Welcome Friends...

Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc., is an organization of volunteers from coastal Georgia and South Carolina dedicated to preserving and protecting the seven National Wildlife Refuges in our area.  These refuges, managed and protected by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US F&WS), are oases of wildness in our midst.  They are truly "America's Best Kept Secret". 

In return, we must respect the needs of the native plants and animals that inhabit the refuges, and protect them from habitat destruction, pollution, and other threats to their survival.

Join us as we organize educational activities and tours, help with maintenance and upkeep, and staff the new visitor center at Savannah NWR.

The Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Visitor Center on Saturday, March 6th, 2010, was a resounding success!  An estimated 265 guests listened to speakers and presentations and toured the new facility.

Many thanks to all the volunteers and refuge staff who worked so hard to make the big day so much fun.

Click here to read more...

The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive at Savannah NWR is now closed, and will not reopen until at least January 2011.  We all hate the loss, even temporarily of this great resource, but the repairs to the fresh water diversion system were long overdue, and when completed should tremendously enhance the service's ability to manage and maintain the impoundments.  Click HERE for more details.

Check out our new blog at http://blog.coastalrefuges.org !

On Tuesday, June 29th, F&WS and your Friends group sponsored an Invasive Species Workshop at the Visitor Center.  Nearly 50 people attended a very informative presentation on invasives by Refuge Biologist Chuck Hayes.  Since then a committee structure was formed to develop our programs and on Saturday July 24 the first training session on species identification was held at the Solomon Tract.  Contact us to find out how you can become involved in the effort to protect our wildlife habitats from imported non-native plant species.  Click HERE for the workshop flyer.

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How Can You Get Involved?

There are many ways you can participate in the Friends group to show your support for our local refuges.  You don’t need to drive a tractor, pick up trash, or run a mower…but it helps!  

• Join Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc.  (FSCWR).  Membership is $15 per year for an individual and $25 for a family.  The larger our membership, the more impact we have when we speak with legislators or regulators regarding issues that impact the refuges.

• make a tax-deductible donation

• Become a volunteer at your local refuge, dig in and get dirty.

• Encourage your friends and colleagues to join FSCWR. 

• Talk to your employer about becoming a Corporate Sponsor. 

• Check the web site regularly for upcoming events. 

• Shop at "The Gator Hole", our nature store located in the new visitor center.  All proceeds will be used to fund projects on the refuges.

• Speak out at local hearings in support of your refuge.

• Subscribe to our electronic newsletter (see below).

Join Our Mailing List Enter your e-mail:

FSCWR is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization under the Internal Revenue Code.  Contributions to FSCWR are tax deductible.