Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge

Protected Coastal Ecosystems

Description

This 43,000-acre wildlife refuge protects and manages local coastal ecosystems and the wildlife that calls them home. It is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and was originally established in two separate divisions, the Brigantine (established in 1939) and the Barnegat (established in 1967). Today, the two divisions have been combined under the name Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, commemorating one of the state's late conservationist congressmen. The Refuge offers great bird-watching opportunities, as well as other attractions such as an eight-mile Wildlife Drive, two shorter nature trails, and observation towers. It's a great place to visit if you're a wildlife-watcher, as over 290 different animal species have been observed here.