Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge

Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. . , From the 1600s to the mid-1900s, Ninigret's lands were used for farming and sheep grazing. During World War II, the U.S. Navy converted these farm fields to the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field, known to young pilots as “Charlietown.” , The Navy transferred these lands to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1970, establishing the Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge. Today, the 844-acre Refuge provides important feeding, resting and nesting habitat for migratory birds., More than 250 bird species are attracted to the Refuge's diverse coastal upland and wetland habitats. A wide variety of mammals, reptiles, and insects and other wildlife also make their home here., Together with volunteers and the Friends of the National Wildlife Refuges of Rhode Island, Refuge staff manage these habitats for wildlife, lead nature walks, and conduct environmental programs. For more information, please call (401) 364-9124., (photo captions) , , The male eastern bluebird sports a deep blue color above, with a rusty orange throat, chest and sides. His song is a pleasing, down-slurred “cheer cheery-Charley.” Isidor Jeklin/Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. , , Although restoration is in progress, runways, remnants of "Charlietown,” can still be seen in this 1997 photo. Visitors can take a walk along the “Trails Through Time” which interpret historical land uses that shaped the Refuge’s landscape.