Smithsonian Book of National Wildlife Refuges

by Eric Jay Dolin

Gorgeous coffee-table book, celebrating the 100th anniversary or the refuge system, with dramatic text, and more than 200 color images.

"In 1903 Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation that created the first of what, a century later, would become a system of 538 wildlife refuges spread across all fifty of the United States. Stretching from the cypress swamps of Okefenokee to the remote wilderness of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the refuges now occupy an amazing 95 million acres of the American landscape. These are America's most treasured natural habitats - filled with waterfowl, fish, mammals, and a diverse array of plants." Coupling his text with the remarkable photographs of John and Karen Hollingsworth, Eric Dolin draws on the rich history surrounding the refuges to reveal an intriguing story of people and nature. After exploring how the fledgling conservation movement found its champion in Teddy Roosevelt, Dolin unveils a story filled with heroic, sometimes quirky, Americans who fought to preserve the nation's natural heritage. Following Roosevelt's lead - and against a backdrop of the twentieth century's wars and strife - refuge after refuge was created, resulting today in an incredibly diverse and biologically critical system that helped earn the United States its reputation as a leader in global conservation.

"Outstanding book . . . Highly and enthusiastically recommended for all public libraries and all environmental collections." Library Journal

"A terrific job . . . The result is a coffee table book worth buying a coffee table for." The Baltimore Sun

"The remarkable photographs and accompanying text reveal the rich history of America's 538 national wildlife refuges." Outdoor Photographer

"The stories of Teddy Roosevelt . . . Ding Darling, and other indomitable historic figures are woven into the inspiring saga." Wildlife Conservation

"This richly illustrated retrospective could not be more timely." Nature Conservancy

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Conservation, Reference, History, Natural History, Environment

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2003

About the author

BELOW ARE TWO VERSIONS OF MY BIOGRAPHY: THE SHORT ONE I USE FOR INTRODUCTIONS TO MY BOOK TALKS, AND THE LONGER VERSION, WHICH GOES A BIT DEEPER ON MY BACKGROUND, AND HOW I BECAME A WRITER. 

SHORT

Eric Jay Dolin is the author of seventeen books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America; A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes; Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates; and Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution. His forthcoming book (June 2, 2026), is The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail. Dolin's books have won many awards including the John Lyman Award for U.S. Maritime History; Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award; National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Excellence in American History Book Award for Adult Nonfiction; Samuel Eliot Morison Book Award for Naval Literature; L. Byrne Waterman Book Award for Outstanding Contributions to Research and Pedagogy in the Arts, Humanities, and Sciences; James P. Hanlan Book Award; and the Outdoor Writers Association of America Book Award. Many of his books have been chosen as “must reads” by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. Other honors include being chosen as a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and as one of the best books of the year by The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, the Library Journal, and Booklist. Dolin lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts, with his family.

LONGER

I grew up near the coasts of New York and Connecticut, and since an early age I was fascinated by the natural world, especially the ocean. I spent many days wandering the beaches on the edge of Long Island Sound and the Atlantic, collecting seashells and exploring tidepools. When I left for college I wanted to become a marine biologist or more specifically a malacologist (seashell scientist). At Brown University I quickly realized that although I loved learning about science, I wasn't cut out for a career in science, mainly because I wasn't very good in the lab, and I didn't particularly enjoy reading or writing scientific research papers. So, after taking a year off and exploring a range of career options, I shifted course turning toward the field of environmental policy, first earning a double-major in biology and environmental studies, then getting a masters degree in environmental management from Yale, and a Ph.D. in environmental policy and planning from MIT, where my dissertation focused on the role of the courts in the cleanup of Boston Harbor.

I have held a variety of jobs, including stints as a fisheries policy analyst at the National Marine Fisheries Service, a program manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an environmental consultant stateside and in London, an American Association for the Advancement of Science writing fellow at Business Week, a curatorial assistant in the Mollusk Department at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, and an intern at the National Wildlife Federation, the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, and the U.S. Senate.

Throughout my career, one thing remained constant--I enjoyed writing and telling stories. And that's why I started writing books--to share the stories that I find most intriguing (I have also published more than 60 articles for magazines, newspapers, and professional journals). My most recent books include:

***The Wreck of the Mentor: A True Story of Death, Despair, and Deliverance in the Age of Sail (Liveright, June 2, 2026).

***Left For Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery, and Survival at the Edge of the World (Liveright, 2024), which was selected by the editors at Amazon as one of the best history books of the year. 

***Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution (Liveright, 2022), which was winner of the 2023 Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award, the Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature, the Nation

Reviews

[La Crosse County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review originally published August 2003

I had the distinct pleasure to attend the Upper Mississippi’s National Wildlife Refuge’s Centennial celebration at Riverside Park in La Crosse on July 31st. I was invited to share a story during the celebration’s story hour for children. Coincidentally, the La Crosse County Library was just finishing up a record year of summer reading with our theme "Go Wild Read," and even though there was no intentional tie, the centennial event of the Refuge System was almost a finale to our Go Wild Read success! To top off the event, the Friends of the Upper Mississippi River Refuges and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation presented me with two spectacular books to be added to our collection!

The first is the Smithsonian Book of National Wildlife Refuges by Eric Jay Dolin with photographs by John and Karen Hollingsworth. It was in 1903 that Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation that created the first refuge system that now encompasses 538 wildlife refuges spread across all fifty states.

These treasured natural habitats are illustrated with remarkable pictures by the Hollingsworth's and the rich history of this nation’s conservation movement is unveiled through stories of preservation and perseverance.

See also:

The second treasure presented to the La Crosse County Library is Lorraine Ward’s and Laura Jacques’ Wildlife Refuge: A Classroom Adventure. Striking animal illustrations show our younger readers the different habitats that make up the refuge. Although the book is based the Aranas National Wildlife Refuge, the book gives all children an opportunity to learn what wildlife refuges all around the country do and why we need them.

I’d like to take this public opportunity to thank the Upper Mississippi Friends and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for these unique and special gifts. Please make an opportunity to take some time to enjoy these books!

Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

[A B · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful gem this book is. It's an educational and entertaining history of the National Wildlife Refuge system cleverly disguised as a beautiful coffee table book. The NWR program has a long and often sad history. Early environmentalists and park rangers were unpaid, unsupported, and even murdered. Learn how women's hats and unsportsmanlike hunters devastated wildlife populations, and how the public finally took note. Even after establishment of refuges, plans weren't in place to fund or maintain them, so you'll learn how volunteers and generous donors made a difference. The photography is lovely. Keep in mind that these aren't stock shots of recognizable sights such as El Capitan or the Grand Canyon (which are national parks anyway). You probably won't recognize many of the sites in the photos, as refuges are selected for suitable for saving wildlife, not aesthetics, which I felt made the photography more special.

So glad I heard about this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I didn't win, but decided to check it out anyway. It would make a lovely Christmas or birthday gift for any nature enthusiast.

[David Wurster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a coffee-table book in which the text is, perhaps, better than the pictures. The text provides a very readable history of the refuges and the conservation movement. The book is now about 20 years old, but it is unlikely that the big picture has changed very much in that time. The author is obviously in favor of conservation, but he is not dogmatic and does not really get political, to his credit. An obvious problem with the refuge system is that its holdings are so vast that there will never be enough funding for operations and maintenance to do what would be nice to do. Also in my opinion, it should not be assumed that wildlife considerations are always more important than competing needs for humans. People who think poor people in Africa should place climate change considerations above their needs for adequate food, water, energy, and shelter are misguided. I favor conservation, but not as a religion.
If I were younger and still up for extensive travel, I would love to visit many of the refuges described in this book.

[Fernleaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was expecting this book to be more of a coffee-table type with gorgeous pictures and interesting factoids but not much coherent substance. It really surprised me by being an in-depth look at the history and formation of the national wildlife refuge system and the challenges that it has faced. Full of beautiful pictures that don't necessarily relate to the text on the page this is nonetheless a great book.