Twenty Five Years of Friendship for Your Wildlife Refuge
1996 Initial meeting at the refuge headquarters. Thirty-five people attended this meeting, most from the immediate area. Support was strong. A board of directors was elected, and the name Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Association was chosen.
1997 It all began. Received $5000 capacity building and project grant from the National Wildlife Refuge Association to produce a logo, create banners, purchase a computer system, and put a ramp in at the trail head parking lot. Then refuge manager, Larry Martin even drove his car over it to pack it down after it was built!
1998 Membership numbers grew to over 100.
1999 Started to sell a small inventory of bookstore items. Annual sales were roughly $2,000 and profits were set aside for refuge projects and organizational needs. Began to advocate for a Visitor Center.
2001 Purchased golf cart shuttle to increase access to the hiking trails for disabled and elderly individuals who needed assistance to get out and explore.
2002 On March 14, a centennial ceremony was held to honor the 100th year of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center was held, and a time capsule was sealed. Later that year, the Association built the observation deck at Stange Prairie.
2003 Check received for $1.35 million from First Energy to restore Farm Unit 2 and to include accessible boardwalk and outdoor restrooms near the Visitor Center.
2006 Received grant for “Reading with Puddles” program and purchased 250+ kids books and refuge mascot costume.
2007 Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center opens on May 11, 2007, International Migratory Bird Day. Center included a nice space for a store. West Sister Island featured on Dirty Jobs. First Cars for Critters benefit car show held.
2012 Boss Unit Shorebird Deck built.
2013 Received an Ohio Environmental Education Foundation grant ($48,460) to equip the Refuge Ranger Station with educational materials and provide staffing to update curriculum on wetlands, native species and migratory birds. With funds from another grant, we also hired consultant Cathy Allen to help the board with strategic planning and budgeting.
2014 Purchased automatic gates for the Ottawa Wildlife Drive to increase and enhance access to wildlife viewing opportunities at ONWR. Created a policy manual and 10 year strategic plan.
2015 Hired first salaried staff member who worked towards our strategic goals.
2016 Re-branded as Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Constructed Wildlife Window. Enhanced Biggest Week activities with arts and crafts vendors. Started a petition to create an Ottawa NWR license plate.
2017 Raised $100,000 in gross Nature Store sales, and had nearly 800 members.
2018 Explored our first land acquisition opportunity, 40 acres across State Route 2 from the Refuge Visitor Center. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge license plates became available in Ohio BMVs.
2019 Purchased 40 acres of farmland and secured an Ohio EPA grant to restore the property. We also purchased a .56 acre addition to the Kontz Unit which helped to mitigate water control issues in that location. In addition we used a total of nearly $70,000 to support intern stipends, visitor access and maintenance projects.
2020 Even though the pandemic began and the Visitor Center and Nature Store shut down, we found creative ways to continue support of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. A total of $103,885 went directly to helping the refuge complex. We built new pull-offs and added interpretive signs on the Wildlife Drive, purchased a tractor for volunteers to help maintain the dike trails, sponsored three interns, installed an ADA compliant parking space and sidewalk at West Harbor Landing, and prepped and seeded 29.5 acres of native plants at the Fox Nature Preserve.
2021 The Friends group received national and local recognition through two awards: The Public Lands Partner Award and the Nonprofit Excellence Award. In 2021 a total of $167,900 sponsored 7 internships, completed the tree restoration project on the Fox Nature Preserve and built a parking area, kiosk, and mowed grass hiking trail, paved the parking area at West Harbor Landing, built an ADA compliant kayak launch at the Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve, helped to fund the Bird Friendly Facility Project on the refuge, and served as the fiscal sponsor for the Portage River Water Trail. We also purchased and restored a 16.5 acre parcel to prairie habitat along Turtle Creek.
2022 We started off the year with a 12 acre wetland purchase, an addition to the Turkey Run Unit. Imagine what else we can accomplish this year with your support. Learn how you can help today!
1997 It all began. Received $5000 capacity building and project grant from the National Wildlife Refuge Association to produce a logo, create banners, purchase a computer system, and put a ramp in at the trail head parking lot. Then refuge manager, Larry Martin even drove his car over it to pack it down after it was built!
1998 Membership numbers grew to over 100.
1999 Started to sell a small inventory of bookstore items. Annual sales were roughly $2,000 and profits were set aside for refuge projects and organizational needs. Began to advocate for a Visitor Center.
2001 Purchased golf cart shuttle to increase access to the hiking trails for disabled and elderly individuals who needed assistance to get out and explore.
2002 On March 14, a centennial ceremony was held to honor the 100th year of the National Wildlife Refuge System. A groundbreaking ceremony for the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center was held, and a time capsule was sealed. Later that year, the Association built the observation deck at Stange Prairie.
2003 Check received for $1.35 million from First Energy to restore Farm Unit 2 and to include accessible boardwalk and outdoor restrooms near the Visitor Center.
2006 Received grant for “Reading with Puddles” program and purchased 250+ kids books and refuge mascot costume.
2007 Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center opens on May 11, 2007, International Migratory Bird Day. Center included a nice space for a store. West Sister Island featured on Dirty Jobs. First Cars for Critters benefit car show held.
2012 Boss Unit Shorebird Deck built.
2013 Received an Ohio Environmental Education Foundation grant ($48,460) to equip the Refuge Ranger Station with educational materials and provide staffing to update curriculum on wetlands, native species and migratory birds. With funds from another grant, we also hired consultant Cathy Allen to help the board with strategic planning and budgeting.
2014 Purchased automatic gates for the Ottawa Wildlife Drive to increase and enhance access to wildlife viewing opportunities at ONWR. Created a policy manual and 10 year strategic plan.
2015 Hired first salaried staff member who worked towards our strategic goals.
2016 Re-branded as Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Constructed Wildlife Window. Enhanced Biggest Week activities with arts and crafts vendors. Started a petition to create an Ottawa NWR license plate.
2017 Raised $100,000 in gross Nature Store sales, and had nearly 800 members.
2018 Explored our first land acquisition opportunity, 40 acres across State Route 2 from the Refuge Visitor Center. Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge license plates became available in Ohio BMVs.
2019 Purchased 40 acres of farmland and secured an Ohio EPA grant to restore the property. We also purchased a .56 acre addition to the Kontz Unit which helped to mitigate water control issues in that location. In addition we used a total of nearly $70,000 to support intern stipends, visitor access and maintenance projects.
2020 Even though the pandemic began and the Visitor Center and Nature Store shut down, we found creative ways to continue support of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. A total of $103,885 went directly to helping the refuge complex. We built new pull-offs and added interpretive signs on the Wildlife Drive, purchased a tractor for volunteers to help maintain the dike trails, sponsored three interns, installed an ADA compliant parking space and sidewalk at West Harbor Landing, and prepped and seeded 29.5 acres of native plants at the Fox Nature Preserve.
2021 The Friends group received national and local recognition through two awards: The Public Lands Partner Award and the Nonprofit Excellence Award. In 2021 a total of $167,900 sponsored 7 internships, completed the tree restoration project on the Fox Nature Preserve and built a parking area, kiosk, and mowed grass hiking trail, paved the parking area at West Harbor Landing, built an ADA compliant kayak launch at the Nehls Memorial Nature Preserve, helped to fund the Bird Friendly Facility Project on the refuge, and served as the fiscal sponsor for the Portage River Water Trail. We also purchased and restored a 16.5 acre parcel to prairie habitat along Turtle Creek.
2022 We started off the year with a 12 acre wetland purchase, an addition to the Turkey Run Unit. Imagine what else we can accomplish this year with your support. Learn how you can help today!
“For a brief moment in time, I was fortunate enough to be associated with some of the most amazing naturalists, hikers, hunters, and outdoors folks NW Ohio has to offer. All the refuge staff, especially Rebecca, Mike and Chris Crofts, Bill and Sharon Dailey, Bob Morrison, Sharon Cummings, Tom Bartlett, Jackie Breno, Nicole (Breno) Crofts, Jack and Janet Volker, Al and Betty Schlecht, so many more… we are all just people who wanted to help. At the end of the day, I can look back knowing that we never doubted that “a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.””
—John Hinkle, Board President (2002-2007)
