Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
  • HOME
  • YOUR REFUGE
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Ottawa NWR Complex
    • Refuge Challenges
    • Recent Sightings
    • Visitor Center
    • Kids Corner
    • Wildlife Drive
    • Endangered Wildlife
    • Endangered Plants
    • Research >
      • Bald Eagle Updates
      • West Sister Island Rookery
      • Blanding's Turtles
    • Gallery >
      • Most Memorable Moments
      • Photos by Friends
    • Wildlife Observation & Birding Tips
    • Timing of Bird Migration
    • Spring Birding Spots
    • Fishing and Hunting Information
    • Refuge Staff
    • EV Charging Station
    • Barn Quilt Trail
    • Know Your Signs
    • National Wildlife Refuge System
  • Who we are
    • Our Story
    • Friends History
    • Network of Friends
    • Strategic Goals
    • Financials
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends Staff
    • Community Partners
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Events >
      • Spring Migration
      • Chili Cookoff
      • Photography Contest
    • Friends Programs >
      • Land Acquisition and Restoration
      • Internship Program
      • Environmental Education Grants
      • Nature Programs
    • Friends Projects >
      • Shuttle
      • Bird Friendly Facility Project
      • Fox Nature Preserve
      • Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve
      • Portage River Water Trail
      • Marinewood Restoration
      • West Harbor Project
      • Wildlife Drive Improvements
      • Visitor Center Fishing Access
    • Recent Accomplishments
    • Carrying on a Legacy
  • HOW TO HELP
    • Donate
    • License Plate
    • Become a Member
    • Wheels for Wetlands
    • Legacy Gifts
    • Federal Duck Stamp Program
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Portal
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Conservation at Home
    • Say No to Balloon Releases
  • Shop

Protect and Conserve Ottawa Refuge.

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Make a donation, make an impact.
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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).
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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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Donate Monthly
Contribute monthly to conservation.
The Blue Wing Flock supports Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge's core priorities: Youth Development, Public Access Projects, and Land Acquisition & Restoration. Your automatic, monthly or recurring gift as a Blue Wing helps ensure we’re always ready to protect nature, when and where it’s needed most.
--$5/month could provide a volunteer with tools
--$10/month could maintain a trail
--$25/month could help to restore prairie, wetland, and woodland habitats
--$50/month could provide transportation and supplies for a field trip
--$100/month could invest in the future of an intern

As a special thanks to you for joining the Blue Wing Flock, you will receive exclusive communications and updates from the refuge. Join our flock, and sign up today to create a visible impact at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.

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Make a General Donation
Make a general donation.
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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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Become a Member
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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Add Land to the Refuge
Help to purchase and restore land.
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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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Adopt an Intern
Adopt an intern.
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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.
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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.

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Sponsor a Field Trip
Sponsor a field trip.
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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 stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.
Donating appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual funds is quick, simple and may provide you with tax benefits. 
1. Issue the gift in the name of Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge.
2. Please include your name on the delivery instructions to ensure proper crediting.
3. Send the gift to the following broker: LPL Financial, Contact: Mike Kelso
DTC #: 0075
FONWR Acct #: 7692-9918
Federal ID #: 34-1904821
Phone: 419-704-4789
Email: michael.kelso@lpl.com 
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For more information, please contact Aimee Arent, Executive Director at friendsofottawanwr@gmail.com or 419-707-7756.

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Create a Legacy
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. 
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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. 

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Restore Marinewood
Support the Marinewood Restoration.
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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 $40,000.  Can you help us to complete Phase II of this project?

Item Wish List

Equipment Wish List

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Education and Interpretation:
  • ​Help us bring in the birds! Black-oil sunflower seed, niger seed, whole peanuts, and suet cakes
-Digital Cameras and SD Cards
  • -Fishing Tackle, Rods, and Supplies ✓
  • -Bird feeders and stands for Wildlife Window ✓
  • -Monarch Waystation Signs (Need 5, totaling $124.75)
  • -Black Picture frames and white matts (9x12, x10) (13X19, x10) ✓
Visitor Center Maintenance:
  • Batteries
  • Flashlights​
Friends Group Office Supplies:
  • White Copy Paper
  • Office Depot Gift Cards
Friends Group Fundraising Events:
  • Silent Auction Items
  • Door Prizes

Education and Interpretation: 
  • Wheelchair (Used or new!) ✓
  • Outreach banners & displays
    • ​Banner Stand ($332.00)
    • Trade Show Super Set ($1663.00)
  • Canoes (7), Life vests (50- varying sizes), Paddles (50), and a Canoe Trailer to support new programming in 2021
  • Updated AV Equipment for Multipurpose Room ✓
  • Interpretive Tour Bus ($50,000)
  • Tram ($30,000)
  • Vehicle to pull tram ($40,000)
For RV Volunteers:
  • Washer, dryer✓, and utility sink✓ for RV Pads (Used or new!)
General Maintenance:
  • Leafblower
  • Animal-proof trash cans (Need 10 at $1,123/each)
  • Semi to haul heavy equipment ($50,000) ✓
Restoration:
  • 8x20 Greenhouse ($4,199.99)
  • 16x20 Greenhouse ($7,963.99)
Donations may also be made through PayPal.
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Friends of Ottawa NWR
14000 W. State Route 2
Oak Harbor, OH 43449 

  
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419-898-0014 x13
friendsofottawanwr@gmail.com

 EIN: 34-1904821   
Visitor Center open Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm.
  • HOME
  • YOUR REFUGE
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Ottawa NWR Complex
    • Refuge Challenges
    • Recent Sightings
    • Visitor Center
    • Kids Corner
    • Wildlife Drive
    • Endangered Wildlife
    • Endangered Plants
    • Research >
      • Bald Eagle Updates
      • West Sister Island Rookery
      • Blanding's Turtles
    • Gallery >
      • Most Memorable Moments
      • Photos by Friends
    • Wildlife Observation & Birding Tips
    • Timing of Bird Migration
    • Spring Birding Spots
    • Fishing and Hunting Information
    • Refuge Staff
    • EV Charging Station
    • Barn Quilt Trail
    • Know Your Signs
    • National Wildlife Refuge System
  • Who we are
    • Our Story
    • Friends History
    • Network of Friends
    • Strategic Goals
    • Financials
    • Board of Directors
    • Friends Staff
    • Community Partners
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Events >
      • Spring Migration
      • Chili Cookoff
      • Photography Contest
    • Friends Programs >
      • Land Acquisition and Restoration
      • Internship Program
      • Environmental Education Grants
      • Nature Programs
    • Friends Projects >
      • Shuttle
      • Bird Friendly Facility Project
      • Fox Nature Preserve
      • Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve
      • Portage River Water Trail
      • Marinewood Restoration
      • West Harbor Project
      • Wildlife Drive Improvements
      • Visitor Center Fishing Access
    • Recent Accomplishments
    • Carrying on a Legacy
  • HOW TO HELP
    • Donate
    • License Plate
    • Become a Member
    • Wheels for Wetlands
    • Legacy Gifts
    • Federal Duck Stamp Program
    • Volunteer >
      • Volunteer Portal
    • Corporate Sponsors
    • Conservation at Home
    • Say No to Balloon Releases
  • Shop