Five Reasons Wildlife Appreciate National Forests

Did you know our National Forests are home to more than 3,000 species of wildlife? Not only do our National Forests provide fresh water, clean air, and places to play, they are critical for the thousands of wild animals that live in the United States. Last year we featured a few reasons why we are thankful for National Forests. This year we imagined a few things animals might say if they were asked the same question.

A Huge Home

From towering trees and desert oases to fertile wetlands and vast meadows, our National Forests feature a variety of landscapes for animals large and small. Whether they need a nest to lay eggs or a cave to hibernate the winter away, there is a place for every animal to call home.

a wide creek in a forest — Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Colorado. Photo by Nicole Kofoed.

Room to Roam

Our National Forests equal the size of Texas; that’s a lot of room to roam, not to mention migrate. Thousands of miles of rivers and streams provide important spawning habitat for fish. Many National Forests border each other, like the forests in the Sierras or Appalachians, providing space for animals to move.

MBS-NF Robin-Lakes-in-the-Alpine-Lakes-Wilderness Jeffrey-Pang

Fantastic Foraging

From berries to nuts to mushrooms and more, the many ecosystems of our National Forests provide a variety of dining options for animals living in our National Forests.

Coconino Nf Barbershop Trail 91 Usfs Deborah Lee Soltesz Small

Delicious Drinking Water

Both humans and animals alike depend on our National Forests for water. Many of our nation’s mightiest rivers start on our National Forests and go on to provide crucial fresh water for wildlife.

Savvy Scientists

The National Forest System – 154 National Forests and 20 Grasslands – is managed by some of the top foresters and researchers around. The U.S. Forest Service’s Research and Development is the largest forestry research organization in the world. The wildlife that call our National Forests home have an incredible team making sure they’ll have a home for a long time.

Fortunately, scientists aren’t the only ones improving our National Forests for animals – you are too! Your support is critical to ensuring all our wild friends have healthy homes, abundant food and enough space to fly, swim and wander.

Click here to support healthy homes in our National Forests for all the animals that call them home.

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Grizzly In Denali Credit Gregory Slobirdr Smith

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Bats Flickr Attribution Required photo credit USFWS Ann Froschauer

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hikers descend a dirt trail atop a mountain

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