What is a Friends Group?
A Friends Group is a non-profit organization chartered by a written partnership agreement between the group and the entity or organization it supports.
Our Story
Rick Collier, the first Big Oaks Conservation Society president, writes about how Big Oaks NWR friends group was created in the Fall of 2002. Our very first Newsletter of Big Oaks was written in 2003 and are co written by BONWR and BOCS. The newsletter was discontinued in 2015.
While board members have come and gone, Kirsten Carlson has been the BOCS Secretary and Business Manager from the very start. She is still active today and a crucial part of BOCS. But being a board member has also been passed down from generation to generation; John Leveille was among the first board members; his son James Leveille III is the current Treasurer.
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*Please note: the email is no longer correct and the newsletter was discontinued.
Why Join Us?
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​​Experience the "behind the scenes" refuge activities with the Friends Group and Refuge staff
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Attend social events hosted by the Friends group such as the Holiday Party at Old Timbers Lodge, fish fries, guided tours and shared activities with nearby Wildlife Refuges
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Aid in the maintenance and preservation of Old Timbers Lodge, Oakdale School, and other historic sites on the Refuge
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Plan, promote and participate our co-sponsored activities: Outdoor Women at Big Oaks, Take a Kid Fishing Day, annual Ice Cream Social, Lodge Day, Youth Deer Hunt and Youth Turkey Hunt, etc
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Receive 10% purchase discount on exclusive Big Oaks merchandise
Please click here if you are interested in becoming a member.
Please click here if you are interested in volunteering or doing an internship.
