Congressman Frank LoBiondo addresses the crowd gathered at the Supawna Meadows NWR Work Day (by Virginia Rettig, 3/15/08).

Over 80 people attended the Supawna Meadows NWR Work Day on March 14, 2008 (photo by Tony Leger).

The Friends of Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge hosted a work day and outreach event at the refuge recently. Members of the Friends Groups from Wallkill River, Great Swamp, Forsythe, and John Heinz National Wildlife Refuges attended a work day to assist refuge staff and volunteers in upkeep and improvement of the site. Over 60 volunteers greatly improved the Grassland Trail and parking lot by cleaning the trail, installing six interpretive signs, installing a trailhead sign, improving the accessible parking pad, and installing over 250 feet of split rail fence to better demarcate the parking area.

In addition, the Friends invited local and national dignitaries and other conservation organizations and partners to speak about the National Wildlife Refuge System, and particularly the staffing and funding situation at Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. Dignitaries attending included Congressman Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2); representatives from Senators Menendez' and Lautenberg's office and Congressman Scott Garrett (NJ-5); Salem County Freeholder Jeff Hogan; and Pennsville Mayor John Crawford and Deputy Mayor Jack Marquette. Supawna Meadows NWR Friend's major corporate sponsor, Cogentrix attended. Their Environmental Manager (of the Carney's Point Generating Plant), Monica Howell, recommitted their support of the refuge. Additionally, Beth Ciuzio of NJ Audubon Society; Matt Blake of the American Littoral Society; and Evan Hirsche, President of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, spoke about the importance of refuges.

Tony Leger, Northeast Region Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System, attended the event. Representatives from The Conservation Fund, the NJ Conservation Foundation, the Salem County Watershed Task Force, and Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River were also in attendance. In total about 80 people attended the event. The Today's Sunbeam newspaper published a front page story with color photographs in the following day's paper (Sunday).