“The wildlife and its habitat cannot speak, so we must and we will.”
- Teddy Roosevelt
The Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges is a Registered 501(c)3 Charitable Organization
- Teddy Roosevelt
The Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges is a Registered 501(c)3 Charitable Organization
In the shadow of metropolitan Tampa-St Petersburg, Egmont Key, Passage Key, and The Pinellas Refuges dazzle us with white sandy beaches, spectacular nesting birds, and a historic coastal fort.
Join the Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges for a journey into these ever-changing islands where birds can be birds. The film was created by Jenn Brown of IntoNature films, and funded by the Friends group and Speer Foundation.
PUBLIC NOTICE: DUE TO DEVASTATING EFFECTS FROM HURRICANES HELENE AND MILTON, EGMONT KEY IS COMPLETELY CLOSED TO VISITATION UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
A birder's paradise, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1974 and protects a diverse community of animals and plants, many of which are either threatened or endangered.
In addition to being a critically important Wildlife Refuge and outdoor recreation resource today, Egmont Key is steeped in history. The island played a role as a prison in the Seminole Wars of the 19th century and later it would be home to the U.S. military's Fort Dade, a Spanish American War era installation that featured multiple fortified gun batteries and a small town.
The southern half of Egmont Key is a federally protected bird sanctuary, and is closed to public use.
Established in 1905 by President Theodore Roosevelt, Passage Key is one of the oldest National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. Its purpose is to provide a safe home for multiple nesting colonies of birds.
Originally a 60 acre mangrove island, Passage Key was largely destroyed by a hurricane in 1921. It is now a low lying sandbar that fluctuates in size from 1 to 30 acres. Passage Key is one of the last undeveloped barrier islands in Tampa Bay.
Due to its importance to nesting birds Passage Key is closed to public use. Boaters are advised to observe the bird colonies with binoculars from a safe distance of at least 100 feet.
Established in 1951 as a breeding ground for colonial bird species, and located entirely within Pinellas County, the Pinellas Refuge islands provide densely vegetated mangrove habitat and include Listen, Mule Jackass, Little Bird, Indian, and Tarpon keys, and Whale Island.
At one time, Tarpon Key hosted the largest Brown Pelican rookery in the entire state of Florida.
To protect the abundant seagrass beds, motor boats are not permitted on the flats surrounding the refuge islands. The refuge islands are closed to public use.
Our mission is to promote conservation, awareness, and appreciation of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges, and to assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with their mission for those Refuges.
We accomplish this through outreach, education, advocacy, and volunteering to protect the nesting and resting wading birds, seabirds, and other wildlife on the refuges as well as protecting the habitat they need to thrive.
As Friends, we actively:
Interested in keeping up with what we are working on? Enter your email below to subscribe to our quarterly email newsletter. Don't worry, we won't spam you!
FL DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES REGISTRATION CH27597
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE (800-435-7352) OR AT WWW.FLORIDACONSUMERHELP.COM.
REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
Copyright © 2024 Friends of the Tampa Bay National Wildlife Refuges - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.