President Theodore Roosevelt created our first national wildlife refuge over 100 years ago, in 1903. That was a time when thousands of herons, egrets, and other birds were being killed by market hunters who wanted to sell their feathers. The feathers were valuable because they were used to decorate woman's hats. Many kinds of birds were threatened with extinction because of a fashion trend!
To protect these and other birds, President Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida. Before he left office, Roosevelt had established 53 additional refuges around the country. Their purpose was to protect not only birds but other wildlife species such as elk, by protecting their habitat. Since President Roosevelt's time, a majority of refuges (like Waubay NWR) have been created to protect migratory waterfowl and other bird species.
Most of the refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System are located along flyways used by migrating birds. That gives migrating birds a network of safe havens where they can stop over to rest and restore their energy supplies as they travel north or south each year. Refuges are equally important as breeding and wintering grounds for waterfowl and other wildlife, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and insects.
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." Today there are over 540 Refuges that provide habitat for animals and places for people to enjoy.
Wildlife - A
living heritage, a heritage for life.
If it has feathers, furs, scales or fins, chances are it’s found on a National Wildlife Refuge. From one-ton bison to one-ounce warblers, refuges carry a priceless cargo - the heritage of a wild America that was, and is.
Habitat - Places
to live, living places.
Refuges protect tundra, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, forests, rivers, marshes, swamps and remote islands - virtually every type of habitat and landscape found in the United States.
People - Wildlife
for people, people for wildlife.
While the needs of wildlife must come first, most refuges welcome visitors who want to enjoy the natural world - to observe or photograph wildlife, to hunt or fish, to study and learn about wildlife and their needs.
