The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages a large number of public lands and waters known as the National Wildlife Refuge System. There are more than 560 refuges around the United States, spanning all 50 states and 5 territories. This system protects a wide diversity of fish, wildlife and plant species.
President Theodore Roosevelt named Pelican Island in Florida as the nation’s first wildlife refuge in 1903. Since then, the system has grown to 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts taking in more than 150 million acres.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 states that the mission of the system is "to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of the present and future generations of Americans.”
The National Wildlife Refuges are great places to view and photograph wildlife. However, the natural beauty of these treasured places can often be as inspiring as the wildlife that live there. Certainly, great landscape as well as wildlife pictures can be photographed at these refuges.
My travel and photography have taken me to 16 different National Wildlife Refuges in 6 states and allowed me to experience and photograph the scenic beauty and wildlife within.
President Theodore Roosevelt named Pelican Island in Florida as the nation’s first wildlife refuge in 1903. Since then, the system has grown to 568 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts taking in more than 150 million acres.
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 states that the mission of the system is "to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of the present and future generations of Americans.”
The National Wildlife Refuges are great places to view and photograph wildlife. However, the natural beauty of these treasured places can often be as inspiring as the wildlife that live there. Certainly, great landscape as well as wildlife pictures can be photographed at these refuges.
My travel and photography have taken me to 16 different National Wildlife Refuges in 6 states and allowed me to experience and photograph the scenic beauty and wildlife within.
This gallery contains some of my favorite National Wildlife Refuge images that are available as downloads and fine art prints. To view the gallery, click here or on the photo collage above. When you are in the gallery, click on a thumbnail to enlarge an image. To navigate the images click on the arrows. To see the captions click on the (i) symbol.
