#conservatio

[nonsenseandstuff]

The Major Oak is dead and I am feeling my feelings.

[typhlonectes]

TAKE ACTION:  Polar Bears Threatened by Seismic Testing 

Within weeks heavy trucks could be crushing polar bear dens in the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge. The trucks could also scare mother polar bears into abandoning their dens, leaving their cubs to perish and sending the species into further decline.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has just given draft approval for a company to harass polar bears while searching for oil in the area this winter.

This is part of Trump's all-out attack on the refuge. The administration is fast-tracking lease sales for oil and drilling there.

Now it's permitting seismic exploration, which is highly destructive to lands and wildlife. The permit would allow convoys of massive trucks, tractors and bulldozers to roll over fragile tundra 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for months on end. These activities will not only irreparably scar the landscape — they will scare off polar bears.

We must resist this reckless and cruel proposal and stop the Trump administration from turning the Arctic Refuge into an oilfield on its way out the door.

Stand up for the Arctic Refuge, polar bears and our climate by opposing this project now.

[girlwiththealligatortattoo]

Beautiful flamingo of Arusha National Park.  I added this park on my last day of safari, and I'm so happy that I did because I encountered many primates, birds, and giraffe that I otherwise would not have seen in such numbers. An absolutely lovely place on planet earth.

[azzaventura]

Striped Possum (Dactylopsila trivirgata) Reminds me of a skunk, however I do love the black and white stripes on the little feller. However it does have something else in common with the skunk, it can emit a yucky smell. Though we are yet to know why...

[typhlonectes]

The Turtle Conservancy:

Our beautiful center is home to over 32 species of turtles and tortoises, 12 of which are on the "Top 40 Most Endangered" list according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group.

We breed and raise these critically endangered species to assure their survival no matter what!

Find out more: https://www.turtleconservancy.org/center

[wspinpics]

Trees at Lake of the Ozarks

[jamjamdigital]

#EndangeredSpecies Day is an opportunity for #people of all ages to celebrate and learn about endangered species and how to protect them. Only if we work #together, can we help take care of all our fellow inhabitants of #PlanetEarth.

[usfwspacific]

'Hop' to It! Hard Work at Ohop Creek Gives Salmon a New Home

By Rich Carlson/USFWS

  Photo: I examine one of the many native species collected from Ohop Creek

I am a Restoration Ecologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). I have been working in the Ohop Valley for over a decade and have been involved with most of the restoration projects in that valley during those ten years. I was very excited to help with the third phase of restoring Ohop Creek, and wanted to share one piece of that project with you. The Fish-Out of Ohop Creek.

On August 25 and 26, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service helped move salmon and other aquatic species to their new home in Ohop Creek, a major tributary to the Nisqually River. 

Photo: Many hardworking volunteers waded into the creek to help collect biodiversity samples and move fish from the creek.

Like many streams in the west, Ohop Creek had been moved to the side of the valley, ditched, and straitened for agriculture. With willing sellers, and financial support from many supporters, the Nisqually Land Trust was able to acquire the entire project area, from valley wall to valley wall. This provided a unique opportunity to restore not just a stream, but an entire floodplain, to benefit fish, birds, mammals, and amphibians. The latest project involved creating 1.4 miles of new channel that will connect to the one mile of stream that was restored in 2009. 

  Photo: What was once a homestead is being restored to spawning habitat for salmon.

However, before we can move the water into the new channel, we must first move the fish out of the old ditch. This was accomplished with the help of the USFWS, Nisqually Land Trust, South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group,  Nisqually Indian Tribe, and many other volunteers.  Moving the fish took nearly 20 hours in 90-degree heat. The fish do best in water between 53-58 degrees Fahrenheit (12-14 degrees Celsius), so we had to keep a lot of ice in the fish totes. In total, there were over 40 people helping to move the fish over two days. Was all that effort worth it? Look at the numbers  below:

Sculpin: 2,381, Dace:  2,011, Lamprey: 1,279, Signal Crayfish: 868, Freshwater mussel: 362, Coho salmon: 240, Bass: 37, Whitefish: 12, and a few single individuals from other species. 

  Photo: Comparing the different types of sculpin - riffle and torrent

That is almost 8,000 aquatic organisms from less than ¾ mile of ditch. Despite all of our best efforts, there were some mortalities. However, the vast majority made it to the new channel, where they will have a much better habitat to grow and reproduce. 

Currently the new channel is only ¾ complete, but it is already being used by the fish and other wildlife in Ohop Valley. The remainder of the channel will be completed in 2015, and planning the new riparian area and the rest of the valley will be completed in a couple of years. Judging from the results of the first phases in 2009, we expect to see a lot of fish and wildlife in the future Ohop Creek.

The USFWS is proud to have helped support the continuing efforts to restore Ohop Creek, and the Nisqually Watershed.  Please Contact Rich Carlson ([email protected]) if you would like to learn more about how the USFWS helps restore habitat in Washington State and be sure to check out our earlier story on how partnership is making this restoration possible!