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Thursday 10am - 4pm Friday 10am - 4pm Saturday 10am - 4pm Sunday 10am - 4pm

Chincoteague Refuge Friends

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Chincoteague Refuge Friends

This Page is intended for information distribution to like minded interests. Many of our members are volunteers for the Refuge.

Chincoteague Refuge Friends a non-profit corporation that advocates for and supports Management, Staff and efforts of the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Chincoteague Refuge Friends is the DBA (doing business as) name for the Chincoteague Natural History Association (CNHA) We are a non-profit corporation organized to assist and support the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge through educational activities, materials and programs. We are always looking for members and financing for our group and its efforts to support the Refuge. Come join us for the day, or for life. We love seeing new faces and greeting old friends.

11/01/2026

The Wildlife Trek, a program offered by the Chincoteague Refuge Friends (CNHA) is being closed down for the rest of the 2026 season. Construction of the new access road is advancing so quickly that it will hamper our ability to provide a safe and pleasurable rider experience, until project completion.

We're sorry for any inconvenience to our members and friends, but it's a measure we don't take lightly. This summer has been a huge success for our Trek program and we're looking forward to 2027!

Thank you so much for all your Trek support. We'll see you in the spring!

Happy Fall Ya'll!

10/31/2026

Quite a different view, from what it was three days ago... the new roadway is progressing nicely!

10/31/2026

Make sure to stop by our booth and say hi to Friends Nora and Marcus!

10/29/2026

Upcoming event - Guided Bird Walk, November 14th, lead by the Master Naturalists.

10/28/2026

“Things that go bump in the night” aren’t always goblins and were-wolves!

Assateague Island is home to multiple species of nocturnal predators, like this screech owl. Hunting at night allows them to have less competition for food and avoid larger predators.

Screech owls have a wide range of prey, from insects to small mammals. They will perch in trees waiting before silently dropping to capture the prey with their feet.

While they are a rare sighting, due to their nocturnal habits, the forested areas of Assateague Island make for a prime hunting ground.

For more information about birds on Assateague, see: https://www.nps.gov/asis/learn/nature/birds.htm

Photo: NPS

10/27/2026

Back to work on the new access road north to the new recreation beach!

10/27/2026

Boo! It’s a ghost… crab!

Ghost crabs get their name from seemingly being able to appear and disappear at will.

Ghost crabs have a pale color that allows them to camouflage well in the sand. They also live in holes on the beach that they quickly dart in and out of. Mostly coming out at night keeps them in the darkness and shadows.

These adaptations make them seem ghostly but also allow them to hide from predators to better survive in a difficult environment!

For more information on the crustaceans that call Assateague Island Home, see: https://www.nps.gov/asis/learn/nature/crustaceans.htm

Photo: NPS/H. Damewood

10/23/2026

FROM THE BULLETIN BOARD…

If you’re planning a trip to Assateague VA this weekend:

- only a portion of Parking Lot 2 is cleared and open. There is extremely limited parking available at the beach.

- the South OSV is closed due to overwash and flooding.

- the Visitor Center i.e Bateman Education Center and Friends bookstore have started winter operational hours. We are open -
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
10:00am to 4:00pm
(Bookstore closes at 3:30pm)

- Due to renewed construction efforts on the new recreation beach access, the Service Road will not be open to public driving Waterfowl/Thanksgiving weekend.

- The premier and matinee for the new Refuge orientation film was a huge success! A Special Thanks to the Island Theater and orher island sponsors. The film is getting its last tweeks and closed captioning. We should have it playing in the Bateman Auditorium, soon!

Address

8231 Beach Road, PO Box 917
Chincoteague, VA
23336

Opening Hours

Thursday	10am - 4pm
Friday	10am - 4pm
Saturday	10am - 4pm
Sunday	10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17573363696

Website

https://www.friends-chincoteaguenwr.org/

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