Assateague Island
You and I own all of Assateague Island, which is completely occupied by the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and the Assateague Island National Seashore, and thus jointly administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Of the island's 37 miles, 12 are in Virginia. Wildlife on this end is afforded a higher degree of protection than in the Maryland sector. In fact, a fence at the state line keeps horses and other critters away from the Virginia side.
Bird-watchers know Assateague Island as a prime Atlantic Flyway habitat where sightings of peregrine falcons, snow geese, great blue heron, and snowy egrets have been made. The annual Waterfowl Week, generally held around Thanksgiving, takes place when a large number of migratory birds use the refuge.
The famous wild horses -- called "ponies" -- have lived on Assateague since the 17th century. Legend says their ancestors swam ashore from a shipwrecked Spanish galleon, but most likely English settlers put the first horses on Assateague, which formed a natural corral. Separated by a fence from their cousins in Maryland, the Virginia horses are owned by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Department, which rounds them up and sells the foals at auction on the last Wednesday in July.
