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Florida is a great place to see American wildlife - panthers, manatees, wood storks, sea turtles, key deer and an immense variety of birds that are found in the many national wildlife refuges that dot the Sunshine State, including Pelican Island, the nation's first, which Theodore Roosevelt established in 1903. 

TR also established national wildlife refuges at Passage Key, home to the largest royal tern and sandwich tern colonies in Florida; Matlacha Pass, where ducks, gulls, ospreys, and bald eagles feed and nest; and Island Bay, a designated wilderness of mangroves and sand ridges. Other famous wildlife refuges in Florida are J.N. "Ding" Darling, Key West, Great White Heron, National Key Deer, Crystal River, and Archie Carr, which protects undisturbed beaches vital for loggerhead, green, and leatherback sea turtle nesting.

Everglades National Park, the storied "river of grass" and the largest subtropical wilderness in America, is a national treasure and home to spectacular wildlife, including the American alligator and crocodile, and hundreds of bird species. Sparkling waters and coral reefs are protected at Biscayne National Park, while history and nature are on display at Dry Tortugas National Park. For outdoor recreation, Florida's beaches are world-class. The Canaveral and Gulf Islands national seashores are both great places for swimming and boating.

Working together, we can conserve Florida's wonderful natural heritage for the pleasure and benefit of future generations.

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