Thanks to sponsors, more than $30,000 up for grabs at the 2023 Florida Python Challenge®

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, participants of the 2023 Florida Python Challenge® have the opportunity to win a share of thousands in cash prizes! The event, which is hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), features an Ultimate Grand Prize of $10,000 sponsored by Inversa Leathers. There is also a prize of $7,500 for the Grand Prize Runner Up, sponsored by the Bergeron Everglades Foundation.

“This year we’re going to have $30,000 worth of prizes,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “We want to thank the private sector. Without them we couldn’t offer such great incentives.”

Prizes will also be awarded in the professional, novice and military categories courtesy of Edison National Bank/Bank of the Islands and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.

Under the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the FWC, SFWMD and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida host the Florida Python Challenge® to raise awareness about invasive species in Florida and their impacts. The event, which runs Aug. 4-13, encourages people to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal. Read more

Ripening mulberries attract many migrating birds in the southern half of the United States, such as a Scarlet Tanager (above) and a Cedar Waxwing (below). Everyone needs a “magnet tree” in their yard.

Planting a tree is a long-term proposition, but trees are key to attracting many birds to our yards, and the right trees can create a special attraction in the form of foods. Fruits or berries, flower nectar, small insects attracted to flowers, and small caterpillars among the foliage create a buffet for migrating birds and local nesting species. Each tree also provides cover, nesting sites, and shade – all so important in creating backyard habitat.

A single tree can make all the difference in your yard; one that flowers in the spring can attract orioles, tanagers, waxwings, hummingbirds, warblers, and other birds looking for flower nectar, small insects, and caterpillars they need during a migration stopover, or throughout the nesting season. The same tree may also produce fruit later in the year that benefits robins and other thrushes, waxwings, tanagers, and catbirds. Read more

This makes the seventh MI county with an HWA detection

LANSING – The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) recently verified the detection of invasive hemlock woolly adelgid at Nichols Arboretum in Washtenaw County on May 9, 2023. This detection makes Washtenaw County the seventh county in Michigan to have a confirmed infestation.

“Our team of invasive species specialists is currently working with the arboretum to determine an appropriate treatment and response plan,” said Mike Philip, MDARD’s Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division Director. “There isn’t a way to determine how long hemlock woolly adelgid has been there or how it got there, but it’s possible HWA has been there for a number of years.”

Previously HWA detections have been found in Allegan, Benzie, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties and have been within five miles of the Lake Michigan shoreline.

“Unlike western Michigan, where the other infestations are located, hemlock trees are not native to this region of the state,” added Philip. “Although the pest still poses a problem for homeowners who may have planted hemlock trees or where they may have been planted in other landscaping, this HWA detection does not pose a significant threat to Washtenaw’s natural resources and environment.”

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MUSKEGON, MI – The U.S. Centers for Disease control estimates that 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes annually. (Note: snakes can be venomous, not poisonous – there’s a difference.) Few deaths are attributed to the venomous bites, however, but the aftermath can be miserable, even life changing.

Rattlesnake venom is largely composed of hemotoxins. So, beyond the initial unfathomably painful bite, and after the instant bleeding and swelling, you can experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and labored breathing. Left untreated, the strike can lead to organ failure, and in some instances, death.

Water and marsh-oriented cottonmouth snakes – colloquially referred to as water moccasins – also carry hemotoxic venom. And past the bodily effects listed for rattlesnake bites, both cottonmouth and rattlesnake bites can cause necrosis, which breaks down blood cells and can lead to temporary or permanent tissue and muscle damage.

The widely distributed copperhead snake also carries hemotoxins, but bites are generally not considered deadly. Yet, a strike is wickedly painful, and you can expect swelling, throbbing, and possible nausea. Read more

MISSOULA, Mont. — Thirty-nine years after four elk hunters founded a small, hunter-based conservation organization, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is financially strong and coming off a banner year of accomplishment.

In 2022, RMEF volunteers hosted hundreds of banquets and other events that generated record revenue for the mission. As a result, RMEF collaborated with its partners to put millions of dollars on the ground to help protect more than 91,000 acres of wildlife habitat, open or improve public access to nearly 117,000 acres, and supply funding for scientific research, wildlife management and scores of hunting heritage efforts.

“The best way to honor our founders and the sacrifices they made so many years ago is to have a strategic focus to do even more to ensure the future of elk, mule deer, moose and so many other wildlife species as well as wildlife habitat, hunting and conservation,” said Fred Lekse, RMEF Board of Directors chair. “Looking back, that is what we have done organizationally and looking forward, that is what we’ll continue to do.” Read more

Warm, sunny spring days across most of Michigan this week have sparked people’s interest in outdoor fun, but warmer weather also stokes wildfire danger. Make fire safety a top priority when working in the yard, riding all-terrain vehicles or building an evening bonfire.

Fire danger is highest across the northern Lower Peninsula and in parts of the Upper Peninsula, said Jeff Vasher, fire specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

“Humidity is low, so the environment is drying out fast,” Vasher said. “A fire can take off with very little warning in these kinds of conditions, especially if it’s windy at all.”

Some parts of the Upper Peninsula still have melting snow, but those that don’t also are drying fast. Fire danger is expected to remain elevated throughout the weekend. Read more

More than 500 cold-stunned sea turtles were flown to 12 AZA facilities across the country for critical care and rehabilitation this year.

SPRINGFIELD, MO – As part of a nationwide commitment to conservation, 12 Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) facilities have teamed up this year to rescue and rehabilitate 518 cold-stunned sea turtles off the coast of New England.

Participating in this global effort are some of the nation’s top wildlife conservation and education destinations, including the world-renowned and award-winning Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium (WOW), New England Aquarium, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Florida Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, National Aquarium, North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, SEA LIFE Grapevine Aquarium, SeaWorld Orlando, and South Carolina Aquarium.

In the last decade, more than 10,000 sea turtles have required rescue along the U.S. Atlantic Coast due to cold-stunning. This life-threatening condition occurs when water temperatures rapidly decline, and sea turtles are unable to move to warmer waters or fend for themselves. Like all reptiles, sea turtles are ectothermic (cold-blooded) and cannot regulate their body temperature. If water temperatures drop below approximately 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius), sea turtles become lethargic and are unable to swim, forage for food and defend themselves from predators. The number of cold-stunned sea turtles varies from year to year based on migratory habits and the severity of winter storm conditions in the area. This season, more than 1,000 turtles washed ashore, making it the third-largest cold-stunning event on record out of the Northeastern United States.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are two key governmental agencies dedicated to conserving and managing marine ecosystems. These organizations oversee sea turtle rescue efforts and facilitate transport from the beaches to the New England Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital, where the turtles receive initial assessments and urgent care year after year. As the hospitals fill up, the nonprofit group Turtles Fly Too then helps transport many of the animals across the country to AZA-accredited institutions.

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