2013 List of Accomplishments

Discovery-Center-Ground-breaking-board-and-staff

  • Friends carried out a major fund-raising campaign  for the Tamarac Discovery Center.
  • Representatives coordinated architectural plans for the Discovery Center with Fish and Wildlife as well as construction company bidders. Gordon Construction will complete the project.
  • Friends held a ground breaking ceremony to initiate the Discovery Center building project.
  • We hosted the third annual “Toast to Tamarac” fundraising event which included wine tasting, appetizers, games, silent and live auctions with attendance over 150.
  • Additional funds were raised through the WE Fest Campground Clean-up.
  • Raffle tickets were sold our for a beautiful quilt.
  • We sponsored over $3,000 in bus transportation for school educational field trips to Tamarac.
  • The photo contest had 75 entries. A photo display was exhibited in the Washington Square Mall duringNational Wildlife Refuct Week and awards were presented.
  • Friends hosted an all day event in the Detroit Lakes mall with a variety of display tables and activities in conjunction with National Wildlife Week.
  • Friends partnered with the refuge on a Tamarac Restoration Grant which resulted in adding 15,000 pines to the refuge. Friends also helped do the bud capping of these trees.
  • Quarterly newsletters were developed and sent to an expanded mailing list to continue making connections in the communities touched by Tamarac.
  • Expanded the Friends website and initiated a Facebook representation to increase connections with the public.
  • Friends co-sponsored the 2013 Detroit Lakes Festival of Birds.
  • We reached out to the community through a display booth at the Picnic in the Park in Detroit Lakes.
  • Friends continued to help the refuge with interpretive programs including plant hikes, photo safari, history tours and the citizen science program.
  • Friends contributed thousands of volunteer hours at Tamarac, many were for environmental education.
  • The fall festival event was planned, but was cancelled due to the government shut-down.
  • We participated in the refuge spring clean-up.

Friends of Tamarac is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization