Friends Of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

THE MISSION OF THE FRIENDS OF LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SHALL BE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC REGARDING THE FLORA, FAUNA, AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT OF THE REFUGE, THROUGH FUNCTIONS AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, PROMOTE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR THE REFUGE BY ENCOURAGING AND ORGANIZING VOLUNTEER SERVICES, AND SOLICIT PUBLIC DONATIONS FOR USE IN SUPPORTING, ASSISTING, AND ENHANCING ONGOING CONSERVATION PROJECTS ON THE REFUGE.

PROGRAMS SUPPORTED AND IMPLEMENTED BY THE FRIENDS OF LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE (FLANWR) IN 2021.OCELOT CONSERVATION FESTIVALOCELOT CONSERVATION FESTIVAL IS AN ANNUAL EVENT CO-HOSTED BY FRIENDS OF LAGUNA ATASCOSA NATIONALWILDLIFE REFUGE (FLANWR) AND THE USFWS THAT PROMOTES OCELOT CONSERVATION. DUE TOCONTINUING CONCERNS FROM COVD, THIS EVENT WAS VIRTUAL IN 2021 AND WAS BROADCASTED ON OUR WEBSITE FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF MARCH. THIS VIRTUAL EVENT INCLUDED LIVE EVENTS, PRE-RECORDED PRESENTATIONS, AND KIDS ACTIVITIES.VIDEO PRESENTATIONS INCLUDED: INTRO TO OCELOTS/OCELOT CONSERVATION/PARTNERSHIPS, DR. HILARY SWARTZ, OCELOT BIOLOGIST,LAGUNA ATASCOSA NWR OCELOT SHOW WITH SIHIL, OCELOT AMBASSADOR FROM THE CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN OCELOT REINTRODUCTION AND EXPANSION BY MITCH STERNBERG, TITLE USFWS HOW ZOOS ARE HELPING TO CONSERVE THE WILD TEXAS OCELOT, DR. BILL SWANSON, DIRECTOR,CENTER FOR CONSERVATION RESEARCH OF ENDANGERED WILDLIFE, CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN HABITAT EXPLAINED AND ACQUISITION BOUNDARIES BY CHRIS QUEZADA, RANGER, LAGUNA ATASCOSA NWR A DAY IN THE FIELD WITH AN OCELOT BIOLOGIST, DR. SHARON WILCOX, TITLE, DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE ASK A BIOLOGIST INTERVIEW WITH DR. HILARY SWARTZ, OCELOT BIOLOGIST, LAGUNA ATASCOSA NWR KIDS ACTIVITIES INCLUDED: OCELOT FACE PAINTING TUTORIAL OCELOT SKETCHING TUTORIAL OCELOT HEADBAND COLORING PAGE OCELOT MASK COLORING PAGE LIVE READING OF LANCELOT THE OCELOT BY AUTHOR DAVID BOOKIN ADDITION TO THE VIRTUAL OCELOT CONSERVATION FESTIVAL, FLANWR HOSTED A VIRTUAL OCELOT RUN AND A VIRTUAL AUCTION. PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD PARTICIPATED IN THE VIRTUAL OCELOT RUN AND WERE ENCOURAGED TO HASH TAG THE FRIENDS AND POST THEIR RUN ONLINE. THE VIRTUAL AUCTION FEATURED HAND CRAFTED ITEMS FROM LOCAL ARTISTS.LAND ACQUISITIONIN LATE 2021, FLANWR ENTERED INTO A CONTRACT TO PURCHASE A 47-ACRE TRACT ADJACENT TO REFUGE PROPERTY. THIS PROPERTY WAS BEING CONSIDERED FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CONDOMINIUMS THAT WOULD BE NEAR THE LAGUNA VISTA GOLF CLUB. FRIENDS ALSO ACCEPTED THE DONATION OF A 6.93-ACRE TRACT ON THE NORTH END OF SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, NEAR USFWS LAND.RESEARCH SUPPORT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY (UTRGV)IN 2021, FRIENDS ENTERED THE SECOND YEAR OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT A MASTERS STUDENT AT UTRGV INVOLVED IN HABITAT RESTORATION. THIS STUDENT WORKED AT THE UTRGV NATIVE PLANT NURSERY AND WAS INVOLVED IN ORIGINAL RESEARCH AND PRODUCED A THESIS ON NATIVE PLANT PRODUCTION. THE UTRGV NATIVE PLANT NURSERY IS A 100,000-SEEDLING CAPACITY NATIVE PLANT NURSERY ON ITS BROWNSVILLE CAMPUS. THIS NURSERY WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE USFWS AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACTED GROWER PROGRAM. PLANTS GROWN IN THIS FACILITY GO TO THE USFWS FOR USE IN REGIONAL THORN-FOREST RESTORATION ON FWS-OWNED LAND, INCLUDING LAGUNA ATASCOSA NWR, SANTA ANA NWR, AND LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY NWR.WE FUNDED $12,000 PER YEAR FOR TWO YEARS TO SUPPORT THIS RESEARCH.