Science Features
Enjoying Father's Day at Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Karen Laubenstein, USFWS.
More than 10,000 visitors to the country’s National Wildlife Refuge System say they are happy with their experiences on National Wildlife Refuges, according to just-published results from a survey by the U.S. Geological Survey. This is good news for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the diverse network of refuges.
Some 90 percent of visitors to National Wildlife Refuges who were surveyed indicate they are satisfied with each of four key refuge offerings: services provided by employees or volunteers, recreational opportunities, refuge information and education, and the refuge’s job of conserving fish, wildlife and their habitats.
The Refuge System attracts nearly 45 million visitors annually. Of this total, 25 million people per year observe and photograph wildlife, more than 9 million hunt and fish, and more than 10 million participate in educational and interpretation programs. The System, considered the leading network of protected lands and waters in the world dedicated to the conservation of fish, wildlife, and the associated habitat, comprises 556 national wildlife refuges and 38 wetland management districts throughout the United States and its territories, encompassing a total of more than 150 million acres.
One of the goals of the Refuge System is “to foster understanding and instill appreciation of fish, wildlife, and plants, and their conservation.” Refuges do this by providing the public with accessible places to view, hunt or otherwise enjoy wildlife and the outdoors. Understanding the perceptions of visitors and the quality and character of their experiences on refuges is a critical element of managing these lands and meeting the goals of the Refuge System.
Surveying visitors at William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge near Corvallis, Ore. Photo by George Gentry, FWS
To this end, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with social science experts at the USGS to conduct a scientific, independent national survey of refuge visitors to better understand visitor needs and experiences. The information will help the Service manage visitation to the refuges and design programs and facilities that respond to visitor needs while conserving wildlife.
The survey was conducted during 2010 and 2011 at 53 refuges across the country by refuge personnel, volunteers and Refuge “Friends” group members using a standardized survey instrument. The results provide a summary of visitor and trip characteristics, visitor opinions about refuges and their offerings, and visitor opinions about alternative transportation and climate change. In addition to overall satisfaction with refuge services and experiences noted above, the survey results revealed that:
The survey also asked visitors their opinions about climate change. Most visitors indicated they are personally concerned about the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife and habitats. Just over half of visitors agreed they take actions to alleviate those effects and feel they stay well-informed about the issue. Most visitors agreed that future generations will benefit if climate change effects on fish, wildlife and habitats are addressed. They also agreed that it’s important to consider the economic costs and benefits to local communities when addressing these effects, and that addressing these effects can improve quality of life.
Related links:
Access the national combined results report here: National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Survey Results: 2010/2011
Access the Individual refuge results here (all 53 files available): National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Survey 2010/2011: Individual Refuge Results
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service News Releases
For More Information, Contact: Natalie Sexton
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It’s National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Did you know invasive species cost our country more than 100 billion dollars each year? Get to know America’s ten top invaders this week.
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The world's longest-running Earth-observing satellite program.
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Provide your input on the draft USGS Global Change Science Strategy by April 8, 2011.
Sea-ice habitats essential to polar bears would likely respond positively should more curbs be placed on global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new modeling study published today in the journal, Nature.
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7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
Join us for the July Public Lecture on Invasive Species!
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7 p.m.—Public lecture (also live-streamed over the Internet)
As the climate has warmed, many plants are starting to grow leaves and bloom flowers earlier. A new study published in the journal, Nature, suggests that most field experiments may underestimate the degree to which the timing of leafing and flowering changes with global warming.
Stressed agricultural lands may be releasing less of the moisture needed to protect the breadbasket of a continent.
Spring rains in the eastern Horn of Africa are projected to begin late this year and be substantially lower than normal.
In recognition of World Forestry Day, let’s take a glimpse at USGS science to understand the fate of forests from climate change.
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The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011 — below are a few of our highlights from last year.
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Join us on February 1 to view the Earth from space, and discuss the profound impact Landsat has on many facets of our economy, safety, and environment.
Scientists have discovered an outbreak of coral disease called Montipora White Syndrome in Kāneohe Bay, Oahu. The affected coral are of the species Montipora capitata, also known as rice coral.
USGS scientists will join thousands of scientists, managers, and decision makers in Boston this week to present new findings on toxics at the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) conference in the Hynes Convention Center, Nov. 13-17.
On Nov. 3, USGS scientists Patrick Barnard and William Ellsworth will present a public lecture in Menlo Park, CA, providing Bay Area residents information about USGS research in the San Francisco Bay Area, including recent discoveries beneath San Francisco Bay and ongoing studies to better understand earthquake probabilities and the potential hazards associated with strong ground shaking.
Rivers and streams in the United States are releasing substantially more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than previously thought.
Climate Change Impacts to Tribal Communities The USGS is working with Native American communities and organizations to understand climate change impacts to their land and neighborhoods. Projects include interviews with indigenous Alaskans to understand their personal observations of climate change, as well as studying how climate change is impacting sand dunes and posing risksContinue Reading
As climate changes, it affects the timing of when leaves emerge, the amount of foliage that grows as well as the timeframe when leaves begin to fall.
How will accelerated glacial melting over the next 50 years as a result of climate change affect the unique Gulf of Alaska and Copper River coastal ecosystems? USGS scientists are studying these processes and impacts.
USGS scientists are assessing the potential to remove CO2 from the atmosphere for storage in other Earth systems through a process called carbon sequestration.
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
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Page Last Modified: September 14, 2011
