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For immediate release For further information, contact
Sarah Bevilacqua 413-253-8515
Diana Weaver 413-253-8329


Secret Revealed: 'Wild Things' Abound in Refuges


During National Wildlife Refuge Week, Oct. 5 through 13, the
public has a special invitation to enjoy a look into the natural
world we all share. The nation's treasure chest of wild lands and
wildlife remains largely unknown, awaiting discovery by a public
enthusiastic about the environment and resource conservation. A
fascinating array of wild animals and plants live in more than
500 national wildlife refuges throughout the country.

Birdwatching should be at its best during National Wildlife
Refuge Week, timed to coincide with the annual autumn bird migration.
Millions of birds will be flying in and around most refuges on their
way south for the winter. Many refuges were established to secure
habitat for migratory birds.

Two Virginia national wildlife refuges -- Chincoteague and
Eastern Shore of Virginia -- are joining together with community and
conservation groups to host the annual Eastern Shore Birding Festival
Oct. 4, 5 and 6. Activities such as tours, canoe trips, exhibits,
workshops, Eastern Shore Art and the Kids' Adventure Tent will reflect
the wealth of fish and wildlife on national wildlife refuges.

At Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey,
entrance fees will be suspended for visitors on Oct. 6, and the Atlantic
Audubon Society will provide light refreshments. Former President Teddy
Roosevelt, who established the first national wildlife refuge in 1903,
will make a guest appearance. Events and activities include the release
of a rehabilitated raptor (bird of prey), nature walks and tours. There
will also be a decoy-carving exhibit, slide presentations, exhibits and
demonstrations by local conservation groups.

In New York, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will dedicate Kanyoo
Nature Trail at 11 a.m. on Oct. 5 with guest speakers, guided trail
walks and exhibits.

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware will celebrate
on Oct. 12 with bird and plant walks, an interpreted kayak tour through
salt marshes, a decoy-carving demonstration by Ducks Unlimited, films
and presentations.

An environmental field day at Erie National Wildlife Refuge in
Pennsylvania will involve 250 area school children in learning about
the refuge.

In the 13 states of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Northeast
Region, national wildlife refuges range in size from 3.8 acres at
Susquehanna National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay to the
107,009-acre Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia and
North Carolina, which is the Northeast Region's most southern refuge.
Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge near the Maine border with Canada is
the region's most northern refuge.

No matter where you live in the Northeast, you are likely to be
within a short drive of a national wildlife refuge. Some refuges, like
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum at the edge of
Philadelphia, are quite close to major urban areas. Others, like
Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, are
accessible only by boat. All refuges are managed for the benefit of
wildlife so these priceless pieces of our natural heritage can be
passed along for future generations.

The varied panorama of landscapes and constantly changing seasons
combine to make a visit to a national wildlife refuge a rewarding
experience almost any time of the year. Still, National Wildlife
Refuge Week is one of the best times novices and avid naturalists
alike can become acquainted with these little-known conservation
treasures.

For additional information on National Wildlife Refuge Week and
a brochure with a complete map of the refuge system and basic visitor
information for every refuge, call 1-800-344-WILD.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency
with responsibility for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish and
wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages 511 national wildlife refuges encompassing
92 million acres.

-FWS-

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Deborah Wisti-Peterson, Dept of Zoology, University of Washington
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When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

---Wendell Berry
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