Felsenthal Refuge Cleanup 3/9/2013

[DeBo]

Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge to Hold “Refuge Sweep” on March 9, 2013
Tis’ the season for spring cleaning!! Volunteers are needed for the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge’s spring litter cleanup campaign being held on March 9, 2013 from 9 am to 12 pm. Sponsored by the Friends of Felsenthal, the cleanup is being held in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup which is a nationwide community-improvement campaign presented by Keep America Beautiful®.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in this year’s cleanup effort. Civic and service organizations, church and youth groups, school groups and clubs, scouts, individuals, families, neighborhoods and businesses are welcome!!
This year we are taking our incentive to the next level. Not only is this a great way to make our community shine, it’s a way to raise awareness and funds for YOUR group and cause. That’s right! The Friends of Felsenthal are offering your endorsed group and cause a chance at winning a check for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place of most weighed-in pounds of trash collected from the Refuge. Combined earnings of $500 are on the table for this years’ clean-up.
We will meet at the Old Beer Joint Access at 9 am sharp and will then provide direction to locations around the Refuge to collect litter. Gloves, bags, and safety equipment will be provided. Weigh-in will be at 11:00 am, followed by an award ceremony, prizes, and fun. All groups interested in participating should first register for the event and identify their group and cause by contacting Amanda Wilkinson, (870)364-1170. For more information contact Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, (870)364-1170 or follow us on Facebook at South Arkansas Refuge Complex.

About the Great American Cleanup
The national kickoff for Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup is March 1. Great American Cleanup events are organized in communities around the country in March, April and May.
Nearly 10,000 Arkansans picked up more than 1.3 million pounds of litter during last year’s Great American Cleanup in Arkansas. The spring community improvement effort involved 136 events and more than 32,000 volunteer hours in communities across the state.

USFWS is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American public. In addition to maintaining the 94-million–acre National Wildlife Refuge System, it operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid Program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.