Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge - Laurel, MD
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member bluesnote
N 39° 01.587 W 076° 47.933
18S E 344284 N 4321250
A National Wildlife Refuge in Laurel, Maryland. The cancelation station can be found inside the visitor center gift shop.
Waymark Code: WMXD68
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 12/29/2017
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member wayfrog
Views: 11

Taken from Wikipedia, "Established in 1936 by executive order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Patuxent Research Refuge is the only National Wildlife Refuge in the United States established to support wildlife research. With land surrounding the Patuxent and Little Patuxent Rivers between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, the Refuge has grown from the original 2,670 acres (10.8 km2) to its present size of over 12,800 acres (52 km2) and encompasses land formerly managed by the Departments of Agriculture and Defense. Throughout decades of change, Patuxent's mission of conserving and protecting the nation's wildlife and habitat through research and wildlife management techniques has remained virtually unchanged.

About 1100 species of vascular plants have been reported on the refuge.

Patuxent Research Refuge supports a wide diversity of wildlife in forest, meadow, and wetland habitats. The land is managed to maintain biological diversity and to protect and benefit native and migratory bird species. During the fall and spring migrations, many waterfowl species stop to rest and feed. Over 270 species of birds occur on the Refuge. Bald eagles are occasionally seen feeding on the Refuge. Increasing forest fragmentation in the area caused by urban development has damaged many populations of neotropical migratory birds. The Refuge is one of the largest forested areas in the mid-Atlantic region and provides critical breeding habitat and wintering habitat for these species.

Patuxent Research Refuge is divided into three areas: 1) North Tract, which offers hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, trails, and many interpretive programs; 2) Central Tract, where the headquarters for both the Refuge and the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center are located, as well as research study sites; and 3) South Tract, which has the National Wildlife Visitor Center, trails, and many educational programs. The North Tract and the National Wildlife Visitor Center are the only areas open for visitor activities.

The National Wildlife Visitor Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge is the nation's largest center for environmental science and education operated by the United States Department of the Interior."
Address:
Laurel, Maryland


Corresponding Waymark: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photograph of the area preferably from a new angle to show something new. Pictures can include interaction, as that is encouraged, but should be done so with the thought of inspiring further visitation of the area. No GPSr Pictures, unless there is something significant to show about the coordinates. If the stamp changes or you have a better picture of the stamp, please add that as well.
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Recent Visits/Logs:
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Searcher28 visited Patuxent National Wildlife Refuge - Laurel, MD 05/26/2018 Searcher28 visited it
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