Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends

Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends' objectives include:

1. Manage the Blufftop Nature Store at the Bloomington Education & Visitor Center
2. Welcome visitors and answer questions about the Refuge lands and programs at public information desks
3. Fundraise to support environmental education, habitat restoration, urban outreach, and art-related programs at the Refuge
4. Support Refuge programs and advocate for local environmental issues
5. Create opportunities for youth from under-resourced communities to engage with nature

Build awareness for the Refuge

Remove barriers that prevent youth and visitors from visiting the Refuge

Ensure a positive experience for visitors to encourage repeat visits

Recruit and maintain a volunteer base

Secure funding for existing and new educational programming and resources; habitat restoration; urban outreach; and art programming at the Refuge

In addition to Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends, the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge is also supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the Minnesota Valley Trust. These entities work together to ensure that Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge remains one of the premier urban refuges in the country.

Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends is led by a strong and dedicated board of directors who all volunteer for numerous activities at the Refuge.

In 2019, Refuge Friends hired its first employee and Executive Director who is responsible for modernizing the operations of the organization.

The Refuge is proud to have a dedicated network of more than 400 volunteers.

Thanks to generous support from our Refuge Friends donor-members as well as funders, Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends has been able to accomplish the following during FYE 2020.

* Transport thousands of students from nearby school districts during the past school year to and from the Refuge with the Blue Goose Bus Fund. Schools where at least half of the student population receives free or reduced-cost lunches qualify for this fund.

* Provide countless volunteer hours to staff the front desks at the Refuge visitor centers and operate the Blufftop Nature Store, assist in environmental education learning, and support events both at the Refuge and throughout the community, including the Minneapolis Monarch Festival and Minnesota Bat Festival. During the pandemic, we’ve supported the Refuge staff in its efforts to pivot to virtual events and establish the Minnesota Valley Refuge Friends YouTube channel, now home to a treasure trove of online environmental education resources.

* Provide support for five interns and temporary employees at the Refuge in community outreach, conservation, and environmental education, giving them opportunities to grow and develop as conservation leaders.

* Conduct habitat-related projects on the Refuge, including goat grazing to remove invasive species at the Bloomington Education and Visitor Center and to begin testing of chloride in Ike’s Creek, a restored brook trout stream steps away from the Mall of America.

* Work with Refuge staff to secure a partnership with Bloomington theater and visual arts nonprofit organization Artistry to rethink the Refuge’s gallery space and its use.

* Create a new urban mentoring program for youth to learn an outdoor activity both on and off the Refuge. We worked with Refuge staff to establish a birding program with the nonprofit organization Urban Bird Collective.

* Continue funding the position of our organization’s first-ever staff member and Executive Director. She has modernized our organization’s operations and has placed us on firmer footing both financially and culturally.

What's next:

The year ahead is not without its challenges. During the pandemic, our Refuge has seen a five-fold increase in visitors as our neighbors seek refuge in the Refuge. Our Blufftop Nature Store at the Bloomington Education & Visitor Center – a primary funding source for Refuge Friends’ activities – will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Our hope to re-engage in activities with members both on and off the Refuge is thwarted. During this time, our staff and Board of Directors will continue to forge ahead on behalf of the Refuge, thanks to the firm foundation of support that donors, volunteers, and funder have helped provide us.