Protect and Conserve Ottawa Refuge.
Make a donation, make an impact.
Many Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge supporters give beyond their membership dues by volunteering or regularly purchasing items in the Rookery Nature Store. Others make annual or monthly donations to programs they especially value. We aid the refuge with several projects each year. These vary from tangible places that you can visit to interns whose lives are forever changed by your generosity funding their time at the refuge. Below, you can learn more about these opportunities to support Ottawa Refuge. It is possible to make a donation in memory or honor of someone special to you. You may also donate online through your donor advised fund. If you have a donor advised fund, DAF Direct enables you to recommend grants to this nonprofit directly from your fund (as long as your DAF's sponsoring organization is participating). Prefer to send a check? Checks may be made out to: Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and mailed to: FONWR | 14000 W. State Route 2 | Oak Harbor, OH 43449 If you have questions about donations, please call 419-898-0014 x13. |
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Make a general donation.
Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge relies on your help to protect and conserve Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Your generosity allows Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to provide transportation grants that allow kids to explore the great outdoors, fund maintenance and restoration initiatives, and arrange stipends for refuge interns to help with all of these meaningful projects. Unrestricted funds are so important to the work that we do at Ottawa Refuge. Without selecting a designation for your gift, you are allowing Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge to put your funds to work where we need it most. As we are a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, donations are tax-exempt to the fullest extent allowed by law. Our EIN is 34-1904821. |
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Help us recover from coronavirus loss.
The Rookery Nature Store and Ottawa Refuge Visitor Center have been closed due to COVID-19 since March 16, 2020, and our hearts are breaking a little more each day. Springtime is a crucial season for Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge as the increased visitation allows us to raise funds for the refuge. With our income streams frozen for the foreseeable future we are crushed and struggling, but we are not beaten. Potential losses for 2020:
We know that our community is resilient and that what we do on a regular basis makes an impact at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Friends of Ottawa NWR still has work to do and more than 10,000 acres of critical shoreline habitats to support. We don't know what the future will bring, but we do know that the refuge still desperately needs your help. Donating today will make sure that we can get back on track once this crisis is over. Can you help? |
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Support the Marinewood Restoration.
The Marinewood Unit is located on SR 163 between Oak Harbor and Port Clinton. This 62.2 acre unit is named after the old Marinewood Golf Course. Ducks Unlimited donated the golf course to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2014. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge now manages the parcel. The USFWS has completed a restoration project and has plans to open the property for public use. Bald eagles frequent this parcel, providing a unique wildlife observation opportunity. Future plans for the Marinewood Restoration also include providing restrooms, an RV pad for a site host, and potentially a raised boardwalk and shelter house. The next phase of the project will focus on increasing visitor amenities including a gravel trail, kayak launch, kiosk, and nature play area. Phase II is estimated to cost $25,000. Can you help us to complete Phase II of this project? |
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Adopt an intern.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge interns make a huge impact for conservation at your national wildlife refuge. Most interns are college students involved with Biology, Conservation, or Environmental Studies programs. While gaining valuable work experience and assisting refuge staff with projects, refuge interns live and work at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge for 13 week terms. Internship opportunities are offered at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge year-round as funds are available. While the refuge provides free housing for interns, they do not have funds available to pay them for their time. Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge provides living stipends for interns at a rate of $400 per week for a total of $5,200 per internship. The offer of free housing, a small living stipend while learning about conservation is a huge draw for students across the country. There is need for a total of six, 13 week intern stipends per year. You can sponsor an intern for $400 a week, or sponsor their entire experience for $5,200. Sponsors will receive an updates from their adopted intern(s) while they assist with conservation efforts at Ottawa Refuge. Want to help, but not ready to make the $5,200 contribution? Set up your account to donate $33.34 each month to sponsor a refuge intern for one week over the course of a year. |
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Sponsor a field trip.
Teaching children about the environment and why we should value it is a major goal at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge currently brings environmental education programs to about 4,500 students per year from surrounding counties. Unfortunately, many students are missed because their schools just don’t have money for field trips. Each year, Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (FONWR) provides $2,500 towards the cost of transportation grants. There is need for a total of 15 transportation grants per year. Please help us teach our next generation to value our environment and how to protect it. Help us teach them to become good stewards of the earth. Please consider sponsoring the visit of one or more classes each year for $250 each. Together, we can make a difference. Want to help, but not ready to make the $250 contribution? Use the custom amount of $4.81 and set the frequency to "weekly" to make an impact a little bit at a time.
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Donate to improve West Harbor Landing.
West Harbor is a 16 acre parcel that was purchased by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from the Bradley family in 2016. It is located on Catawba Island, about 4 miles east of Port Clinton, Ohio. Much of the acreage is marshland. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge has improved the remaining land to include pollinator habitat and visitor amenities including a fishing platform/observation deck, canoe/kayak launch, benches, trash/recycling, and signage. Additional funds raised will support lawn maintenance and upkeep. Future plans include establishing a shade structure or gazebo to further improve this site for wildlife observation. |
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Help to purchase and restore land.
One of Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge's long term goals is to establish a $500,000 Land Acquisition and Restoration Fund. This fund will allow us to aid the refuge with the purchase of land from willing property owners and restoration of existing refuge parcels from Toledo to the Sandusky Bay. So far, donations have helped us to purchase two parcels of land totaling 40.56 acres. These parcels have been sold to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and are officially part of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Funds from the land sale are placed back into the Land Acquisition and Restoration Fund for future use, allowing us to support the refuge by acquiring and restoring more land. If you love federal lands, donate today to help support this worthy cause. Consider setting up a recurring gift of $50 or $100 a month to make an impact a little bit at a time. |
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Become a member.
Do your part for conservation and education in this critical stopover habitat and become a Friends of Ottawa NWR member. In return, you will receive discounts in The Rookery Nature Store, quarterly e-newsletters and biweekly updates, access to Members Only presentations and tours, discounts from a wide variety of businesses in the Oak Harbor area, and the reward of knowing that you're supporting Ohio's only National Wildlife Refuge Complex! Membership Levels: $20 Student / Senior $30 Individual $45 Family $100 Best Friend $250 Trumpeter Club $500 Snowy Owl Club $1000 Eagle Club $2500 Osprey Club |
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Create a lasting legacy.
You've spent a lifetime supporting organizations and causes that reflect your values. So why not consider including an enduring purpose gift as part of your overall financial or estate plan? By making an enduring purpose gift to Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, you create a legacy that protects a place you value for future generations. An enduring purpose gift gives you the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy - making the world a better place. It ultimately comes down to your values - to consideration of the legacy you leave behind from your time on this earth. It feels good to support things you care about. Your decision to do that - to give back - reflects an important value you pass on to future generations. We invite you to help ensure that the Refuge you love remains healthy and thrives. Help protect its natural habitats and the plants and animals that live there. Help teach more children about the environment and conservation. Help preserve the special place that is the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex. |
Item Wish List
Education and Interpretation:
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Equipment Wish ListEducation and Interpretation:
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Donations may also be made through PayPal.
