An era of land conservation in Louisiana

I am currently reading the August Book of the Month - The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea, by Jack E Davis, and delved into the history of many of the largest refuges in Louisiana. Edward Avery McIlhenny was the force behind three big wildlife refuges, by buying or orchestrating their creation. 

I shared some of this on Twitter but here goes in more detail:

1. State Wildlife Refuge
Edward McIlhenny, of Tabasco family fame, was an avid conservationist who fought to save egrets from poaching and outright slaughter in the late 1800s. He set aside property at Avery Island, his family's place, to help raise egrets in safety from hunters. He succeeded there and expanded his efforts to conserving more land in Louisiana. In 1911, He and Charles Willis Ward bought 13,000 acres and donated it to the state for use as a wildlife refuge. That today is State Wildlife Refuge.   

2. Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge
Olivia Sage, widow of millionaire Russell Sage, used her inheritance for philanthropy. Ward & McIlhenny convinced her to buy Marsh Island, around 76,000 acres in Vermilion Bay, and donate it to the state of Louisiana for bird conservation. She did it right away and today we have Marsh Island Wildlife Refuge.

3.  Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge
McIlhenny yet again bought a large tract of land and was instrumental in its protection for wildlife. He bought 86,000 acres of wetland on the coast with borrowed money, and then found a benefactor in the millionaire John D Rockefeller to buy the land from him and donate it to Louisiana for use as a wildlife refuge. The Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge is still going strong today.