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WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

31 SPECIES GET A LITTLE CLOSER TO ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DECISIONS

As a result of a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has agreed to decide whether 31 species should be listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These particular decisions are long overdue, which unfortunately is typical. In fact, almost fifty species have gone extinct while waiting upon such decisions. Many other species in addition to these 31 are under delayed consideration, as well.

Some of the species included in the lawsuit are the eastern spotted skunk, Georgia blind salamander, the Pecos pupfish, Texas kangaroo rat, Miami cave crayfish, and several freshwater mussel species, and more. Mussel species are often overlooked and yet are vital to ecosystems.

These species are threatened by a number of factors including coal ash, mining, agriculture, oil and gas development, livestock grazing, and cave destruction.

Read more about the suit here.

Photo by Bryan Padron on Unsplash

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

JAGUARUNDI

The jaguarundi (Herpailurus yagouaroundi) is a species of elusive feline with a long tail and almost weasel-like appearance. They live in Central and South America and used to extend into Texas. But one hasn’t been spotted in that state since 1986.

Researchers at Texas A&M University have set up a vast network of hundreds of remote cameras, but as yet have not photographed a single jaguarundi in Texas. However, members of the public sometimes report seeing them in the state.

Jaguarundi have vanished from the U.S. due to development, highway mortality, and loss of habitat to agriculture. While the jaguarundi has been listed under the Endangered Species Act since 1976, little has been done to restore their population, and in fact it took more than thirty years to finalize a federal recovery plan, which was accomplished in 2013.

More needs to be learned about this elusive creature to know how best to help them. You can read more about the jaguarundi here.

Photo by Axel Blanchard on Unsplash

GREEN TIP

CUT DOWN ON LIGHT POLLUTION

Light pollution has become an increasingly difficult problem, even though its solution is an easy one. Artificial light interrupts sleep and drowns out the stars, preventing people from seeing the magnificent expanse of the Milky Way. In fact, most people are only able to see a handful of stars on a given night.

But light pollution is a threat to a wide range of wildlife, too. It interrupts circadian rhythms. Migratory birds who navigate by the stars become disoriented and lost. Light pollution on beaches causes sea turtle hatchlings to crawl toward resorts on land rather than out to sea. Fireflies are unable to communicate with each other, drastically reducing their ability to mate and maintain healthy populations. The natural cycles of frogs and toads are disrupted.

But you can help. Assess your own lighting situation. Close your curtains at night. If you have dusk-to-dawn lights or other exterior lights that are left on well into the evening, consider installing a motion-activated light instead. This is not only better for the environment, but it is a better security alert than a constantly burning light.

Talk to your workplace if lights are needlessly left on in your office building all night.

DarkSky International has fabulous tips to help cut down on light pollution.

Photo by Max Gotts on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

BRING BACK DARK SKIES!

To tie in with this newsletter’s green tip about light pollution, consider taking action in your own yard and even talking to neighbors and your workplace about reducing light pollution.

DarkSky International has fabulous resources for becoming an advocate to help you start a conversation with people about the importance of dark night skies.

If talking to people isn’t quite your scene, consider contributing to community science via the Globe At Night project. Simply observe the stars in your area and record data about how many stars you can see in specific constellations.

Learn more about The Globe at Night here.

Photo by Denis Degioanni on Unsplash

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

JAGUAR REINTRODUCTION

Jaguars used to roam throughout the Southwest in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and in colonial times, people reported seeing them even as far northeast as North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and in the Lake Erie region of New York.

Though many people think of jaguars as denizens of jungles, they are highly adaptable, and live in a variety of habitats including deserts, coniferous forests, grasslands, swamps, and even beaches.

Unfortunately, here in the U.S., they have been driven to near-extinction by hunting and habitat loss.

But now the Center for Biological Diversity has petitioned the US Fish & Wildlife Service to reintroduce jaguars to their former range in New Mexico and to designate more critical habitat for them in both New Mexico and Arizona.

For the answers to many FAQ about jaguars and their possible reintroduction, click here.

Photo by Wikimedia Commons, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page / Cburnett

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS

Diamondback terrapins are the only turtles in the world which live solely in the mixed salt and fresh water of estuaries. They are found along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

They sport handsome patterned shells and play an important part in salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems by eating marsh snails, which in turn keeps marsh grass communities healthy.

They are threatened by a number of factors, including road collisions, habitat loss, drowning in crab pots, sea level rise, and illegal wildlife trafficking.

To read more about diamondback terrapins, click here.

Photo by George L. Heinrich

GREEN TIP

ELIMINATE JUNK MAIL AND SAVE TREES

Do you get a lot of unwanted junk mail?

In order to produce junk mail each year, an estimated 100 million trees are destroyed. In addition, billions of gallons of water are wasted in its production. The USPS sends out more than a hundred billion pieces of junk mail every year.

But you can reduce the waste caused by this by taking yourself off of companies’ mailing lists and help keep trees where they belong — in the forest.

A great non-profit organization, Catalog Choice, makes this simple. Just go onto their website, enter in the catalogs you no longer wish to receive, and they will handle the rest for you.

You can visit them here and donate, as well.

If your local post office doesn’t already, encourage them to place out paper recycling bins for customers who have P.O. boxes. This will make it easier for them to recycle unwanted material on the spot.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

NESTWATCH

Interested in helping biologists gather data on nesting birds? NestWatch is part of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the project monitors bird nests in order to track changes in the reproduction of birds. Anyone can help gather data!

All you have to do is go to this site and take a short quiz. Then you just watch nests and record and submit your observations.

On this same page, you can learn about the scientific impact of Nestwatch as well as find an easy guide to identifying bird nests and eggs, and much more.

If you’re interested in building birdhouses, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a great resource here.

Building birdhouses can be a great activity to do in a group, which can help build community and encourage people to become engaged in conservation.

Photo by Akram Huseyn on Unsplash

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

CALIFORNIA INCLUDES INSECTS UNDER ITS ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

Four species of bumble bees were just listed under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). This invaluable listing happened despite pressure from commercial agriculture and pesticide groups. These groups sued the state, stating that insects should not be listed on the CESA. Originally, a court ruled in favor of the industry groups. But after an appeal, the California Supreme Court ruled that insects could indeed be listed on the CESA.

The species that got protection are the Suckley cuckoo bumble bee, Crotch’s bumble bee, western bumble bee, and Franklin’s bumble bee.

It’s a huge win for invertebrate conservation.

To read more about this decision, click here.

Photo by Léon McGregor on Unsplash

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

NATIVE U.S. BEES

When we think of bees, we often picture the domesticated honey bee, which is actually from Europe. But the United States has many fascinating species of native bees.

The spring beauty mining bee, for example, forages along the forest floor. It’s a solitary species, not living in a hive. It builds small chambers underground where single baby bees feed off piles of nectar left by the adult.

Bumble bees pollinate our many native wildflowers. Sometimes after drinking nectar, they grow sleepy and will nap on flowers.

Some bumble bees, such as the rusty-patched bumble bee, are in drastic decline. You can help by planting native plants in your yard and providing valuable pollinator habitat. Check out the Green Tip section of this newsletter for ways you can help pollinators.

To learn more about our wonderful native bees, click here.

Photo by Victoria on Unsplash

GREEN TIP

MAKE YOUR YARD WILDLIFE-FRIENDLY

A fabulous way to help wildlife is to wild up your lawn. Americans spend an inordinate amount of time watering, tending, and weeding their lawns, which unfortunately results in a monoculture that does not support wildlife. But if you’re ready to make your yard into a more wildlife-friendly space, you’ll be providing valuable habitat for pollinators and many other species.

Some ways to make your yard more wildlife friendly is to provide native plants. The Xerces Society has an excellent resource for finding appropriate plants for your area. Just click here.

Not raking up leaves in the fall is an invaluable thing you can do. Fallen leaves provide winter cover for butterflies, bumble bees, tree frogs, and many other species.

Provide a water source such as a bird bath, a small upside down container with a hole to welcome frogs and toads, and even a bat house.

Reducing pesticide use is also important. Pesticides work their way into our environment, contaminating water and poisoning animals as they work their way up the food chain.

You can also reduce the use of outdoor lights, which are intrusive to wildlife. Many birds use the stars to navigate, which can be difficult in light-polluted areas. Place decals on the OUTSIDE of your windows to reduce bird strikes.

With these steps, you’ll end up with not only an attractive, flowering yard, but a welcome haven for wildlife.

Photo by Charlie Wollborg on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

GREAT BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening this year from February 17 – 20.

You can participate by going to your favorite place to watch and listen to birds. Just count and identify them, then submit your findings via your computer or mobile device. You can even share any photos you take.

This is a great activity that doesn’t take a lot of time if you are very busy. You need only spend as little as 15 minutes listening and looking for birds.

People contribute from all over the globe. Last year observers from 192 countries contributed data. You can see the global results here and look at the results for your own local area here.

Once the bird count starts in February, you can watch live results roll in.

Your data will help researchers around the world better understand current bird trends.

For more information and to sign up to participate, click here.

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

GRIZZLY BEAR COMMENT PERIOD OPEN

Right now, even though grizzly bears are still listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, there is a movement to strip them of their protections, paving the way for state-supported trophy hunts.

Anti-wildlife factions are seeking to delist a number of grizzly populations: a Wyoming petition seeks to strip protections from all grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a Montana petition wants to end protection for grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, and Idaho seeks to delist all grizzlies in the entire lower 48.

The state of Montana is currently seeking public opinion on the possible delisting, but only until January 5, 2023, inconvenient timing due to the holidays. To submit your comment online, go here. For postal mail, send comments to Wildlife Division, Grizzly Bear Plan and EIS, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620. Comments can also be emailed to  fwpwld@mt.gov.

To read more about this issue, go here.

Photo by John Thomas on Unsplash

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

ORANGUTANS

Orangutans are currently facing extinction due to the destruction of habitat for palm oil plantations. Rain forests are clearcut and planted with the oil palm tree, which not only creates a monoculture devoid of biodiversity, but steps are then taken to eradicate any native wildlife. As many as 1,000 to 5,000 orangutans are killed each year on palm oil plantations. Palm oil production is also a leading cause of climate change due to deforestation.

Other species, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros and Sumatran tiger, are being decimated by these plantations.

Unfortunately, palm oil is found in 50% of household products, including shampoos, make-up, soaps, lotions, detergents, peanut butter, even sweet food items such as pie and cookies.

You can help by no longer buying products that contain palm oil. There are numerous chemical names for palm oil derivatives including Vitamin A palmitate, palm kernel oil, sodium laureth sulphate, sodium dodecyl sulphate, stearic acid, hydrated palm glycerides, cetyl palmitate, and many other names you can check here.

To learn more about this issue, click here.

Photo by Mark Flanagan on Unsplash

GREEN TIP

WASH YOUR CLOTHES IN COLD WATER

Washing your clothes in cold water can do a lot to cut down on pollution, saving as much as 500 pounds of carbon dioxide a year and up to 80% of the energy required to wash your clothes.

To cut down on even more pollution and save energy, consider then hanging your clothes up to dry rather than using a dryer.

In addition, choosing a washing machine that is certified by Energy Star will ensure even more energy savings and less pollution, saving 400 pounds of CO₂ each year, which amounts to planting a quarter acre of trees.

Photo by Filip Zrnzević on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT

Join in with the Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count between December 14, 2022 and January 5, 2023.

The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was started in 1900 as a way of celebrating, rather than hunting, birds. Each year, thousands of bird watchers around the world tally up all of their sightings. This gives researchers an accurate picture of how bird populations are changing.

Observing areas are set up in so-called CBC “circles.” Each circle has its own 24-hour period for observing birds, so you only have to dedicate one day to contributing to this valuable project. Sign up to see which day of observation is applicable in your area’s circle.

If your area does not have an existing CBC circle, you can apply to set up your own by clicking here. If you don’t have time to contribute, but want to donate to the effort, click here.

To read more about the event and sign up to help, see this page.

Photo by Richard Sagredo on Unsplashh

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

PIKAS VANISHING IN THE GREAT BASIN AND SIERRA NEVADAS

The American pika, a charismatic and vocal relative of the rabbit, is vanishing from areas in the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Pikas live in the cool spaces between rocks in talus slopes in alpine areas. They cannot survive long in temperatures above 70 degrees F. As the earth warms rapidly due to anthropogenic climate change, pikas are forced farther and farther upslope until there is nowhere higher to go, and populations then die out.

In winter, they don’t hibernate, but rely on insulating snow layers to stay warm. However, with the reduction of snowpack due to warming, this layer of protection is dwindling.

A recent Nevada report revealed that pikas are now reduced to inhabiting only twenty-two of the hundreds of mountain ranges in the state.

Read more about them here.

Photo by Alice Henderson

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

FLORIDA PANTHER

The Florida panther lives only in south Florida. Though it originally roamed as far west as Louisiana, today it occupies only five percent of its historic range, and only 100-120 remain.

The reason for this decline is habitat fragmentation and loss caused by increasing human development. Roads encroaching into their habitat mean panthers killed in vehicle collisions, and the small population means increased vulnerability to genetic isolation, diseases, and parasites.

Conservationists have long worked to get critical habitat designated for the Florida panther. They’ve also petitioned for the panthers’ reintroduction into places such as the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. These attempts have been futile thus far. Though protected under the Endangered Species Act, the Florida panther still has no designated critical habitat.

You can read more about the efforts to save them here.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

GREEN TIP

FREECYCLE

Have a washing machine, weight set, clothes, or maybe a bookcase you no longer need? Instead of throwing them out, list them on Freecycle. It’s a free website where community members can list items that can be reused.

Likewise, before making a purchase, check out your local Freecycle listings to see if something on there will work for you.

You can find all kinds of useful items on Freecycle, like tools, paint, step ladders, and more. And there are often fun items, too, like LPs and books.

Check out what your local community has to offer by entering your zip code on this website.

Photo by Sven Brandsma on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

PENGUIN WATCH

Want to help with the conservation of penguins? Here’s a wonderful project you can do from your own home! Help scientists understand survival rates and breeding timing by counting penguins and their chicks recorded on time lapse cameras deployed in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

You can do this from anywhere — you just need an internet connection!

Read more about the project and how you can contribute here.

Photo by Cornelius Ventures on Unsplash