An all-in-one UPDATED guide to the National Wildlife Refuge system that describes over 530 U.S. wildlife reserves. This guide contains detailed explanations of each refuge's habitat and wildlife, as well as refuge amenities. Butcher provides information helpful to both the novice wildlife observer and the expert environmentalist. Butcher's work also contains 240 full-color photographs that show the magnificent beauty held within these refuges.

Photographer Ian Shive shows you the largest network of protected lands and waters in the world, the National Wildlife Refuge System. From the rugged reaches of Kenai, Alaska, to the vibrant coral reefs of the Palmyra Atoll, the National Wildlife Refuge System is dedicated to the preservation of America's natural habitats. Through the lens of Ian Shive, recipient of the Ansel Adams Award for Conservation Photography, Refuge will show you the greatest of these landscapes and wildlife, including the migratory birds of Midway Atoll, the golden prairies of the Rocky Flats, and more. Learn from America's leading experts: Includes essays from top environmental and conservation organizations such as the National Wildlife Refuge Association, Earth Island Institute, and the Arctic Refuge Defense Campaign, giving you the context that you need to appreciate these natural wonders. Plan your own journey: A refuge map and index of traversable locations allows you to start planning your trip of a lifetime to these hallowed refuges. Over 300 awe-inspiring images will let you experience more than 40 refuges right from your coffee table, including Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Rachel Carson NWR, Bayou Sauvage NWR, Valle de Oro NWR, National Elk Refuge, and more.

Photographic documentation of the necessity to preserve this precious area.

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge was created on July 7, 1938, when Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order to establish the Wheeler Migratory Waterfowl Refuge with a mission to serve "as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife." The refuge was Alabama's first national wildlife refuge and the first national wildlife refuge to be an integral part of a man-made reservoir, encompassing part of Wheeler Lake, which was formed by the construction of Wheeler Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority. In the ensuing years, the character of the land within the refuge boundaries changed. From eroded, barren fields arose thick stands of hardwoods and pines, lush wetlands, and shady sloughs that attracted huge flocks of ducks and geese. Beaver, deer, otters, and alligators returned. Today, the refuge is a haven of natural beauty surrounded by the trappings of modern society, attracting thousands of visitors who come to view the large numbers of ducks, geese, cranes, and other wildlife that inhabit the refuge.