Friends of Blackwater NWR

08/25/2026

We currently have Snowberry Clearwings (hummingbird moths) chasing each other around the garden. Fun to watch them zipping about and feeding from the flowers.

08/24/2026

Special sale at the Eagle's Nest Store at the Blackwater NWR Visitor Center! Beginning August 24, a sale on SELECT items will be starting!

Please stop by the sale table where you will find inventory like Blue Goose shirts, bucket hats, the book Chesapeake Bay of Light and various other items that are being closed out. Also, please keep in mind the ongoing sale on Henschel Hats which are now priced at $35.00 (a $61.00 value through other vendors)! The sale table will run through the Labor Day weekend. Please share this information with family and friends! Looking forward to seeing you there!

08/17/2026

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge has long had an excellent volunteer program that many people have joined and enjoyed. If you think you might want to learn more about this program, join us on Monday, August 24th, for our annual Volunteer Update. This training session is designed to inform volunteers about the latest happenings at the refuge and highlight the many ways volunteers help us out. Call 410.228.2677 to register and learn more. The event is free, you can stay for as long as you like and lunch is included.

Interested in becoming a refuge volunteer? Join us on Monday, August 24th, for our annual Volunteer Update. This training session is designed to inform volunteers about the latest happenings at the refuge and highlight the many ways volunteers help us out. Call 410.228.2677 to register and learn more.

08/12/2026

Join the flock! We’re looking for volunteers for the Wild Goose Chase, a mission-driven women’s bicycling event raising money for Friends of Blackwater. The event is on Sept. 26 and 27 at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. No experience needed.

Follow this link to pick your volunteer job, get all the info and to sign up. Watch our video to see what the ride is all about (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUnNy20f9iI&t=7s). Give a few hours to support the efforts of the Friends of Blackwater. Join the flock at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdS9l0KDjvNx7y5lp2UHsbvPRZrzussPJQZ7V96bq_qmkdlaQ/viewform?usp=header

08/10/2026

Birders are still seeing the rare visiting ruff along the Wildlife Drive.

What's all the fuss? This bird is not typically found in Maryland. Actually, it's not typically found in North America! Most ruffs winter in Africa and breed in northern Eurasia. Ruffs are rare but regular vagrants to North America, and this past weekend, one was spotted along Wildlife Drive!

Photo credit: Ron Ketter

08/06/2026

The Friends of Blackwater were happy to support a project to reduce bird collisions with the windows at the Refuge Visitor Center. These patterns spaced 2 inches apart on the outside of the glass break up reflections that can confuse birds. To learn how you can help prevent collisions at home or work, visit https://ow.ly/zXto50ZuMmB.

Every year in the U.S., an estimated 1 billion birds die from colliding with glass. That's why we treated our glass at the Visitor Center for the birds. Patterns spaced 2 inches apart on the outside of the glass break up reflections that can confuse birds. To learn how you can help prevent collisions at home or work, visit https://ow.ly/zXto50ZuMmB. A big thanks to the Friends of Blackwater NWR and the Public Lands Alliance for making this project possible!

08/03/2026

Handsome Five-lined Skink seen near the start of the Wildlife Drive last week.