#National Wildlife Refuges

[ambermaitrejean]

August in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Commerce City, Colorado. Photos by Amber Maitrejean

[jadafitch]

Petit Manan Lighthouse, Petit Manan Island, Steuben. Possibly my favorite lighthouse. In the summer, this island is home to hundreds of birds. Including Atlantic puffins, arctic, common and roseate terns, as well as black guillemots and many more. Decided I couldn't draw them all, but here's a couple attempts to try and capture the island's vibes. Can you spot the oystercatchers? MERCH

[admiralgiggles]

An ode to sunset

Sometimes I have to break my own arbitrary rules.

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Bison graze in the snow at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, near Denver.

© Michael Levine-Clark / Flickr

[vintagecamping]

A float plane arrives at the Nowitna River fishing camp.

Nowitna National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

1967

[vandaliatraveler]

Photos from a lovely, post-Debby weekend in the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Good, strong breeze to drive out the heat and keep the sky vibrant and constantly on the move. The narrow-leaved gentian (Gentiana linearis) is now at peak bloom in the mountains. This enchanting perennial loves damp mountain seeps and bog edges and is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, which are adept at prying open the flowers or just chewing through them if all else fails. The pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) is also in bloom - my mom used these delicate perennials in her dried-flower arrangements.

[asterwild]

Whooping crane (Grus americana), a large crane species native to North America. Populations decreased after European settlement due to hunting and habitat loss, and in 1941 there were only 15 adults remaining in the wild. Thanks to decades of conservation work there are now over 500 in the wild and additional birds in captivity. You can read more about them from the USFWS here.

[wandering-jana]

Assateague Lighthouse.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia

2021

[rateducates]

I won't stop sharing this. I simply can't. The American people need to know.

https://e360.yale.edu/features/open-for-business-the-trump-revolution-on-public-lands

[rafefar]

American Kestrel

[ambermaitrejean]

August in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Commerce City, Colorado. Photos by Amber Maitrejean

[jadafitch]

Matinicus Rock Light, Penobscot Bay, Matinicus, Maine. Hunting and eating puffins was common practice in Maine over 100 years ago. The first lighthouse keepers on the rock were also wardens, hired by The American Ornithologists Union. They were tasked with protecting The United State's last remaining pair of Atlantic puffins, as well as many other commonly hunted seabird species. Today, Matinicus Rock is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and is cooperatively managed by the National Audubon Society and MCINWR. Thanks to their work and the work of Project Puffin, there are over 500 pairs of nesting puffins, plus 400 pairs of razorbills, 1,000 pairs of terns, about 700 pairs of laughing gulls, and more.

[admiralgiggles]

Great Blue Heron

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Crabeater seal at Palmer Station

A crabeater seal lounging at Palmer Station, Antarctica. Despite their name, crabeater seals only eat Antarctic krill and use their specially shaped teeth to filter out the seawater.

Credit: Mike Lucibella/NSF

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I led a lovely afternoon guided nature tour at the Cutthroat Climb and Teal Slough trails at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge! It was a nice break from the mayhem of packing the moving truck with my furniture and whatever else we can fit in there. There's still a lot to be done, but we're making good progress, and will haul things to Portland Sunday. Wish us luck!

Also, I'd love to make some plans for some tours once I get settled in in PDX, so if you've been wanting to book me for a private tour, drop me a PM!