Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge Location in the United States
Location	Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Nearest city	Milford
Area	11,435 acres (46.28 km2)
Established	1988
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a very special natural area in Milford, Penobscot County, Maine. It's about 14 miles north of Bangor. This refuge was created in 1988. Its main goal is to protect the amazing Sunkhaze Meadows peat bog and all the plants and animals that live there. It also makes sure these natural treasures are available for people to enjoy.

The refuge was set up under a law called the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956. This law helps protect and manage fish and wildlife. Money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund helped buy this important land.

What Makes Sunkhaze Meadows Special?

Sunkhaze Meadows protects the second-largest peatland in Maine. A peatland is a type of wetland where dead plant material builds up over thousands of years. It forms a thick, spongy layer called peat.

This refuge has several raised bogs, which are like natural domes. These bogs are separated by wide areas of meadows along streams.

Diverse Habitats

The Sunkhaze Stream flows right through the middle of the refuge. It has six smaller streams that join it. Together, they create many different kinds of wet areas. These wet areas, along with the nearby dry lands, provide homes for many types of wildlife.

The refuge's wetland areas include:

• Wet meadows
• Shrub thickets
• Cedar swamps
• Large forests of red and silver maple trees that grow along the stream's floodplain
• Open freshwater streams

You can also find plants that love peatlands, like shrub heaths and bogs with cedar and spruce trees.

Protecting Rare Species

Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is a safe place for many rare plants and animals. It provides habitat for three plants, seven birds, two mollusks (like snails or clams), and three invertebrates (animals without backbones) that are listed as endangered or threatened in Maine. This means they are very rare and need special protection to survive.

Expanding the Refuge

In the early 1990s, two more areas were added to the refuge. These are called the Benton and Sandy Stream Divisions. They are located in the towns of Benton and Unity, Maine. These smaller areas are managed to protect birds that nest in grasslands, some of which are also rare in Maine.

The refuge also helps manage four special land agreements called conservation easements. These are the Downing, Fortin, Miller, and Quayle Easements. They cover seven separate pieces of land. These lands are located in different towns across Maine, including Corinth, Exeter, Fairfield, Starks, and Patten. These easements help protect even more land for wildlife.

The total area of the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is about 11,435 acres (46.27 square kilometers).