Stories from the Home Page
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The Patapsco River runs free at the former Bloede Dam site in Maryland. Credit: Serena McClain/American Rivers
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Patapsco River Safer, Healthier Without Bloede DamAugust 5, 2019The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is joining hundreds of volunteers this week in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2019 International Monarch Monitoring Blitz. By volunteering, you can help monarch experts gain more information to understand the distribution of the migratory monarch butterfly in North America. |
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The Patapsco River runs free at the former Bloede Dam site in Maryland. Credit: Serena McClain/American Rivers
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A monarch caterpillar on common milkweed. Credit: Courtney Celley/USFWS
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Milkweed Monitors Needed for MonarchsJuly 30, 2019The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is joining hundreds of volunteers this week in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2019 International Monarch Monitoring Blitz. By volunteering, you can help monarch experts gain more information to understand the distribution of the migratory monarch butterfly in North America. |
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A monarch caterpillar on common milkweed. Credit: Courtney Celley/USFWS
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A tri-colored bat at Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Michael Senn/USFWS
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Mapping Species in Alabama’s Teeming Fern CaveJuly 29, 2019Fern Cave, below Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge, is considered the crown jewel of Alabama caves. Scientists believe the cave is the most biodiverse cavern in the limestone karst region of Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently led a team of scientists and spelunkers into Fern Cave for an all-day bio-blitz to prove the scientists right. |
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A tri-colored bat at Fern Cave National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Michael Senn/USFWS
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A herd of pronghorn crosses the sagebrush steppe at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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Wildlife CorridorsJuly 24, 2019National wildlife refuges are vital to connecting and maintaining safe wildlife corridors for birds, fish and mammals. These pathways are increasingly important as our world becomes more developed. |
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A herd of pronghorn crosses the sagebrush steppe at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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During a field visit at Fort McCoy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Aurelia Skipwith is shown a Blanding's turtle, a Species of Special Concern in Wisconsin. Credit: Larry Dean/USFWS
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Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy Honored with Military Conservation Partner AwardJuly 16, 2019The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service values its many partnerships with the military services and appreciates the role of military lands in conserving the nature of America. Last week, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Aurelia Skipwith presented the Military Conservation Partnership Award to Fort McCoy for excellence in habitat restoration and wildlife management. Fort McCoy recently completed 107 high priority conservation projects, exceeding a 98 percent completion rate. |
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During a field visit at Fort McCoy, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Aurelia Skipwith is shown a Blanding's turtle, a Species of Special Concern in Wisconsin. Credit: Larry Dean/USFWS
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Species like the long-billed curlew will benefit from conservation projects funded by the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Credit: om Koerner/USFWS
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$20 Million in Funding Throughout the Americas Will Benefit Migratory BirdsJuly 5, 2019Every summer, backyards across the United States fill with the color and sound of migratory birds. Many of these birds depend on wintering grounds across the Americas to survive. These long-distance travelers will benefit from $20 million in federal Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act funds and matching funds for 24 collaborative conservation projects in 15 countries. |
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Species like the long-billed curlew will benefit from conservation projects funded by the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Credit: om Koerner/USFWS
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Besides fishing, the young men learned about aquatic life. Credit: Mark Davis/USFWS
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Service, Others Share Expertise at Steve Harvey EventJuly 2, 2019Last month, more than 200 young men participated in the 2019 Steve Harvey Mentoring Camp for Young Men in Georgia. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was there, helping give the urban youth a taste of the outdoors. |
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Besides fishing, the young men learned about aquatic life. Credit: Mark Davis/USFWS
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Service staff and partners work together to stay ahead of the potential for difficult wildfires in the Pacific Region. Credit: Brent Lawrence/USFWS
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Managing with Prescribed FireJuly 2, 2019Prescribed fires are never as simple as lighting a match and letting it burn. They’re scientific undertakings planned by the burn boss, who carefully considers safety, weather and more to achieve the fire’s objectives. Improved public safety and habitat management are two priorities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fire Management Program. |
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Service staff and partners work together to stay ahead of the potential for difficult wildfires in the Pacific Region. Credit: Brent Lawrence/USFWS
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During the winter months, sandhill cranes, snow geese and Ross’s geese often cover the landscape at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Credit: Celestyn Brozek
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How to Get the Most out of a Visit to a National Wildlife RefugeJuly 2, 2019Timing is everything. “If you go to Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico in the summer, you’re not going to see much,” says National Wildlife Refuge System Chief Cynthia Martinez. “If you go in November, you will see a spectacle of wildlife and birds covering every part of that place. There’s a real seasonality to our refuges.” |
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During the winter months, sandhill cranes, snow geese and Ross’s geese often cover the landscape at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Credit: Celestyn Brozek
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2019-2020 Federal Duck Stamp, featuring a wood duck and decoy painted by Minnesota artist Scot Storm. Credit: © USFWS
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New Federal Duck Stamp and Junior Duck Stamp Soar Into Their DebutJune 28, 2019Hunters, birders and stamp collectors celebrated as the 2019-2020 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp – commonly known as the Duck Stamp – went on sale today. Since 1934, sales of this stamp have raised more than $1 billion to protect 6 million acres of wetlands habitat on national wildlife refuges around the nation. The 2019-2020 Junior Duck Stamp also went on sale today and supports youth conservation education. |
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2019-2020 Federal Duck Stamp, featuring a wood duck and decoy painted by Minnesota artist Scot Storm. Credit: © USFWS
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Kids bird watching at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Credit: LaVonda/Walton USFWS
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Visitor Spending at National Wildlife Refuges Boosts Local EconomiesJune 27, 2019More than 53 million people visited national wildlife refuges in 2017, boosting local communities' economies by $3.2 billion and supporting more than 41,000 jobs, according to a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report: "Banking on Nature 2017: The Economic Contributions of National Wildlife Refuge Recreational Visitation to Local Communities." The study, announced today by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, focuses on economic benefits associated with 162 national wildlife refuges and provides estimates of overall national contributions to the American economy. |
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Kids bird watching at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Credit: LaVonda/Walton USFWS
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A scenic photo of Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Credit: Doug Lester/USFWS
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Eight Hidden Gems of the Pacific SouthwestJune 25, 2019Going on vacation and need a place to beat the crowds, enjoy the outdoors and see something out of the ordinary? These hidden gems in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wildlife Refuge System will get you off the beaten path. Beaches, deserts and forests: These marvelous finds are all surprisingly accessible. |
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A scenic photo of Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. Credit: Doug Lester/USFWS
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Migratory bird species like the cinnamon teal will benefit from wetland conservation projects funded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Credit: om Koerner/USFWS
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$78 Million in Funding Will Benefit Wetland Conservation Projects and National Wildlife RefugesJune 19, 2019The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, today approved $29.4 million in grants for the Service and its partners to conserve, enhance or restore more than 205,000 acres of lands for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds in 22 states, as well as $33.6 million for 17 projects in Mexico and Canada, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The commission also approved more than $15.1 million from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund to conserve 4,886 acres on national wildlife refuges. |
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Migratory bird species like the cinnamon teal will benefit from wetland conservation projects funded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. Credit: om Koerner/USFWS
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Nevada bumble bee on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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A Week for Praising PollinatorsJune 17, 2019Nearly 75 percent of the nation's crops are made possible by a fascinating group of hard-working wildlife species. Without pollinators -- hummingbirds, bats, bees, beetles, butterflies and flies -- the world would have to do without chocolate, coffee and many fruits and vegetables. We celebrate these species during National Pollinator Week, officially proclaimed this week by Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. |
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Nevada bumble bee on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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Chipping away at what remains of Tyndall’s pine forests. Credit: Dan Chapman/USFWS
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Rebuilding and Replanting After HurricaneJune 13, 2019October’s Hurricane Michael destroyed much of the 29,000-acre Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. It also offered an opportunity. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Air Force had long planned to replace much of Tyndall’s pine forests with longleaf pine, the preferred habitat for a slew of at-risk species. With 75 percent of the pines on the base sheared in half by the hurricane, the plan can now be implemented. |
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Chipping away at what remains of Tyndall’s pine forests. Credit: Dan Chapman/USFWS
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