In the drought-parched Southwest, sandhill cranes take advantage
of precious water at Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge in west
Texas, which has three lakes fed only by runoff. The refuge was
established as a wintering area for migratory waterfowl and
sandhill cranes. |Credit: Wyman Meinzer/USFWS| Wild Angles: News
From the National Wildlife Refuge SystemNews for March 2012 RSS
Savor Early Signs of Spring At a National Wildlife Refuge Signs
of spring abound at national wildlife refuges. What better time
than this — March 14 is the 109th birthday of the National
Wildlife Refuge System — to discover and savor them. Look for
refuge open houses and birthday celebrations; or just go for the
wildlife and the thrills. Refuges improve human health, provide
recreation, and stimulate local economies, boosting tourism and
generating jobs. In 2010 more than 40 million people visited a
national wildlife refuge, generating about $4.2 billion in
economic activity, according to an October 2011 report
commissioned by the Nati