The Friends of Bombay Hook serves as a link between the refuge and the public to foster a better understanding and appreciation of Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge.
The Refuge
Located on the west side of Delaware Bay, Bombay Hook is one of the crown jewels in the National Wildlife Refuge system.
It consists of over 16,000 acres of protected land and attracts 100,000 visitors a year including birders, nature lovers, photographers and hunters.
Bombay Hook is a great place to study and photograph nature, and to view wildlife in unspoiled surroundings.
Visitors may drive, bicycle or walk the public tour route, a 12 mile round-trip traversing the many refuge habitats. Along the route are five nature trails and three observation towers, each overlooking a fresh water impoundment.
What we do
Friends sponsors refuge activities including the annual spring and fall festivals; field trips, art exhibits and lectures; and the annual volunteer recognition dinner, hosted by the refuge staff.
Many Friends' members volunteer their time and talents at the refuge each year.
Volunteers assist refuge staff with event planning, publish the quarterly newsletter, staff the Visitor's Center on spring and fall weekends, help out at the festivals, lead bird walks, conduct refuge tours and many other services.
Upcoming Events (click for more details)
Monarch Butterflies
September 23 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Marvels of Saltmarshes
October 14 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Animal Behavior and Conservation Connections (ABCC) with Phung Luu
October 14 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Friends of Bombay Hook Annual Meeting
October 21 @ 11:00 am - 2:00 pm
View Our Latest Newsletter
Blue Heron Gift Shop
Located in the Refuge Headquarters building, Fiends of Bombay Hook operates the Blue Heron GIft Shop. It is our pleasure to serve you always with educational materials as well as souvenirs to take home!
Winter is over and the Blue Heron Gift Shop has begun its spring schedule. The Shop is staffed by volunteers, please call us at (302) 653-8322 to verify that the store is open.
The Blue Heron Gift Shop is open every day of the week from 9:00 until 4:00.
New Refuge Headquaters Opening Soon
As the finishing touches are added to the new Bombay Hook Visitor Center, staff, volunteers, and visitors are itching to get inside. While most of the work will be completed in the next few weeks, we are waiting on one huge thing before we officially move in, furniture!
The furniture is being ordered, and once the order is com-plete, it will take approximately 12-16 weeks for manufactur-ing, shipping, and installation. We hope this means we can officially move in and have a soft opening this summer. One important thing to remember is that supply chain issues still haven't been fully resolved by the pandemic, and there's al-ways a chance for the project to be delayed a little further. While we're all anxiously awaiting that move-in date, we plan to enjoy this building for years to come, and the wait will be worth it in the end.
Our contract for exhibit development was just recently award-ed, so the next step for the Visitor Center will be to develop exhibits for the entry hall, vestibule, and multipurpose room. We anticipate the exhibit projects will be completed and in-stalled in a year or so. The opening of the building isn't de-pendent on the exhibits being complete.
We will continue to keep folks updated on the progress, but if you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesi-tate to reach out to staff anytime.
Kate Toniolo
Project Leader
Coastal Delaware National Wildlife Refuge Complex
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
