The National Deer Association is pleased to name John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge as the recipient of its 2025 Hunting Heritage Award, an award presented to an organization that demonstrates extraordinary commitment to bringing new hunters into the tradition of hunting.
Known as America’s First Urban Refuge, John Heinz sits on roughly 1,000 acres in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, protecting the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania. It draws over 325,000 visitors a year, and the refuge was established to restore the Tinicum tidal marsh and provide education and recreation to the public. They work diligently to connect urban communities to the natural world. That mission found a natural partner in NDA’s Field to Fork program, which has worked alongside the refuge to recruit from the local community, bringing in approximately 80 new hunters each year.
When the refuge first opened its doors to the mentored archery deer hunt program in 2019, the conservation need was clear. Overabundant deer were damaging native plant communities, and an entire urban population lived largely disconnected from the hunting heritage in their own backyard. Additionally, there was an opportunity to introduce new communities to hunting. Free to participants and co-run with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the National Deer Association, and Friends of Heinz Refuge, the program covers everything from the conservation history of hunting and deer biology to crossbow instruction, hunting safety and ethics, and field game care and meat processing.
“What sets this year’s recognition apart is the context in which it was earned,” said Director of Hunter Recruitment Elizabeth Kligge. “The refuge system faced real uncertainty in the past year, including staff cuts and questions about the future of its programs. Rather than scaling back, John Heinz chose to keep showing up for the community they worked so hard to build.”
“That kind of commitment is at the heart of what hunting heritage means – not just celebrating the tradition, but doing the hard work to protect and grow it, even when circumstances make that difficult.”
“I want to thank the National Deer Association for selecting us for this award,” said Refuge Manager Lamar Gore. “For me and the Heinz Team, this award recognizes a work of passion to share not just hunting culture, but outdoor recreation with new communities not intentionally engaged in these activities. We spend a great deal of effort in understanding our audience so that we can engage them appropriately and create a successful learning environment regarding ethical hunt culture.
“This award also recognizes one of the most effective partnerships I have been part of in my career. In our case, we knew our strengths and weaknesses and tapped into the right partners in the Pennsylvania Game Commission, National Deer Association, and Friends of Heinz Refuge to create success. We had a shared vision to develop a program to meet new hunters where they are, remove barriers to participation, and create growing opportunities as new hunters continue their hunting journeys. Thank you for this recognition!”