Fall in Love with Nature
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a trip outside.
February 13, 2009
By David Eisenhauer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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A peaceful Father's Day at Kenai Lake, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/Karen Laubenstein
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Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to fall in love with nature. Go outside to experience the excitement of a majestic bald eagle or the thrill of a bright red cardinal, whether in your own backyard or at one of America’s national wildlife refuges. There is a national wildlife refuge or fish hatchery just an hour’s drive from most major metropolitan areas, and all are inviting portals to the natural world.
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The Service’s “Let’s go Outside” website contains a wealth of information to help families connect with nature, including:
? Electronic Valentines, featuring bald eagles, red foxes and even turtles, that are great to send to friends and family.
? Fact sheets about numerous wildlife species, including bald eagles, moose, sea turtles and cardinals.
? Tips on how youngsters and their families can start observing wildlife.
? Links to maps and a special events calendar that can help families find places to go and see nature up close.
The following are just a few highlights:
Among the dozen or so national wildlife refuges where bald eagles are common is Klamath Basin Refuges (Tulelake, California, 530-667-2231), which hosts the largest wintering concentration in the lower 48 states. In February, the refuge plays host to the nation’s oldest birding festival: the Bald Eagle Conference.
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Cambridge, Maryland, 410-228-2692) winters more than 200 bald eagles and supports the Atlantic Coast’s largest nesting population north of Florida.
Quivera National Wildlife Refuge (Stafford, Kansas, 620-486-2393) was recently named one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas. The refuge has two large salt marshes, and both are excellent places to look for wildlife. A photo blind, accessible to people with disabilities, sits at the trail head of the Migrant's Mile walking trail near Park Smith Lake, while a second photo blind is available near the Little Salt Marsh. A 14-mile auto route goes through the heart of the Refuge, giving visitors many chances to spot white-faced ibis, great blue herons, American avocets, wild turkey and even coyotes lurking about during the heat of the afternoon.