NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Because of the approaching hurricane, all our refuges will be closed until further notice.  Be safe everyone!

We are proud to announce that the Friends' first Mobile App has launched!  "Savannah NWR Tour" is now available for free in the iTunes and Android stores and is online as well at fscwr.oncell.com.

The App and website provide the most comprehensive one-stop resource available for information about Savannah NWR and refuge activities.  Please check it out and let us know if you find any errors or think additional info should be added.

A big Friends group Thanks! to the City of Hardeeville, SC, for providing the funding to make this project happen.

A big Friends welcome to Susan Kellett and Georgia Walters who have been appointed to fill two vacant seats on the Friends Board.

Georgia will become assistant manager of The Gator Hole.

Susan will focus on improving and expanding our social media presence.

The Friends Annual General Membership Meeting will be held on Saturday, May 4th at the Savannah NWR Visitor Center starting at noon.  After a brief business portion, guests will hear a refuge update regarding hurricane repair efforts.  Then we will lead a walking tour of the Discovery Center (still under construction), then return to the VC for a presentation by Refuge Biologist Wayne Harris on using native plants to attract wildlife to you yard or other property.

The Friends will be co-sponsoring (along with US Fish & Wildlife Service and Georgia DNR) Kids' Fishing Day on June 8th at Harris Neck NWR from 10AM-2:30PM.  

Kids from 5-12 may participate and will receive a fishing rod and reel, bait, tackle, and lunch, as well as instruction in casting, fishing ethics, and water safety.

The event is free and open to the public but registration is required since space is limited.  Call 843-784-2468 to register or for more info or check out the Harris Neck NWR website.

Due to delays in construction, the Grand Opening of the Discovery Center has been postponed.  No date has yet been set.  Those of you who attend the Friends Annual Meeting on may 4th will get a guided tour of the site.

Pinckney Island NWR will be closed to the public from Monday April 29th through Friday May 3rd to allow for repairs to the entrance road.

I am pleased to announce that the long-anticipated Kingfisher Discovery Center at Savannah NWR is under construction!  After years of fund-raising and changes in plans, we have finally begun construction, with an anticipated completion date at the end of April 2019.

Watch this site for further details on the Grand Opening now set for may 4th.

Nancy Fernandez, Refuge Outreach Coordinator, is the subject of an La Isla article about Pinckney Island. La Isla Magazine is an award winning bilingual glossy publication serving the Latino communities of South Carolina and Georgia. See https://issuu.com/laisla/docs/la_isla_april_2018 - page 16.  

Hard to believe but the Friends will hold our 10th Annual Meeting at 6 PM on Thursday, April 5th, 2018 at the palmetto Electric Coop in Hardeeville, SC.!   We are pleased to welcome back Tony Mills from the Lowcountry Institute with his presentation "Living in our Coastal Kingdom: Lessons Learned from Lowcountry Animals".  Tony is a well-known and well-respected naturalist and star of the long-running TV series Coastal Kingdom. His presentation will feature a collection of his animal friends with an opportunity for the audience to get up close and personal with these amazing creatures.

      Shaw Davis, Deputy Project Leader for the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex, will present a “State of the Refuges” update. Rick Shields, Friends president, will report on activities of the Friends group over the past year, and give an update on theKingfisher Discovery Center Project.  We will also hold an election to fill four open seats on the Friends Board of Directors.

     This meeting is free and open to the public, with light refreshments and live music.  Only Friends members are eligible to vote (you can join up or renew at the door). We are holding both an on-line auction prior to the meeting (bidding opens March 22) and a silent auction at the meeting.  We will offer some exciting and unique nature-oriented items that you will not find elsewhere. 

     For questions, email webmaster@coastalrefuges.org or call 912-604-1872. Directions to Palmetto Electric Coop.