Whether you live in the Sunshine State or are just visiting, as sea turtle nesting season hits Florida’s beaches, make sure you know what to do to keep these creatures safe.
Source: Spring Means Nesting Sea Turtles – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Category Archives: arizona-wildlife
UN calls for overhaul of national laws to tackle wildlife crime | The Guardian
All Earth’s creatures need protection from humans. Sad that the ones that serve as the top regulators of ecosystem function are also the most visible and therefore subject to our purposeful abuse.
“Countries urged to outlaw possession of wildlife and timber illegally harvested or traded elsewhere. . . .” Source: UN calls for overhaul of national laws to tackle wildlife crime | The Guardian
New Study Maps the Way for California Wolves, Highlights Key Strategies for Coexistence – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Now that wolves have returned to California after a nearly 90-year absence, where are they most likely to live? Will their new territories overlap significantly with grazing lands and create conflicts with livestock? What kind of proactive strategies are most feasible for northern California ranchers to implement on their operations to keep both livestock and wolves safe from harm? With our partners from the Bren School, we started looking for answers.
The Other Wolverine Who Rivaled X-Men for Fame – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
Wolverine. By Robert Carleton.
GR: The pointless killing of this special individual from a rare species indicates just how total is our threat to nature.
M56 never made it to the silver screen, but he fascinated millions, trekking hundreds of miles and bringing much-needed attention to the plight of wolverines.
Source: The Other Wolverine Who Rivaled X-Men for Fame – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
“His movements were first recorded in Wyoming in 2008. He took off in 2009, heading south for hundreds of miles. He traveled across inhospitable lands looking for a place he might fit in and finally settled in Colorado. He wandered around Colorado for years, then headed north once again, possibly up to Montana. He trekked east across flat lands and found himself in North Dakota.
“This is no tale of a wandering, fugitive human, following some wanderlust or trying to find a job. This is M56. He’s a wolverine, the largest (and arguably the toughest) member of the weasel family. These fearless scavengers are incredible — they can drive grizzly bears and wolves away from carcasses, and have been documented climbing 5,000 vertical feet in the middle of winter in less than two hours. M56 was an ambassador for his species, captivating the entire state of Colorado with hope of a reestablished wolverine population, and inspiring all who learned of his immense travels and ability to traverse unlikely habitat. Sadly, wolverine M56’s remarkable life and unbelievable journey ended a few weeks ago near Alexander, North Dakota, where he was killed by a ranch hand who didn’t recognize what M56 was and thought he could threaten livestock.”
The Beast that Burns; the Saviors We Kill
Accurate and artistic discussion of wildfire and beavers.
Canadian Blog
by Barry Kent MacKay,
Senior Program Associate
Born Free USA’s Canadian Representative
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/weblog_canada.php?p=5547&more=1
Barry is an artist, both with words and with paint. He has been associated with our organization for nearly three decades and is our go-to guy for any wildlife question. He knows his animals — especially birds — and the issues that affect them. His blogs will give you just the tip of his wildlife-knowledge iceberg, so be sure to stay and delve deeper into his Canadian Project articles. If you like wildlife and reading, Barry’s your man. (And we’re happy to have him as part of our team, too!)
The Beast that Burns; the Saviors We Kill
© U.S. Department of AgricultureMay 19, 2016. Last night, The Beast was headed toward the border, with about three miles to go.
“The Beast” is the name of the giant wildfire that…
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Many species now going extinct may vanish without a fossil trace | UIC News Center
“There are species going extinct today that have never been described,” Plotnick said. “Others are going extinct that are known only because someone wrote it down.” All such species would thus be unknown in the far future, he said, if the written historical record is lost — as it might well be.
The fossil record, Plotnick points out, is much more durable than any human record.
“As humanity has evolved, our methods of recording information have become ever more ephemeral,” he said. “Clay tablets last longer than books. And who today can read an 8-inch floppy?” he shrugged. “If we put everything on electronic media, will those records exist in a million years? The fossils will.”
Other authors on the study, published earlier this month in Ecology Letters, are Felisa A. Smith of the University of New Mexico and S. Kathleen Lyons of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
Media Contact:
Bill Burton
312-996-2269
burton@uic.edu
From: news.uic.edu
GR: We are the cause of the current mass extinction, and most of us simply don’t care. The research reported here shows that there will be no permanent record of most of the species that existed during our time on Earth. But, of course, we don’t care.
Yellowstone Grizzlies by the Numbers
Excellent post. The attrition of open space, wildlife, and natural ecosystems occurs slowly and quietly. Without vigilance and unrelenting effort, the attrition is unstoppable. Always, the urge to obtain immediate convenience or profit obscures the potential long-term consequences of our actions. Learning to take the long-term view is essential for managers of natural systems.
The grizzly bears that inhabit the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem have played an important role in one of the nation’s greatest endangered species success stories. Since 1975, the bears have been beneficiaries of the Endangered Species Act that enabled the grizzly population to beat all odds after teetering on the brink of extinction. It grew from 136 bears in 1975 to around 700 in 2016, although estimates range from 674 to 839.
On March 3, 2016, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service announced its proposal to delist the Yellowstone area grizzlies, which includes Grizzly 399, from the federal threatened species list. It is expected to make a final decision by the end of 2016.
The Numbers
50,000
The number of grizzly bears that roamed between the Pacific Ocean and the Great Plains during Lewis and Clark Expedition, 200 years ago.
674-839
The approximate number of grizzly bears in…
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Wolverine Watchers 2: The Sequel – Defenders of Wildlife Blog
As heavy snows blanketed the ground of Western Montana during the holiday season and into the New Year, the 2016 Wolverine Watchers project kicked off with an enthusiastic “Grrr!” www.defendersblog.org
GR: Citizen naturalists performing duties for the Earth.
Wildlife: Wintry weather to take toll on Colorado mule deer
“Harsh winter conditions in northwestern Colorado may take a toll on already struggling mule deer herds, state biologists said last week, explaining that they’ve started a limited feeding program to try and keep ungulates from invading cattle grazing areas.” From: summitcountyvoice.com
GR: The following was NOT overheard in a U. S. Forest Service Office: “Deer might die, but please don’t feed them. They must not develop any dependency on us. Moreover, you can rest assured that we will not let them eat a single weed that a cow might want. The deer might die, but that’s nature. They’re used to harsh winters, and we must protect the valuable cows.”
GarryRogers Nature Conservation 