7 Things You Didn't Know About The Refuges In The San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex

You may know the refuges in the San Francisco Bay and Monterey Bay Area protect endangered species and wildlife. But, did you know about these little-known fun facts?

1. Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge

Alan Wight

Three poachers were convicted for poaching Lange's Metalmark Butterflies at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in 1993. The trio received a combination of fines, hundreds of hours of community service, months of in-house imprisonment, and years of probation.

2. Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Pelican Media

Two films, the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude and a 1999 independent film Dumbarton Bridge, was partially filmed on what is now the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Familiar scenes of salt ponds were used as backdrop for the films.

3. Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge

USFWS

Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established to protect the Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander, which can vocalize squeaks and clicks, possibly as a defense mechanism to startle predators into dropping them when captured.

4. Farallon National Wildlife Refuge

Bryan White/FWS

There is an endemic cricket (Farallonophilus cavernicolus) on the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge that lives nowhere else in the world. Researchers are currently studying the Farallon camel cricket.

5. Marin Islands National Wildlife Refuge

Carmen Minch/USFWS

The Marin Islands are named after Chief Marin, a Coast Miwok Native American who hid there trying to evade Spanish Soldiers in the early 1800s.

6. Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge

Aric Crabb

Parts of what is now Salinas River National Wildlife Refuge were once used as a bombing range by the Navy.

7. San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Aric Crabb

Skaggs Island in San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge is named after Marion Barton Skaggs whose family started the grocery store Safeway.