Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge
Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Location | Somerset County, Maryland, Accomack County, Virginia, United States |
Nearest city | Crisfield, Maryland |
Coordinates | 38°01′08″N 76°01′06″W / 38.01901°N 76.01826°W[1] |
Area | 4,548 acres (18.41 km2) |
Established | 1954 |
Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Website | Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge |
Glenn Martin National Wildlife Refuge includes the northern half of
The refuge was established in 1954 when the late Glenn L. Martin donated 2,569 acres (10.40 km2) to the
Martin National Wildlife Refuge is the largest unit of the Chesapeake Islands Refuges, which also includes Spring Island, Barren Island, and Bishops Head in Dorchester County, Maryland. The management of the Chesapeake Islands Refuges falls under the umbrella of the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Located in Cambridge, Maryland, the complex also manages Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge.
Wildlife
The tidal marsh, coves, creeks and ridges of the refuge provide an important rest area and winter home for thousands of migratory waterfowl and nesting habitat for a variety of wildlife that change with the seasons.
Winter residents on the refuge include black ducks, pintail, mergansers,
A small population of red fox, muskrat, mink, otter, voles, northern diamondback terrapin, and various nonvenomous water snakes also live in the marsh areas. Clapper rails, seaside sparrows, and marsh wrens also depend on the protected refuge habitat. Peregrine falcons have been nesting on the refuge every year since the first peregrine nesting tower was installed in 1984. The marsh and estuary are important in the production of marine species such as crabs and oysters that help form the food chain.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.