Ernst and Young Corporate Work Day - Photo Credit: Staff : GSNWR

The Great Swamp NWR is many things to many people ! Visitors come to the nearly 8,000 acre wildlife refuge to participate in a wide variety of wildlife-dependent recreational activities. Bird watching, hiking, nature photography and environmental education are just a few of the permitted public uses on the refuge. However, not all visitors come to the refuge for these reasons. The refuge is fortunate to be located within driving distance of many corporate headquarters and has become a popular destination for corporate volunteer work days.
Some companies frame volunteer initiatives as team building some couch them as community service. Either way, refuges welcome the effort. The popularity of corporate work days continues to grow! A list of corporations that have rewarded workers for volunteering at the Great Swamp NWR includes Brother International Corporation, Henkel Corporation, American Express Corporation, BASF Corporation and Ernst & Young Corporation.
Our corporate work days at the refuge number between seven to ten per year and have included trail construction, trail maintenance and removal of invasive plants, and expansion of gardens. Our work days have brought almost 150 volunteers providing almost 500 volunteer hours to the refuge annually. The work days further the refuge conservation mission and participants return with their families and friends.