Friends of Wertheim, Inc. (FOW), is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the enduring protection, management and appreciation of Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge and its environs. Wertheim NWR is one of the ten national refuges in the Long Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Wertheim is the headquarters for the entire complex.

As part of our mission, Friends of Wertheim supports the primary purposes of the Wertheim Refuge: for use as an inviolate sanctuary for migratory birds, for the protection and enhancement of natural resources and for the conservation of endangered and/or threatened species.

 

Also part of the Friends' mission is to support wildlife-dependent recreational and educational activities that enhance and further the primary purpose of the Wertheim Refuge. Another, equally important part of our mission is to foster cooperative and mutually productive relationships between the Refuge and adjacent communities.

 

FOW is responsible for the running of the Nature Store at the Long Island National Refuge Complex Visitor Center in Shirley, NY.