Travis Tutors

About Travis

Travis is a neighborhood in Staten Island, New York; and is home to the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge. The refuge was named after William T. Davis, who was a well respected naturalist and entomologist. Davis and the National Audubon Society worked together to create the wildlife refuge. The National Audubon Society was incorporated in 1905, and is one of the oldest non-profit environmental organizations that is dedicated to conservation. Originally, the wildlife was only fifty-two acres; but over the years it has slowly acquired more and more land, and today it is a total eight hundred and fourteen acres. This growth has helped it become the sixth largest park in New York City (out of 1,700), and it is only thirty acres smaller than Central Park.

Within the wildlife refuge, there is the United for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. The main goal of the center is to take care of sick and orphaned wildlife, while preparing them for successful release back into the wild. The center also tutors visitors on the importance of conservation and the rehabilitation process. The center is sponsored by the City Parks Department, and is considered a holding facility for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is in charge of the conservation, improvement, and protection of all of New York State’s natural resources. This department took over for the previous Conservation Department when it was founded in 1970. The new department manages forest preserve lands, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas. It regulates fishing, hunting, and trapping, and enforces environmental laws and regulations. The United for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center helps the Department of Conservation carry out their mission of successful wildlife conservation.

The refuge is also home to salt marshes, both low and high, as well as forested uplands, a swamp forest, and small spring-fed ponds. (Low marshes border creeks and flood with high tide, while high marshes only flood occasionally, when high tide is notably high). Some of the refuge wildlife includes marine life such as: the fiddler crab, ribbed mussel, clams, and oysters. It is home to over one hundred and seventeen species of birds including: wood ducks, red-tailed, red shouldered, and rough-legged hawks, osprey, barn, great horned, and short-eared owls, and the great blue heron; and the park also contains mammals such as: muskrats, raccoons, eastern grey squirrel, chipmunks, and field mice. All of these animals are able to thrive and find sanctuary in the William T. Davis Wildlife Refuge.

Travis tutors want to see every student do well in school. If your student is struggling in school, a Travis tutor might be just what you need. Every student deserves the chance to succeed.