June – Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards

The Columbia Gorge Refuge Stewards is a non-profit friend’s group working to preserve, protect, and restore the native habitat on three National Wildlife Refuges on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge: Steigerwald Lake, Franz Lake and Pierce. Our mission is to connect the regional community to the Gorge Refuges through partnership, public education, advocacy, and habitat restoration. We envision an engaged community that actively values natural areas.

In partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, we are working to reduce barriers so that everyone in our community can engage with and enjoy nature. This engagement begins at home, and we appreciate the work that Backyard Bird Shop does to initiate this connection, which in turn expands the migratory stopover habitat that everyone’s backyards can provide for the incredible wildlife that spend much of their lives at your National Wildlife Refuges.

The Gorge Refuge Stewards also serve as a community liaison for the Steigerwald Reconnection Project which is one of the largest restoration projects in the lower Columbia River ever! We fulfill this role by communicating updates through our social media (@refugestewards) and the website refuge2020.info. To learn more about the work we do, sign up for our newsletter, and find out how you can volunteer, visit refugestewards.org.