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Purchasing Land Tracts
Purchasing available tracts of land to add to Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, helping to complete the Wildlife Corridor.
Corridors of forest, brush and wetlands are vital for local and migratory species.
Outreach
Conducting outreach for the Refuges via our web site, social media, publication sand special events.
We also partner with other conservation organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife, American Forests, Economedes High School (native plant sale), Master Naturalists, Friends of Laguna Atascosa NWR and others.
Operating the Nature Store at the Santa Ana Visitors Center. Proceeds from store sales help fund refuge projects, volunteer activities and educational materials.
Running our Gift Shop
Advocacy
Advocating for the refuges on issues that affect habitat and wildlife conservation in South Texas on a local and national level.
Providing financial support and volunteer effort for USFWS work to reforest tracts of acquired refuge crop land with native habitat–for example, for programs like the Reforestation and Restoration program and Rio Reforestation.
Financial Support
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About Us
The mission of the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor is to protect our habitat by supporting, preserving, promoting, and enhancing the Santa Ana and Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges and their use for recreational, educational, and scientific research purposes.
We operate a 501(3)(c) non-profit organization and work closely with U.S. Fish & Wildlife staff responsible for the Santa Ana and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges, focusing on Refuge priorities for land acquisition, projects, activities, and outreach.
The FOTWC Board of Directors meet once a month to conduct business.
Our partners and supporters make it possible for us to fulfill our mission and we continue to raise funds from our communities for Refuge projects, activities, and events we hold throughout the year.
Our History
In 1997, the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor was established as a non-profit organization by citizens of the Lower Rio Grande Valley who recognized the environmental importance of the Valley’s native habitat and were concerned about the dwindling geographical area with native habitat and the increasing development pressure on native habitat.
The group’s original focus was to protect and restore lands for inclusion in a wildlife corridor, critical to the survival of native and migratory wildlife species, many of which were included on the list of federally endangered or threatened species.
Today, the Friends of the Wildlife Corridor is accomplishing its original mission in many creative and interesting ways with the help of its partners and supporters.
Our refuges are part of the South Texas Refuge Complex, which consists of Santa Ana NWR, Lower Rio Grande Valley NWR, and Laguna Atascosa NWR. Visit the Friends of Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge website for information on the important work they do.
What We Do
We channel our concern into support for the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which are committed to protection of native and migratory wildlife species that depend on the native habitat.
The Friends of the Wildlife Corridor supports the land acquisition goals, projects, activities, and outreach plans of the Santa Ana and Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuges.
We also work closely with USFWS staff responsible for the Refuges to share expertise about the communities we represent and to understand and support the current priorities and planned projects of the Refuges.