"Picturesque, peaceful, yet thriving with wildlife." That's how many of the more than 50,000 annual visitors describe the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge.

Spanning 800 acres on the Southern Coast of Rhode Island, the refuge protects the state's only undeveloped salt pond. From upland forests to a 1.5-mile barrier beach,the varied habitats in Trustom Pond support more than 300 bird, 40 mammal,and 20 reptile and amphibian species.

A stronghold for the threatened piping plover, the refuge is home to several other rare species including osprey, least terns, and the state's only population of Fowler's toad.

Wildlife abounds on the refuge, with Trustom Pond attracting several different species of waterfowl during the spring and fall migrations. Osprey nest on the refuge, and a wide array of migratory songbirds attract birders from throughout the region.

Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge had its beginnings in 1987 with the donation of 365 acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from Ms. Ann Kenyon Morse, an avid hunter, airplane pilot, and conservationist. The Audubon Society of Rhode Island donated another 151 acres, and subsequent land purchases have increased the protected acreage to 800. Our approved land acquistion plan seeks to enlarge the refuge by another 1,280 acres.