President Obama signs the farm bill at Michigan State University. Now, the administration has created regional climate hubs that will help farmers adapt to climate change and make a case for broader climate regulations. (Credit: USDA)
White House Announces 7 Regional Climate Hubs
(The New York Times)
On the heels of the Senate’s passage of a long-awaited farm bill, the Obama administration announced the creation of seven regional “climate hubs” to help farmers and rural communities respond to the risks of climate change, including drought, invasive pests, fires and floods. White House officials described the move as one of several executive actions that President Obama will take on climate change without action from Congress. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Experts Recommend Limiting Ravens, Owls to Save Sage Grouse from Extinction
(The Canadian Press via Montreal Gazette)
Conservation experts are making five main recommendations to protect one of Canada’s most highly endangered birds from extinction. One suggestion is to protect the sage grouse by potentially reducing the number of predators, such as ravens. The ideas come from a workshop by the Calgary Zoo that brought together biologists, ranchers, government and energy industry representatives. More
New York Wants to Banish a Symbol of Love: Mute Swans
(The New York Times)
In the war against invasive species, the targets are typically unappealing. Think feral pigs, snakehead fish, Asian long-horned beetles and emerald ash borers. But now, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has declared war on mute swans — the jumbo, snow-white waterfowl with the long, graceful necks — which were introduced from Europe in the late 1800s for their aesthetic appeal. More
NAWCA, Duck Stamp Price Increase Reported Out of Senate EPW Committee
(Ducks Unlimited)
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee marked up and reported out several wildlife bills, including the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and a price increase to the federal duck stamp. “Many areas in the United States are experiencing tremendous droughts,” DU CEO Dale Hall said. “The wetlands conserved and restored with NAWCA and duck stamp recharge the underground aquifers that many Americans rely on for drinking water.” More
Aerial Manatee Survey Finds Nearly 5,000 Swimming Around Florida
(Tampa Bay Times)
For the first time since 2011, state biologists have surveyed Florida’s manatee population from the air. They counted 4,831, the third-highest number since counting began in 1991. “We are encouraged by the relatively high count, especially given the high number of manatee deaths documented recently,” said Gil McRae, director of the state’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, which oversees the aerial surveys. More
Hungry Polar Bears Robbing Arctic Bird Colonies
(Canada.com)
There were more than 300 nests in the bird colony when the polar bear arrived. When it meandered off with a belly full of eggs, only 24 nests remained, say scientists who witnessed the “near total” destruction of nests on the bird colony off Baffin Island. It was far from an isolated event, the team from Environment Canada and Carleton University reported. Hungry polar bears are becoming a bigger threat to seabirds in the Canadian Arctic than traditional nest robbers like foxes and gulls. More
Condor Cam Offers Rare Glimpse of California Condor Family Nest
(Santa Barbara Independent)
For decades, field biologists, researchers and animal care staff were the only people able to witness the development of a California condor family. Now viewers around the globe will be able to watch the growth of a condor, from caring for the egg to rearing the hatched chick, via the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Conservancy’s online Condor Cam. This rare glimpse has only recently been available for public viewing with the hatching of the Condor Cam’s very first star, Saticoy, in 2012. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Record Levels of Banned Insecticide Found in Illinois Otters
(Great Lakes Echo)
The river otter — sleek swimmer, audience-magnets at zoos and aquariums, whiskered diver, aquatic frolicker, correct answer to crossword puzzle clue for “playful mammal.” And biomonitor to track toxics that damage the health of an environment or ecosystem. North American river otters play that role because they’re “apex consumers” in the aquatic ecosystem — meaning they’re at the top of the food chain. More
Meta-Analysis of Honeybee Colony Collapse Highlights Shortcomings
(Nature World News)
Socioeconomic and political pressures on honey production over the past few decades has caused a long-term reduction in the number of productive honeybee colonies in the U.S., Europe and other countries, a study by EcoHealth Alliance concluded. The research showed the more recent, increasing “annual colony losses” reported by honeybee managers to be the result of pests, pathogen and management issues. More
Wisconsin DNR to Conduct Wasting Disease Air Surveys
(The Associated Press via Bradenton Herald)
State wildlife officials are planning to launch an aerial search for chronic wasting disease in northwestern Wisconsin. The Department of Natural Resources plans to conduct aerial surveys around the Shell Lake area in Washburn County, where a doe tested positive for the disease in 2011. No other deer from the area have tested positive for the disease since. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Huge Chimpanzee Population Thriving in Remote Congo Forest
(The Guardian)
In one of the most dangerous regions of the planet, against all odds, a huge yet mysterious population of chimpanzees appears to be thriving — for now. Harbored by the remote and pristine forests in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo and on the border of the Central African Republic, the chimps were completely unknown until recently — apart from the local legends of giant apes that ate lions and howled at the moon. More
Human Activities in Southeast Atlantic Affect Humpback Whale Routes
(redOrbit)
Swimming off the coast of Africa, humpback whales encounter more than warm waters for mating and bearing young, according to a new study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society. They also encounter offshore oil rigs, major shipping routes and potentially harmful toxicants. The researchers used satellite tags affixed to more than a dozen whales to conduct their studies. More
