Wildlife Refuge was a 60s San Francisco Bay Area folk rock band, core members being Marge Tronvig, Kirk Ferris, Lloyd Ferris, and Chuck Phalen with Wayne Malmgren sitting in on a few gigs. The band played the local Contra Costa County music scene appearing at coffee houses, concerts, local events, and high school and college dances from 1968 to 1971.

 

Lead singer Marge Tronvig fronted the group performing songs that exhibited her vocal quality and range. She also played guitar. While at Diablo Valey College she was a soloist with the Chamber Singers. She graced the stage as Fiona in the musical Brigadoon and as Aunt Eller in Oklahoma. Her dramatic role as Bessie Watty in The Corn is Green was delightfully wicked. Outside of her musical endeavors, Marge was a talented artist producing excellent drawings and paintings. She was an avid tennis player as well. Sadly, Marge left the music scene after college and presently lives in Northern California.

​

Lloyd Ferris played drums for Wildlife Refuge and one of the main songwriters for the group. He is presently a Berkeley resident He continues to write songs of social consciousness and conflict resolution, has his own project studio churning out songs fr the ages.

 

Kirk Ferris on bass guitar provided pitch perfect harmonies. After Wildlife Refuge disbanded, Kirk created music in his private studio in Pleasant Hill, California. At too young an age, Kirk passed away in 1994. He left behind a legacy of music.

 

Chuck Phalen on lead guitar also contributed to the vocal sounds of this talented folk rock band. Lloyd and Chuck were the main songwriters. The songs listed here are the only recordings in existence today thanks to the band's soundman, Curtis Corlew who rrecorded the band during a rehearsal on a Wollensak tape machine.

​

Marge, Lloyd and Chuck all sang together with their high school A Cappella.

​

More information on Chuck's musical escapades can be found om his page on this website.

 

 Wildlife Refuge last performed in 1970.