| Friends volunteer many hours working on special and on-going projects in cooperation with refuge staff. Activities include helping with educational programs, trail work, and public use activities, such as Saturdays at the Refuge. Additional volunteers are needed and welcomed! |
| Noxubee Nature Store is located inside the Visitor Center and carries a wide array of merchandise including books, jewelry, wooden toys, shirts and caps, puppets, decorative items, and a variety of other wildlife related items. Stop by the store to see all the great merchandise and to meet the friendly volunteers. Store Hours: Monday through Friday, 8.a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Additional volunteers are needed to keep the store open during weekends and on days when special activities are scheduled, such as the National Wildlife Refuge Week celebration. Contact Nature Store Coordinator Florence Box at 662-323-6895 or e-mail her at fbox6895@yahoo.com. All proceeds from the Nature Store are used to fund FONR projects and activities that benefit the refuge and its visitors. |
| Visitor Center Staffing |
| Volunteering at the Visitor Center is a great way of helping the refuge. Friends staff the front desk and Nature Store from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays and most holidays. It is also a wonderful way to meet new people, make new friends and enjoy the beauty of the refuge. Volunteers are always needed, and you can do as much or as little as you want. Training is available . If you would like to help, our Visitor Center Coordinator Barbara Crawford would love to talk to you. Contact her at the refuge at 662-323-5548. Store Hours: Monday through Friday, 8.a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Amateur Nature Photography Contest |
| An amateur photography contest is conducted annually. Wildlife and scenic photos taken within the confines of Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge within the dates of the current year's contest are judged in four classes, two age groups and two scene categories. amateur photographers should see the 2007 Contest Rules for specific qualifications and print out an Entry Form. |
| Contest Winners |
| Fishing Derby |
| FONR volunteers assist the refuge staff in staging a Fishing Derby for youth 5-15 years old. Accompanied by an adult, the youth fish in ponds stocked with catfish and used exclusively for special recreational fishing events. |
| Trail Walkers |
| Volunteers walk the trails of Noxubee monthly, keeping them clear of trash and reporting any maintenance problems to the refuge staff. |
| Bluebird Trail |
| The bluebird houses on the refuge are maintained by volunteers. They monitor and clean out the houses as needed. |
| Morgan Hill |
| FONR volunteers are helping restore prairie plants formerly found in the unique soil there. |
| Watchable Wildlife |
| Volunteers assist with a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funded project that provided solar powered video cameras and microphones to bring sights and sounds to a monitor in the Visitor Center. At different times of the year the cameras provide live videos of the rookery, endangered wood storks, bald eagles, wintering ducks, alligators, and a variety of shore birds. |
| Native Plant Garden |
| FONR volunteers have created and are maintaining a native plant area in front of the Visitor Center. The garden serves as a focal point for the Visitor Center grounds and demonstrates the variety of native plants available for use in home yards and gardens. |
| Junior Refuge Ranger Program |
| This program provides young people with conservation information, environmental education and recreation. After successfully completing six activities, the youth is named a Junior Refuge Ranger and receives a certificate and award. |
| Other Activities |
| FONR volunteers plan and support quarterly meetings on the 3rd Thursday in January, April, June, and September at 6:30 p.m. in the Tisdale Auditorium of the Visitor Center. |
| Volunteers publish a quarterly newsletter. |
| FONR website |
| www.friends-of-noxubee-refuge.org is designed and maintained by volunteers. |
| Family-oriented activities are planned and often conducted by FONR members each first and third Saturday. A variety of interesting and fun events are scheduled for 2007. All activities are open to the public. |
| Volunteer Opportunities and Projects |
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