There are many different types
of beautiful outdoor spaces
throughout the United States.
There are local parks, national parks,
wildlife reserves and sanctuaries,
and even your own backyard.
National Wildlife Refuges are
another type of outdoor space.
National Wildlife Refuges are
managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and there are over 500 of
them throughout the whole country.
Pause the video and find your state.
Each dot represents a Refuge.
How many can you count in your state?
National Wildlife Refuges are
special places for wildlife and for
people to enjoy the great outdoors.
What makes them unique is that
they were created to provide
habitats for the conservation
of all sorts of animal life,
and plant life.
From the Bosque del Apache National
Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico,
where one can find prickly pear
cactus growing in the desert.
To the wetlands of the Seatuck National
Wildlife Refuge in New York,
where saltmarsh sparrows make their home.
There are various habitats
throughout all Refuges.
Habitat the natural home or
environment of an animal,
plant or other organism.
Each wildlife species has
specific adaptations to survive
and thrive in its habitat.
Adaptation. Physical characteristics,
animals or plants have or adjustments
they make to survive in their habitat.
Adaptations can change over time and
some are even based on the seasons.
For example, many monarch butterflies
migrate south in the fall and stop
at the sunny and warm St. Marks
National Wildlife Refuge in Florida
on their way to winter in Mexico.
How do you adapt? Grab a piece of paper,
grab something to write or draw with.
What are some ways you adapt to
changes in the seasons? Write
or draw all the ways you can
think of! Share with your peers!
National Wildlife Refuges are great
places to participate in many kinds of
recreational activities like fishing,
hiking,
hunting,
and even wildlife observation.
Some Refuges even offer environmental
education programs and events for everyone.
Each National Wildlife Refuge has
unique sights and sounds year-round.
Refuge sights and sounds.
Keep playing the video.
What are some sights and sounds
you can identify? Observe with your
eyes and ears and share what you
saw and heard with your peers.
What did you see and hear?
National Wildlife Refuges
have all the resources,
plants and animals need to survive.
These include fresh air, clean water,
multiple food sources,
and space to build shelter.
Human beings need the exact
same resources to survive.
All these resources for wildlife come
from healthy habitats that biologists,
managers, and other staff take care of using
their five senses and other important tools.
This includes trapping,
tagging, and tracking animals to record
how they're doing physically and to check how
they're interacting with their environment.
Conducting prescribed burns to
control invasive species and
help native grasses grow,
and also planting trees and
grasses to restore native habitat.
What Refuges are located near you?