Today, President Obama expanded the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to a total protected area of 582,578 square miles – making it the largest marine protected area on Earth. Part of the most remote island archipelago on Earth, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument supports a reef ecosystem with more than 7,000 marine species and is home to many species of coral, fish, birds and marine mammals. This includes the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, the endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles. Top and bottom photos courtesy of James Watt, middle photo by Lindsey Kramer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge in Indiana was established in 1966 to provide resting and feeding areas for waterfowl during their annual migrations. More than 280 species of birds have been seen at Muscatatuck, and the refuge is recognized as a “Continentally Important” bird area. This time of year, you can see great blue herons, egrets, warblers and incredible orange sunrises. Photo by Bill Tucker (www.sharetheexperience.org).
Today, the Obama Administration moved to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, releasing a conservation plan and calling on Congress to designate core areas of the refuge – including its Coastal Plain – as wilderness, the highest level of protection available to public lands.
The 19.8 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is widely considered one of the most spectacular and remote areas in the world. It is home to the most diverse wildlife in the arctic, from caribou and polar bears to gray wolves and muskoxen. Lagoons, beaches, saltmarshes, tundra and forests make up the remote and undisturbed wild area that spans five distinct ecological regions, and the refuge holds special meaning to Alaska Natives – having sustained their lives and culture for thousands of years. Learn more at www.DOI.gov.
Top photo: Mother and polar bear cub at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Middle photo: Moonrise over the Brooks Range.
Bottom photo: Northern Lights dance above the refuge.
Up for a trip to northern Maine? If so, Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge is a great spot for winter sports. This time of year, the refuge in Limestone, offers seven groomed miles of trails perfect for snowshoeing and skiing. If you’re not the cold weather type, and of the angling persuasion, wait until late spring and summer when the refuge hosts an annual fishing derby. Originally part of the Loring Air Force Base, the refuge was founded in 1998 with a primary focus of forest and grassland management.
Besides removing the Cold War-era military buildings and demolishing fences and railways, the refuge manages around 400 acres of grasslands. Biologists have even investigated using some of the abandoned military bunkers for artificial bat hibernacula! (Really, it’s true; click here) Located in a part of Maine dominated by potato and broccoli farming, the refuge is key in preserving the northern Maine forests and its wildlife, including upland sandpipers and neotropical migratory birds. If that’s not enough to get you up there, this photo should do the trick.
Photo: Sharon Wallace/USFWS
About halfway between Hawai‘i and American Samoa lies Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Palmyra consists of a circular string of about 50 islets nestled among several lagoons and encircled by 15,000 acres of shallow turquoise reefs and deep blue submerged reefs. It is the northernmost atoll in the Line Islands in the equatorial Pacific.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Most of Oregon’s 1.2 million seabirds nest in the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge, a 320-mile-long sweep of 1,400 islands, rocks, and reefs along the Oregon coast from Tillamook Head to the California border. The rocks, islands and all but one headland are classified as wilderness and are closed to the public as sanctuaries for nesting birds. Beach-goers can explore the tide pools teeming with sea life below the high tide line on the refuge’s protected rocks and islands.
Photo: Roy W. Lowe/USFWS
The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, was established in 1983 specifically for the protection of the endangered West Indian Manatee. This unique refuge preserves the last unspoiled and undeveloped habitat in Kings Bay, which forms the headwaters of the Crystal River. The refuge preserves the warm water spring havens, which provide critical habitat for the manatee populations that migrate here each winter.
This manatee is sleeping in shallow water in order to benefit from the sun’s radiant heat on his back, while submerged in the springs 72 F degree waters. During the cold spells, most manatees prefer resting in shallow water for this reason.
Photo: David Hinkel
Privacy