Thanks for joining our online community!   You are one step closer to becoming part of the conversation about the future of our National Wildlife Refuge System.  Before you can participate in the social aspects of this website you will need to be approved by our moderator.  We strive to keep this site as open as possible, but to thwart spammers and others who have no interest in the conversation we review all new accounts.   Expect to be approved within a day or two (during weekdays).

Before you are approved you can review the vision documents and become familiar with the goals and missions of the Conserving the Future program.  Once you are approved as a member of the network, you can participate in the broader conversation on how to shape a long-term vision for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System. You can also network with other folks who share a passion for wildlife.

  • Join the group conversations based on your interests – there are numerous topic areas to choose from. Participate in the discussion topics for the various groups or begin a new discussion thread.

You can also have a ton of fun!  In the network, you can:

  • Share your favorite wildlife photos and other content from your profile. You can upload your photos, links to videos, and links to interesting websites or articles to your activity stream or on to your profile for AmericasWildlife.org.
  • Have a Flicker or You-Tube account? Facebook? Twitter? Or even your own blog? It’s easy to link them to your profile under “Settings.”

Also check out all the extra programming for Conserving the Future:

  • Join America’s Wild Read – a national reading event and virtual book club.
  • Get to know Flat Blue! Much like Flat Stanley – Flat Blue is a fun way to engage with nature.
  • Learn how to Go Green! and get ideas about eco-friendly travel and living.
  • Giving the Land a Voice multimedia contest for youth.

Your engagement is important. The ideas and commentary generated on the site is provided to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as they craft and implement a vision for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The implementation framework for the vision was ratified in July 2011, at the Conserving the Future: Wildlife and the Next Generation Conference.