Weeks Bay Foundation Inc

The Weeks Bay Foundation was incorporated in 1990 as a non-profit organization to support the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in its efforts to protect the pristine coastal area of Baldwin County, Alabama . The Foundation, with over 550 members, supports the Reserve through donations of land and educational exhibits, public awareness and education programs, water quality monitoring efforts, and volunteer programs. 

The Foundation is a strong advocate for the Reserve, raising money to allow the Reserve to develop facilities, including the boardwalk behind the Interpretive Center and the new bog boardwalk, and establish a specimen collection, including live species. The Foundation also pursues land acquisition activities in the Weeks Bay watershed. 

The Weeks Bay Reserve provides a living laboratory for education and research groups to learn about estuaries, those coastal areas where rivers meet the sea. The Reserve is managed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and is also a part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U. S. Department of Commerce.

In 2011 the Foundation:

• received a donation of 26 acres on Cowpen Creek in Baldwin County
• purchased a 28-acre parcel adjacent to the Meadows Nature Preserve in Baldwin County
• accepted a conservation easement of 28 parcels on Dauphin Island from the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries
• participated in the establishment of the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation
• completed a water-quality research project on Fish River
• organized volunteers for work projects at Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries’ preserves with a Toyota Audubon Together Green Innovation grant
• held a day of fishing for kids at our annual Kids Fishing Day
• conducted the annual Weeks Bay Photography Contest
• presented the 8th Annual Alabama Coastal BirdFest
• raised funds to support the Foundation’s mission with the 2nd Annual Bald Eagle Bash
• published a quarterly newsletter, The Pelican Post, to increase awareness of the Foundation and Reserve
• introduced a monthly electronic newsletter
• provided an education assistant for the Weeks Bay Reserve
• managed grants for numerous projects at the Weeks Bay Reserve