Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
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Memberships Hit All-Time High

3/4/2023

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Picture
Several former members renewed their memberships at the Annual Meeting and several new members joined Friends of Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys NWRs that day. Hooray! Our membership numbers are now at an all-time high.
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A Look-Back at 2023 Annual Meeting

3/2/2023

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The sun was shining. The no-see-ums were flocking. It was an almost perfect day for an outdoor Annual Meeting at Refuge headquarters.
Picture of crowd gathering at Annual Meeting
Picture of the merchandise being sold on the porch of the log cabin during Annual Meeting
More than 140 members gathered for the event. They signed in  and visited the welcome tables to chat about Friends Welcome Desk activities in Cedar Key and around the Refuge. The Junior Ranger program launched and several members picked up workbooks so their young friends could participate in the program. The full report from Friends 2020 study of the historical, cultural, and architectural assessment of the Vista property captured a lot of attention with its almost 500 pages of photos, drawings, and stories.
Picture of members at the information tables
Picture of members at the sign-in table
Picture of members at the information tables
Picture of members at the information tables
The new poster that shows all maps and brochures about the Lower Suwannee Refuge was on display. Members were eager for on-the-spot tutorials from the QR-savvy in the crowd. Using a QR code, any map or brochure can be downloaded to your phone while you are on the Refuge, in areas with decent cell tower coverage.
Picture of members tutoring each other on using QR codes
Picture of members tutoring each other on using QR codes
The presentations by Refuge Manager Andrew Gude, outgoing Friends president Debbie Meeks, and incoming Friends president Ginessa Mahar gave broad and deep overviews of Friends actions and impact.
Picture of 1st slide in Meek's presentation
Debbie Meek's Presentation
Picture of 1st slide in Gude's presentation
Andrew Gude's Presentation
Picture of 1st slide in Mahar's presentation
Ginessa Mahar's Presentation
Friends membership chart showed fall off during the pandemic and rising numbers now. The revenues and expenditures reflected similar pandemic trends, plus the increased actions related to Vista, now that the donors have turned it over fully to the Refuge, and to new initiatives such as the Junior Ranger program.
Graph of memberships over the years 2008-2022
Chart of Friends'  Revenues and Expenditures 2021 and 2022
Dr. Ken Sulak's featured presentation was received with great interest and enthusiasm. If you missed it, you missed a detailed and personal look at the stories of Florida's early settlers, their triumphs and hardships.
Picture of Dr. Ken Sulak presenting his talk on Florida history
Another Picture of Dr. Ken Sulak presenting his talk on Florida history
Picture of one of Dr. Sulak's slides
Picture of another of the history slides showing ferry crossings
Lunch was a highlight, as always, with the feast prepared by local stars Ken and Rose McCain.
The River Trail Walk, led by John Thalacker, had more than a dozen participants. The Vista visit had at least that many and especially attracted members who had not previously seen the gifted-property. Hearty folks participated in both walks.
Picture of members gthered at the Cook's House at Vista during the afternoon walk
Picture of the River from the end of the River Trail
It was a welcome change from the virtual meeting two years ago during the height of the pandemic, and from the stormy weather than kept us hunkered down inside the meeting area last year.
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2023 Annual Meeting

2/12/2023

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It is Almost Time -- Saturday, February 25.

As has been our tradition, Friends Annual Meeting will be on the last Saturday in February at Refuge headquarters. It is located off State Road 347 between Chiefland and Cedar Key. The official address is at 16450 NW 31 Pl, Chiefland, FL 32626.

Friends members do not pay a fee to attend the event, including the program, lunch, and afternoon nature walks. The fee for those who are not Friends members is $20 per person.

Pre-program activities will start at 9:30. They include:
  • Signing-in
  • Renewing your membership if you wish to do it that day rather than online
  • Chatting with other members
  • Shopping for Friends merchandise. There will be discounts on some merchandise at the event. Cash purchases are appreciated. They allow Friends to avoid the fees for processing credit card purchases.

It appears that the weather will be ideal for Friends,
and for no-see-ums!
Consider wearing long sleeves and long pants.
See you on Saturday at the Refuge.

New This Year
So much is happening with Friends and the Refuges that tables will be set up where members and visitors can talk to board members and other volunteers, discuss ideas for ways in which they'd like to participate, and learn more about:
  • Junior Ranger program
  • Welcome Desks to meet, greet, and inform more visitors face-to-face
  • Vista Project. We will have one copy of the full, 430-page Assessment Report that resulted from Friends first Vista grant available at the table.
  • The afternoon guided nature walk options to Vista or River Trail
  • What is happening and envisioned on the Refuges
The tables will close during the program and reopen after the Featured Presentation.
Picture three men chatting before Annual Meeting
Picture of folk signing in before Annual Meeting
Program activities will start at 10:15. They include:
  • Welcome by President Debbie Meeks
  • Refuge update by Refuge Manager Andrew Gude
  • Friends update by President-elect Dr. Ginessa Mahar
  • Election of the 2023 Board and Officers
  • Featured presentation by Dr. Ken Sulak, Finding Florida - Crossing the Lower Suwannee River in the 1800s: Early Ferries, Bridges, and Trestles.
Picture of Andrew Gude presenting the Refuge update at Annual Meeting
Picture of Debbie Meeks and Peg Hall preparing for presentations at Annual Meeting
After the Featured Presentation, while lunch is being set up and served, the information and discussion tables will be open again.
Lunch will be about noon. Ken McCain will cater.

Afternoon Exploration Options
  • Walk to Vista. See the property with its Suwannee River view and the
    Cook's House. Tour the Main House's interior. Board members will act as docents.
  • For those who prefer a nature walk, John Thalacker will lead a guided stroll on the River Trail.
Picture of tables of Friends  members having lunch
Picture of two Friends members on a nature walk at Annual Meeting
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Refuge-Related Library Talks

2/11/2023

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Several presentations are coming soon about the Refuges. Check them out below. The next one is this Thursday.
Picture
Thurs, Feb 16 at 5 p.m. -- Friends' president Debbie Meeks and board member Denise Feiber What to Do and See on a Visit to the Lower Suwannee Refuge

Thurs. Mar 2 at 5 p.m. -- Daniel Barrand, Refuge Forester, USFWS/LSNWR The History of Cummer Mill  and John McPherson, Friends board member Restoring Vista

Thurs. Mar 9 at 5 p.m. -- Dr. Ginessa Mahar, Friends president, Ancient Aquaculture and Fishing Practices: New Insights from Shell Mound.

Sat, Mar 11 at 10:30 a.m. -- Dr. Ken Sassaman Amazon Travels: How the Ceremonial Gatherings of Modern Tribal People Inform Archaeological Perspectives on Shell Mound 

Thurs. March 30 at 5 p.m. -- Friends board member Barbara Woodmansee, Butterflies of North Florida
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UPDATE - Wish List - Junior Ranger Badges

2/10/2023

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Wishes do come true! Friends member John Douglass has sponsored the Junior Ranger badges. Hurray and many thanks from the kids, and all the other Friends.
Our Junior Ranger booklet is about to go to press. We also need to order badges to give the kids when they complete the exercises. The minimum order is 200 badges and costs $240.

Covering that cost is high on our Wish List for this month. If you would like to be a badge sponsor, email friends@friendsofrefuges. We expect to be ready to launch the program by the time of the Annual Meeting in February.

Here is the final draft of the booklet.
Picture of the Lower Suwannee NWR Junior Ranger badge
Lower Suwannee NWR Junior Ranger badge
Picture og the cover of the Junior Ranger Workbook
Junior Ranger Workbook
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Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
P. O. Box 532
Cedar Key, FL 32625
friends@friendsofrefuges.org

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.


  • Home
    • Current News
  • About
    • About Friends >
      • Who We Are
      • What We Do
      • Current News
      • Contact Us
    • About the Refuges >
      • Our Refuges
      • Places of Interest
      • Hunting Brochure
  • Join
    • Donate
  • Maps
    • Paddling Guides
    • Refuge Maps
    • Trail Brochures
    • Places of Interest
  • Wildlife
    • Science
  • Hunt & Fish
    • Hunting
    • FWS Hunting Brochure
    • Fishing
    • Hunter SignUp
  • Search
  • Store
    • Shirts
    • Hats
    • Books
    • Earrings
    • Gift Donation
    • On Sale