Explore national wildlife refuges with summer programs

Summer is here, and the staff and volunteers of Alligator River and Pea Island national wildlife refuges are ready to assist you in learning about the wildlands and wildlife of coastal North Carolina.

Whether you choose to experience refuges from a canoe, by foot, or in an open-air tram, the memories you will make will be sure to last a lifetime. While many programs are free, some do require registration and/or a fee.
 
Programs are offered at Pea Island and Alligator River national wildlife refuges, as well as the National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center on Roanoke Island. Program schedules and descriptions are available online at www.fws.gov/alligatorriver/spec.html.
 
Visitors may participate in guided canoe tours, howl up red wolves, or climb aboard an open-air tram at Alligator River refuge to learn about black bears, red wolves, and other native wildlife species. If coastal habitats are more to your liking, Pea Island refuge offers canoe tours, turtle talks, bird adaptations, and sound-side seining activities.
 
The Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is located approximately five miles south of Oregon Inlet on Highway 12.

The National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center on Roanoke Island is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Once on Roanoke Island, follow the blue way-finding signs to the north end, near Ft. Raleigh National Historic Site, The Lost Colony, and the Elizabethan Gardens.
 
The free Preschool Young Naturalist Program is offered weekly at the National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center. This program is offered twice each Friday, and while geared towards preschoolers, any age is welcome.
 
While at the National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center, be sure to stop in the auditorium to view the artwork presented at the Wildlife/Wildlands Art Expo. This exhibit will be changing July 12, so be sure to stop by soon.
 
For more information, visit www.fws.gov/alligatorriver or call 252-473-1131.