Refuge History Project: In May 2017 the Town of Mashpee Annual Town meeting voted to approve two grants, one for new refuge trail map guides and another grant to create a new Book on the Refuge History through a CPC grant to the Friends of Mashpee NWR. This grant provided support for research, editing and creation of a 38-page, color booklet with pictures, quotes and unique stories how local conservation individuals, selectmen and federal government officials collaborated in creating the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. This grant covered graphic designing costs, printing costs for 1000 booklets and update the Refuge brochure with QR codes on this document This will be a great resource for the citizens of Mashpee and Falmouth and Cape Cod visitors. Thank you, Mashpee CPA Committee and Mashpee Citizens, for your wonderful support!>
Refuge Trail Map Guide: The new trail map guide was also voted for approval in the May 2017 the Town of Mashpee Annual Town meeting through a CPC grant to the Friends of Mashpee NWR.
The supply of trail maps created in 1997 by the Friends of Mashpee NWR have been exhausted so this grant provided an excellent opportunity to review, update and included new trails added over the years to a new guide. We also incorporated QR codes of videos of select trails and areas within the Refuge. This grant also included funding for new Refuge Brochures. This grant covered graphic design and printing cost for 10,000 Refuge Brochures. Thanks go out to the Mashpee CPA Committee and Mashpee Citizens for your wonderful support!
2016 Monarch Meadows: Creating Pollinator Habitat
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program awarded a $35,000, 2-year grant to the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge, the Wampanoag Tribal Council, and the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Rhode Island for habitat creation and restoration of 17 acres for monarchs and native pollinators. Working In close collaboration with three local conservation partners the Friends established seven acres of pollinator fields within the Town of Falmouth and the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge. These partners and acreage are the Falmouth Rod and Gun Club with 5 acres, the Town of Falmouth (Dupee and Sea Farms North) with over 2 acres, and The Falmouth 300 Committee Land Trust with 0.25 acres. For more information, click the following link: Monarch Meadows Project 022917.
2013 National Environmental Educational Foundation: Capacity-Building Grant
This one-year grant of $5,000 improved the Friends’ organization’s communications, increased public awareness of the Friends’ organization and Refuge as a valuable resource, advanced professional appearance, and strengthened the Friends’ internal and external organization. This was all done by creating a fantastic webpage, updating the logo and brochure, purchasing a main-source laptop, and buying a digital camera to record events and people for the webpage and Facebook page. Also, the grant allowed the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge to attend the USFWS Friends Academy in August 2013 for an exceptional week of networking, learning, sharing, and reflecting on how to improve the FMNWR organization. The Friends’ group continued to use the grant for a strategic planning survey and workshop with board members, volunteers, and Refuge partners. Finally the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge was able to host a free, all-day native pollinator workshop to address local issues of food production, biodiversity, and community involvement.
2012 Cape Cod Foundation Grant: AmeriCorps Cape Cod “Mission Mashpee”
AmeriCorps Cape Cod partnered with the Town of Mashpee and the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge to complete several natural resource management projects at 8 different sites in Mashpee through a week of community service. We welcomed volunteers of all ages and skill levels to join us at any time during AmeriCorps Week. Volunteers could come once for an hour or stay all day each day, 8AM to 4:30 PM, during May 20 – 26th, 2013. We established 5 native pollinator gardens, assembled and installed 7 wooden informational kiosks, continued annual trail work, cleaned up Johns Pond Conservation Area and had projects for children to get involved in, including decorating and installing pollinator boxes, bluebird boxes, and garden stones. We celebrated with a potluck BBQ at the end of the week for all volunteers!
