Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Location in Texas
Location	Chambers County, Texas, United States
Nearest city	Anahuac, Texas
Area	34,000 acres or 140 km2
Governing body	United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Anahuac NWR entrance sign

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a special place for wildlife. It is located along the coast of Texas in the United States. This refuge is west of the town of High Island, Texas. It is next to East Bay, which is part of the big Galveston Bay area. This whole region is close to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1963. It is found in Chambers County on the upper Texas coast. The refuge protects about 34,000 acres (138 km²) of important coastal lands. These lands include wet, grassy areas called marshes and open, flat areas called prairies.

This refuge is a great place for many outdoor activities. You can go fishing, paddling, or watch for different kinds of animals. In the winter, many waterfowl (like ducks and geese) come here. This makes it a popular spot for hunting these birds.

What Animals Live Here?

The Anahuac Refuge is home to many amazing animals. Some of the most well-known species include:

• American alligator
• Bobcat
• Yellow rail (a small bird)
• Purple gallinule (a colorful bird)

Birds for Birdwatchers

If you love watching birds, this refuge is an excellent place to visit. In the spring and fall, many "neotropical migrants" stop here. These are birds that travel long distances between North and South America.

Other birds that birdwatchers look for at Anahuac include:

• American bittern
• Seaside sparrow
• Fulvous whistling-duck
• Black rail

Butterflies at the Refuge

Volunteers at the refuge have been working to make a list of all the butterflies that live there. They have found over sixty different kinds! One special butterfly found here is the bay skipper (Euphyes bayensis).

Helping the Habitat

The people who manage the refuge work hard to keep it healthy for wildlife. They have several projects to improve and restore the habitat. This means making the natural home for animals better.

Some of these projects include:

• Controlling invasive species like Chinese Tallow trees. These plants can take over and harm the native plants.
• Restoring the prairies to their natural state.
• Creating "moist soil areas" which are wet spots that help certain plants and animals.
• Building a special place called a "rookery" for colonial waterbirds to nest.

Part of a Bigger Network

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge is one of more than 560 refuges across the United States. These refuges are part of the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System. This system protects land and water for the benefit of wildlife.

Anahuac NWR is also recognized as an important place for shorebirds by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). It is also part of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. This trail is a network of places where people can go to watch birds. It was set up by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Gallery

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  Snow geese flying in the refuge

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  Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Chambers County, Texas, USA (1 December 2018).

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  Headquarters

Images for kids

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  Southern carpenter bee