Message from the Board

Red hot sunrise at Camas by Patty Pickett

October 2018,  Tim Reynolds

Four W’s and the H

My grandfather was the editor of a newspaper in Northern Minnesota for nearly 70 years.  That’s right 70 years.  He was writing coherent and thought-provoking weekly editorials when he was in his 90s!!  All of his writings (even his eloquent and erudite Christmas letters) revolved around answering the basic questions of responsible journalism:  who, what, why, where, when and how.  Following is the same for Friends of Camas.

Who are we?  We are the Friends of Camas National Wildlife Refuge, Inc.; an all-volunteer organization consisting of individuals with an interest in anything or everything relating to the Refuge: science, outreach, monitoring, wildlife viewing, etc.  Friends of Camas is registered with the state of Idaho and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, governed by a 9-12 member Board of Directors. 

What do we do?  Friends of Camas fosters environmental education, conservation, and scientific study at the refuge for the benefit of the resources and enjoyment by the visiting public.  Our By-Laws state: The purpose of the corporation is to promote the conservation of native fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats on the Refuge, provide educational opportunities, and foster understanding and appreciation of Camas National Wildlife Refuge, to include the Southeast Idaho Refuge Complex; Bear Lake NWR, Grays Lake NWR, Minidoka NWR, and Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area.

Why do we exist?  The primary reason is that Camas National Wildlife Refuge, as well as all refuges in the Southeast Idaho Refuge Complex and refuges throughout the US, is under-funded.  Friends of Camas, as an independent entity, can raise monies to provide funding for projects which support the Refuge mission but may not be exactly in line with mission priorities.  For example, the Nancy Maxwell Education and Conservation Pavilion was a Friends project which provides great benefit to the refuge and the public but was not a high funding priority for the Refuge day to day operations.

Where do we do what we do?  While Friends of Camas presently focuses our efforts at Camas NWR, we hope to expand our reach throughout the Southeast Idaho Refuge Complex in the future.

When did we start?  Friends of Camas had two beginnings.  First, in 2010, as an Unincorporated Nonprofit Association, which, for several reasons, was restructured into a Non-profit Corporation in 2014. 

How do we do what we do?  There are over 240 Refuge Friends groups nationwide.  Some of these refuges are near population centers, and the Friends groups there have the luxury of a large and active membership.  Many of the Friends groups simply get funding for projects from member dues or the revenue from gift shops associated with their Refuge.  Some have endowments which provide consistent long-term funding.  Some can count on fundraising events to provide both operating funds and project-specific funding. Due to our remote location and small membership, Friends of Camas has developed a unique funding model.    We have determined that, with one exception, our major events (Birds, Bugles and Brunch in September, and Come to Roost at Camas in February) are friend-raising events, not fundraising.  The exception is the Bird-A-Thon, which we share with the Snake River Audubon Society, and is only as successful as the ambition of the participants to get sponsors. Our primary financial avenue has been receiving grants and soliciting project-specific donations.  Since our inception we have received, in aggregate, over $125,000 in funds from the National Fish and Wildlife Refuge Friends Association, the CHC Foundation, the Idaho Native Plant Society, Scotts Miracle-Gro, Bayer Feed a Bee Program, Portneuf Valley Audubon Society, the Idaho Falconers Association, and some generous local donors.   Grants and our supporters are the keys to our success for the Nancy Maxwell Education Pavilion, the Peregrine Falcon web camera, and the Pollinator Garden:  projects which both elevate and enrich the Camas experience.  Unexpectedly, our “business model” has received a recent boost from a huge legacy donation from Rita Poe: someone we never knew, but someone who loved coming to Camas NWR.   We have invested her generous gift so that for years to come it will give us some flexibility and relief in the pursuit of funds for worthful projects. 

Come to visit the refuge and enjoy our successes.  There are more to come!

To view the previous View from the Board, click here.