South Central

NWF’s South Central Regional Center encompasses 12 states along the Gulf Coast and stretches into the Midwest. Priority programs focus on protecting and restoring healthy rivers and estuaries, conserving wetlands, protecting wildlife habitats, and connecting people with the natural world.

Florida’s Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Saved

This time last year, Florida nearly became the first state to lose a National Wildlife Refuge. We asked for your help to defend the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife … Read more

A Unique Visitor to Austin Eco-Schools Community

The monarch butterfly migration is a unique phenomenon where multiple generations of monarchs complete a 3,000 mile journey from the oyamel forests of Michoacán, Mexico to the northern U.S. and … Read more

Protecting the Coast, Providing Wildlife Habitat: Pensacola’s Project GreenShores

How can communities best protect themselves against hurricanes and storms? Two decades ago the City of Pensacola, Florida began Project GreenShores, an effort to better protect its downtown by mimicking … Read more

Cleaning Up the Texas Coast After Hurricane Harvey

When Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas in late August, it caused at least 75 deaths, billions of dollars of damage, and incalculable emotional suffering in addition to significant ecological impacts, … Read more

Restoring Paradise After Hurricane Irma

Florida has always been in the path of storms – it juts right out into Hurricane Alley – but as people have built along the coast, drained wetlands, and contributed … Read more

Become a Cover Crop Champion!

Imagine driving around Iowa in December. You are driving by open corn and soybean fields. Some of them are brown and empty fields, but some are covered in green. However … Read more

Hurricane Irma: Impacts on Florida Wildlife & Habitat

As every Gulf Coast resident knows, hurricanes are natural events. In Florida, we joke that there really are only two seasons – tourist season and hurricane season. Native wildlife species … Read more

Texas Birds and Bays – Hurricane Harvey’s Ecosystem Impacts

What will be the fate of wildlife and their habitats on the Texas Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? Even as floodwaters from the most extreme rain event in … Read more

Hurricane Harvey: How To Help & Wildlife Impacts to Watch For

For those of us outside the Houston area, watching the coverage of Hurricane Harvey has been both heartbreaking and heartening. It’s devastating to see residents forced from their homes, clutching … Read more

Gulf Oysters: A National Treasure, Providing Natural Defenses

When people on the Gulf coast think of an oyster, what immediately comes to mind are the big, juicy blobs on the half-shell. But oysters are not just a delicious … Read more