The Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) is an innovative way to conserve wildlife, specifically the two sage grouses: Greater Sage-Grouse and Gunnison Sage-Grouse. SGI partners with ranchers, making use of the farm bill to generate conservation-based ranching, improving the landscape for all kinds of wildlife. SGI has “partnered with 1,856 ranchers to conserve more than 7
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My grandfather and namesake was a prolific writer and outdoors enthusiast. He had numerous published articles in many different periodicals, some of which I recently discovered in my parent’s basement. Outdoors appreciation was passed down from my grandfather, a man I never met, to my father who taught me through countless camping trips and nature
My love for prairies runs deep, much like the roots of the interesting plants that make up the prairie ecosystem. Growing up in the “Land of Lincoln”, it took awhile to realize that Illinois had another noble nickname: the Prairie State. Historically, around two-thirds of Illinois was prairie. Today, it is difficult to find prairies
Continue reading American Prairie Reserve – Montana’s Best Kept Secret
“Saving the Kirtland’s Warbler” is one of a series of Science Talks that takes place at the Cranebook Institute of Science. These lectures are done by experts from the Nature Conservancy with this one happening on Thursday, May 5, 6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. While we won’t be able to make the talk,
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The annual midwest crane count took place on April 16th and we were once again in our “usual” spot, a privately-owned area known as Moody Marsh. This year it was just me, Eddie, and my dad. We can’t quite remember, but we have been doing these counts for over 10 years now. Background of Midwest
If you are interested in a new easy way to directly help conservation projects you can now purchase an Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp. The cost is fifteen dollars and fourteen of it is used directly for conservation. Each year there a photo contest will determine the image featured. The main reasons to buy the Ohio
Blue Goose Passports are a fun way to record your visits to any of the 563 National Wildlife Refuges you visit. The inexpensive book includes listings for the different refuges, a little about them, and when they were established. Most listings have space for their own distinctive stamp, which you can get for free, usually
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The Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil) is a beautiful and bizarre-looking bird of southeast Asia. It uses its casque (helmet) in territorial battles between males. Disgustingly, its helmets are also pursued by poachers for their “red ivory”. This has been decimating the birds population. “Last November, the helmeted hornbill’s conservation status was upped from “near-threatened.” It
Continue reading Helmeted Hornbill Harvesting Could Lead to Extinction
