Refuge named for Ding Darling!

In class today, we briefly discussed Ding Darling, a cartoonist who helped give the nation insight as to what was really going on in the world of wildlife.  But did you know that one of our refuges are named for him? US Fish and Wildlife Services posted an article that this Sanibel Island (FL) refuge is travel guru Arthur Frommer's favorite destination spot because the island a mecca for “thousands of birds of every species.” The article briefly talks a little bit about the actual refuge, so check it out, it may just become one of your favorite destinations as well!


http://us.vocuspr.com/Newsroom/Query.aspx?SiteName=fws&Entity=PRAsset&SF_PRAsset_PRAssetID_EQ=129354&XSL=PressRelease&Cache=True

Species in recovery!

I found this article interesting because it discusses a few species that because of conservation, they were able to make a come back in 2011.  The article states that, "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Southeast Region had a number of reasons to celebrate this past year. Significant progress has been made in conserving and restoring some of the region’s rarest species, including the Tennessee purple coneflower (Echinacea tennessensis) , the Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae) , the Tulotoma snail (Tulotoma magnifica) , and the Alabama lampmussel (Lampsilis virescens) ."  If you're interested in reading up on some of these species, this article gives a slight over view of each and talks about what some of the organizations did to help.  They are predicting that if efforts towards restoration and conservation are as good as they were in 2011, then 2012 is sure to be a great recovery year as well!




http://www.fws.gov/endangered/news/episodes/bu-01-2012/banner_year/

Montana raising ethical questions??

http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/2012/01/montanas-wildlife-policies-raise-ethical-question/2123696

Montana's new wildlife policies are creating a stir throughout the state and asking hunters this question: what does it mean to be an ethical hunter?  The Fish, Wildlife, and Parks commission is asking hunters to partake in game-damage management of wolves, elk, and deer that are causing damage to private properties.