Pastel Sunrise Overlook of Upper Beaver Meadows, Rocky Mountain National Park, Dec. 25, 2012
Photo: VIP Hahn
Seney National Wildlife Refuge in Michigan was established in 1935 for the protection and production of migratory birds and other wildlife. Today the Refuge is comprised of a rich mosaic of marshes, swamps, bogs, grasslands, and forests. Nearly two-thirds of the Refuge is classified as wetland. And it’s clearly a beautiful place with a fresh coat of snow.
Photo: Craig Pierzchanlski
Dennis Davenport’s photo of a great horned owlet from Ridgefield National WIldlife Refuge in Washington was a finalist in the National Wildlife Refuge Association’s 2012 photo contest. See more amazing finalist photos here.
How do bison survive the snowy Jackson Hole winters? Well, having a big head helps! Bison can use their heads as a snowplow in winter, swinging it from side to side to sweep aside the snow on the ground.
Photo: National Park Service
The National Elk Refuge in Wyoming works to provide, preserve, restore, and manage winter habitat for the nationally significant Jackson Elk Herd and habitat for endangered species, birds, fish, and other big game animals (like these Bison pictured above), and provide compatible human uses associated with the wildlife and wildlands.
Photo: USFWS
Watchful eyes - two great horned owl fledglings take a peek at photographer Donna Torres, who snapped this photo at Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in Washington.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! All of us at the Department of the Interior hope you have a safe and happy holiday.
And what says Thanksgiving like turkey? Once rare, wild turkeys are now common on many national wildlife refuges. This Tom strutted his stuff at New Jersey’s Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge.
Photo: Dendroica Cerulea
Before highways and railways, before pioneers, even before Columbus…..the land we know as the United States was truly a vast wilderness. To protect these last remaining areas, in 1984 Congress created the Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness. Coyote Buttes’ outstanding scenery, desert wildlife, colorful history, and opportunities for primitive recreation will remain free from the influence of man and are protected in this condition for future generations. Its 112,500 acres beckon adventurers who yearn for solitude, scenic splendor, and the chance to explore one of the most beautiful geologic formations in the world.
Photo: Adam Marland
The National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957 to protect and preserve Key deer and other wildlife resources in the Florida Keys. The refuge is located in the lower Florida Keys and currently consists of approximately 9,200 acres of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. These natural communities are critical habitat for hundreds of endemic and migratory species including 17 federally-listed species such as Key deer, lower Keys marsh rabbit, and silver rice rat.
Photo: Chad Anderson
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