San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex facts for kids

The San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a group of special places in San Diego and Orange County, California. These areas are set aside to protect wild animals and their homes. The United States National Wildlife Service started creating these refuges in 1972.

Protecting Wildlife: A Brief History

The first refuges were made to save and protect rare birds living in the coastal marshes of Southern California. In the mid-1990s, the system grew to protect even larger areas. This was part of a big plan called the Multiple Species Conservation Program. It was a team effort involving cities, the state, and the federal government.

Today, the wildlife refuge complex has many different types of habitats. These include coastal marshes, dry uplands, chaparral, coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, freshwater marshes, and special vernal pool areas. These places are important for birds that live there all year and for those that migrate.

Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge is found inside the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station in Orange County. It has 965 acres of saltwater marsh in the Anaheim Bay estuary. It was created in 1972 to help birds flying along the Pacific Flyway. This is a major route for birds migrating up and down the Pacific coast. The refuge also helps many local birds, fish, and plants. You can only visit this refuge on guided tours once a month.

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge is located inland, away from the coast, in San Diego's countryside. It covers a large area of 44,000 acres. The habitats here include coastal sage scrub, chaparral, oak woodlands, and freshwater marshes. It is an important part of the Multiple Species Conservation Program.

San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge was officially opened in 1999 and covers 3,940 acres. It includes areas where the ocean tides go in and out, like salt marshes. It also has underwater areas with eelgrass beds. This refuge has the largest remaining continuous mudflat in southern California. It is a very important stop for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway.

You can find walking and biking paths here, as well as good spots for bird watching. The wildlife service is working to turn some old salt evaporation ponds back into natural wetlands. In 2010, a grant helped restore 65 acres of damaged habitat in this refuge.

San Diego Bay Sweetwater Marsh

The Sweetwater Marsh area is 316 acres of salt marsh estuary. This is where the Sweetwater River flows into San Diego Bay. It became a refuge in 1996. Since it became a protected area, some very rare and endangered species have started returning to the marsh.

The Living Coast Discovery Center is located at the Marsh. This center teaches people about protecting coastal resources. It has many aquariums and displays of local marine life and reptiles. You can see a sea turtle lagoon, outdoor aviaries with rescued birds, and even a shark and ray exhibit. There are also hiking trails. The center offers guided hikes and educational programs for kids. It is located in Chula Vista, just west of Interstate 5.

Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

The Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,051-acre wetland. It's where the Tijuana River meets the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve. This is the only coastal lagoon in California that doesn't have roads or train tracks built across it. More than 370 different kinds of birds have been seen in this refuge and the nearby Tijuana River valley. There's a visitor center open to the public with educational programs and exhibits. You can also explore four miles of trails and a native plant garden.

Vernal Pools: Temporary Homes

Vernal pools are special temporary pools of water. They form for a few months during the wet season and then dry up for the rest of the year. These pools are home to some of the area's rarest animals. This includes the San Diego fairy shrimp and the Western spadefoot toad. These animals stay hidden underground during the dry season and come out when the pools fill with water again. Vernal pools are very important because they are so rare. It's believed that only about 3% of the original vernal pools in the area still exist.

Images for kids

• 

  San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex