$31K Raised for Wildlife Refuge Association

(Press Release) WEST PALM BEACH, FL — August 28, 2025 — Wild About Wildlife (WAW), Palm Beach’s premier fundraising initiative supporting the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s (Refuge Association) programs, announced that its annual Summer Champagne Luncheon raised more than $31,000 to support programs that inspire the next generation of environmental stewards. The private luncheon – held August 26, 2025 at Table 26 Palm Beach – featured remarks by Deborah Pollack, acclaimed Palm Beach art dealer and award-winning author, and live music by Joe Young of The Colony Hotel.

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​Pollack presented “The Flavor and Early Atmosphere of Early Palm Beach,” tracing the area’s early landscapes and cultural roots—from the Barton property and its graceful glades to the legacy of painter Laura Woodward, whose works help document Palm Beach’s natural beauty. Pollack connected art history to today’s conservation ethos, noting how a long tradition of appreciating the region’s wild places continues through community support for the Refuge Association.

“Palm Beach showed up with heart,” said Wild About Wildlife founder, Nancy Marshall, who is a nationally recognized environmental leader and advocate for the Refuge Association. “This support helps bring conservation home, connecting local families and students to national wildlife refuges, green spaces, and hands-on programs that protect South Florida’s natural heritage.”

Special guests included Margo McKnight, President & CEO of the Palm Beach Zoo; Amy Kight, CEO of the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary; Desirée Sorenson-Groves, President & CEO of the Refuge Association; Natalie Balaguer, South Florida Regional Partnership Specialist, Refuge Association; USMC Major General (Ret.) E. Gray Payne, Board of Directors, Refuge Association; Rick Rose, Palm Beach Historian and Author; Rebecca G. Doane, partner at Doane & Doane; and more.

“We’re grateful to our hosts, guests, and partners for making this luncheon such a success,” added Dianne Bernstein, Chair of Wild About Wildlife. “These funds advance community-driven projects that inspire the next generation of environmental stewards across Palm Beach County.”

Proceeds from the luncheon specifically support the Refuge Association’s South Florida Urban Wildlife Refuge Project, including initiatives such as Pocket Refuges (local native-plant habitat gardens), Conservation Ranger Camp (career-exposure summer program for high school students), and Floating Wetlands (student-built “living laboratory” islands that improve water quality and ecological literacy).

The Summer Luncheon officially kicks off WAW’s 2025–2026 season of signature events, which includes:

• Reception at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens — November 5, 2025
• Awards Dinner at Grand Living — February 6, 2026