THE FOLLOWING IS A DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE RELEASE
ILLINOIS – For 250 years outdoor recreationists, birders and communities across the United States have come together over our shared love of the great outdoors. To celebrate that love Illinoisans can visit one of the 12 National Wildlife Refuges across the state during this hallmark year — most of which are within an hour drive of a city!
From the Mississippi River along the eastern spine of Illinois that draws hundreds of American bald eagles, to the forests and farmlands that protect the cotton-tailed deer, red fox and other species throughout the state: Illinois is a remarkable place.
“Wildlife refuges in the Midwest are the place of summer,” said Joseph Vaile, Defenders of Wildlife senior Northwest representative who grew up in northwest Illinois. “It’s hard not to fall in love with nature when a bald eagle flies over your canoe as you’re paddling down a stream, or when you’re walking a trail and a doe tiptoes by with fawns in tow. That’s what it’s like to explore here; it’s a peaceful immersion into nature.”
Our state holds incredibly impressive — and protected — habitats for the hundreds of species listed under the Endangered Species Act that reside here. Take for example, the Emiquon National Wildlife Refuge in Havana, which is a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance where thousands of songbirds, waterfowl and even endangered plovers can be found. Or the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge in Marion where you have a chance to see the endangered Indiana bat.
Hundreds of species of mammals, birds and fish rely on the pristine nature of National Wildlife Refuges for their survival. In a 2025 report conducted by Defenders of Wildlife, at least 235 listed species are found only in a single refuge; and 91 of the nearly 600 National Wildlife Refuges are home to at least one species found nowhere else in the country — in fewer cases, the world.
Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Wildlife Refuge System is the largest network of conservation lands dedicated to protecting fish and wildlife in the U.S.: more than 850 million acres of land and water. By law, the FWS must conserve and protect wildlife and their habitats within the refuge system for current and future generations. With refuges found in every state, most are located within an hour drive of urban areas, offering great accessibility of public lands to the American public.
Defenders of Wildlife supports conservation efforts that protect endangered and threatened species in the Midwest and across the nation.
