St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1931 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds and is one of the oldest refuges in the country. It includes coastal marshes, islands, tidal creeks and estuaries of seven north Florida rivers, and is home to a diverse community of plant and animal life. The refuge also has strong ties to a rich cultural past, and is home to the St. Marks Lighthouse, which was built in 1832 and is still in use today.

Photo: Viktor Posner

Hundreds of Bald Eagles make the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge their home during winter months. The eagles congregate near open water snatching fish with their talons and soaring to to the treetops to eat their prey.

Established in 1932 as a migratory bird refuge, Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge encompasses a 22-mile segment of the southeast Atlantic coast. The refuge consists of 66, 287 acres which include a fascinating expanse of barrier islands, salt marshes, intricate coastal waterways, long sandy beaches, fresh and brackish water impoundments, and maritime forest. Points of interest include Bulls Island, Cape Island, and Lighthouse Island where two lighthouses, no longer operational, still stand.

The refuge’s original objectives were to preserve in public ownership habitat for waterfowl, shorebirds and resident species. In recent years, objectives have expanded to include: managing endangered species, protecting the 29,000 acre Class I Wilderness Area, and preserving the Bulls Island and Cape Island forests and their diverse plant communities. Currently, the refuge is actively working to aid the recovery of the threatened loggerhead sea turtle.

Photo: USFWS 

Is it getting cold where you are? There is still plenty of warm weather down at the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and currently consists of approximately 9,200 acres of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. These natural communities are critical habitat for hundreds of endemic and migratory species including 17 federally-listed species such as Key deer, lower Keys marsh rabbit, and silver rice rat.

Photo: Chad Anderson

Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge has often been called the most beautiful national wildlife refuge in the United States. The rugged Centennial Mountains, rising more than 9,000 feet above the Centennial Valley wetlands, provide a dramatic backdrop for this extremely remote Refuge. The inherent solitude and suitable habitat has made this the perfect place for reviving declining populations of the majestic trumpeter swan.

Photo: USFWS 

California’s native Tule elk were driven to the edge of extinction by hunting and habitat loss, with perhaps as few as 10 or 20 surviving animals left at one point in the 20th century. In 1974 a herd of 18 Tule elk were brought to San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, where they have thrived. Today there are about 4,000 Tule elk in the state, many of them descendants of the San Luis herd.  You can see Tule elk herds from the refuge’s auto tour. 

Photo: Lee Eastman/USFWS

The Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge stretches across 20.5 miles between Melbourne Beach and Wabasso Beach along Florida’s east coast. The refuge was established in 1991 and was named after the late Dr. Archie Carr, Jr., in honor of his extraordinary contribution to sea turtle conservation. The Refuge is a direct result of Dr. Carr bringing attention to the world’s declining turtle populations due to over-exploitation and loss of safe habitat.

The refuge was designated to protect habitat for what is the most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the Western Hemisphere, and the most significant area for green turtle nesting in North America. This represents 25-35% of all loggerhead and green sea turtle nests in the US. It also serves as a minor nesting area for the leatherback turtle, which is one of the world’s largest and rarest sea turtles. The long stretches of quiet, undisturbed sandy beaches, with little or no artificial light, are essential to the reproductive success and survival of the 15,000 to 20,000 sea turtles nesting annually.

Photo: Terry Ross 

Treat yourself with a visit to a national wildlife refuge during National Wildlife Refuge Week, from October 14-20. Celebrate America’s wildlife heritage, and see what wildlife refuges are doing to conserve it.

Since Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System has become the nation’s premier habitat conservation network, encompassing 150 million acres in 556 refuges and 38 wetland management districts. Every state has at least one national wildlife refuge. There is a national wildlife refuge within an hour’s drive of most major cities.

This photo is of Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, which was established to conserve brown bears, salmon, migratory birds, caribou, marine birds, and mammals; to fulfill treaty obligations; to provide for continued subsistence uses; and to ensure necessary water quality and quantity.

Photo: Julia Pinnix 

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia includes more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, marsh, and maritime forest. Within a workday’s access to millions of people, Chincoteague Refuge is one of the most visited refuges in the United States, providing visitors with outstanding opportunities to learn about and enjoy wildlands and wildlife.

Photo: USFWS 

Happy Mother’s Day everyone! Here’s a picture of a Red Wolf with its cubs at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, which serves as the core area for reintroducing Red Wolves into the wild.

Photo: Greg Koch