On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt established the first wildlife refuge on Pelican Island in Florida. Created to protect bird species that had been hunted to the brink of extinction, this first refuge led to the National Wildlife Refuge System that now includes over 560 refuges across the country. Though the brown pelican has recovered, Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge continues to protect 14 other threatened and endangered species. Photo courtesy of Andrea Westmoreland. Check out more amazing photos from National Wildlife Refuges: http://on.doi.gov/1P85Dlo
Sig Nordal 