In 2017, the Refuge dedicated a larger, separate building at Headquarters for our use. In May 2018 we officially opened the Crane’s Nest Nature Center & Store.
The Nature Center
For many years, FOMR operated a Nature Store in the Visitor Center at Refuge Headquarters. In 2017, the Refuge dedicated a larger, separate building at Headquarters for our use. This gave us the opportunity to develop a Nature Center alongside our retail layout. The new space, which we’ve called Crane’s Nest Nature Center & Store, is in the historic residence east of the museum at Refuge Headquarters. In May 2018 we officially opened the Crane’s Nest Nature Center & Store to the public.
It is our goal that the Nature Center be a point of contact for Friend’s members and visitors to the Refuge, providing up-to-date wildlife sightings and current Refuge visitor information as well as a site for environmental education and wildlife presentations.
Learn about the history behind the Crane’s Nest Building.
The Nature Store
The Friends of Malheur’s retail store now located in the Crane’s Nest Nature Center was established in 2018 when the new Nature Center opened to the public. Opening in this new location allowed for expansion of the store which was originally located in the Refuge Headquarters building. The Nature Store expansion has allowed us to increase the store inventory offerings as well as offer a higher level of visitor information and membership services.
The Nature Store sales provide an important source of income which in turn supports our annual operations including Friends programs and stewardship projects. When visiting the Refuge, stop by the Nature Center/Nature Store. We love to see visitors new and old and of course say hi to our members.
If you are interested in volunteering or have general questions about volunteering at Malheur Refuge, please contact us.
Volunteer at Crane's Nest
Hello Friends, we need your help!
If you’re available to spend a month or more in southeast Oregon, we are looking for volunteers to help staff our Crane’s Nest Nature Store/Nature Center at Refuge Headquarters. Typically, we seek volunteers for the months of March through October.
This volunteer position involves operating the Crane’s Nest Nature Center/Nature Store and providing a general interpretation of the Refuge to visitors. It is helpful if Volunteers have some proficiency with cash registers and/or point-of-sale devices as well as a basic understanding of how to maintain an inventory of Nature Store items. If you have limited experience, we provide excellent training.
Good communication skills are desirable, as is a willingness to learn about and interpret the Refuge’s and Great Basin’s natural and cultural history. We ask that our volunteers commit to at least a month-long stint, working 3 days (~24 hours) a week, but the duration of the stint may be negotiable.
For those of you who have an RV, the Refuge Headquarters RV Center includes concrete pads with full power/water/sanitary hook-ups and a facility with an indoor gathering area, communal kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry. We have two RV spaces available for volunteers bringing their own RVs and a Friend’s 27’ travel trailer available for those volunteers who need lodging.
If you are interested in volunteering or have general questions about volunteering at Malheur Refuge, please contact us.
Cranes Nest volunteers
Be a Malheur Refuge Advocate.
You can become a Malheur Refuge champion by joining the Friends of Malheur and together we can advocate for a secure and more prosperous future for Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and our national wildlife refuge system.
