Annual Meeting -- March 4

Doors will open for registration at 9:00 AM. The event, including lunch, is included in your membership. The fee for non-members is $10. You can join or renew your membership at the door, or ahead of time online at the link above. Thanks so much to the many who have already renewed. Special thanks to those who have become life members or those renewing at higher contribution levels.

The Friends booth will be open for purchases when the doors open. We have the new Passports for the National Wildlife Refuges. Each of the more than 500 refuges is listed with a place for you to get a stamp from the refuge when you go to visit it. We also will have new t-shirts and other items for sale.

The 2017 Photo Contest will also be open at 9:00 AM. Again this year, the Photo Contest is open to all comers -- members, non-members, amateurs, experienced, young, and not-so-young. The photos must be nature-related, but are not limited to our refuges. We are requesting that you donate the photos, which will be auctioned in a silent auction. Bring your checkbooks and take art home with you! Guidelines for the contest are available here. Deadline is March 2.

The program will begin at 10:00 AM and include an overview of Friends 2016 accomplishments and 2017 plans. The Slate of Officers and Directors will be elected.

The 2017 featured speakers will be our own Refuge Staff members. They will talk about how the refuge was acquired by us, what has been accomplished to restore the land to Old Florida quality, and how our refuge leadership is playing an active role in the conservation of the quality of life and economic viability of Florida's Big Bend.

After our always wonderful lunch (contributed desserts would be welcomed!), we will have guided walks of the River Trail and the Tram Ridge Trail, and a demonstration of our Bioblitz techniques.