CURRENT NEWSLETTER

WILDLIFE IN THE NEWS

ENDANGERED SPECIES PROTECTIONS REVOKED

The Endangered Species Committee, a high-level federal committee, just met and ruled that all Endangered Species Act protections are hereby revoked in the Gulf of Mexico in order to pave the way for more oil and gas extraction.

This will likely mean the extinction of species such as Rice’s whale, of which only 51 remain on the planet, as well as sea turtles and other marine species. (See the Species Spotlight of this newsletter for more on Rice’s whale).

Normally, there is a public process for issuing exemptions under the Endangered Species Act. But these requirements were completely bypassed and the fate of species in the Gulf was decided after only 32 minutes of discussion.

Strangely, no oil and gas company nor any federal agency even requested this exemption.

You can read more about this committee and its decision here and here.

Photo by Olga ga on Unsplash

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

RICE’S WHALE

Incredibly rare Rice’s whales are baleen whales who live year-round exclusively in the Gulf of Mexico.

A number of threats have caused their population to plummet, including ocean noise, climate change, entanglement in fishing gear, marine debris, and oil spills.

Only about 51 Rice’s whales remain on the planet, after being driven to the brink of extinction because of the devastating Deep Horizon oil rig spill in 2010, which leaked about 210 million gallons of oil in the Gulf of Mexico and killed a huge range of marine species from birds to sea turtles to marine mammals.

Rice’s whales are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, but the recent decision to revoke all protection for endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico will likely doom Rice’s whale to extinction. (See “Wildlife in the News” in this newsletter.)

You can help these whales by speaking out about this recent decision, by encouraging and supporting renewable energy projects, better fishing practices, avoiding single use plastics, and driving boats slowly when you see spouts — “See a spout? Watch out.”

To read more about Rice’s whale, go here.

Photo by NOAA

GREEN TIP

FEEDING HUMMINGBIRDS

It’s spring! And that means hummingbirds are going to be migrating through on their epic journeys, delighting us with their jewel-like colors and aerobatics.

If you decide to put up a hummingbird feeder, here are a few tips to make sure you provide the right food and that the feeder doesn’t end up growing mold or fungus, which can lead to lethal infections.

1) If you make sugar water from scratch (which is the preferable thing to do) ONLY use white refined sugar. For every cup of boiled water, add 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix it up, allow it to cool. Please do not use honey, which can cause fungal growth, or red food coloring, which can also harm hummingbirds.

2) Be sure to thoroughly clean your feeder between each refill.

3) Change out the sugar water frequently. If the daily temp in your area is 90° F or above, change the feeder daily. If it’s between 80-90° F, change it every 2 days. If between 70-80° F, then every 3, and if between 60-70° F, then every 5. But always check daily to be sure the mix is still clean.

4) And of course, planting nectar-rich native flowers in your yard will provide a natural bounty for both hummingbirds and butterflies alike!

Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

CAMERAS FOR CONSERVATION

Help researchers identify diverse wildlife captured on trail cameras in Montana!

Landowners receive compensation when the habitat on their property supports specific species including grizzlies, wolves, black bears, pronghorn, foxes, and more.

Identifying the animals leads to the protection of the species, which are seen as having an economic benefit, and therefore more tolerance is shown.

You can do this online from the comfort of your own home, and spend as much or as little time as you have available.

To learn more, click here.

Photo by Alice Henderson