09/29/2014 11:39 AM EDT
Established in 1997, the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge works to protect the native plant, fish and wildlife species that live in the Connecticut River watershed. Spanning four states (New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut), the refuge includes nine divisions that represent a wide variety of habitats. Pictured here is the 260-acre Fort River Division located in Hadley, Massachusetts. The Fort River Division is home to everything from the red-tailed hawk and great horned owl to the white-tailed deer and bobcat.
Photo by James Weliver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.