Friends Group of the Year Award
(Posted 2010-01-21)
Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges has been recognized as the 'Friends Group of the Year' by the National Wildlife Refuge Assoication.

2010 Volunteer Opportunities
(Posted 2009-12-10)
Volunteer opportunities with the Friends' 2010 educational and outreach projects are now being added.

Links

National Wildlife Refuge Association

Monthly Membership Meetings

Membership meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month from 4:30-6:30 PM Alaska Standard Time, Call in 866-556-2149 CODE: 8169747#

Friends of Alaska National Wildlife Refuges
Monthly Membership Teleconference
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
4:30-6:30 PM Alaska Standard Time
Call in 866-556-2149 CODE: 8169747#

Agenda
Introductions & Discussion
New Members: Where do you live? Why did you join Friends?

Board Decisions & Discussion

MEMBERSHIP REPORT: During the month of July we acquired 9 new members and received 3 renewals for a total of 318 members, although a few members are soon to be dropped, because of lack of renewal.

VOLUNTEER REPORT: In July Friends assisted with six projects including Kanuti Weed Pull Round-Two, three science and culture camps, a youth employment program and clean-up on Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

OUTREACH REPORT: All volunteer projects for the month of June had an outreach component as well as an presentations to the Homer City Council and the National Wildlife Refuge Association Board of Directors.

FINANCIAL REPORT: Wendy reported that our finances are in good shape and that we are proceeding satisfactorily with our income and expenses.

Guest Refuge Manager, Debbie Steen
Alaska Refuge Visitor Services Update
Debbie Steen, Division Chief for Visitor Services and Fire Management, will provide an update on hot issues and initiatives in Visitor Services.

Bite-Sized Science, Dr. Patrcia Reynolds
Arctic Musk Ox
Dr. Patricia Reynolds, Arctic NWR Ecologist is preparing a talk on Muskoxen. Download Presentation

Member Field Report
TBA

Events & Volunteer Opportunities
AUGUST 14- ANCHORAGE- 1:30 p.m. at the Alaska Public Lands Information Center Theater, 605 W. 4^th Avenue for the KICK-OFF EVENT celebrating the Arctic Refuge's 50th anniversary. Bring friends and family! It will be fun, and not lengthy.

SEPTEMBER 1-6, 2010
PALMER-Arctic 50^th Outreach Alaska State Fair
Contact Patricia Wood, Friends Arctic 50^th Events Coordinator- pwood12@earthlink.net

SEPTEMBER 11- ANCHORAGE- Friends Annual Meeting There will be the opportunity for video conferencing at Refuge offices in Anchorage and video conference set up at various Fish & Wildlife offices around the state.

NOW until NOVEMBER 30- The Arctic Sanctuary photo at the UAA/APU consortium library.

OCTOBER 8- ANCHORAGE- Jeff Jones' Arctic Sanctuary Photographer will present as part of UAA Homecoming week

OCTOBER 14 FAIRBANKS, Far North Film Festival

OCTOBER 15 HOMER- Celebrating Izembek's 50th - Opening of Photo show of Tom & Mary's Izembek work, talks by Izembek staff, reception

October 15 - 17 HOMER- Refuges on the Air - 1st Alaska Refuge to participate in this annual event for amateur radio enthusiasts.
http://www.nwrweek-radio.info

Items of Interest
ENTER ARCTIC REFUGE 50TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTO CONTEST. Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge through photography! Enter and get your image(s) published in a 2011 calendar that will celebrate 50 years of Arctic Refuge Wilderness as it looks forward to the next 5096 500 years of protection as pristine special place as part of our national heritage. Entry deadline is August 31 For more information, go to http://northern.org/files/arctic-files/arctic-natioal-wildlife-refuge-50th-anniversary/arctic-refuge-50th-anniversary-calendar-photo-contest
.

The SPRING/SUMMER 2010 ALASKA CLIMATE DISPATCH is available at http://ine.uaf.edu/accap/dispatch.htm.This is the first edition of a quarterly outlook that provides seasonal weather and climate summaries as well as Alaska weather, wildfire, and sea ice outlooks in one easily accessible document. The Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy has developed this prototype climate information tool in partnership with the Alaska Climate Research Center, SEARCH Sea Ice Outlook, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, and the National Weather Service. It is distributed electronically and made available on the website. To be added to the listserve, please send a request to accap@uaf.edu.

News from the National Wildlife Refuge System
Vision Conference for NWRS96 Week of July 10, 2011 in Madison, WI
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service selected Madison, Wisconsin, as the site for its Vision Conference for the National Wildlife Refuge System in 2011! There, we will bring together hundreds of innovative and thoughtful Service employees as well as our partners and supporters to help craft an invigorated strategic direction for the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Hot off the Presses!
The Alaska Anthropological Associations, Aurora Monograph Series has recently published People at the End of the World: the Western Aleutians Project and the Archaeology of Shemya Island. the monograph was edited by Debra Corbett, Dixie West and Christine Lefevre. It can be ordered on-line from the Associations webpage www.alaskaanthropology.org for about $22.00. All proceeds go to the Association Publications Fund. The monograph reports on 4 of the 13 field seasons by the Western Aleutians Archaeological and Paleo-biological Project (WAAPP).

Meeting Minutes
June 15, 2010 meeting: Moose management presentation
Apr 2010 meeting: Kanuti Invasives presentation
February 16, 2010 General membership meeting

Jan 19, 2010 meeting: Rabbit control presentation
December 2009 meeting: Slumps, Sheefish, Selawik .pdf presentation
November 17, 2009 General membership meeting