Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Northeast Region

Welcome to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge!

Located on the southern end of Assateague Island in Virginia, the refuge was established in 1943 for the protection of migratory waterfowl habitat with emphasis on conserving the greater snow goose.

The refuges’ more than 14,000 acres of beach, maritime forest, saltmarsh, and freshwater marsh habitats are home to a spectacular variety of migratory birds, plants, and other animals.

The refuge is also one of the most visited refuges in the country and provides outstanding opportunities to connect you with nature.		  
Credit: Photos courtesy of John White and USFWS
Images from Chincoteague NWR.
Refuge Highlights
   
CCP For updates and information on the Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge please click here
Jr. Duck Stamp

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge invites students K-12 attending public, private, or home schools to participate in the 2012 Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. For more information visit (http://www.fws.gov/juniorduck/).

YCC
Applications now being accepted for Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) for application and information click here
FWS App

A new mobile application for smart phones provides instant information on bird watching, trails and historic sites on national wildlife refuges.The app is called “myRefuge” and may be downloaded for free for a limited time from iTunes. It is made for the iPhone and the iPad. More refuges are being added to the app regularly. 

More information on the app is available here
Topic of Conversation....
 

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to Receive $1.5 Million from Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has been awarded $1.5 million dollars from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, funded by appropriations from the Paul S. Sarbanes Transit in Parks Program. Full Story
 

A Not So Wild Goose Chase
By Curtis Badger

Greater Snow Goose number 44CC had apparently made herself at home. My wife Lynn and I spent several days looking for banded snow geese at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge last fall, and after we made four trips and logged in 22 different birds, this goose was the only one present and accounted for on each of the four occasions. She clearly had taken a liking to the shallow impoundment behind the beach, hanging out with friends that, like her, had recently completed a trip from the Arctic and now were looking for a little R and R. Full Story

 

  
Upcoming Events
 

February 17 - 20
Great Backyard Bird Count
For more information click here
 
March 11
Refuge Hours Change to 6am to 8pm
 
March 15
Toms Cove Hook Closes to 4 wheel drive vehicles, pedestrains and horseback riding
 
Artwork for the Virginia Jr. Duck Stamp contest due
 
March 17 - Program
 2pm at the Herbert H. Bateman Educational Center
Bob Hinds, A National Wildlife Artist - Presented by John Jurig
 
See Calander of Events for future events
 
Did You Know...
1610 AM Radio Sign Chincoteague NWR is on the radio?
If you are within a 5 mile radius of the Refuge you can tune into 1610 AM for Traffic Advisories and Refuge Information.

 


The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is:
To administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
 

 
Last updated: February 10, 2012