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The National Wildlife Refuge Association who supports more than 200 organizations, has named their wildlife refuge award winners for 2024 and we at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could not be more proud to see that Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge were recognized as the Refuge Friends Group of the Year. Take a moment to read about what makes this stellar non-profit such an essential partner in our shared conservation mission.
Regional Director Will Meeks and Assistant Regional Director of the National Wildlife Refuge System Sarena Selbo were on hand in to mark this special occasion and show their thanks at the Washington, D.C. event on September 18, 2024.
“We’d like to thank President Steven Byers and the whole team at the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge for their tireless dedication and passion for conservation,” said Assistant Regional Director Selbo. “It was an absolute joy to be able join in this year’s celebration! Steven and the board uphold our agency’s values by building positive relationships with so many communities in and around the footprint of the refuge. I’m excited to see how Refuge Manager Cassie Skaggs and the team work together to grow the refuge and its programs in the future!”
The Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge were awarded the 2024 Molly Krival Award for Refuge Friends Group of the Year for their exemplary community engagement and conservation efforts. Through grassroots advocacy, the group played a pivotal role in the establishment of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in 2012, and they have not stopped there. Friends of Hackmatack continues to support the refuge through events like World Migratory Bird Day, Monarch Mania and Latino Conservation Week. Group members take the long view when it comes to finding innovative ways to support community education, volunteering and restoration projects. They have also fostered strong partnerships with local businesses and conservation organizations to bring others with them on their conservation journey. Their tireless work has enhanced public involvement and awareness, which has set a high standard for other groups across the country.
Named to honor the late Molly Krival, a pioneer in the Refuge Friends Group movement throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System, this award is presented annually to the Friends group whose contributions are judged to be the most outstanding of the candidate groups nominated. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions by the groups of dedicated volunteers in Refuge Friends organizations who provide essential services to the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Located in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois, Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge was built from the ground up by the conservation community. The refuge was authorized on July 10, 2012, and officially established on November 6, 2012, with a 12-acre habitat easement donation from Chicago-based Openlands, an organization dedicated to the protection of the natural and open spaces of northeastern Illinois and the surrounding region. Now encompassing 530 acres, the refuge has grown as a true partnership effort involving many local, state and federal agencies, along with citizen-driven groups.
