Membership

2024 Membership

We are now accepting memberships for 2024. All 2023 Friends of Read Wildlife Sanctuary (FRWS) Memberships expired on December 31, 2023.

FRWS Members receive a reusable membership card that allows passage through Playland’s main entrance toll gates as well as the gate located near the Dragon Coaster which leads into the Sanctuary. (Our membership cards do not work at the Bus Entrance.)

If you were a member in 2022 or 2023, your card will be remotely reactivated when you renew your membership for 2024. It may take up to 2 weeks to complete this process.

Gate System

In 2022, a new gate system was installed. If you were a member before 2022 and renew membership now, you will receive a new membership card compatible with this new system.

Please note, our new membership card does not use barcode technology. Please TAP your membership card on the card reader and wait for the gate arm to open.

Thank You For Your Patience

You can anticipate that it will take approximately two weeks to process a membership application, and mail a membership card and/or complete a card reactivation remotely. We are a small, largely volunteer-based organization and we appreciate your patience.

If you want to access the Sanctuary prior to your membership card re/activation, you may enter the grounds on foot at any time. Or you may drive in whenever Playland’s gates are open.

Annual Membership Fee Increase

On June 1, 2023, and for the first time since our inception in 1985, our “Individual” level membership fee increased from $20 to $25 per year. FRWS and the staff work hard to keep the Sanctuary beautifully maintained and affordable to all who choose to support it with a membership. This modest $5 increase per member per year will help us achieve this goal and at only 7 cents per day additional for members.

Membership Level

  • Individual $25
  • Family $50
  • Group $100 (Recommended for non-profit groups or organizations, and anyone feeling generous!)
  • Benefactor $250 (Recommended for small businesses, and anyone feeling very generous!)
  • Donations (made on this page) of higher amounts are always welcome and very much appreciated. Non-membership.

To become a Friends of Read member, simply fill out the form to the right, select type of membership amount, and click submit. You will be taken to PayPal to finalize your transaction. Your generous support is very much appreciated and will be put to good use supporting our wildlife management, conservation, and educational missions!

Would you like to join a Committee?

We have a number of active committees for our members to get involved. Some of our activities include grounds upkeep, advocacy, or fund raising. If you have an idea, want to volunteer, or are interested in joining our Board – tell us!

Mail Check Instead

If you prefer, we also accept memberships by mail. (Good option for people without email addresses or PayPal accounts.) Please download the membership application below and mail it along with your membership fee to: Treasurer, Friends of Read Wildlife Sanctuary, P.O. Box 548, Rye, NY 10580. We will process your renewal or new membership. Please allow 2-3 weeks to receive your membership card/gate pass.

Memberships purchased today will expire on 12/31/2024.

Create/Renew Membership


    • SelfGift

    • Your Information

      Please enter your full name and email address below so that we know who provided this generous gift.



    • For whom is this gift?

      Please enter the recipients information to whom you are providing this gift.




    • NOTE: EACH MEMBER MUST HAVE THEIR OWN SEPARATE EMAIL ADDRESS
      IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS, please download the membership application form below and mail it to us to be entered by our staff. Thank you!






    • Student/Individual $25Family $50Group $100Benefactor $250