in this issue

(click on a title to read that story)

Record Number of Whooping Cranes Arrives at Aransas Refuge
A record number of migrating whooping cranes has landed in Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas, indicating the national icon that nearly became extinct in the 1940s is making a comeback...

Saving South Florida’s Rare Orchids
Wildlife biologist Larry Richardson is holding 300 cigar orchids awaiting transfer to swamps on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. He’s hoping at least half will survive as part of a far-reaching plan to restore the species to the region’s natural ecosystem...

Diversity of Native Bees Prompts Unusual Study at Carolina Refuge
A U.S. Geological Survey biologist, impressed by the number of rare, native bees at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge, will start a year-long study of bees on the South Carolina refuge this spring as a springboard to launching a national bee survey. The survey eventually should help scientists track changes in bee populations...

Rat Eradication in the Pacific, From Up North to the Tropics
From the frigid north to the warmer central and western Pacific, biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are working to exterminate rats brought ashore by ships, perhaps as long as a thousand years ago...

Early Attack May Stop Pouched Rat in its Tracks
A pouched rat eradication plan on Florida’s Grassy Key could serve as a model for future efforts to get rid of potentially dangerous, nonnative species before they become widespread...

Duck Stamp Program Nurtures Young Conservationists
An estimated 27,000 students nationwide are expected to participate in this year’s Junior Duck Stamp Contest as the program celebrates its 15th anniversary. Developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the program culminates in March with a Junior Duck Stamp art contest in every state...

Cabeza Prieta Releases First Sonorans into the Wild
Biologists with Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge have for the first time released two endangered Sonoran pronghorn yearlings from a captive breeding facility into the wild...

Eagle Days, Photography Workshop Scheduled
Wildlife viewing and photography opportunities are on tap this winter at national wildlife refuges in Missouri, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in Missouri is hosting a free eagle day on February 3; Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma has planned four dates in January...

Tualatin River Restores Wetlands for Native Wildlife
Opened to the public in 2006, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge south of Portland, Oregon, is a showcase for the benefits habitat restoration. More than 20,000 waterfowl visit the refuge during winter migration...