ThinkingAfield.org

Chatfield, MN – Throughout the history of its Conservation program, the Pope & Young Club has supported various big-game wildlife research studies. That continues with the Club’s support of a study being conducted in Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park on how the overpopulation of moose directly affects their habitat. The principal goal of this study is to assist land and wildlife managers in promoting and managing a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. For fifty-nine years the unique wolf, moose, predator/prey relationship found on Isle Royale has been studied by land, and wildlife biologists and P&Y is honored to assist in the continuance of those studies.

“The Pope and Young Club has been vital to conservation efforts with their focus on education and outreach, it was for that reason I chose to apply for a research grant through this organization,” stated Zachary Merrill, M.A., Ph.D. Student, Graduate Teaching Associate Geography Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “The grant will go towards assisting me in my summer travel and fieldwork expenses incurred during the summer of 2018 on Isle Royale National Park. Because of the grant money, I was able to hire a local undergraduate student to assist me in the field and teach them about conservation practices and dendrochronological applications. My research entailed sampling balsam fir (Abies balsamea) and white spruce (Picea glauca) trees to investigate evidence of moose herbivory and identify periods of possible overpopulation starvation events that have occurred in the past. Evidence of moose browse on the balsam fir is prevalent from the exterior conditions of the tree, and preliminarily results suggest that there is sufficient evidence within the tree rings to possibly reconstruct moose population. This is important in terms of conservation because it potentially adds a new tool for conservationists and wildlife managers to look into past populations of a variety of ungulate species across North America. In the end, this will assist in better understanding the effectiveness and implementation of sustainable harvest.” Read more

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service have signed an agreement for cooperative staffing to sustain and improve forest ecosystems on as much as 350,000 acres of private land across 24 states over the next five years.

The two organizations have a mutual interest in conservation and the sustainable use of land, water, wildlife and other resources across the country and have worked together for more than 15 years.

“We have long partnered with the NRCS on conservation projects and are thrilled to have a five-year plan in place to realize additional conservation successes,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “Putting conservation dollars to work on the ground is critical, and our commitment to this agreement shows the NWTF and NRCS are ready to help lead the way with conservation partnerships.” Read more

MONTPELIER, Vt – Vermonters love to see birds around their home, and putting out bird feeders is a popular way to attract our feathered friends to back yards. Vermont is among the top states in the country for people who report feeding and watching birds near their home.

However, birds aren’t the only wildlife attracted by birdseed. Vermont’s abundant bear population is increasingly coming into conflict with people as they raid people’s bird feeders, often leading the bear to continue to seek food sources in residential areas. As a result, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department urges Vermonters to hold off on putting bird feeders out until snow is well-established. With plenty of seeds and berries on the landscape, birds have enough native foods to tide them over until bears are hibernating.

“Nature provides birds with ample natural food options, from flowers to seeds to fruits and insects,” says John Buck, Vermont Fish & Wildlife’s migratory bird biologist. “Vermonters can plant a variety of native plants and provide other resources that will naturally attract birds from spring through fall. These natural food sources are healthy for birds and provide bird-lovers with a safe alternative to putting out bird feeders. Providing natural food sources also helps prevent a concentration of birds in one place around a feeder, reducing the likelihood of disease transmission and unnatural predation rates.”

As Vermonters put their gardens and yards to bed this fall, Buck has several recommendations for fall plantings, as well as seeds to procure for the spring, that will safely encourage birds in backyards: Read more

ing the first October Big Day, on October 6, to find and record all the birds you see through eBird. You don’t need to be a bird expert or participate all day long; even birding 30 minutes in your backyard counts. The October Big Day runs from midnight to midnight in your local time zone, and you can report birds from anywhere in the world on eBird, a worldwide bird checklist program used by hundreds of thousands of birders.

On May 5, during the Global Big Day, more than 28,000 people ventured outside in 170 countries, finding 6,899 species, two-thirds of all the world’s bird species in one day, a new world record for birding! With that in mind, a fall event was conceived and the October Big Day was planned.

Why October 6? Because the northern reaches of the world are in the midst of fall migration, and spring is rejuvenating the Southern Hemisphere. No matter where you are, we’re confident you can find some great birds and share them with the world on eBird. Let’s see what we can find together on the first October Big Day! Read more