After my father’s death in November of 2001, he received a letter in the mail. His Army buddies were inviting him to a reunion in Laughlin, Nev.

Since I had failed to notify any of those ole boys about his passing I felt an obligation to make the trip in his place. I called the coordinator of this operation to make reservations and inform them of my intentions.

This was quite a trip.

On my way back to Alabama as I traveled I-40 east to Memphis, I noticed a road sign marking a national wildlife refuge. Somewhere down the county road as it turns from slag to good ole dirt south of Vian, Okla., one can find The Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge was named for the Cherokee, Native American who established an alphabet for his language, which in itself was an effort to preserve his people and their culture.

This refuge is, largely, bottomland and provides significant “food and cover” for the waterfowl and other migratory birds, which use the Central Flyway to escape the cooler climates of Canada on their way south. In the peak season from late November to early December, one might view up to 60 bald eagles and as many as 20,000 Snow Geese, as well as many other flora and fauna indigenous to the area.

The National Wildlife Refuge system was started at the turn of the last century — that is the prior turn — as the 19th became the 20th. Off the coast of Florida various sea birds including egrets and pelicans were being bludgeoned to death for their feathers. At the time these feathers were used by the fashion industry to decorate the hats of the “well-to-do.”

Fortunately, a gentleman in the area who witnessed this deluge mounted his canoe with a trusty shotgun and fended off those greedy predators of plumage.

Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th head of state — and most likely the best presidential friend “the wilds” of this country ever had — came to the aid of these birds and to the aid of this lone man. Roosevelt was armed with more than a shotgun. With a stroke of his quill pen, President Roosevelt signed into existence the National Wildlife Refuge Act and Pelican Island was born.

Since then this system has grown across the United States preserving “islands” of natural resources for a multitude of species to survive in their natural habitat. Currently, there are more than 500 national wildlife refuges.

Here in Alabama, we have a litany of various locations throughout the state that are part of the National Wildlife Refuge system. One of the most recent to be developed is the Cahaba River NWR with the potential of providing protection for a multitude of endemic species, both flora and fauna, within and around the refuge area.

Bon Secour, located in Baldwin County provides another important refuge for species that otherwise would be at even greater risk without this system. Other national wildlife refuge within the state are Choctaw, Eufaula, Fern Cave, Key Cave, Mountain Longleaf, Sauta Cave, Watercress Darter, Grand Bay and Wheeler.