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Don
Henley's Public Service announcement.mpg (10.4 MB)
*Note: for improved
quality, wait until the .mpg has downloaded completely and then re-play).
Text-only
version of Don Henley's PSA
The
National Wildlife Refuge System is a unique
system of lands dedicated to preserving a rich quality of life for Americans by
protecting their wildlife heritage. In the Southwest, national wildlife refuges
protect some of the most varied wildlife and spectacular landscapes found anywhere
in the world. From subtropical shrub ecosystems to saguaro-studded deserts--all
are filled with an unparalleled richness and abundance of life.
Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) Mountains border the west. The edge of El Llano Estacado (the Great Plains) is to the east. The semiarid Chihuahuan desert extends up to its southern boundary. Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge is situated at the intersection of three major ecotones. This blending of multiple ecosystem characteristics supports a variety of unique flora and fauna across the refuge’s 8,672 acre. Habitat varies from short-grass/ tall-grass prairie, timbered sandstone canyons and piñon-juniper woodlands to wetlands, ponds, lakes and riparian areas. The refuge is also the largest farm in San Miguel County with its croplands serving dinner to the migrating geese, ducks and cranes that travel the Central Flyway. Visitors driving the scenic auto loop may see pronghorn, mule deer and coyote as well as other resident species associated with the upper Pecos Ecosystem. The tour route is open year round. Enjoy wildlife observation and photography at the prairie trail near the refuge office, at Crane Lake observation platform, or along the Gallinas nature trail.
Nature's rhythms and grandeur are on display, beckoning people seeking refuge from a busy world. Some of the wonders of southwestern refuges include the complex and beautiful Sonoran Desert in Arizona, Texas coastal marshes that host massive flocks of waterfowl every winter, strange creatures found only in the sinkholes of New Mexico, and Oklahoma caves filled with endangered bats.
New: Refuge Planning Division Site
