The National Wildlife Refuge NWR System

1
TheNational Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System
One thing you might notice is that I used NWR
which means (or is an acronym for)
National Wildlife Refuge (a place where wildlife
is safe from hunters).
2
The Blue GooseA Symbol for the Refuge System

• This symbol has been used on NWR entrance signs,
  boundary markers, brochures, and exhibits since
  1936.

3
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
1
NWR
100 YEARS
4
Pelican Island NWR

• Pelican Island NWR was founded March 14, 1903 as
  the very first National Wildlife Refuge. Pelican
  Island is in the Indian River near my
  Grandmothers house in east central Florida.

Was five acres, now 2.2 acres. Waves from the
Indian River washed the sand away from the
island.
5
Pelicans
6
History
Lots of pelicans came to this island in the early
1900s and possibly the late 1800s. The hunters
came with the birds shooting the creatures. In
1903 President Teddy Roosevelt declared (or made)
this island a refuge. Now this did not just
happen for fun, Paul Kroegel led the effort to
save the island and pelican home.
Paul Kroegel
7
Pelican Stamp

• A US postage stamp was made to commemorate (or
  honor) the island.
• Its first day of issue was Friday March 14, 2003.
  I have one of these stamps.
• I also have a pin of the stamp.

Picture of stamp at Pelican Island NWR.
8
NWR System

• Is 100 years old
• More than 540 refuges nationwide (at least one in
  each state)
• Pelican island was the first National Wildlife
  Refuge
• 95,000,000 acres in NWR System (that is more land
  than in the states of NY, Penn, and VA combined)

http//www.refugenet.org/new-general-info/map.asp
9
Links to Wisconsin

• There are also 2 WMDs
• (Wetland Management Districts)
• Leopold WMD
• St. Croix WMD
• There is one WMF (National Wildlife Fish
  Refuge)
• Upper Mississippi River WMF

• There are five NWRs in Wisconsin
• Fox River NWR
• Horicon NWR
• Necedah NWR
• Trempealeau NWR
• Whittlesey Creek NWR

http//www.bingo-info.com/images/usa/Wisconsin-map
.gif
10
Links to Wisconsin
http//midwest.fws.gov/maps/wisc.htm
11
Boardwalk at Pelican Island listing each NWR.
Pictured is Fox River NWR.
12
Whooping Crane Migration
The migration of Whooping cranes between Necedah
NWR WI and Chassahowitzka and Crystal River NWRs
FL is helped by an ultra lite aircraft. They
leave Wisconsin in mid- October. They arrive in
Florida at the end of November. They will make
the trip back starting in a couple of weeks. We
can track their progress at www.bringbackthecranes
.org
Sandhill Cranes
13
NWR slideshow
Steven Seal

• BySteven Cramer
• March, 2003
• Publisher Cramer Corp. (CC)