The Family Moves to Washington The Roosevelts made their way to the Executive Mansion in Fall 1901. The President, his pretty wife and their spirited children were one of the most popular families ever to live in the White House.

Just as their father had done, the Roosevelt children collected all manner of pets—from frogs to snakes to guinea pigs. They once brought Algonquin, Archie’s pony (above), up the White House elevator to cheer up the boy while he was  recovering from diphtheria. 

President Roosevelt encouraged his children’s interest in wildlife, allowing them to bring home more than just dogs and cats. The children’s White House menagerie included Ted’s parrot Eli Yale (above), Archie’s badger Josiah and, briefly,  Bill the spotted hyena.

While in office, Roosevelt maintained his personal relationship to nature. He spent time with family pets, hiked—often with other officials—and kept a close eye on the birds of the White House grounds, publishing "President Roosevelt’s List of Birds."

Alice Lee Roosevelt, the President’s daughter from his first marriage, grew into an independent young woman during Roosevelt’s presidency. Like her father, she had a sharp political mind and a free spirit.

Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot Roosevelt, eager to increase the park system, asked chief of the Division of Forestry, Gifford Pinchot (above), to choose the first park he would protect. By 1909, they had doubled the number of national parks.

Crater Lake National Park Their first choice was Crater Lake, Oregon, a stunningly blue lake deeper than any other in the United States. Today, nearly half a million people visit the park, which includes towering cliffs and extensive forests.

Wind Cave National Park In 1903, Roosevelt created Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota, which includes prairie, forested hills and one of the longest caves in the world. Since the park’s establishment, Wind Cave’s acreage has nearly tripled.

Sullys Hill Also in 1903, Roosevelt created Sullys Hill National Park, home to a variety of migratory water birds. On Devil’s Lake in North Dakota, the site is now a national game preserve.

Platt National Park, Oklahoma When his friend Senator Orville H. Platt died, Roosevelt chose a forest rich with streams and created a national park in Platt’s honor. The area is now known as Chickasaw National Recreation Area.

Mesa Verde National Park Roosevelt protected the ancient cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, Colorado "to preserve the works of man." Today, the site continues to be excavated, studied and preserved.

When AMNH ornithologist Frank Chapman described the threats posed to birds on Pelican Island, Florida, Roosevelt asked, "Is there any law that will prevent me from declaring Pelican Island a Federal Bird Reservation?" There wasn’t. "Very well then," Roosevelt said, "I so declare it."

Paul Kroegel (above) was an early proponent of protecting Pelican Island. Located on central Florida’s Atlantic coast, the area was not only the first federal bird reservation, but also the first national wildlife refuge in the country, laying the groundwork for today’s more than 550 refuges.

In 1991, nearby Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect sensitive breeding grounds for many sea turtle species, including the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), one of the largest and rarest sea turtles, whose nesting female population has dropped 70 percent in less than one generation.

The delicate dune habitat at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge is vulnerable to encroaching development. Though threats remain, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now works to protect sea turtle nesting grounds while also allowing responsible public use.

"Arizona has a natural wonder which…is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world," Roosevelt said of the Grand Canyon. "Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it."

By the time he became president, Roosevelt had heard stories and seen Thomas Moran’s paintings of the canyon’s beauty (above). From the early days of his presidency, he wanted to designate the Grand Canyon as the first national park of his administration.

Mining, logging and ranching interests staunchly opposed designating the Grand Canyon a national park, so Roosevelt found another way to protect it. Under the Antiquities Act of 1906 (above), he was able to designate the Grand Canyon a national monument.

Roosevelt played a key role in protecting the Grand Canyon, but challenges remained. In 1983, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service started a breeding program to rehabilitate the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) population, which at the time numbered just 22 birds. 

By 1992 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began releasing the birds into the wild. Now the California condor population numbers over 320, and many birds have made the protected Grand Canyon their home.

John Muir was one of America’s most influential naturalists. A writer and conservationist, Muir contributed to the creation of national parks and founded the Sierra Club, which became one of the world’s leading environmental organizations.

As president, Roosevelt (front, right) wanted to meet this famed naturalist. He asked Muir (second from right) for a tour through Yosemite National Park in California: "I do not want anyone with me but you, and I want to drop politics absolutely and just be out in the open with you."

Upon receiving Roosevelt’s invitation, Muir wrote a friend, "an influential man from Washington wants to make a trip into the Sierra with me, and I might be able to do some forest good in freely talking around the campfire."

The two men greatly enjoyed the time they spent together. Roosevelt wrote to Muir: "I shall never forget our three camps [in Yosemite]." And Muir did help the forests of Yosemite: he convinced Roosevelt to expand the park.