Thomas Arneberg, age 10, of St. Paul, Minnesota, for his question:

What exactly is a wildlife refuge?

Almost 50 million acres of North America are set aside in places where native plants, birds and other animals can live undisturbed in their natural surroundings. We call them wildlife refuges or wildlife sanctuaries. No one may hunt there and even peaceable nature lovers are discouraged from disturbing the feeding and breeding of nature's creatures. These isolated pockets are scattered through the United States and Canada.

The United States Government owns and controls 250 wildlife refuges. Wildlife also is strictly protected, though more likely to be disturbed, in all our national parks and monuments. Thousands of smaller wildlife refuges are governed by states and cities, under the guidance of the National Audubon Society. Many refuges have been planned to protect water birds, such as wild ducks, and other migrating birds. However, the laws that protect them also apply to the plants and other animals that share a sanctuary.