Friends of Camas National Wildlife Refuge

Friends of Camas National Wildlife Refuge Friends of Camas National Wildlife Refuge supports Camas NWR in enhancing the ecological, educational, recreational and research values of the refuge.

The Friends of Camas National Wildlife Refuge began, as most such groups, with the vision of a passionate few who were not content to simply talk, but were compelled to action. Though not a formerly chartered "Friends" group, the Portneuf Valley Audubon Society constituted the early foundations of what is now Friends of Camas NWR. Early efforts by the PVAS included planting trees, pulling weeds, l

aying weed barrier, building trails, conducting surveys, supporting bird banding activities, publishing newsletters, and providing financial support to the refuge. The Friends group was formally established in 2010. Recent activities include construction of an educational pavilion, obtaining water rights for the refuge, and establishing a group website to improve outreach. Our mission is to support the goals of Camas NWR, which are to preserve, protect and restore the biological diversity and historical resources of the refuge landscape. This refuge is unique and important in the southeast Idaho landscape, providing essential migratory and nesting habitat to waterfowl and other birds. The refuge is also home to big game such as moose, elk and deer, and provides many wonderful wildlife viewing and educational opportunities for the public.

Mark your calendars for our annual celebration of the many wonders of Camas National Wildlife Refuge! Come together in c...
08/17/2026

Mark your calendars for our annual celebration of the many wonders of Camas National Wildlife Refuge! Come together in community to celebrate the refuge and enjoy a range of activities and a free, hot breakfast!

For twelve years, Camas National Wildlife Refuge has greatly benefited from the work and dedication of Wildlife Biologis...
08/04/2026

For twelve years, Camas National Wildlife Refuge has greatly benefited from the work and dedication of Wildlife Biologist Andrea Kristof. While we’re excited for Andrea’s new position in Oregon, we’re also sad to see her leave Camas.

Throughout her time at Camas, Andrea has done it all. Despite the pandemic and other challenges, she’s cared for Camas NWR with a science forward approach and positive energy. Our group will greatly miss her collaboration, support, and wildlife photos and updates. We wish her well in her new position!

Swim party at the Refuge! It's been hot! If you come out to Camas NWR, don't forget your hat, water, and sunscreen!     ...
07/28/2026

Swim party at the Refuge! It's been hot! If you come out to Camas NWR, don't forget your hat, water, and sunscreen!

🚦Why did the sage grouse cross the road? To find invertebrates in the wet meadows to get their babies some protein to gr...
07/15/2026

🚦Why did the sage grouse cross the road?

To find invertebrates in the wet meadows to get their babies some protein to grow!

Sage grouse are an indicator species for sagebrush habitats. As sagebrush habitats decline, so do these iconic birds. Their presence at Camas NWR shows the importance of the varying landscapes at the Refuge and the value in protecting them.

It's officially looking like summer in eastern Idaho, and the foothills of the Centennial Mountains near Kilgore are as ...
07/07/2026

It's officially looking like summer in eastern Idaho, and the foothills of the Centennial Mountains near Kilgore are as beautiful as ever. It's in these same foothills that a foreign mining company is exploring for gold with intentions of carving out an open-pit, heap-leach, cyanide gold mine on public land. 

As part of the Clean Kilgore Coalition, Friends of Camas works in collaboration with other orgs and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) to help spread information on this gold mining project and the danger it poses to Camas Creek and our water in eastern Idaho.

GYC will be in Dubois on Wednesdays this month (July) to answer questions about the potential mine and how it threatens this community and the health of Southeastern Idaho. Stop by the Main Street Cafe for a free cup of coffee and learn how you can become involved in protecting this incredible landscape.

DATE: Wednesdays on July 8, 15, 22, and 29  
TIME: 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. 
LOCATION: 191 W Main St Ste 106, Dubois, ID

📷: Greater Yellowstone Coalition/Emmy Reed

Shorebird party at Big Pond at the Refuge. American avocet, Black-necked stilt, and Wilson’s phalarope can all be spotte...
07/07/2026

Shorebird party at Big Pond at the Refuge. American avocet, Black-necked stilt, and Wilson’s phalarope can all be spotted here!

Our eleventh annual Birdathon was held this May in cooperation with the Snake River Audubon Society.  Proceeds and expen...
06/30/2026

Our eleventh annual Birdathon was held this May in cooperation with the Snake River Audubon Society.  Proceeds and expenses will be shared equally between Friends of Camas and the Snake River Audubon.

Twelve birders (one team of three, four teams of two, and one single birder) reported a total of 139 species found during the week of May 18-25!

At our potluck picnic supper on June 11 (pictured here), we honored the winners in three categories:
-Cathy and Terry Thomas won the prize for the most species reported:  102. 
-Tim Reynolds won again for the most money raised by his sponsor: $1400.
-Terry Thomas won for the best estimate of the total number of species seen.
-Terry & Cathy Thomas birded their way from their home in Island Park south to Market Lake. They added 16 species not reported by others:
1. Green-winged Teal
2. Red-necked Grebe
3. Wilson’s Snipe
4. Caspian Tern
5. Pileated Woodpecker
6. Olive-sided Flycatcher
7. Clark’s Nutcracker
8. Mountain Chickadee
9. Red-breasted Nuthatch
10. Golden-crowned Kinglet
11. Ruby-crowned Kinglet
12. Pine Siskin
13. Brewer’s Sparrow
14. Dark-eyed Junco
15. Spotted Towhee
16. Common Yellowthroat

For more fun details on the event, check out the message on our homepage at friendsofcamas.org. Thanks to everyone who participated!

🌱This last weekend was perfect for getting outside, and a good portion of the pollinator garden at the Refuge has now be...
06/25/2026

🌱This last weekend was perfect for getting outside, and a good portion of the pollinator garden at the Refuge has now been w**ded. The real MVP of the w**ding operation though has been Brenna, a volunteer who completed a TON of w**ding on her own during the week! With her help, and some work done by Friends of Camas Board Members, volunteers this Saturday should be able to get some planting done.

Come out Saturday and celebrate National Pollinator Week 2026 by adding to the existing areas of the pollinator garden and also making more defensible space (from w**ds) by adding native bunch grasses to the periphery. Bring tools/gloves if you have them and snacks and water! See you all on Saturday, June 27 from 9am-2pm. 🪏 For those interested in volunteering, you’ll also get some educational information on native plant gardening!

These photos show some of the amazing work Brenna completed! Thanks again to Brenna for being our volunteer champ!

White-faced Ibis party in the southern co-op agriculture fields at Camas NWR! This beautiful bird is so beloved by our g...
06/24/2026

White-faced Ibis party in the southern co-op agriculture fields at Camas NWR! This beautiful bird is so beloved by our group that it is in the Friends of Camas NWR logo.

Although these birds colonially nest with franklins gulls in deeper wetlands, the actual wetland they choose is more related to the amount of surrounding foraging area. They're always a delight to see at the Refuge.

We were given a donation of native plants that we'd like help getting in the ground at the refuge. If you're free and wo...
06/21/2026

We were given a donation of native plants that we'd like help getting in the ground at the refuge. If you're free and would like to spend some time gardening with us, please mark your calendars to join us! Details are listed below:

When: Saturday, June 27 
Where: Camas NWR Headquarters 2150 E 2350 N Hamer, ID, 83425 
Time: 9am-2pm (you can stay as long as you're able to)
What to Bring: sunscreen, hats, gardening tools/gloves if you have them, and water/snacks. 

Address

2150 E 2350 N
Hamer, ID
83425

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