National Wildlife Refuge Week features scores of festivals and special events that help connect people with nature at the countrys 545 national wildlife refuges. The 11th consecutive National Wildlife Refuge Week will be celebrated this year October 8-14.
Established in 1903 when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the three-acre Pelican in Florida as the nations first wildlife refuge, the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, today encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges and more than 3,000 waterfowl production areas across more than 97 million acres.
More than 40 million people each year visit national wildlife refuges for close-to-home wildlife-dependent recreation that is second to none.
"National wildlife refuges are Americas promise to its citizens that there will always be places where wildlife and wildlife habitats can thrive," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall. "Just as important, the Refuge System offers some of the finest outdoor recreation in the country, from fishing and hunting, to nature photography and nature interpretation.
"One of our most pressing challenges in society today is to teach our children - kids growing up in a digital age - that there is a world of nature beyond the computer and television screen," Hall continued. "National wildlife refuges are some of the greatest places to learn the lessons of nature, and National Wildlife Refuge Week is the perfect time to start."
With national wildlife refuges in every state, people in most major metropolitan areas can find unsurpassed opportunities to hunt, fish, photograph and see wildlife within an easy drive of their homes during Refuge Week and throughout the year.
Among dozens of family events during this years National Wildlife Week celebration:
36pt; -18pt; l2 level1 lfo3 list 36. Grab a guided Crane Watch tour at 6:45 a.m. or take the Wonders of the Wild Walk at 10:30 a.m. during a full day of family festivities October 7 at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota. The free Wildlife Festival includes horse drawn hayrides, scavenger hunts, hands-on archery and air rifle workshops, face painting, nature crafts and exhibits. For more information: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/sherburne/FESTIVAL.HTM
- 36.Boy Scouts will be able to fulfill some of the requirements for an Insect Merit Badge during guided walks October 14-15 at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Visitors will learn about nature photography, native prairie grasses and useful native plants as well as birds, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and other creatures. For more information: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/balcones/events.htm
- 36.Visit Chesser Homestead at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia October 14. Discover how people once lived in Southeast Georgia at the time the Refuge System was established in 1903. Learn how settlers made soap, brooms, butter, quilts, baskets and other everyday items. Sample boiled peanuts, soup, biscuits and other items cooked on a wood-burning stove. Listen to bluegrass music, stories, and four-note singing. Families can join in the games their grandparents played. For more information: http://www.fws.gov/okefenokee/specialevents.htm
- l1 level1 lfo2 list 36.Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week and Earth Science Week during a full day of events at Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland, on October 14. Families can enjoy live animals demonstrations, childrens crafts and behind-the-scenes research tours of the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. For more information: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/patuxent/prrdefault.html
"Our national wildlife refuges are among our nations most treasured places," said National Wildlife Refuge System Chief Geoffrey L. Haskett. "There is at least one wildlife refuge in every state. In many communities, there is a refuge less than an hours drive from your front door."
For a more complete listing of Refuge Week events across the country, go to
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_Search.cfm
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 fish and wildlife management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
36ptFor more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
36ptvisit our homepage at http://www.fws.gov
