Monarch butterflies start to make their way north as early as March. Whether you have a few feet on your apartment balcony, a yard in need of landscaping or several acres, you can help provide the milkweed that is essential to the monarch lifecycle. 📷 Mike Budd/USFWS

Take some time out to celebrate our hardest-working bivalve! 🦪 Oysters are not just good to eat; they filter the water they inhabit, provide habitat for other animals and are essential to the culture, history, ecology + economies of coastal communities.

Happy Great Lakes Week! Want to know what makes the Great Lakes so great? The Great Lakes lie at the intersection of two migratory flyways, which brings more than 350 bird species through the Great Lakes region each spring. A bird-watcher’s delight!

Who’s wearing green today? ☘️ The green-winged teal, for one! Did you know? 💡 The green-winged teal is one of the fastest flying ducks in North America. The fastest recorded green-winged teal hit a speed of 60 miles per hour.

Did you know? 💡The Great Lakes hold 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater. Does that blow your mind? 🤯Then watch to learn more about how NFWF and public and private partners are all working together to conserve this vital ecosystem.

Did you know? 💡 The Delaware Estuary hosts the second largest population of migrating shore birds in North America. Visitors to the area can see red knots, plovers and sandpipers resting and refueling along the shores, munching on horseshoe crab eggs and aquatic vegetation.

Monarch migration is underway! So far, sightings have been reported across much of Texas and Oklahoma, along with much of the southeast including sightings as far as North Carolina. 📷 Courtney Celley/USFWS

Did you know? 💡 The rivers of the United States are home to more than 300 freshwater mussel species – one of the highest counts in the world!

Did you know? Royal tern chicks leave the nest within *one* day after hatching and congregate in a group known as a crèche, which can consist of thousands of chicks. Royal tern parents are still able to pick out their chick in the crowd, probably by recognizing its distinct call.

Northern pintails have the need for speed! These dabbling ducks migrate at night and can reach speeds of nearly 50 miles per hour. Northern pintails have incredible stamina: the longest recorded nonstop flight for one of these birds was 1,800 miles.

Happy Earth Day! Looking for a way to celebrate? How about selecting a native milkweed to plant? With more than 100 native milkweed species across North America, there are plenty to choose from! Learn more about a few wide-spread varieties. 🧵⤵️ 📷 Jim Hudgins/USFWS

Did you know that Central Appalachia hosts more species of salamander than anywhere else in the world? NFWF works to support the remarkably diverse assemblage of amphibians, mammals, birds, fish + invertebrates in the region loom.ly/i8eExUk

Did you know? 💡 Healthy corals are not just the foundation of the ocean food chain, they’re also important to our economy. Healthy coral reefs contribute to fishing and tourism, providing millions of jobs and contributing to local economies. #WorldOceansDay

Our weekend plans? This and yap. Sea otters are highly social mammals that gather in single-sex groups known as "rafts." Sea otters can thrive in Alaska's frigid waters because they possess the densest fur in the animal kingdom -- up to 1 million hairs per square inch!

The ancient alligator gar is making a comeback in the Mississippi River floodplains. Through our partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, we are helping restore the river’s natural connections, creating healthier habitats for this iconic species and many others. Since 2019, we’ve supported

Despite the name, American black bears can range from a rusty cinnamon color to a light blue-gray. Black bears also have relatively short claws, which enable them to climb trees.

Did you know? 💡 Wetlands are one of the most productive and biodiverse habitats in the world. Although they only make up 6% of the Earth’s land surface, wetlands provide habitat or breeding areas for approximately 40% of all plant and animal species.