Every year tens of thousands of Americans give something back to their nation while volunteering their time and talents to help the National Wildlife Refuge System fulfill its main objective: conserving wildlife. The numbers tell the story: according to the most recent annual report on volunteers 37,960 volunteers donated 1,392,062 hours to wildlife during fiscal year 2009. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the refuge system, calculates the value of the volunteer service at $28,189,255 – or 669 full time staff positions.

Considering that the Refuge System is bracing for severe 2012 budget cuts, it is impossible to miss the value represented in each donated volunteer hour. In the June issue of The Flyer, the newsletter of the National Wildlife Refuge Association, NWRA Vice President Desiree Sorenson-Groves estimates, "Cuts to the Refuge System could range from $25 million up to $100 million."

Those who volunteer at refuges not only give back to with their country, they also report that they have formed a personal bond with their American heritage. They experience up close the magnificence of this land, and the creatures it supports.