Visit a Local Wildlife Refuge and Celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week

Chances are there's a national wildlife refuge in your area. They're found in wild mountain areas as well as urban corridors, and the nation's 548 refuges provide habitat for thousands of birds, animals and fish. There are refuges in every state in the country, and most urban areas have one within an hour's drive.

Oct. 12-18 is National Wildlife Refuge Week, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is inviting the public to visit the refuges and learn about their mission and check out the natural resources they offer.

"America's wildlife refuges offer great places to teach our children the importance of making a lifelong commitment to our nation's natural resources," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall in a press release. "Exploring the outdoors and learning how all living things are connected to one another is what National Wildlife Refuge Week is all about."

Each refuge has its own events, from crafts for kids to road races to open houses to wildlife demonstrations and tours to habitat rehabilitation and trail building. At the Two Rivers National Wildlife Refuge, located on the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, migrating waterfowl congregate every October, giving visitors a once-a-year chance to see birds that aren't often in that part of the country.

At the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge, there will be a Big Sit on Oct. 12, where participants watch a 17-foot-diameter circle for 24 hours and count all the birds that appear. The refuge is located northwest of Enid, Okla. According to The Alva Review-Courier, a Big Sit is akin to "a bird tailgating party." The refuge is also hosting an open house and digital photo scavenger hunt.

There will even be a 5K run/walk on Oct. at the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, sponsored by the local Fond du Lac Running Club. Participants will follow the refuge's auto tour route and raise money for the group called Friends of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. Runners will be eligible for prizes and can enjoy apple cider afterwards, along with other activities and programs throughout the day.

To find a wildlife refuge near you, visit this site, part of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Web site. For a calendar listing all events associated with Wildlife Refuge Week, visit this site. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a government agency as part of the Department of the Interior whose job is to conserve, protect and enhance wildlife and their habitats in the United States. Main parts of that mission include endangered species and migratory birds. Unlike other pieces of public land, refuges are managed to put the needs of wildlife ahead of the needs of human visitors.