Most know the subtropical Florida Keys are a mecca for those who love to sail, snorkel, kayak, paddle-board, boat, bird, fish, hike, bike, and run. Head in just about any direction and you’ll land in a haven that seems tailor made for these activities. What many might not realize is that a great deal of these pristine playgrounds are actually part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, set aside and protected not for us but for some of the world’s most endangered habitats, plants, and wildlife species.

“We really want people to get outdoors to appreciate these national treasures,” explains Refuge Ranger Kristie Killam, “but always with the priority of protecting wildlife first.”

Take an armchair stroll through the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges—National Key Deer, Crocodile Lake, Great White Heron, and Key West National Wildlife Refuges—and some quick tips on how to love them in a way that protects sensitive habitats and wildlife, insuring the chances they’ll be around for many generations to come.

Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge — You’ll find this 36-year-old refuge on mile marker 106.3 on Card Sound Road off US Highway 1. Formerly destined to be a major housing complex, the refuge is a mixture of hardwood hammock and coastal mangrove habitat. Canals dug for boat access to open waters during the failed development project produced large berms along canal banks, providing habitat and nesting sites favored by the American Crocodile. The refuge is also home to a habitat restoration program for the endangered Key Largo wood rat, with volunteers building and placing homes for them in the upland forests. While the Butterfly Garden and kiosk area adjacent to this refuge are free and open to the public, the refuge itself is currently closed to the public due to the number of extremely endangered species that inhabit this very small sanctuary and their sensitivity to human impact.

Love your refuge: Become a volunteer of the refuge or their Friends group FAVOR—many ongoing projects allow you a behind-the-scenes look at this incredible refuge. Be a responsible pet owner—if you live nearby the refuge, build your cats a “catio” to keep them from wandering off your property. It’ll keep them and the refuge wildlife safe.

The National Key Deer Refuge — In 1957, a dwindling herd of about 27 pint-sized Key deer centered on Big Pine Key inspired the establishment of National Key Deer Refuge, an area of land that includes pine rockland forests, tropical hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, salt marsh wetlands, and mangrove forests. Today, it protects and preserves the wildlife resources found there and is home to 23 endangered and threatened plant and animal species, including the Key deer, Lower Keys marsh rabbit, Bartram’s hairstreak butterfly and hundreds of other plant and wildlife species including the American alligator, striped mud turtles, and migratory and resident birds. Blue Hole quarry and the Nature Trails are visitor favorites.

Love your refuge: Visit the Visitor Center on Big Pine Key to discover all the opportunities this refuge has to offer. As cute as they are, you can help keep Key deer wild and healthy by not feeding them.

Great White Heron NWR – For those who love being out on the ocean, this boat-only accessible refuge consists of almost 200,000 acres of Lower Keys bay side open water and islands known locally as the “backcountry.” Established in 1938 as a haven for great white herons, migratory birds and other wildlife, it provides critical nesting, feeding, and resting areas for hundreds of species of birds and sea turtles. The sand flats, patch reefs, mangrove and hardwood hammock-covered out-islands found in this refuge also contribute to supporting the biodiversity and ecology that lend to its sense of timeless beauty.

Love your refuge: Give backcountry birds the space and quiet they need to rest, feed and raise their young— turn down the music, stay at least 100 yards from mangrove islands and keep dogs on boats. Birds forced to repeatedly fly away waste valuable energy and can have huge impacts on their health or that of their young.

Key West NWR – In the early 1900s, feathered fashion was all the rage and plumes from our native wading birds were highly valued. The result was a slaughter that threatened these birds with extinction until President Theodore Roosevelt stepped in to establish the Key West National Wildlife Refuge, creating a safe haven for them and the now 250-plus species of birds found there. The boat-only accessible refuge covers 200,000 acres of water and 2,000 acres of land (made up of small saltwater mangrove and hardwood hammock islands) and also provides habitat and nesting grounds for green sea turtle, the loggerhead sea turtle and the hawksbill sea turtle.

Love your refuge: Use available mooring balls to avoid damaging sensitive corals and shallow water habitats. When visiting the beaches of Boca Grande, Woman and Marquesas Keys, respect the closed areas and stay below the mean high tide line to avoid crushing sensitive vegetation or disturbing sea turtle nests. Keep your dogs on your boat and music to a minimum.

Know and be proud of the fact that you are sharing these epic landscapes with some of the world’s most unique and endangered plants and wildlife. Learn more about the refuges and the wildlife-friendly ways we can explore them— register for the upcoming Outdoor Fest on Thursday, March 17th through Sunday, March 20th. The Fest offers four action-packed days filled with family-friendly, mostly free outdoor adventures and hands-on activities hosted by US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex and their Friends group FAVOR (Friends And Volunteers Of Refuges).

To register and for more information about the refuges, FAVOR, and the list of events, visit www.favorfloridakeys.org/outdoor-fest or contact Refuge Ranger Kristie Killam at 305.304.9625, email: [email protected]. Brought to you in part by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.

[optin-cat id=”26188″]