The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week from October 11-17, 2015.
National wildlife refuges, managed by the Service, have been part of America’s rich natural heritage since 1903, when President Theodore Roosevelt established the first national wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida.
Since 1995, refuges across the country have celebrated National Wildlife Refuge Week during the second full week of October with festivals, educational programs, tours and other events.
The National Wildlife Refuge System encompasses more than 150 million acres in 563 refuges and 38 wetland management districts.
Every state has at least one national wildlife refuge, and there is a refuge within an hour’s drive of most major cities.
For more information, visit www.fws.gov/refuges.
source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service