Wild About Wildlife Summer Champagne Luncheon Raises More Than $31,000 for the National Wildlife Refuge Association

Guest Speaker Deborah Pollack Headlined the August 26 Event at Table 26

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, UNITED STATES, August 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- 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.

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

About Wild About Wildlife
Wild About Wildlife (WAW) is a Palm Beach–based fundraising and awareness initiative benefiting the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Through a series of community events, WAW unites conservation leaders, community supporters, and residents in support of the Refuge Association’s local programs benefiting Palm Beach County and South Florida. To learn more about Wild About Wildlife please visit  http://refugeassociation.org/2026-wild-about-wildlife.

About the National Wildlife Refuge Association
Wild About Wildlife (WAW) is a Palm Beach-based fundraising and awareness initiative benefiting the National Wildlife Refuge Association. Through a series of community events, WAW unites conservation leaders, philanthropists, and residents in support of the Refuge Association’s local programs benefiting Palm Beach County and beyond in South Florida. WAW is led by dedicated advocates including Nancy Marshall, nationally recognized environmental leader and National Wildlife Refuge Association volunteer, and Dianne Bernstein, Chair, and recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award from the West Palm Beach Library Foundation. 

In Palm Beach County and throughout South Florida, the Refuge Association leads the South Florida Urban Wildlife Refuge Project, a community-driven conservation initiative that expands access to wildlife refuges and green spaces while empowering the next generation of environmental leaders. From hands-on environmental education to green infrastructure and workforce development, signature programs like Pocket Refuges, Conservation Ranger Camp, and Floating Wetlands foster environmental stewardship and connection to nature. This work creates more access in conservation and helps build a more resilient South Florida for people and wildlife. 

To learn more about the Refuge Association’s South Florida program please visit https://www.refugeassociation.org/urban-south-florida-waw.

Melissa Perlman
BlueIvy Communications
+1 561-310-9921
email us here

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