This Memorial Day and all summer long, get out into nature and see some wildlife – in your backyard, at your local park or on a nearby national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge . You’ll create family memories to last a lifetime, and if you take your digital camera, you’ll not only capture those memories, but will have the opportunity to submit them as part of a major online image mosaic.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the launch of a “Let’s Go Outside” initiative to create a massive compilation of nearly 10,000 publicly provided photographs capturing families creating memories in nature this summer. The assembled photographs will create a image mosaic of an outdoor image to be revealed at the conclusion of the summer, and then made into a commemorative poster.
All digital photos submitted will be included in the image mosaic – a picture that has been divided into equally sized sections, each of which is replaced with a photograph. When viewed at a distance, the image mosiac seems to be one complete image, while close examination reveals it as a composition of thousands of smaller images. Visitors to the “Let’s Go Outside” web site will be able to watch the image mosaic being built and locate their own images by using a unique code number.
The “Let’s Go Outside” initiative, supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, encourages children, educators and parents to get outside and enjoy nature and wildlife. Submissions for the image mosaic will be accepted from Memorial Day through Labor Day. To submit digital photos and learn about other activities in nature, including the basics of digital nature photography, visit http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside.
You can also visit the “Let’s Go Outside” web site to locate one of America’s 550 remarkable national wildlife refuges and discover what nature has to offer. Most metropolitan areas are within an hour’s drive of at least one wildlife refuge. But experiencing nature can also be as simple as visiting a local state park, bird watching in your own backyard or even taking a walk around the neighborhood to see wildlife. Watching wildlife is an extremely easy, fun and free way to enjoy the environment, spend family time or just to relax.
“Let’s Go Outside” strives to promote environmental awareness while reconnecting Americans with nature – encouraging healthier lifes and helping to ensure future generations appreciate the natural world around them.



