 wildlife, there is much a part of America's heritage as her majestic mountains, cathedral-like forests, crystalline rivers, and rolling seas of prairie grass. And for more than a hundred years, America has celebrated and protected that wildlife heritage in a system unequaled in all the world. The National Wildlife Refuge System. That system, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, contains more than 540 refuges, spanning some 95 million acres. What makes these places unique is that they are the only public lands in America set aside specifically for the conservation of animals, birds, fish, and other wild creatures. But as a result, America's refuges provide some of the best wildlife-oriented recreation anywhere in the country. Whether it's fishing, hunting, hiking, or simply observing creatures in their natural homes, there's something for everyone at America's National Wildlife Refugees. The National Wildlife Refuge System came into being at the dawn of the 20th century as Americans sought to safeguard the nation's wildlife bounty. In that era, commercial hunters were pursuing big game into oblivion for antlers and hides and taking birds and vast numbers for their meat and feathers. Conservationists took a stand at Florida's Pelican Island, a critical breeding ground for brown pelicans, white egrets, and other birds. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established this tiny 5.5-acre island as America's first National Wildlife Refuge. And soon other refuges followed. The Wichita Mountains Refuge was created in Oklahoma in 1905 to provide a haven for the American bison. Although these great shaggy beasts had once numbered in the millions, by the early 20th century, so few bison remained that the government had to ship 15 survivors from a New York Zoo to form the starter herd for the new refuge. Other sanctuaries were decreed for pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep. And after 10,000 elk starved to death on shrinking, wintering grounds in Wyoming, the government established the National Elk Refuge in 1912 and launched a winter feeding program. In the 1930s, the devastating droughts of the dust-bowl years dealt another blow to wildlife, drying out the prairie marshes that migratory waterfowl needed for nesting, feeding, and resting stops. But hunters came to the aid of waterfowl, backing a proposal to purchase duck stamps, to generate funds to buy and restore wetlands. After the act passed in 1934, the nation's refuge chief, Jay Clark Sawyer, drove around the country scouring the landscape for likely duck habitats. By the end of the dust-bowl era, he had added more than 100 new refuges to the system, many located along traditional waterfowl migration routes. In 1980, the system grew once again, as the addition of vast acreages in Alaska provided protection to nesting grounds for millions of birds and habitats for everything from giant Kodiak bears to Pacific salmon. Now more than a century after its founding, the system has expanded to include refuges in every state, as well as five territories. And the system takes in virtually every type of habitat in the nation. From the rainforest, to the desert, and from the tundra, to the tropics. These refuges provide places to rest and reproduce for literally hundreds of species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and other creatures. Located in that tally are 250 threatened and endangered species, creatures that might not survive but for the presence of these protected lands. To enhance the survival of all the species under their care, refuge employees work behind the scenes, improving habitats, building wildlife populations, and conducting research to learn how to better meet wildlife's needs. In this way, the refuge system is helping to ensure that the complex webs of life woven over many thousands of years remain intact for future generations. If refuges provide food and shelter for wildlife, they provide sustenance of another kind for people, nourishing our connections with the natural world. Refuges are welcome at the vast majority of the nation's refuges. And with a refuge within an hour's drive of almost every major city, these wild places are within reach of most Americans. Not surprisingly, one of the most popular visitor pastimes is wildlife observation. Because refuges have preserved the stepping stones that ducks, geese, and other birds use during their migrations, refuges are some of the best places anywhere to experience the wonder and mystery of these ancient seasonal spectacles. Visitors can also harken back to earlier times by visiting one of the several refuges in the plain states where buffalo thrive. At the National Bison Range in Montana, visitors can witness an actual buffalo roundup. The refuge uses this annual event to monitor the animal's health and trim the herd to levels the grasslands can support. When it comes to viewing elk, there's no better place than the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming. Between December and March, up to 10,000 elk gather at the refuge. From a horse-drawn sleigh, visitors can get a close-up view of these gangly creatures, which weigh up to 700 pounds and have antlers up to six feet across. Refuges are also an excellent place to catch a glimpse of less popular species, like the bald eagle. Although the eagle's population had dipped to dangerously low levels in the lower 48 states in the 1960s, eagles are rebounding. That's thanks in part to a string of refuges that provide the birds with the tall trees and undisturbed waterfront locations they favor. Visitors to a Texas coastal refuge can witness another special sight, one of only two migratory flocks of whooping cranes in the world. In the early 1940s, only about 18 of the tall, stately birds remained, making them one of the most severely endangered species on earth. But by protecting the birds' wintering grounds, a Ransys National Wildlife Refuge has helped the flock survive and expand to another refuge in Florida called Chazowitzka. Having established a second migrating flock, refuge officials are guardedly optimistic about the whooping cranes' future. In addition to wildlife viewing, refuges are rich with other recreational possibilities. Nature trails thread through habitats, offering visitors a chance to hike, while learning more about the places that wildlife call home. And the lakes, streams and rivers included within refuge boundaries provide peaceful fishing on pristine waters, plus the chance to see wildlife from a different perspective. In addition, hunters are welcome at more than 300 refuges, where conservation efforts have yielded abundant populations of certain bird and big game species. For everyone, refuges offer opportunities to learn more about the natural world through interpretive talks and hikes, or through environmental education programs. Whatever visitors choose to do at a national wildlife refuge, they'll find something special there. A respite, a chance to rejuvenate the spirit, and a reminder of the wisdom of cherishing our nation's proud wildlife heritage.