/PRNewswire/ -- National conservation groups focusing on the restoration of coastal Louisiana are hailing today's announcement by federal officials that the state bird of Louisiana, the Brown Pelican, is being removed from the Endangered Species List. Audubon, the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation view the recovering pelican as powerful proof that a healthy coast and strong environmental protections can benefit people and nature alike.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the species has sufficiently recovered from the impact of DDT contamination compounded by continuing habitat loss to be taken off the list in areas where it is not already delisted. Populations along the Atlantic Coast, in Florida and Alabama were delisted in 1985.
"The delisting of this iconic Gulf of Mexico species shows that cooperation produces results," said Mary E. Kelly, senior counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund's Center for Rivers and Deltas. "Now, we need to ensure that same spirit of cooperation and results extends to restoration of coastal Louisiana's wetlands, which, among many other benefits, provide habitat and food for this beautiful bird."
"This is an Endangered Species Act victory that demonstrates the great success we can achieve when we work together," echoes NWF's John Kostyack. "Maintaining that success will require confronting climate change and its relationship to coastal restoration and the species that depend on these important ecosystems."
According to Audubon's annual Christmas Bird Count, Brown Pelican population trends have risen in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and California for the past 40-50 years. Hurricane Katrina took a toll on the Gulf Coast populations that has not been thoroughly erased, but the prospects remain good, provided coastal recovery stays on track.
"The future of the Brown Pelican depends on the same strategies that will benefit coastal residents," said Audubon's Louisiana Bird Conservation Director Melanie Driscoll. "Pelicans and people need a strong, well-funded coastal restoration plan that will speed the recovery of coastal marshes and the barrier islands that are our first defense from hurricanes and their primary source of food and shelter."
Continued monitoring of Brown Pelicans is essential to detect any unexpected future population declines. Conservationists also caution that proper site selection, operational guidelines and vigilance will be needed to ensure that proposed wind power projects don't threaten recovery in Texas and other areas.
Environmental Defense Fund, a leading national nonprofit organization, represents more than 700,000 members. Since 1967, Environmental Defense Fund has linked science, economics, law and innovative private-sector partnerships to create breakthrough solutions to the most serious environmental problems. For more information, visit www.edf.org.
The National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.
Audubon -- Now in its second century, Audubon connects people with birds, nature and the environment that supports us all. Our national network of community-based nature centers, chapters, scientific, education, and advocacy programs engages millions of people from all walks of life in conservation action to protect and restore the natural world.
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Showing posts with label environmental. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environmental. Show all posts
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wal-Mart Foundation Grant Will Spur Education About Sandhills
A Wal-Mart Foundation grant announced today will help the Georgia Department of Natural Resources inform the public and teachers about sandhills, one of the state’s most biologically diverse habitats.
The Wal-Mart Foundation is providing $33,145 for The Environmental Resources Network Inc., better known as TERN, to develop with the DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section an education campaign on this distinct but often overlooked Coastal Plain habitat.
Found from the fall line to the coast, sandhills are areas of deep, sandy soils that generally feature a mix of longleaf pine and scrub oak species in a low, open-tree canopy with drought-tolerant shrubs, grasses and forbs. Sandhills support protected species such as the endangered eastern indigo snake, sandhills golden aster and the gopher tortoise, Georgia’s state reptile. The State Wildlife Action Plan, a guiding conservation strategy, rates sandhills a priority habitat.
The sandhills project will team this year with educators to translate technical information explaining sandhills and other Coastal Plain habitats into K-12 curriculum resources such as lesson plans. An advanced Project WILD workshop including field trips will train teachers about these habitats and how to relay relevant information to students.
TERN’s mission is to foster and aid in the protection, knowledge and enhancement of nongame and endangered wildlife throughout Georgia. President Brock Hutchins said the 501(c)(3) nonprofit will use “100 percent of the grant” to fund the project.
The grant comes through Wal-Mart’s State Giving Program, which supports organizations that align with the company’s mission to create opportunities so people can live better. Grants reflect the foundation’s focus areas: education, workforce development, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability.
“Wal-Mart is excited to be part of such a reputable and well respected organization such as TERN,” said Glen Wilkins, senior manager of Public Affairs & Government Relations for the company. “At Wal-Mart, we believe that we should be a good community partner. Here in Georgia, we have so many natural resources we want to make sure that they are preserved for future generations, and we are excited to be part of the education process for the future.”
The grant was announced at St. Simons Island following Weekend for Wildlife, an annual Nongame Conservation Section fundraiser TERN helps hold on Sea Island. The Nongame Conservation Section receives no state funds for its mission to conserve nongame animals, native plants and natural habitats, depending instead on fundraisers, grants and donations. Nongame wildlife includes animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped.
Nongame Conservation Section Chief Mike Harris said wildlife conservation ultimately depends on public support grounded in an appreciation and understanding of wildlife species and habitat.
“Our Georgia sandhills house a unique and interesting group of animals,” Harris said. “This project will help more people understand the importance of the gopher tortoise, a keystone species, and other wildlife that share sandhills with them.”
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The Wal-Mart Foundation is providing $33,145 for The Environmental Resources Network Inc., better known as TERN, to develop with the DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section an education campaign on this distinct but often overlooked Coastal Plain habitat.
Found from the fall line to the coast, sandhills are areas of deep, sandy soils that generally feature a mix of longleaf pine and scrub oak species in a low, open-tree canopy with drought-tolerant shrubs, grasses and forbs. Sandhills support protected species such as the endangered eastern indigo snake, sandhills golden aster and the gopher tortoise, Georgia’s state reptile. The State Wildlife Action Plan, a guiding conservation strategy, rates sandhills a priority habitat.
The sandhills project will team this year with educators to translate technical information explaining sandhills and other Coastal Plain habitats into K-12 curriculum resources such as lesson plans. An advanced Project WILD workshop including field trips will train teachers about these habitats and how to relay relevant information to students.
TERN’s mission is to foster and aid in the protection, knowledge and enhancement of nongame and endangered wildlife throughout Georgia. President Brock Hutchins said the 501(c)(3) nonprofit will use “100 percent of the grant” to fund the project.
The grant comes through Wal-Mart’s State Giving Program, which supports organizations that align with the company’s mission to create opportunities so people can live better. Grants reflect the foundation’s focus areas: education, workforce development, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability.
“Wal-Mart is excited to be part of such a reputable and well respected organization such as TERN,” said Glen Wilkins, senior manager of Public Affairs & Government Relations for the company. “At Wal-Mart, we believe that we should be a good community partner. Here in Georgia, we have so many natural resources we want to make sure that they are preserved for future generations, and we are excited to be part of the education process for the future.”
The grant was announced at St. Simons Island following Weekend for Wildlife, an annual Nongame Conservation Section fundraiser TERN helps hold on Sea Island. The Nongame Conservation Section receives no state funds for its mission to conserve nongame animals, native plants and natural habitats, depending instead on fundraisers, grants and donations. Nongame wildlife includes animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped.
Nongame Conservation Section Chief Mike Harris said wildlife conservation ultimately depends on public support grounded in an appreciation and understanding of wildlife species and habitat.
“Our Georgia sandhills house a unique and interesting group of animals,” Harris said. “This project will help more people understand the importance of the gopher tortoise, a keystone species, and other wildlife that share sandhills with them.”
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Monday, January 19, 2009
Project to Trap, Track Godwits Means Long Day at the Beach
Cannons firing, people running, adrenaline pumping: no, it is not war; it’s banding birds – marbled godwits, to be precise.
The marbled godwit is a large migratory shorebird that nests in the grasslands of the Plains states and central Canada, as well as in Alaska and, in small numbers, eastern Canada. Godwits winter on the West, Gulf and East coast, including in Georgia. The birds will stay here until late April or early May, with a few juveniles remaining throughout the summer.
The marbled godwit is in decline, at least in part due to habitat loss, and listed by the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan as a high-priority species. Understanding the connections between winter habitats, nesting areas and migration stops for the various populations is vital to managing habitat for the species. The connections are also the focus of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project encompassing North America.
On this chilly December morning, a group headed by Brad Winn, coastal nongame program manager for the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, has spent most of the last several hours setting a trap to capture and satellite-track these cinnamon-colored birds with the upturned bills.
As part of the continent-wide project, small transmitters attached to the godwits will help biologists determine where the birds migrate and nest, what their movements are throughout winter, and other general location data. The marbled godwit is listed as a high-priority species in the State Wildlife Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy guiding Wildlife Resources and Georgia Department of Natural Resources efforts to conserve biological diversity.
The site is carefully chosen based on tide levels and bird sightings from the previous day. A trench is dug in the sand and the net laid. Two 4-by-6-inch blocks of wood with round metal pipes attached serve as cannons. They are filled with gunpowder and half buried in the sand after being attached to each side of the net with rebar. A wire attached to the fuses winds across the long stretch of beach to where the researchers are hiding … and waiting.
When it comes to catching birds, timing is everything.
After the trap is set, everyone sits back and waits. A variety of birds have begun to congregate in the target area, including American oystercatchers, long-billed curlews and, of course, marbled godwits. The hope is that as the tide comes in, the birds will move into the “net zone.”
Concentration and constant communication are crucial. Farther down the beach, Winn watches with a scope and radios. Chris Depkin, a wildlife biologist, is hiding in a different spot and holding the fuse.
“Not yet, just a little more,” says Winn, quietly urging the birds to move.
The window for capturing the birds is narrow. As the tide rises, they slowly move onto the sand bar and into the capture area. If the birds are not captured before the tide begins to recede, the chance will be lost, at least for today.
Sometimes they need a little help. Winn makes a call and two young men with a kayak soon come walking down the beach. Both have done this before and need little direction. Ben Morrison, a naturalist for Little St. Simons Island, pushes off and cautiously paddles towards the birds. The situation looks good, but anything can still go wrong.
If the birds become too wary, they will flush. If the kayak is too slow, the tide will come in and the birds will leave. Either outcome means everyone packs up and goes home for the day.
The kayak does its job. The birds scuttle almost imperceptibly to the right. Perfect.
What happens next seems like orchestrated chaos. Winn completes the countdown, the cannons are fired and then everyone is running toward the birds struggling in the net. Looks like a good catch.
Researchers work quickly to secure the trapped birds. Each is carefully removed and placed in plastic bins for carrying to the staging area where they will be measured, weighed, banded and examined. A few lucky birds will also receive the satellite transmitters.
When all have been sorted by species, the birds are secured under a large tarp, which shields them from the sun and helps them stay calm. Now the real work begins.
The team forms an assembly line of sorts to work faster. Winn and Depkin are in charge along with Scott Coleman, ecological manager from Little St. Simons Island. Starting with the godwits, they weigh each bird to determine if it is large enough to carry the 9.5-gram transmitter. They must weigh more than 300 grams to qualify. Two birds are selected.
The bird’s bills and a portion of their legs referred to as the tarsus are measured. Three feathers are plucked, two from the breast and one from the wing to be used for analysis. Tests that measure the ratio of stable isotopes can determine what the bird was feeding on when it grew the feather, giving researchers a more accurate picture of migration habits.
Wings are stretched to check for molting, which helps indicate the age of the bird, and then each leg receives both a metal band and a plastic band for identification. After a quick swab to test for avian influenza, volunteers photograph each bird and then finally it is released, its ordeal over.
The team works long into the evening, finishing as temperatures begin to drop into the 30s. The catch includes 11 marbled godwits and 44 American oystercatchers, a species listed as threatened in Georgia. Six of the oystercatchers and one godwit are re-captures, or birds previously banded. The re-captured oystercatchers include one from Virginia and one from North Carolina. The re-captured godwit had been banded in Georgia.
The Wildlife Resources Division has been banding marbled godwits and American oystercatchers since 2001. But researchers began the godwit transmitter project in Georgia last fall, thanks to a grant from The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, the nonprofit advocacy group for Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section.
-----
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The marbled godwit is a large migratory shorebird that nests in the grasslands of the Plains states and central Canada, as well as in Alaska and, in small numbers, eastern Canada. Godwits winter on the West, Gulf and East coast, including in Georgia. The birds will stay here until late April or early May, with a few juveniles remaining throughout the summer.
The marbled godwit is in decline, at least in part due to habitat loss, and listed by the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan as a high-priority species. Understanding the connections between winter habitats, nesting areas and migration stops for the various populations is vital to managing habitat for the species. The connections are also the focus of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service project encompassing North America.
On this chilly December morning, a group headed by Brad Winn, coastal nongame program manager for the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, has spent most of the last several hours setting a trap to capture and satellite-track these cinnamon-colored birds with the upturned bills.
As part of the continent-wide project, small transmitters attached to the godwits will help biologists determine where the birds migrate and nest, what their movements are throughout winter, and other general location data. The marbled godwit is listed as a high-priority species in the State Wildlife Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy guiding Wildlife Resources and Georgia Department of Natural Resources efforts to conserve biological diversity.
The site is carefully chosen based on tide levels and bird sightings from the previous day. A trench is dug in the sand and the net laid. Two 4-by-6-inch blocks of wood with round metal pipes attached serve as cannons. They are filled with gunpowder and half buried in the sand after being attached to each side of the net with rebar. A wire attached to the fuses winds across the long stretch of beach to where the researchers are hiding … and waiting.
When it comes to catching birds, timing is everything.
After the trap is set, everyone sits back and waits. A variety of birds have begun to congregate in the target area, including American oystercatchers, long-billed curlews and, of course, marbled godwits. The hope is that as the tide comes in, the birds will move into the “net zone.”
Concentration and constant communication are crucial. Farther down the beach, Winn watches with a scope and radios. Chris Depkin, a wildlife biologist, is hiding in a different spot and holding the fuse.
“Not yet, just a little more,” says Winn, quietly urging the birds to move.
The window for capturing the birds is narrow. As the tide rises, they slowly move onto the sand bar and into the capture area. If the birds are not captured before the tide begins to recede, the chance will be lost, at least for today.
Sometimes they need a little help. Winn makes a call and two young men with a kayak soon come walking down the beach. Both have done this before and need little direction. Ben Morrison, a naturalist for Little St. Simons Island, pushes off and cautiously paddles towards the birds. The situation looks good, but anything can still go wrong.
If the birds become too wary, they will flush. If the kayak is too slow, the tide will come in and the birds will leave. Either outcome means everyone packs up and goes home for the day.
The kayak does its job. The birds scuttle almost imperceptibly to the right. Perfect.
What happens next seems like orchestrated chaos. Winn completes the countdown, the cannons are fired and then everyone is running toward the birds struggling in the net. Looks like a good catch.
Researchers work quickly to secure the trapped birds. Each is carefully removed and placed in plastic bins for carrying to the staging area where they will be measured, weighed, banded and examined. A few lucky birds will also receive the satellite transmitters.
When all have been sorted by species, the birds are secured under a large tarp, which shields them from the sun and helps them stay calm. Now the real work begins.
The team forms an assembly line of sorts to work faster. Winn and Depkin are in charge along with Scott Coleman, ecological manager from Little St. Simons Island. Starting with the godwits, they weigh each bird to determine if it is large enough to carry the 9.5-gram transmitter. They must weigh more than 300 grams to qualify. Two birds are selected.
The bird’s bills and a portion of their legs referred to as the tarsus are measured. Three feathers are plucked, two from the breast and one from the wing to be used for analysis. Tests that measure the ratio of stable isotopes can determine what the bird was feeding on when it grew the feather, giving researchers a more accurate picture of migration habits.
Wings are stretched to check for molting, which helps indicate the age of the bird, and then each leg receives both a metal band and a plastic band for identification. After a quick swab to test for avian influenza, volunteers photograph each bird and then finally it is released, its ordeal over.
The team works long into the evening, finishing as temperatures begin to drop into the 30s. The catch includes 11 marbled godwits and 44 American oystercatchers, a species listed as threatened in Georgia. Six of the oystercatchers and one godwit are re-captures, or birds previously banded. The re-captured oystercatchers include one from Virginia and one from North Carolina. The re-captured godwit had been banded in Georgia.
The Wildlife Resources Division has been banding marbled godwits and American oystercatchers since 2001. But researchers began the godwit transmitter project in Georgia last fall, thanks to a grant from The Environmental Resources Network, or TERN, the nonprofit advocacy group for Wildlife Resources’ Nongame Conservation Section.
-----
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