Friends of Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to
The Friends of Great Swamp was established in 1999 by local citizens in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide support to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.
The Friends is an all-volunteer organization, supporting the Refuge in a number of ways including increasing and enhancing educational programs and visitor services, providing financial assistance, supplying volunteer services, and helping to strengthen the link between the refuge and the public. We are part of a network of more than 200 friends groups nationwide, each associated with one or more national wildlife refuges, all committed to improving and protecting our unique refuge resources.
Atlantic White Cedar Restoration Project at Great Swamp NWR
If you have driven down Pleasant Plains Road recently, you may have noticed dozens of green net cages scattered throughout the fields and wondered what they were for. Each cage protects a young Atlantic white cedar tree; the green cages are deer guards. More...
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge Bird List Available for Download
This brochure, recently released by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, lists 244 species of birds that one may possibly encounter at Great Swamp.
The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge consists of swamp woodlands, hardwood ridges, cattail marshes, grasslands, ponds and meandering streams administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In the early 1960's, threats of a major jet airport galvanized local citizens who purchased nearly 3,000 acres of land which were donated to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Today, the Refuge has grown to almost 7,700 acres and includes 3,660 acres of Wilderness Area. The Refuge's foremost goal is to provide habitat for migratory birds and its secondary goal is to provide high-quality environmental education and wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities that are compatible with the Refuge's purpose.
For more information, visit the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge web site at http://greatswamp.fws.gov.
Refuge Facts
Established in 1960, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge was the first refuge to receive wilderness designation (September 9, 1968). It hosts more than 250,000 visits annually.
As part of the National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge is home to