Where the Wild Things Live tells the story of the refuge system through visits to six very different refuges. Viewers will learn that, many times, one person did make a difference.

Pelican Island NWR-- Florida. This is wildlife refuge # 1, where conservation history was made. President Theodore Roosevelt gave federal protection to this tiny, three acre island; the first time for any national government. In Where the Wild Things Live this story is personalized by an interview with the granddaughter of Paul Kroegel, the man who started it all.

Wichita Mountains NWR-- Oklahoma. In 1907, 15 bison were brought by train from the Bronx Zoo in New York to reestablish a herd in the wild. It’s hard to believe but by at the beginning of the 20th Century, the original estimated 50 million buffalo that roamed this country before Europeans arrived had been reduced to less than 1000.

Sabine NWR -- Louisiana. Many visitors “want to see an alligator” at Sabine; and today they – and viewers - can. But the Gulf coast alligator was almost wiped out by uncontrolled hunting. A former manager tells us how they were saved. Sabine is also an Internationally Important Bird Area, located on two flyways.

White River NWR—Arkansas, is located on the Mississippi Flyway. This refuge was established to create and protect critical habitat for migrating waterfowl and other migratory species, which by the 1930’s were in dire straits because of over hunting and prolonged, severe drought. Cooperation among the USFWS, conservation groups, and conservation minded hunters made White River a success story. And it is here that the Civilian Conservation Corps had its only floating camp, where the boys of the CCC lived on a cluster of houseboats.

Bosque del Apache NWR-- New Mexico, hosts the Festival of the Cranes each year in November. An important part of the story here is the key role played by the Friends of Bosque del Apache, an organization whose volunteer work has a nearly million dollar price tag.

Oregon Coast NWR Complex-- protects seabirds and marine mammals. A simple but highly effective management technique is found here. By limiting public access to certain areas of the coast and its offshore rocks and islands, the populations of seabirds, seals and sea lions have increased dramatically. Yet, as viewers will learn, visitors can still have a close encounter with these wild creatures, which include the much quieter residents of tide pools