Agency liaison representatives: Marilyn Whitehead, U.S.G.S. and Nell Baldacchino