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Wildlife Photography: Capturing that Moment in a National Wildlife Refuge
Sand Hill Cranes at Bosque Del Apache NWR
Bob Cromwell image
Something funny happens when you focus your camera lens on nature: You heighten your senses, too. One of the best places to experience this is on a National Wildlife Refuge. The 150-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside for wildlife conservation. There is a National Wildlife Refuge within an hour’s drive of most major cities.
Seasonal wildlife spectacles, such as the fall arrival of the sandhill cranes at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, offer another photographic lure. “You can see cranes in such numbers that it’s mind-boggling,” says photographer Pat Leeson, who, along with her husband Tom, has shot images for a slew of wildlife photography books, including America’s Wildlife Refuges (2003).
Here are a few refuges celebrated among photographers:
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Snapping polar bears and caribou herds is tricky. Many photographers prefer to concentrate on landscape photos. But scale can be a problem. “If you’re standing on the coastal plain, the vistas are huge,” says Cathy Curby, Curby, wildlife interpretive specialist at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2010. “It’s a challenge how to capture depth and expanse and breadth.”
For more information: http://arctic.fws.gov or 907-456-0250 and 1-800-362-4546.
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Each fall, thousands of sandhill cranes migrate south to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. The long-legged birds strut and cry and show off wingspans reaching seven feet.
“Bosque is just a wonderful place to shoot,” says Leeson. “You’ve seen those glorious shots of a thousand cranes taking off against the golden light reflecting in the water. This opportunity really doesn’t exist anywhere else.”
The 22nd Annual Festival of the Cranes, a legendary wildlife event, runs November, 17-22.
For a list of events, visit: http://www.friendsofthebosque.org/educationalevents.html.
For more information: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/newmex/bosque or 575-835-1828.
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
Visitors need no reminding to bring their cameras to J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island in the Gulf of Mexico. Where some need help is in knowing how far to go to capture an image. Big hint: Save the bait for fishing. It is illegal to feed any bird on the refuge.
“The quintessential refuge photo is of the roseate spoonbills, with their distinctive pink plumage,” says volunteer coordinator Jeff Combs. You can also photograph white pelicans, herons, storks and egrets.
For more information: http://www.fws.gov/dingdarling or 239-472-1100.
Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Bird watchers descend on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge each spring and fall to marvel at the great clouds of birds rising from the several thousand acres of wetlands and fresh-water impoundments. A key stopover for more than 250 species of migrating shorebirds and wading birds, the refuge is home to bald eagles and nesting peregrine falcons.
For more information: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/primehook or 302-684-8419.
Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana
Some photographers visit Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge to capture images of the trumpeter swans that migrate here in the fall. For others, the draw is the dramatic, mountain-ringed setting at the base of the Continental Divide in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
“We’re one of the most remote refuges in the lower 48,” says deputy refuge manager Suzanne Beauchaine. “Any visitor has to cover 30 miles of dirt road just to get to our headquarters.” (Call ahead to check road conditions.)
For more information: http://www.fws.gov/redrocks or 406-276-3536.
Creating Nature Champions: FWS and the National Environmental Education Foundation Partner to Get Kids Outdoors for Health Benefits
NEEF's Children and Nature Initiative educates health professionals about the important health benefits of getting kids outside to play.
National Environmental Education Foundation file photo
Anyone who has ever watched a child text, tweet or chat knows that times have changed— and our kids are changing too. Today’s children have more options than ever to connect with technology. The lure of computer games, television, Web surfing and instant messaging keeps many children attached to their gadgets and distant from nature After all, children have more options than ever before to stay inside.
While mastering technology is necessary for modern life, a growing number of parents, educators and health professionals worry that more time inside is harmful to children’s health. Indoor sedentary lifestyles are linked to childhood obesity, which the Institute of Medicine estimates has doubled over the past 30 years among pre-schoolers and adolescents. Rates have more than tripled for children ages 6-11.
Scientists link this surge in weight to an alarming rise of chronic diseases, such as asthma, type-2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. If trends persist, our children may be the first generation at risk of living shorter lives than their parents.
Part of the solution is as simple as going outside.
Early exposure to the natural world predisposes children to a lifetime of environmental stewardship. A growing body of medical research suggests that outdoor playtime also benefits children’s physical and mental well-being. Outdoor activities—including hiking, visiting a park, bicycling and sports—can increase physical activity, reduce stress and serve as a support mechanism for attention disorders.
With so much to gain from getting kids outside, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is partnering with the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) to encourage families to take kids outdoors by educating medical providers about the positive health effects of nature.
Through resources, such as a comprehensive fact sheet and Web site, and training workshops with pediatricians, NEEF is creating Nature Champions among the medical community. These Champions encourage doctors to “prescribe nature” to their patients and connect families with local programs offered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Audubon Society and other partners. NEEF is launching programs across the country, including in Brooklyn, N.Y., Alaska, and the Fish and Wildlife Northeast and Southeast regions.
“Children should be on nature trails, not on drugs for diseases we can help prevent,” said Leyla McCurdy, senior director of NEEF’s Health & Environment program. “Our organization is committed to helping parents and health professional keep children healthy and outside enjoying the natural world.”
For more information on the Children and Nature program, or to download any of fact sheets, recommendations, or materials, visit the NEEF Web site at http://www.neefusa.org/health/children_nature.htm.
You Can Start Your Own Family Nature Club!
Happy Trails Family Nature Club kids getting acquainted with a wooly-bear caterpillar at Richardson Nature Center, Bloomington, Minnesota
Credit: Jodi Hiland, Founder, Happy Trails Family Nature Club
Ever noticed how your kids are more likely to hang outside if they’re with their friends? Or that you as a parent feel a greater incentive to head out if you know other parents will be out, too? Or do you want to see more kids in your area off their computers, and getting dirty? It is for these reasons that I started a family nature club, and why I believe more of us parents can, and should, do it! It doesn’t take any special skills to start your own group, but some thoughtful planning will help make for an enjoyable outing for everyone.
I started our family nature club after reading author Richard Louv’s book Last Child in the Woods. I was shocked to learn just how little today’s kids were outside, the barriers to them doing so, and what role nature time plays in their overall development. I learned that with America’s kids not intimately knowing nature, they aren’t really interested in protecting it. Also alarming are the increases in childhood obesity and diabetes, mood disorders, decreased problem-solving abilities, attention deficits, social problems, and other issues, which researchers are correlating with a lack of time where human beings have grown up – outside.
I immediately thought I wanted to do something to help my local kids, to form a group of some kind. I also knew that having a pre-scheduled day to go out would help our busy family get some outside time, year ‘round (especially in our long Minnesota winters!). Starting a club can be quite simple. You probably already know at least one other parent who would love to take their kids out with you and yours for some laid-back nature time. Simply choose a place to go, and head out! Bring what you normally would: a snack, water, small first aid kit and proper clothing, and you’re on your way!
I started with a website, to make it easy for parents to find a list of upcoming events. I also wanted to educate folks about why they should bother, and added that information to the website. There are free hosting sites and blogs to get you started. To create an outing, I simply check out an area ahead of time, such as a nature center or a park with lots of wild areas. Then I post the information on the website, including what we can do at the spot (Wade in water? Climb trees? Walk across a marsh? Build snow forts?). For our “club” there is no membership, as I want parents to not feel any pressure. This means we never know who is going to show, which is really fun! No RSVP’s needed, and no fees.
I build in lots of free-play/exploration time for the kids. I figure the rest of their lives are hurried, and if we want them to connect with the earth, we need to allow them simple time in which to do it. We leave the kids alone as much as we can, while also showing them how fun and relaxing time outdoors is for us grown-ups, too.
You can decide how often you want your group to meet, and what elements you’d like to try out. Are you interested in reading a nature-related story each time? Perhaps you want to do an overnight camp. Or maybe potluck picnics sound fun to you. You can do all of the above, as we have! Over a period of time, you’ll figure out who in the group is responsible for what (photographs? Bringing the magnifying glasses? Maintaining the website?). And you’ll experiment with the types of locations you go to, and how long the outings should be.
If you won’t be able to do a website, perhaps an e-mail list, phone calls, or flyers at a local community center would work fine. As long as the parents and kids are out having a good time (and you will!), then in time your club will have its own personality. For a superb guide to starting your own family nature club, the Children and Nature Network has a toolkit to get you started. Nature Rocks! is another great resource for starting your own “flock”. Start small, stay flexible and relaxed. And remember that even though what you’re endeavoring seems very simple, the effects of your kids’ experiences with you outside will benefit them, and the planet, for generations.
Helpful resources:
Children and Nature Network’s Nature Clubs for Families Tool Kit: www.childrenandnature.org
Nature Rocks! Flocks: www.naturerocks.org
Happy Trails Family Nature Club, Jodi Hiland, Founder: www.HappyTrailsClub.net
Neighborhood Explorers - Visit Our Neighborhood, Then Go Outside in Yours!
Visit Our Neighborhood, Then Go Outside in Yours!
Photo by Tom Collopy and Mary Frische
Hey Kids! The Fish and Wildlife Service has a fun new way for you to discover new things about your own neighborhood! It’s a game you play on your computer and then you go outside and discover what you learned about.
Discovery is as easy as a click of the mouse. Exploring the Club-House, you can seek and identify birds by silhouette, learn about endangered and invasive species, find Sam the praying mantis, take “Lucy’s NX Challenge” and more. Just moving the mouse around the Club-House will take you to new places. Explorers create nature reports and see their state’s Top Explorer. You earn patches as you complete projects, answer trivia questions and play games. Action projects include building bird houses, planting native plants, and adopting new habits, such as recycling and conserving water and electricity.
By earning all five patches, you can receive a free tree from the Arbor Day Foundation! After earning all five patches, participants will be directed to the Arbor Day web site, where they can provide their name and address to get a free tree with directions for planting. There are only 450 trees available, so players should get started winning patches right away!
Check it out for yourself. Visit our Neighborhood Explorers website at http://www.fws.gov/neighborhoodexplorers. For more information, email us at letsgooutside@fws.gov
By Matt Gay, US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center.
Refuge takes kids for walk in dark
FWS Ranger Colby Hawkinson, leads a family from Galloway Township, on an after-dark tour of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge as part of Take a Child Outside Week.
FWS image
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - Darkness had just fallen on the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge on Friday night, and ranger Colby Hawkinson stopped his group of eight hikers on the trail. He pointed to several bats fluttering in the glimmer of remaining light in the sky. "I see bats in my house at night," said Kelly Elwood, of Northfield. "I see them a lot," said her friend Emily Sauerwald, also of Northfield. "This is when bats start getting active," Hawkinson told his group. "They're eating the mosquitoes that are biting us right now." Cool, the four children and four adults said, and they continued up the trail.
The hike was part of the third annual Take a Child Outside Week, started by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to encourage children and adults to spend time outdoors in nature. It started Thursday and runs through Wednesday. Friday night's mile-and-a-half hike allowed children to see the different animals that come out after dark in the refuge, which usually closes at dusk, Hawkinson said. "I wanted to offer it so people can see it closer to one of the quiet times" of the day, Hawkinson said. Hawkinson told the group they may spot bats, diamondback terrapin turtles, migrating birds, owls and, if they got really lucky, a fox.
Pam Sauerwald said she takes Emily to the refuge as often as possible. "It gets her outside and interested in nature," Sauerwald said, as Emily and Kelly said they wanted to see a lot of animals on the walk. Brenda Rzemyk, of Galloway Township, said she brought daughters Sarah Kawejsza, and Rachel Rzemyk, for a Friday-night activity. Sarah said this was her first night hike. She hoped to see deer, foxes and other creatures.
"It's something fun to do on a Friday night, something different from the norm," Brenda Rzemyk said. "Better than sitting in front of the TV."
Kids! Color and Discover Wildlife Refuges!
Cover of NWRS coloring book
Image credit: USFWS
The National Wildlife Refuge System Coloring Book was developed to introduce primary grade students to the Refuge System, which manages the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plants. The Refuge System has grown to more than 540 refuges with at least one in every state and one about an hour’s drive from most major metropolitan areas. To find a national wildlife refuge near you, go to http://www.fws.gov/refuges.
By Mary Danno, NCTC
Hey Kids! Here's another fun activity.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt!
Be Out There
Discovering' at Chincoteague NWR.
Credit: Steve Hillebrand /USFWS Ret.
National Wildlife Federation has launched Be Out There, a national movement to return to the nation’s children what they don’t even know they’ve lost…the outdoors. Be Out There engages American families, educators, healthcare practitioners, corporate leaders, policymakers, and the media in persuading others to spend more time outdoors. Their goal is to re-connect families to the outdoors to raise healthier kids and inspire a life-long appreciation of wildlife and nature. http://www.nwf.org/beoutthere/
White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery dedicates New Amphitheater to the town of White Sulphur Springs for their 100th birthday
Cutting the cake for the 100th birthday of the town of White Sulphur Springs. From left to right: Larry Davis, President of the Friends of the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery; White Sulphur Springs City Recorder Thomas Taylor; Dr. Catherine Gatenby, White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery Manager; Delegate Tom Campbell; Congressman Nick J. Rahall II; Dr. Stuart Leon, Division Chief for Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation; and Ruth Miller, White Sulphur Springs 100th Anniversary Committee member.
Photo credit FWS
Amidst the fun and festivities at the 5th Annual Freshwater Folk Festival in early October, White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery dedicated the brand new Anniversary Amphitheater to the town of White Sulphur Springs for their 100th birthday.
Representative Nick J. Rahall, II, (D-WV) provided the keynote address to an excited crowd, saying: “I am so happy as Chairman of the House Natural Resource Committee to play a small part in furthering the work that is done here at the National Fish Hatchery. This hatchery was the very first in the nation to be selected to participate in the National Outdoor Classroom Pilot Program. That classroom program aims to help children, their families and local communities, reconnect with nature. And by bringing back nature into our lives, this type of effort stimulates student’s interest in science and motivates all of us to get up, get out and get exercise.”
In addition to Rahall’s inspiring words, regional representative Steve Pilato read a letter from West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, III, stating “It is a privilege to recognize the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery National Pilot Outdoor Classroom as well as the annual Freshwater Folk Festival. I am proud that Greenbrier County has been selected as just one of two locations in the entire country to participate in this project”.
The National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act of 2006 called for the creation of pilot outdoor classrooms at national fish hatcheries and White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery was one of only two facilities in the country chosen for the honor, bringing national attention to the hatchery, the town of White Sulphur Springs and the state of West Virginia. The Anniversary Amphitheater, phase one of the National Pilot Outdoor Classroom Project, will provide a permanent, outdoor venue for festival activities, seminars and community events. The Pilot Outdoor Classroom, a vast expansion and improvement project, will increase the hatchery’s educational and outreach potential and serve as a model for other hatcheries across the country. The hope is to turn the hatchery into a "living" outdoor nature center to help reconnect children and their families to nature. Scientific studies show that when children go outside and connect with nature, the incidence of health problems like ADD, ADHD and childhood obesity decline significantly.
Phase two of the pilot outdoor classroom, a fully-accessible, self-guided walking trail, recently received a $64,000 grant from the Federal Highways Administration’s Recreational Trail Program. The self-guided walking trail, scheduled for completion in 2010, will connect the Anniversary Amphitheater to future phases of the pilot outdoor classroom including a woodland nature trail, a teaching wetland and wetland boardwalk, stream restoration and alternative energy demonstration projects and the Aquarium of the Appalachians. Patterned after the artificial marine ecosystems at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., the Aquarium of the Appalachians will provide an artificial river ecosystem along West Virginia's scenic Midland Trail to help draw tourists and visiting scientists to the highlands of southeast West Virginia.
Your Family & Nature
Getting Outside is Easy and Fun!
First Fish! Happy Grandad and Grandson enjoy a fishing trip
Credit: S. Eckert
Nature-Deficit Disorder
The American people, especially children,spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation. Recent research shows that our nation’s children are suffering from too much time inside. Kids today spend an average of 6.5 hours/ day with television, computers and video games. In fact, a child is six times more likely to play a video game than to ride a bike. What does this mean? If children are raised with little or no connection to nature, they may miss out on the many health benefits of playing outdoors. Nature is important to children’s development - intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and physically. As children’s connection to and time spent in nature has declined, childhood ailments and medical problems have vastly increased:
■ Childhood obesity rates for children age 6-11 have risen fourfold since 1971;
■ Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has skyrocketed from 2 to 4% of all childhood diabetes efore
1992 to 16% by 1994;
■ The number of children on prescription medications to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ADHD) has increased by 100 fold in less than 50 years; and
■ Prescriptions for antidepressants for children have doubled in 5 years.
More than fun: nature is good for children (and parents too)!
You probably remember how much fun it was to play outdoors as a child, but you may not have known that it was good for you! Children who play outdoors regularly enjoy better motor skills, physical fitness and general health:
■ Children who interact with nature have better cognitive and creative skills than their more housebound counterparts;
■ Interaction with the environment can help children deal with stress;
■ Children with symptoms of ADHD may have their symptoms and need for medication alleviated through regular outdoor interactions; and
■ Children who interact regularly with nature tend to show improved test scores.
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy,excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
– Rachel Carson
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Migration is risky business!!!
Piping Plover
FWS photo
Young people from Cortland County, New York learned about the struggles that birds endure when migrating each year, when they participated in an interactive educational experience with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees. New York Field Office (NYFO) biologists Kathryn Jahn, Noelle Rayman and Amy Roe engaged the interested students during the Cortland County Soil and Water Conservation District’s 2009 Conservation Field Days on September 17-18, 2009.
Conservation Field Days provide an educational opportunity for local 6th grade students to gain an appreciation for the natural environment and the need for continued conservation efforts. The two-day, fall event is sponsored by the Cortland Co. Soil and Water Conservation District and hosted by 4-H Camp Owahta, annually playing host to approximately 500 students. Local and state conservation specialists, public service organizations, environmentalists and volunteers donate their time, energy, and expertise every year to provide presentations and hands on learning activities for students.
“Our presentation focused on bird migration and demonstrated that migration “is risky business”, says Jahn, an environmental contaminants biologist with the Service. The interactive activity lets students try their hand at successfully migrating. Warning: not all birds survive!. While playing the parts of birds, students discovered the challenges faced by migrating birds, including predators such as pet cats, wetlands filled for development and other losses of habitat, and large glass windows on buildings and other structural hazards. Students also learned what they can personally do to help protect birds now and in the future. Contact: Kathryn Jahn, Noelle Rayman, or Amy Roe
Story: New York Field Office, USFWS
Honey Harvest Festival a Sweet Success!
Buzzing at the Bee Rodeo, Patuxent Research Refuge
Credit: Christine Thurber, Education Intern, USFWS
Visitors were “a-buzz” during the Honey Harvest Festival at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel, Maryland. Sponsored by the Maryland State Beekeepers Association and with help from refuge staff and volunteers, the festival featured demonstrations of open hives and honey extracting, featured special guest speakers and provided bee-themed arts and crafts for all participants. Craft and sampling demonstrations using bee products included beeswax flower making, beeswax candle making and honey tasting. Several student interns from Patuxent engaged and entertained the younger crowd with a "Busy Bees" program for 3-4 year old children. The kids actively learned about the life of bees through songs, stories and crafts.
The “Bee Keepers Rodeo” attracted much attention from guests as beekeepers excitedly raced to catch bees and light smokers. Presentation topics from special guests included; Colony Collapse Disorder, Inside the World of the Honey Bee, Getting Started in Beekeeping and Native Bees of Maryland. Exhibitors also used the venue to provide important educational information about the importance of bees in the living world, including that of humans.
The Friends of Patuxent sold snacks while the City of Laurel Fire Department Auxiliary sold sandwiches and drinks from their rolling food wagon. With over 400 people attending this first time event at Patuxent, the Honey Harvest Festival was undoubtedly a sweet success.
By Dennis Hartnett, Environmental Education Coordinator/FWS Volunteer
Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies captivate students.
Credit: Mary Lenahan
People are fascinated with butterflies--winged wonders, flying flowers, magicians of the insect world. And one species of butterfly is getting a lot of attention in classrooms around the United States and Canada—the monarch butterfly.
Monarch butterflies captivate students and adults alike. Their orange and black wings, a magical life cycle and metamorphosis, an epic migration of thousands of miles--this sounds like it could be an exciting movie or TV show.
But it’s real and happening in a milkweed patch near you!
Teaching with monarch butterflies allows my students to connect with the natural world. Students not only study and observe the life cycle of the monarch, but they discover the importance of milkweed, the host plant and only food source of the monarch caterpillar. They learn how planting milkweed and other native plants and wildflowers provide food for a wide array of insects, thus increasing biodiversity.
In addition to studying the biology of the monarch butterfly, students learn how various cultures around the world connect with the monarch. Students track the monarch butterflies’ migration from Canada, through the US and their arrival to the Transvolcanic Mountains of Michoacán, Mexico. They examine the significance of the monarch in Los Dias de los Muertos or the Days of the Dead holiday. Lessons in language arts, math, history, geography, art and music all originate from the study of the monarch.
Why teach with monarch butterflies? To me, the question should be: Why NOT teach with monarch butterflies?
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