About Us

Our Mission

To support and advocate for the seven refuges within the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex and to promote public understanding of the need to protect and preserve wildlife and wildlife habitat.

OUR Board of directors
OUR PARTNERs

Our Painted Bunting

We wanted a logo that represented the beauty we saw in our wildlife refuges. The Painted Bunting’s bold colors reflect all of the majestic hues of the rainbow that you can discover in our flora and fauna. Its strong posture faces undauntedly into the future as we chart a new course for Friends groups across the country.

The seven leaves, bound together on a branch, represent each of the seven National Wildlife Refuges in our complex. Blackbeard, Harris Neck, Pinckney, Savannah, Tybee, Wassaw and Wolf.

Officially adopted in October 2022, the Painted Bunting, also known as “siete colores” (seven colors) in Mexico and often referred to as “nonpareil” (without equal), is the perfect embodiment of our passion for the preservation, protection and promotion of our seven National Wildlife Refuges.

Our Pride Variant

Each of our refuges is amazing, just like every person who visits and supports them. Nature truly paints in all colors and we at Coastal Refuges hope to inspire people of all backgrounds, especially those in the LGBTQIA+ community, to connect with nature in their own way. We aim to not only speak of inclusion but to walk with our vibrant Friends stride for stride.

The colors included within the leaves are based on the historical 1978 pride flag designed by the late artist-activist Gilbert Baker.

Each color carries a different meaning: red-life, orange-healing, yellow-sun, turquoise-art, indigo-harmony, violet-spirit and green for nature located in the center, which for us anchors the message back to our refuges.