The Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge surrounds John F. Kennedy Space Center. In cooperation with NASA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the 69,000 acre refuge. Thousands of barrier islets and marshes offer protection for plants and animals. Thousands of birds, including wood storks, peregrine falcons, shore birds, ospreys and bald eagles call the refuge home. The Florida alligator, pictured here, warms up in the sun. As both populations of people and alligators grow, the wildlife area provides an unhindered sanctuary. In the background, the massive Vehicle Assembly Building, once use for Apollo stacking, is now used for assembly of the Space Shuttle and Ares Rocket.