The Twenty - Five Things That Made Genesee County Famous
Number 22
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It's 10,818 acres of freshwater marshes and hardwood swamps are located in the town of Alabama in northwestern Genesee County. It serves the habitat needs of many animals as a major stopover point for migrating birds and as a year-round residence.
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Lake Tonawanda (source) |
At the end of the last glacial period, a huge lake called Lake Tonawanda covered much of Western New York. Over time, the lake drained and left behind swampy areas where wildlife flourished. One of these is known locally as the “Alabama Swamps.”
On May 19, 1958 the federal government established the Oak Orchard National Wildlife Refuge. In 1964, the name was changed to Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge to avoid confusion with its neighbor, the Oak Orchard State Wildlife Refuge.
On May 17, 2008, the wildlife refuge celebrated its 50th Anniversary.
How does it Make Genesee County Famous?
The Iroquois National
Wildlife Refuge is one of four wildlife refuges in New York State and one of
about 550 nationwide. The Refuge attracts approximately 40,000 visitors per
year. It is used by hikers, photographers, bird watchers, hunters, fishermen
and students of conservation and wildlife.
It has four distinct habitats: forests, grasslands, emergent marsh and hardwood swamps.
It is a well known bird watching location and 266 bird species have been record.
The most popular bird in the refuge is the Bald Eagle. In 1986, two eagles built a nest and two eaglets hatched. A second nest was built in 2001 and today there are three, including one on the state land, Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area.
Easy eagle watching made the Refuge a popular destination. Video cameras and
microphones were set up to observe the nests and people could see them from
the visitor’s center.
Scenes from around
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge |
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Links:
Official
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Home Page
Friends of Iroquois
National Wildlife Refuge, Inc.
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