Make A Donation
Help protect the refuge wildlife and their habitats by making a contribution to the Back Bay NWR Society. Support our advocacy, outreach, and education for the betterment of the Refuge.
MISSION
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society is the primary partner and Friends group of the the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Learn MoreVOLUNTEER
Gain new experiences and meet new people while helping to advance wildlife conservation. Preserve and protect habitat and wildlife.
Learn MoreMEMBERSHIP
There are no dues required for Society membership. The Society depends on donations to fund programs and projects.
Learn More2025 Conservation Action Award
Society receives the 2025 Conservation Action Award from the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
“We are truly honored to present the 2025 Conservation Action Award to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society for efforts to grow the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge environmental education program with the addition of the Outdoor Classroom! We extend our deepest gratitude to the Society for your tremendous dedication in fundraising, leading, and managing the construction of the new Outdoor Classroom. Your commitment not only brought this long-envisioned project to life but also created a lasting asset for our local community and environmental education program. Your efforts strengthen our ability to inspire future generations, and it was our honor to select the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Society the 2025 Conservation Action Award in recognition of these outstanding contributions.”
Megan Davis Reed, Refuge Manager, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Projects
CHRONOLOGY
A citizen science project with the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Refuge visitors upload photographs from their phones at four designated locations. Photographs contribute to scientific documentation of the refuge habitats. By automatically appearing in time-lapse videos that are available online.
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Gardens
Monarch garden a safe habitat for migrating monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies have suffered a drastic reduction in population in the last 30 years. Some estimates indicate a population decline of 90%. The most common reason cited for this dramatic decline is loss of habitat. Given the success of the pollinator garden and the fact that Back Bay is on the Monarch’s eastern migratory flyway, it was decided to put in a monarch specific garden at the Refuge.
Pollinator & Monarch garden updates
Pollinator garden an aesthetically pleasing addition to the Visitor Center entrance ways
Volunteers removed and pruned old vegetation, cultivated and amended soil, and filled beds with native plants supporting pollinators and wildlife Garden beds are maintained by volunteers throughout the year. Signage and visitor outreach is being planned
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National recreation trails
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge trails designated National recreation trails
The 2.7 miles of the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge Trail System consists of seven, interconnected trails that provide opportunities to observe the wildlife and vegetation of the refuge’s seven distinct habitats- ocean, beach, marsh, shrubs, grassland, maritime forest and freshwater bay. Trail surfaces vary from boardwalk, crushed stone, sand and gravel.
LEARN MOREBack Bay NWR Society
1324 Sandbridge Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
