In 1997, the Wings Over Water (WOW) Wildlife Festival was established as a way to encourage and offer the public opportunities for wildlife and wildland interpretation, education and experiences on regional national wildlife refuges. This annual fundraising event for national wildlife refuges has grown from offering just a few activities in 1997 to now featuring over 60 birding, paddling, photography, art, and natural history programs. Wings Over Water is an annual fundraising event sponsored by the Coastal Wildlife Refuge Society (CWRS), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting regional national wildlife refuges. In addition to providing funds for educational grants to schools, WOW contributes to many CWRS projects, such as maintaining trails, signs, and other refuge structures. Also, WOW helps CWRS provide volunteers and staff who are essential to the maintenance and operation of the regional national wildlife refuges visitor centers and refuges.