“The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will.”
- Teddy Roosevelt
The Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges is a Registered 501(c)3 Charitable Organization
Explore Tampa Bay's unique Wildlife Refuges
Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge
A birder's paradise, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 and protects a diverse community of animals and plants, many of which are either threatened or endangered.
In addition to being a critically important Wildlife Refuge and outdoor recreation resource today, Egmont Key is steeped in history. The island played a role as a prison in the Seminole Wars of the 19th century and later it would be home to the U.S. military's Fort Dade, a Spanish American War era installation that featured multiple fortified gun batteries and a small town.
The southern half of Egmont Key is a federally protected bird sanctuary, and is closed to public use.
Passage Key National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Passage Key is one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. Its purpose is to provide a safe home for multiple nesting colonies of birds.
Originally a 60 acre mangrove island, Passage Key was largely destroyed by a hurricane in 1921. It is now a low lying sandbar that fluctuates in size from 1 to 30 acres. Passage Key is one of the last undeveloped barrier islands in Tampa Bay.
Due to its importance to nesting birds Passage Key is closed to public use. Boaters are advised to observe the bird colonies with binoculars from a safe distance of at least 100 feet.
The Pinellas National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1951 as a breeding ground for colonial bird species, and located entirely within Pinellas County, the Pinellas Refuge islands provide densely vegetated mangrove habitat and include Listen, Mule Jackass, Little Bird, Indian, and Tarpon keys, and Whale Island.
At one time, Tarpon Key hosted the largest Brown Pelican rookery in the entire state of Florida.
To protect the abundant seagrass beds, motor boats are not permitted on the flats surrounding the refuge islands. The refuge islands are closed to public use.
Our Mission
Our mission is to promote conservation, awareness, and appreciation of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges, and to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with their mission for those Refuges.
We accomplish this through outreach, education, advocacy, and volunteering to protect the nesting and resting wading birds, seabirds, and other wildlife on the refuges as well as protecting the habitat they need to thrive.
As Friends, we actively:
- Manage volunteer opportunities that support the efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Tampa Bay Refuges. Join the Friends
- Raise funds for conservation, preservation, restoration, and education in support of the Tampa Bay Refuges and the National Refuge System.
- Sponsor periodic Refuge clean ups of exotic plants, debris, and mono-filament fishing line which can damage the wildlife and habitats.
- Offer public educational programs and field trips that highlight conservation, awareness, and appreciation of the natural world.
- Provide volunteer docent staffing to the Egmont Key Guardhouse.
- Organize volunteer bird stewards for Egmont Key's nesting bird colonies.
- Survey nesting and resting birds at the Pinellas Refuges each month to measure changes in population and evaluate effectivness of conservation programs.
- Have a presence at local festivals and markets to promote awareness of the National Wildlife Refuge System and our local refuges.
- Encourage membership to show support of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges.
Hurricane Update - Opening Notice
Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge is now open, though all structures in or near the lighthouse area and within the private property of the Pilots Compound remain off limits. Significant damage remains from recent hurricanes, please exercise caution while visiting the refuge and obey all posted warnings and direction by Service staff and Law Enforcement Officers.