2024-05-01T13:21:44-07:00 2023-12-31 990EZ 2023-01-01 043297894 FRIENDS OF THE MASHPEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE INC FRIE 5082923707 PO BOx 1283 Mashpee MA 02649 MaryKay Fox Treasurer 5082923707 2024-05-01 MaryKay Fox 999009999 1 1 11 1 AAL2 X 2023 2023-04-26 12:10:37Z X X friendsofmashpeenationalwildliferefuge.org X X 14179 X 2368 0 6297 4379 372 0 372 0 590 269 321 173 118 55 0 13792 0 0 0 51 0 713 2822 3586 10206 28972 0 39178 28972 39178 0 0 0 0 28972 39178 0 0 28972 39178 To ensure long-term protection and enhancement of native wildlife and habitats, support Refuge Partners management efforts, to promote advocacy, education, conservation, and recreational opportunities for the public. Support Native pollinators through education, sponsoring workshops and creating pollinator gardens in the Mashpee Refuge and with Refuge partners and other conservation partners. Wildlife Educational Programs for the General Public: annual newsletter, walks, and newspaper articles, webpage events. We hold our annual meeting where we highlighted our yearly achievements that include pollinator gardens, working with the Wampanoag tribal youth Camp where we spend a day on natural conservation professional opportunities that include fire management, wildlife conservation, native habitat management and native pollinators. We continue to give presentations to the public. Nearly every year we awarded our David Ross Palmer Environmental Hero award to those dedicated people that are involved in conservation and education. We are also supported by a Cape Cod AmeriCorps member who has created a new newsletter and support our partners educational endeavors. 0 1464 We continue our work beyond on the 2016 Monarch Habitat Grant were we established 7 acres of Monarch/Native Pollinator habitat with Refuge Partners which include Falmouth Rod and Gun Club and the Town of Falmouth Conservation Commission. We also continue with our educational component of this grant who have now expanded their gardens or want to add host plants for butterflies and we continue to enhance and support teachers and other schools that are intersted in starting a new garden. Many offshoot projects have been started and new collaborations with conservation organizations continue to be explored 0 500 Native Pollinator Garden Education for the public: We continue to maintain and enhance the native pollinator gardens started in 2013 so this is our 9th year of expanding the pollinator gardens within the refuge boundaries, all by volunteer work and purchasing and growing new plants. In 2021, despite the COVID pandemic, we added 300 new plants to our new pollinator garden and Kiosk/parking area at the Red Brook trailhead that was started in 2020. the Friends grew native plants & purchased bushes and trees at the kiosk and throughout the site. This is our 6th Refuge garden. We created a new Native Pollinator Brochure specifically for Cape Cod region, listing native plant suggestions, a comprehensive Butterfly & Host Plant listings, and general needs for both plants and pollinators for the home gardener. 0 300 We wanted to provide protection for our endangered New England Cottontail Rabbit and enhance their habitat needs through what is called a "rabbitat" project, so we designed and printed a new hands-on brochure to empower every interested homeowner, business and local scout troops. Examples of brush piles to build from simple and available resources in your own backyard are demonstrated in this brochure and available in printed form located at refuge partner visitor centers and trailhead kiosks and on our website as pdf. Hands-on demonstrations were planned by a local scout troop for 2022 and 2023 1200 0 Wampanoag Tribal Youth Camp and Natural Resource day August 2016-2023. Working with the Wampanoag tribal youth Camp where we spend a day on natural conservation professional opportunities that include fire management, wildlife conservation, native habitat management and native pollinators and their habitat needs. This year there were 22 tribal youth that participated planting at their Maushop Farm property where the Santuit River flows through their ancient landholding. The USFWS Retiree Association have us a grant to cover the plant expenses for this program. In the past, the tribal youth and refuge partners have enhance or created new gardens at this farm, at their ancient cemetery and meeting house area and at the Wampanoag Tribal Government Center. In each area, the fields are prepared prior to the event and over 400 perennials, bushes and trees enhance their property To start the day off, a cleansing ceremony was initiated with the group, with sage and sweet grass burring inside a quahog shell, lead by a youth member chosen as all participants held hands in a circle formation. Many elders stopped by to thank the youth for their contribution and respect for their ancestors. After their work, each place is full of color and excited voices for the many hours of planting. 843 700 We participated in a new public and fundraiser event called "Walk For The Wild" (WFTW) in 2022, that encourages the public to get outside and enjoy the fall foliage within the Refuge trails. It is sponsored by the Public Lands Trust and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge system. Participates walk a 5K designated trail through the Mashpee Refuge during the week of WFTW, generally the second week in October. Each year we increase our participation by the public. In the second year, we partnered with the local business, the Naukabout Brewery, to celebrate the WFTW where start and end the 5k walk and hold a raffle of nature-related items, offer reduced beer ticket for participants, and showcase the Friends and Refuge annual achievements. We have a live feed of our Osprey Camera and show highlights of the birds lives on the big screen TV for the public to enjoy nature at its closeness. 1604 269 3233 Glenn Davis Director, President 10 0 0 0 Lucinda Keith Director, Clerk 5.00 0 0 0 MaryKay Fox Director, Treasurer 3 0 0 0 Joan and Neil Barkin Directors, Membership Committee 3 0 0 0 Nancy Church Director, AmeriCorp coordinator 3 0 0 0 Thomas Fudala Director, Historian 1 0 0 0 Katelyn Cadoret Director 1 0 0 0 David Vieira Emeritus Director 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 MA MaryKay Fox PO Box 1283 Mashpee MA 02649 5082923707 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 NONE NONE 1 X 12139 2319 3461 5973 8665 32557 225 0 0 110 313 648 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12364 2319 3461 6083 8978 33205 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33205 489 539 1287 1286 489 4090 0 0 0 0 0 0 489 539 1287 1286 489 4090 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12853 2858 4748 7369 9467 37295 0.89033 0.89873 0.10967 0.10127 X Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 16 This is a continuation of a multi-year Monarch Meadow and native pollinators grant that is continuing beyond the grant timeframe. In its seventh year, the Friends continues to collaborate with refuge partners and local schools educational pollinator gardens. The Friends grow and purchase native plants, trees and shrubs to expand these gardens each year along with equipment, fencing etc. that is needed to continue this work. Cost this year is $1464. Other expenses are Partner meeting supplies is $290, State Filing Fees $51, PO Box Rental $166, Web site management $260, Zoom monthly membership $189, Comcast contact mailing service $77, Oktoberfest event fee $25. We reprinted our Pollinator brochure at cost of $750 for 3000 copies. We supported National Wildlife Refuge Association at $100. We supported the "Falmouth Osprey Project", we donated $200 towards the repair on our Osprey Cam nest site.