Raising awareness/donations for expansion of national pollinator habitat

St. Paul, MN – Coinciding with National Pollinator Week, June 22-28, Pheasants Forever and the Monarch Joint Venture are hosting a virtual Miles for Monarchs nationwide event to raise awareness around the decline of native pollinators, while generating much-needed financial support to advance pollinator conservation work throughout the country.

Miles for Monarchs is an exciting way to support monarch butterflies and associated pollinator habitat through athletic activities. By way of running, walking, biking, hiking or paddling through monarch regions of the United States, individuals and families can help raise critical funds for monarch research, education, and habitat projects.

“Pollinator Week festivities may look a little different this year, but there is still so much work to carry forward and fun to be had in sharing your support for pollinators,” stated Wendy Caldwell, executive director of the Monarch Joint Venture. “Miles for Monarchs makes it easy to choose any type of exercise you love, see how far you can ‘migrate’ during pollinator week, and help tell the story of pollinators and your support for them throughout your network. Registering to be a part of Miles for Monarchs not only supports monarchs and their amazing annual migrations, it supports the many other pollinators, wildlife, and plants who share the same habitats.” Read more

Recovery of the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes continues to gain momentum as spring nesting winds down after at least 21 pairs nested in Wisconsin this spring. The current estimated Eastern Migratory Population size is 83, which includes 40 females, 40 males, 3 Whoopers of unknown sex to date. To the best of biologists’ knowledge, at least 75 Whooping Cranes are in Wisconsin, 4 are in Michigan, and 1 is in Illinois, while three other Whoopers’ locations have not been confirmed during the past month.

Of the 83 Whooping Cranes in this reintroduced Eastern Migratory Population, 14 were wild raised by nesting pairs, showing a significant level of success among the reintroduced population. The other 69 Whoopers in the wild population were captive-reared and reintroduced to the wild as part of the Eastern recovery project.

The above population totals do not include this year’s newly hatched Whoopers, but biologists have ascertained that at least 21 pairs nested in Wisconsin this spring and at least 14 eggs hatched. One of the problems with North America’s Whooping Cranes is that they reproduce very slowly.

The primary Whooping Crane population nests in Wood Buffalo National Park and the surrounding area in Canada, where Northwest Territories meets the northeast border of Alberta. This population that numbers about 500 Whooping Cranes migrates south through the Great Plains to wintering range centered at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

The monumental bird conservation project to reintroduce the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes has been led by the International Crane Foundation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and state departments of natural resources from states along the migration route of this reintroduced population of Whooping Cranes. For more information about the Eastern Migratory Population of Whooping Cranes and the work being conducted by the International Crane Foundation around the world, see https://www.savingcranes.org/whooping-crane-eastern-population-update-june-2020/

Wildlife biologists and technicians with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have been tracking reports of a bull elk spotted in the south-central part of the Upper Peninsula in Menominee County.

The young elk was reported first by a private landowner June 6, within about 10 miles of the Wisconsin border. Since then, there have been several additional sightings, including some unconfirmed reports of an accompanying cow elk.

The presence of the bull elk has been confirmed with photographs. Read more

DALLAS — Several weeks ago, DSC and DSC Foundation launched the Hunters CARE (COVID Anti-poaching Relief Effort) program. The purpose of the Hunters CARE program is to expeditiously deploy funds to on-the-ground anti-poaching efforts during these trying times.

The world has been immeasurably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the conservation community has not been immune to its far-reaching consequences. As a result of hunt cancellations and postponements, hunting operators have been left with limited income to maintain their anti-poaching presence in their critical wildlife areas.

Corey Mason, DSC executive director, says, “Everyone recognizes the significant impact that COVID has had around the world from financial strain to loss of employment. The same is true across the African continent in which hunters’ dollars have not flown to Africa and they have not been there in the sense of employment as well. As unemployment has increased, so has the need for people to head to the bush to try to feed their family.”

DSC and DSC Foundation created the Hunters CARE program with the aim to quickly alleviate the fallout that COVID-19 has had on our important partners in the field. To date, the Hunters CARE program has helped secure over 16 million acres of habitat across seven different African countries and maintain the employment of more than 370 anti-poaching scouts. Read more

Michigan Department of Natural Resources forest health experts are getting reports of oak, aspen and maple trees losing leaves to gypsy moths in the southwestern and northeastern parts of the Lower Peninsula.

The gypsy moth is an invasive species that caused widespread defoliation in the state from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. This year, defoliation is likely to become visible within the next few weeks in localized outbreak areas and persist through mid-July.

“Gypsy moths are a nuisance but rarely kill trees,” said Scott Lint, forest health expert with the DNR’s Forest Resources Division.

Keep defoliated trees healthy by making sure they get water; avoid damaging tree roots and bark. Trees should begin to develop new leaves in July to replace those that were eaten.

Check out this update from Michigan State University Extension about gypsy moth caterpillars this season; additional resources are below.

For additional questions, contact Scott Lint at LintS@Michigan.gov.

BOZEMAN – As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the U.S. Geological Survey, in conjunction with Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, is working to inform the public that pre-baiting and scientific capture operations are once again about to begin within the Gravelly and Madison Ranges of Montana. Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will begin work in southwest Montana beginning June 17th and will continue through July 17th. Capture operations can include a variety of activities, but all areas where work is being conducted will have primary access points marked with warning signs. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

Monitoring of grizzly bear distribution and other activities are vital to ongoing recovery of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem. In order to attract bears, biologists use natural food sources such as fresh road–killed deer and elk. Potential capture sites are baited with these natural foods and if indications are that grizzly bears are in the area, culvert traps or foot snares will be used to capture the bears. Once captured, bears are handled in accordance with strict safety and animal care protocols developed by the IGBST.

Whenever bear-capture activities are being conducted for scientific purposes, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. These signs are posted along the major access points to the capture site. It is important that the public heed these signs and do not venture into an area that has been posted. For more information regarding grizzly bear capture efforts call the IGBST hotline at 406-994-6675. Information about the grizzly bear research and monitoring is available from the IGBST website: https://www.usgs.gov/science/interagency-grizzly-bear-study-team

LANSING, Mich. –- The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development is reminding the public about the risk of accidentally spreading invasive species while moving firewood. New infestations of invasive pests or diseases can be devastating and pose a serious threat to Michigan’s agriculture, forests and the environment.

Harmful invasive species, some of which are invisible to the naked eye, can hide in or on firewood. While most cannot move far on their own, these pests and diseases can be transported undetected on travelers’ firewood, starting new infestations in locations hundreds of miles away. These invasive species threaten native tree species without natural defenses against these pests and diseases. Infestations also can destroy forests, lower property values and cost huge sums of money to control.

“It is nearly impossible to detect diseases – like thousand cankers disease, which affects walnut trees, or oak wilt in oak trees – just by looking at the wood,” said Mike Philip, director of MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “Never assume wood appearing uninfested is safe to move.” Read more

Salt Lake City, UT: The Mule Deer Foundation announced today that it was awarded a $125,000 grant from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for on-the-ground conservation projects in six states through the organization’s Migration Corridors and Winter Range Initiative. The funding will be used for habitat enhancement projects in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Washington, and Wyoming that were identified by states in response to Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3362, Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors. The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund grant will help leverage the volunteer capabilities of MDF state chapters as well as match funding from agencies and partners for fencing removal and modifications, spring developments to improve riparian areas, juniper removal, and other important habitat restoration efforts. MDF will be working with partners to complete these projects this summer, within state social distancing guidelines. Read more