USFWS Pacific Region

This time of year you may see bees around your garden or hummingbirds hovering around your flowers.  We want to call your attention to those creatures that help nature bring fruits and vegetables to your table.  More importantly, we want to spread the word that bees, birds, beetles, butterflies and bats are in need of protection and conservation.  Join the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as we celebrates National Pollinator Week  – June 17-June 23, 2013.

What is so important about Pollinators?  Pollinators are crucial to flowering plant reproduction and the production of most fruits and vegetables.  These insects and animals travel from plant to plant, carry pollen on their bodies that is essential for the transfer of genetic material needed to reproduce most flowering plants.  They visit flowers to drink nectar or feed off of pollen and transport pollen grains as they move from spot to spot.  Bees, flies, butterflies, bats, birds and even some less romantic critters like slugs, wasps and beetles are essential for a healthy ecosystem and are sometimes an indicator if something is not right.

Pollinators are disappearing at an alarming rate world-wide. All food crops rely – directly or indirectly – upon these tiny creatures, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to complete their life cycles in tandem with the reproductive process of our planet’s flora. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our partners are working hard to protect pollinators and the plants that depend on them by protecting habitat and sharing information on how you may create a pollinator friendly garden.

Ordinary people can make a big difference in protecting and attracting pollinators by doing easy simple things.  First and most important, avoid the use of pesticides in your home garden.  That’s a big one.  If you want to rid your yard of bugs and minimize the undesirable insects, choose plants that are not prone to insects and keep your plants healthy so they are less susceptible to infestation.  And BIRDS, birds love bugs, so try to attract wild insect eating birds you your yard, but remember to keep domestic cats indoors (the birds will feel comfortable in your yard if they don’t have to be on the lookout for Fluffy.

Another way to help preserve bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects is to provide food for them.  Start a pollinator garden by planting flowers that are both beautiful and provide nectar and pollen for bees native to the Pacific Northwest.   For information about choosing native flowers contact your local nursery or find written material like “Attracting Native Pollinators”, by Xerces Society.

Create a pollinator habitat  -  Food is always important but so is nesting and breeding habitat.  Some pollinators don’t live in big hives or colonies but dig holes in the ground. These creatures usually burrow in soil banks, brush piles or in holes drilled in wood by other insects. If you have the room, leave some chunky old wood lying around and some soil banks.

Help us spread the word about the importance of pollinators.  Tell other people about this important link in the ecosystem chain and support farmers and beekeepers by buying local honey and locally produced organic foods.

Check out the new resources developed to help people find regionally-appropriate lists of pollinators and the plants that they feed upon. 

Links to information and partners.

http://pollinator.org/

www.fws.gov/pollinators.

http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/Programs/Endangered.html

The hush that fell over the students as I made my first incision quickly transitioned to a wave of awe and excitement as they saw, for the first time, the inside of an adult Coho Salmon.

Greetings!   My U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service internship has been going well, as I have kept busy providing support for numerous outreach and education events.  Teaching the fish anatomy station at a recent school field trip to the Quilcene National Fish Hatchery, for example, was both fun and rewarding.  Few things can capture the attention of a third grader like a fish dissection.  I was able to work with over 100 third grade students from Poulsbo Elementary in groups of about twenty. These sessions allowed me to teach students about salmon external and internal anatomy as well as significance of salmon to the ecology of the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the day I heard numerous “oohs” and “ahhs” as the students excitement grew with each new discovery of salmon anatomy. The students’ interest reminded me of my younger self when I first discovered the wonderment and excitement that science has to offer.

I have also had the pleasure of assisting with the outreach campaign associated with the Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon recovery project. Educating the public about these lesser known but no less important salmon species is a major component of the long term recovery and conservation strategy.  During this project I provided lessons focusing on river morphology and fish habitat.  I used an engaging and effective river model (http://www.emriver.com/) that allowed students to take part in hands-on demonstrations of how rivers change over time.  It was also a useful tool for demonstrating features such as log jams, riprap, culverts and bridges. The students were utterly captivated as they watched a river evolving right in front of their eyes.  This activity was also a very effective demonstration of both healthy and damaging human interactions with river habitats and riparian zones.  Each student walked away with multiple real world examples of how they can practice stewardship and conservation.

It has been very fulfilling to help inspire the next generation of conservation advocates and professionals.  These outreach experiences have not only benefited our local schools and communities but myself as well. My public speaking abilities are being significantly strengthened and my retention and understanding of fisheries conservation and stewardship science increases with each lesson I teach. 

Submitted by Travis Hendricks, USFWS intern & student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington

Read The Fish Files blog at: http://the-fish-files.blogspot.com/

Learn more about interning in the Pacific Region: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/aba/dcr/recruitment.htm

Weird and Wild Law Enforcement Stories

The men and women of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement investigate wildlife crimes, regulate wildlife trade, help Americans understand and obey wildlife protections laws, and work in partnership with international, state, and tribal counterparts to conserve wildlife resources. In this series of stories, we are looking at some of the unique aspects of law enforcement when wildlife is involved.

By Megan Nagel

Today you have to find a home for over 200 pieces of live coral.

Imagine getting to work and having that challenge set before you. Well, for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors and special agents, that’s just another day in the office.

In 2012, two shipments of coral were seized by the Service at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Over 200 pieces of coral needed to be identified and cataloged by wildlife inspectors! But where would all of this coral go?

Seized coral. Photo credit: USFWS

The Service partnered with the Seattle Aquarium and the Point Defiance Aquarium in Tacoma to provide a place for coral that was being illegally imported. In this case, approximately 198 coral went to Point Defiance Aquarium and 68 went to the Seattle Aquarium.  But it was a tight squeeze! The Service depends on partners like these aquariums to provide safe homes for seized coral.

Seized coral arrives at its new home in the Seattle Aquarium. Photo credit: USFWS

Live coral is harvested and shipped around the world, from places like Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia to the United States and other countries, primarily for the aquarium trade. Typically, the coral is chipped off the reef where it lives and the animal, often the size of a coffee cup or larger, is placed in a plastic bag full of saltwater, then packed into boxes for shipping. Wildlife inspectors are in charge of checking shipments to make sure the coral is being imported legally.

Live coral is chipped off the reef, put into plastic bags and shipped in boxes. Photo credit: USFWS

“One of the most difficult things about coral inspecting is that after 48 hours in the dark [in the boxes], they are very difficult to identify. It speaks volumes about the skills of the wildlife inspectors that they are able to identify these animals,” said a Service Special Agent.

Identifying the individual species of coral in each shipment can be challenging, because when not in water and after being in the dark, the coral polyps retract into the coral, making it very difficult to identify the coral species. Each species of coral has a polyp that looks a little different; some look like lace, some look like fans and others look like leaves growing out of the coral’s hard, outer shell. It can take more than an hour for a wildlife inspector to thoroughly examine and identify one box of coral – imagine how long it takes to inspect a typical shipment of coral which can contain up to 40 boxes!

There are many different species of coral, some of which can be harvested from the wild and shipped legally and some of which cannot. The coral trade is governed by the national laws of individual countries involved and international treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which define the rules for trading, transporting and buying or selling wildlife domestically and internationally.

Learn more about the coral trade: http://www.fws.gov/international/animals/coral.html

Learn more about the USFWS Office of Law Enforcement: http://www.fws.gov/le/ 

By Emily Venemon

Nesting colony on Sand Island, a part of Midway Atoll NWR. Photo credit: David Patte/USFWS

I never thought I would end up working for an organization like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, let alone being allowed to travel to places like Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Talk about a change of scenery. I spent my first week on Midway Atoll NWR feeling like I was in a strange (but pleasant!) dream. The sheer volume of and accessibility to wildlife there is overwhelmingly amazing. It is beautiful, but also heartbreaking. Life and death are equally visible.

A red-tailed tropic bird and its chick on Midway Atoll NWR. Photo credit: David Patte/USFWS

One day a volunteer pointed out to me an adorable Red-tailed tropicbird chick tucked up underneath its parent. A few minutes later she showed me a Laysan duck that had died of avian botulism. I loved watching the albatross chicks flap their wings; I wanted all of them to grow up healthy and fly out to sea. Every day I saw birds that had died of dehydration, plastic ingestion, and other maladies, however. On Midway Atoll NWR, the struggle for life in the face of natural and man-made adversities is present in a way I have never seen anywhere else.

Working for the Service has been an interesting challenge so far. Being a “lone arranger” (as they call it in the archives field) has been somewhat difficult. There have been many times when I have felt lost and overwhelmed because of the volume, disorder, and unfamiliarity of the records I work with.

In some ways, the missions of records professionals and the Service are linked through the need for preservation. One of the primary duties of archivists and records managers is to preserve what is important from the past so that that information can be accessible in the future.

Laysan albatross at sunset on Midway Atoll NWR. Photo credit: Brenda Zuan/USFWS

The Service works to preserve species and ecosystems so that they will be a part of this planet in the future. I think both fields struggle for recognition because their missions are not always visible and urgent in the day-to-day lives of most people, but the precious things we are trying to preserve will be missed by those people if we cannot continue our work. I am honored to serve the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in my small way, and I hope that the records that I am working to make accessible will help to continue its mission.

Emily Venemon is a volunteer intern in Honolulu, HI with the Pacific Reefs National Wildlife Refuges and Monuments Complex.  Currently a Masters student for Archives and Records Management at Western Washington University, Emily is on a 6-month internship to lead an ambitious program to organize and digitize decade’s worth of files and records related to the history, management, and research of Hawaiian and Remote Pacific Islands National Wildlife Refuges.  During her 6-month internship, she escaped her desk in the Honolulu file room to spend a few weeks helping with records at the remote refuge station at Midway Atoll NWR.

Picton Castle attracts attention to its trip to Tonga

by Jane Chorazy, Public Affairs Officer, USFWS

Tall ships evoke images of Johnny Depp standing on the quarterdeck, sailors at the mast or tars in the rigging.  But if you were to ask Captain Jack Sparrow, he’d tell you that a 180-foot classic square-rigged sailing ship needs a large berth.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has come to the rescue once again, providing assistance from the Service’s Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) program in form of a new extra-large dock.

 On Tutuila Island in American Samoa, the village of Fagatogo proudly welcomes mariners to the new pier.  The Pago Pago Harbor can now accommodate tall ships like the Picton Castle, a square-rigged sailing ship reminiscent of an age when deep sea sailing ships pirated, plundered and wreaked havoc on the high seas.  Now, of course, these tall ships are teaching vessels that travel the south pacific, delivering mail and supplies to the 3,000 residents of Fagatogo and other South Sea Islands and atolls.  

 This new pier was the result of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’ BIG grant that provided the necessary funds to equip the American Samoa village with a 247 foot wall that provides a transient parking facility for ocean going vessels.   The grant provided funding of nearly $500,000 to complete this project that was started in 2011.

The Picton Castle, a replica of a three-masted tall ship common during the late 1800s to early 1900s, moored at the Fagatogo dock and is preparing for its next leg to Tonga in early June.  This clipper has attracted a lot of people, some of whom have described it as a ship from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

 The Sportfishing and Boating Safety Act of 1998 established the BIG Grant Program to provide funding to all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (States) for the development and maintenance of boating infrastructure facilities for transient, non-trailerable recreational vessels. Non-trailerable recreational vessels are defined as recreational vessels at least 26 feet long operated primarily for pleasure and are just passing through a location, staying up to ten days.

The tall ship, based in the Cook Islands is captained by Daniel Moreland and is on an 8-month tour of the Pacific. She is a training ship and some of the 30 crew members on board are learning about traditional seafaring skills while traveling the world.  Moreland, who last visited American Samoa in 1976, said they are thankful for the new berth and easy access to shore facilities.  He and the crew members are enjoying their time in American Samoa and the new Fagatogo dock. They were even able to enjoy the fautasi race and enjoy the Flag Day festivities while in port.

The South Pacific has long had a reputation as a vast and tropical ocean paradise. With enormous expanses of deep blue water separating the far-flung islands, it is necessary to provide adequate mooring facilities to nautical travelers.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and our BIG grants are essential for tall ship voyaging, and keeping mariners traveling the South Seas of legend.

Learn more about the Service’s BIG Grants Program http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/BIG/BIG.htm

See more on the Picton Castle  

http://www.picton-castle.com/

http://www.picton-castle.com/voyages/the-voyages/south-seas-voyage-2013-2014.html

Shared by USFWS Pacific’s Deputy Regional Director Richard Hannan

“Micha Miles Team” at the Friends Breakfast.  Photo credit: UCP of Oregon and Southwest Washington

The United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Oregon and Southwest Washington hosted their annual “Friends Breakfast” on Wednesday, May 22^nd and invited representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to attend for the second year.  The people at UCP are helping to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by developmental disabilities, and are working to provide them with independence in every aspect of their lives. 

During the breakfast, I listened to a presentation given by Suzie Ryan-Snell and Jeff Snell.  Their son Micah was born with Cerebral Palsy, and to raise awareness and money for UCP, Jeff runs marathons with Micah.  So far, he’s completed three marathons and will run in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and Vancouver, Washington this year.   Hearing about how this family overcomes adversity every day of their lives, and how Micah is able to touch the lives of so many people, was a very powerful moment for each one of us in the room.  I encourage everyone to learn more about Micah’s story and watch a short video at:  http://youtu.be/WRpnQFSVKhw. 

Over the course of the past year, groups of people from UCP have visited Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery for a day of fishing and a hatchery tour, and the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge to learn about the wildlife in their own backyards on a beautiful nature hike.  Both of these events are important because they help promote a partnership with a community of people who will benefit from programs that connect people to nature and the outdoors.  Both of these events were very successful in large measure because of the participation and caring of Service employees.  It is our desire that this meaningful partnership with UCP and their membership will grow and flourish.

On July 26, 2013, the Service will partner with CAST (Catch A Special Thrill) to host a day of fishing for kids with disabilities at St. Louis Ponds, near Salem, Oregon.  Service employees who are interested in helping to spend a morning baiting hooks, or landing fish, should contact Brian Lawler in DCR at 503-736-4789, to sign-up as a volunteer.

Day of Fishing at Drano Lake’s ADA-accessible fishing platform with Friends from UCP.  Photo by Brian Lawler, Photo credit: USFWS.

By Jesse D’Elia

Arguably one of the most iconic endangered species in North America, the California condor once soared the skies of the Pacific Northwest.  In our new book “California Condors in the Pacific Northwest, Susan Haig with USGS and I reviewed the evidence of condors in the region. Fossil records and eye witness accounts showed  the condors were culturally significant to many Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest and were regularly encountered by early Euro-American and Russian explorers.

Our review, which is part of my Ph.D. dissertation at Oregon State University, stemmed from discussions around whether or not reintroducing condors to the northern half of their range is biologically feasible.  Looking at the history of condors was a natural place to start.  We asked questions such as where were they, how common where they, were they resident or migratory, and why did they disappear?  The book tackles these questions through the lens of history and discusses opportunities and challenges of a reintroduction effort. 

Perspective is everything.  The beauty of a soaring California Condor along the Big Sur coastline. Photo credit: Jesse D’Elia

Probably the most fascinating aspect  of our review is that in fairly recent times (about 150 to 200 years ago) condors were not rare or endangered. In fact, some described them as common.  That they were once common seems wrong at first blush.  Yet, humans are afflicted by something called “environmental generational amnesia,” where each generation views degraded environmental conditions as the norm (see Peter Kahn’s book “The Human Relationship with Nature”).  No one alive today has known California condors to be anything but rare, so that is how we perceive them. By the time Carl Koford conducted the first detailed field study of California condors in the 1950s, they already numbered less than 100 birds.  

Fun and games with condors?  William Finley’s wife, Irene Finley, taunts young condor ”General” by playing a game of keep away at the Finley home along the Willamette River near Portland, Oregon circa 1906.  “General” was taken from a nest in southern California and kept as a pet for some time in Oregon.  His story is detailed in the book.  Photo credit: USFWS

Delving into the history of condors in the Pacific Northwest provides us a unique window into the species’ life history and ecology that can’t be obtained through field studies.  It also acts as a remedy for our collective amnesia, allowing us to fully appreciate how much we’ve lost, and why.  The good news from our review is that the things that caused the collapse of the condor’s range and reduction in numbers are well known and reversible: direct shooting and secondary poisoning (mostly from early predator control activities).   This means there is hope for restoring this magnificent part of the Pacific Northwest’s natural heritage.   While the USFWS has no immediate plans for a reintroduction effort, our review provides foundational information for such an effort if it is decided that these giant birds should be returned to the region.

Jesse D’Elia, USFWS wildlife biologist and lead author, above Hell’s Canyon on the Idaho/Oregon border.  In the Fall of 1818, Donald McKenzie, traveling through this area wrote: “Eagles and vultures, of uncommon size, flew about the rivers.”  Detailed accounts and maps of encounters with condors throughout the Pacific Northwest are provided in the book.

By Susan Peterson, Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Complex

The Kids in the Creek program celebrated its 20th year at the Entiat National Fish Hatchery. For those not familiar with this award winning program, Kids in the Creek began in 1992 when specialists from several resource agencies, Future Farmers of America and science teachers from local high schools adopted the hands-on field experience idea to connect students with aquatic and riparian ecosystems for an understanding of watersheds and the critical role of human land management activities.

Students from the Discovery School, located on the grounds of Leavenworth NFH, investigate water quality impacts from human and natural events. - Photo Credit: USFWS

Today, the KITC program holds three field days at the Entiat National Fish Hatchery and consists of six educational stations and a culminating activity where students employ all the concepts and knowledge to develop a land use scenario utilizing best management practices and mitigate potential negative impacts on natural resources with the local ecosystem. Over three hundred students from six area schools and almost 40 resource specialists were engaged in this dynamic activity.

Tim McCracken (USFWS) biologist teaches high school students how to estimate cover by species composition vegetation on plots along a transect. - Photo Credit: USFWS

The Kids in the Creek program is hosted by Cascadia Conservation District, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. The program has been expanded and adapted to different age levels including 4th graders and is a favorite at the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival.

Check out the Kids in the Creek Website for more information
www.kidsinthecreek.com

Saving osprey, rescuing orphaned raccoons, making sure boaters are being safe, checking on hunters and educating visitors to the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex… National Wildlife Refuge System Federal Wildlife Officer Richard Bare accomplishes a lot in a typical day at work.

“My typical day? There is no typical day!” laughs Officer Bare. “Our mission is to help and protect the resource. One of my favorite things to do is talk with people and educate visitors to the refuge. I think as a federal wildlife officer, that’s one of the most important things I do.”

By Robyn Thorson, Regional Director

Waterfowl figure prominently in the Regional Director’s office agenda this month.  Last week, Deputy Regional Director (DRD) Rich Hannan served as chair at the Pacific Coast Joint Venture (PCJV) meeting.  This strong partnership was initiated to address North American waterfowl conservation along the North Pacific coast region, and the focus has expanded to include all birds.  Many successes on the landscape are attributable to the collaboration of the PCJV. 

Deputy Regional Director Richard Hannan makes his own decoys.  Photo credit: Neesia Hannan

Rich’s focus on waterfowl management transcends his official duties at the office.  Recently, he took up decoy carving as a hobby.  While these wooden ducks may not be as interesting as being in the marsh to his loyal Chesapeake retriever, Nellie, she, like Rich, awaits the fall start of another duck-hunting season.

One of great PCJV partners is Ducks Unlimited (DU), and I had the pleasure of visiting Monday, May 13, with DU’s Western Regional Director Mark Biddlecomb.   DU is a recognized leader in wetland conservation and has been an outstanding FWS partner for projects throughout the Pacific Flyway, including many National Wildlife Refuges.  Keeping this partnership strong was the mutual goal at this meeting, where we discussed recent successes and future projects.

DU’s national convention is coming to Portland at the end of May.  Its agenda includes remarks by the new Department of the Interior Secretary, Sally Jewell.  Among the gathering of DU members and leaders will be a great friend of the Pacific Region:  Dale Hall, former Service Director and years before, Assistant Regional Director (ARD) for Ecological Services in the Pacific Region.  Dale is now Executive Director of DU.  His leadership roles in government and in the private sector are reminders of the dedication of wildlife conservationists across many organizations and agencies.  It will be great to welcome Dale back to the Pacific Northwest.

Deputy Regional Director Richard Hannan’s trusted hunting partner, Nellie.  Photo credit: Richard Hannan

Finally, at the end of June, I’m honored to join the Washington State DU annual meeting to share perspectives from the Service.  My message might include updates or might highlight special projects, but one thing is certain:  it will be a message of thanks for the contribution and leadership of DU in wetland and waterfowl conservation. 

FWS has many treasured partners, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to have several recent encounters with one of the greatest – Ducks Unlimited.

Partnering Effort Connects Children to the Outdoors Through Hunting and Fishing Programs

The tulips and daffodils are in blossom.  Its slightly overcast with a bit of a chill in the air and the cackling geese are making music in the early morning haze.  Getting up early, anglers brave the chill to cast their line for that chance to hook the largest trout.   These images go hand in hand with spring fishing throughout the Pacific Northwest.  The warm weather lures people outside to take in the beauty of nature, from the waters in our streams and rivers to the pristine wilderness and fern bedecked forests to the mountain meadows with elk and deer.  Alas, very few of our area’s children get to encounter the wonders of nature or the thrill of catching a fish.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service strives to reach out to families by engaging today’s youth in educational and fun activities.  Partnering with State, Tribal and community members, the Service participates in many outdoor events that reach out to youth, sharing our passions for the great outdoors and all the recreational opportunities available.  This spring, more than 4,000 children and their families participated in the Klineline Kids Fishing Derby in Vancouver, Washington. 

Our partners at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife took extra care in stocking Klineline Pond with more than 10,000 rainbow trout for Clark County’s largest annual fishing event.   Volunteers from the community assisted with the assembly of 4,000 rods and reels, attaching weights and bobbers and preparing the bait that will be wriggling out of little hands on fishing day.  Klineline Pond offered the perfect environment for this event, attracting community sponsors and vendors who enhance the weekend’s festivities with free ice cream, bird house building, face painting and even archery.   

Smiles could be seen on both young and old alike as each participating child received a free fishing pole, T-shirt and goodie bag.   Cheers and encouragement from the parents could be heard as they witnessed their youngsters grappling with a fish on their lines.  Squeals of delight match the decibel level of the bird cries as wriggling fish were scooped into the nets.  Some young anglers even went home with prizes, ranging from a new bike, tackle box or trophy.  But none went home empty handed.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been a part of this event for several years, partnering with event organizers to connect people to nature.  Our staff and volunteers look forward to this spring event where they can share their passion for the environment while reaching out to kids.  

As in years past, the first day of this event is set aside for children with special needs.  Over 500 students from the S.W. Washington area attended, including youth from the SW Washington School for the Blind and the Southwest Washington Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Children learned how to work with the tackle, bait, hooks and reels.  They learn the techniques of fishing, netting and even cleaning the fish that most of the youngsters to took home for dinner.  Almost every youngster caught their limit (2 per child) and took their rewards home with cooking instructions to complete their fishing experience from pond to table.  This successful event will continue for years to offer guidance and to give each child a better understanding of resource conservation and sport fishing ethics.

For the children, the laughter and smiles tell the story of how they learn to bait a hook, cast a line, and reel in a fighting fish.  Many come away with a special memory as well as information on fish culture, water quality, and habitat on a small scale.  The Fish and Wildlife Service offers these activities as a way to ‘hook’ kids on the benefits of the outdoor world, to appreciate their natural surroundings and to experience one of the most popular outdoor activities in America.

If this sounds like fun – well, you haven’t miss the opportunity.  Find a kids fishing derby near you this spring.  Don’t worry if you have never fished before, these opportunities are perfect places for people of all ages to learn to fish.  Ponds and lakes are well stocked in preparation for these events and Fish and Wildlife volunteers are on hand to help folks master the skills they need to reel in a winner. 

Find out more about the Klineline Kids Fishing Derby at

https://www.facebook.com/#!/KlinelineKidsFishingEvent

Faces of Nature Blog

http://facesofnatureusfws.blogspot.com/

FlickR Images at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/sets/72157633272892299/with/8643315911/

By: Emily Teachout

Original source: http://wordfromwild.blogspot.com/2013/05/moms-and-daughters-hit-beach-for-birds.html

My daughter, Maggie (age 12), and I participate in a mother/daughter group that wanted to do a community service project. After seeing a series of YouTube videos on marine debris ingestion by albatrosses on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the girls were really moved and wanted to find a way that they could help locally. To help address the problem at the source, they wanted to get debris off the beach and out of the ocean ecosystem where it poses a direct threat to seabirds and other animals. “I was motivated by the pictures and stories about the dead albatrosses who eat plastic and die,” said Brynn Dumbeck, a girl in our group.

Luna Lowsky, Sophie Danner, Brynn Dumbeck, and Maggie Neatherlin extract piles of foam from the dunes.

So on a sunny Saturday, we carpooled out to Ocean Shores to take part in the annual beach cleanup efforts coordinated by Washington CoastSavers. We hit the beach with our handy-dandy picking tools and a stock-pile of collection bags that they provided. Brynn Dumbeck liked the aspect of working as a part of a coast-wide effort. “It was cool that a lot of people all over were doing the beach cleanup,” she said. 

A bundle of balloon found by Maggie Neatherlin

Before we even got down the length of the access road the girls were excitedly filling their bags. Once on the beach it was only moments before there were victorious shouts of “Hey, I found a plastic water bottle” and “Over here, I need help! I found a huge pile of Styrofoam!”

Together, we collected over 18 large bags full of debris. “We filled bag after bag, after bag of trash. It was surprising to see how much junk ended up on the beach,” noted Maggie. We compared our most unusual finds: a deflated basketball, a bundle of ribbon-festooned balloons, a toothbrush, a rubbery garden glove, a toy soldier. Copious quantities of nylon rope, fishing line, fireworks casings and the omnipresent plastic grocery bags showed up in our piles. We found it particularly poignant when picking up bottle caps, lighters, and flossers after watching the videos of USFWS Refuge Manager John Klavitter extracting the same types of debris out of the carcasses of albatrosses on Midway. 

Sophie Danner, Maggie Neatherlin, Luna Lowsky and Brynn Dumbeck with a few of the many bags of trash they collected.

The experience was very rewarding! Parent Anthea Lawrence extracted a plastic bottle cap from the sand and noted, “Here’s one less piece of plastic for an albatross to eat.” In fact, the girls have expressed interest in doing this again. Sophie Danner, reflected that participating felt like the right thing to do, “…making a difference instead of spending your Saturday in bed or in front of the computer or something.” As a wildlife biologist and a mom, I was proud that our group of girls came up with this way to tangibly act as stewards. The fact that we all got spend a day together, in an amazing place, was a bonus. 

Upon return, we received an email from CoastSavers noting that the combined effort of the volunteers up and down the coast on that one day removed 15 tons of trash from the ocean ecosystem! Upon reflecting on the experience with the girls, they all said they wanted to do it again, and they hope that more people join in. Maggie notes that marine debris is everywhere, and always will be, “…unless we choose to do something about it. It’s not just going to fix itself, we have to fix it. We have to clean up our own mess. You could live on the other side of the world and you can do something. Wherever you are, you can help.”

To take part in the next beach cleanup visit Washington CoastSavers: http://www.coastsavers.org/

To learn more about marine debris ingestion by albatrosses see the video series by Chris Jordan:http://www.midwayjourney.com/film-trailer/

Or: http://www.fws.gov/midway/

By Joan Jewett, Public Affairs Officer, USFWS Pacific Reigon

Recently, I was one of the lucky people who got to go the top of Rattlesnake Mountain on the Hanford National Monument to look at wildflowers and the view. It was the first time in six years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took members of the public to this special place and I got to tag along. 

Frances Watson, a local KEPR-TV reporter on the trip, said getting to go on the tour was like finding a golden ticket in a Wonka bar — and I agree! All 80 tickets for the four wildflower tours were spoken for in less than a minute after they were offered online.

Rattlesnake Mountain is usually closed to the public because it so ecologically and culturally sensitive. About 60 species of plants are found on the arid, treeless peak that rises 3,600 feet above the surrounding flatlands. To the west, the snow-covered peaks of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier dot the horizon; to the east, Hanford Reach, the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River, flows at the base of steep white cliffs. Local Native American tribes took refuge atop Rattlesnake Mountain 13,000 years ago during the great Missoula floods and have used it ever since, leaving a landscape filled with sacred sites and artifacts. The public tours did not visit those areas.

Called Laliik in the Yakama language, the mountain is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Thanks to its dramatic position on the landscape, Laliik, and especially its summit, served and continues to serve as an important place for vision and spirit quests, resource gatherings and other cultural activities by regional American Indians. Robyn Thorson, the director of the Service’s Pacific Region, which includes Rattlesnake Mountain, was recently honored to participate in a traditional ceremony on the mountain with members of the Umatilla Tribe.

People on the public wildflower tours were thrilled to visit the top of the mountain they usually only see in the distance. Mike Clouse of Kennewick, Washington, has worked construction sites on the surrounding Hanford Nuclear Reservation since the 1970s. “I always looked up here and thought I’ve got to get up there someday,” he said. Once on top, he was not disappointed. “It’s beautiful,” he said, as his gaze moved from the tiniest of plants to the expansive view. “Your eyes can stretch and you can see forever.”

Donna Hostick of Kennewick, WA, tells KEPR-TV reporter Frances Watson she feels lucky to see the plants and view at the top of Rattlesnake Mountain.

Donna Hostick, also of Kennewick, said she was “astounded” by the flowers and the view. But she figures this trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The opportunity to visit the mountain top is so rare she wants others to have the experience, too.

“It’s important to let people experience this,” she said. “They will be more interested in conserving it.”

Ever get one of those questions that make you put your hand to your head and say “Hmmmm.”  Good Question:  How does one survey a group of birds that Migrate?  Well, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Migratory Bird branch can tell you – working together!  It’s what we call “Multi-Agency Coordination” and this spring’s efforts are focusing on the Pacific Flyway’s Cackling Canada Goose Survey.

Mark Nebeker, Manager of the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, coordinates this effort and pulls together all the volunteers for a successful bird count

Coinciding with “Bring your child to work Day”, this survey project enabled FWS staff to share their legacy of protecting fish and wildlife and habitat with their families.  Hayden Sanders, age 8, got first-hand experience working beside his dad, safely capturing, identify and re-sighting Cackling Geese.  

This coordinated effort is being undertaken on Sauvie Island, Oregon and other areas all over the Willamette Valley.  Our partners at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Pacific Flyway Council and National Wildlife Refuges share in the success of this intensive Cackler Goose survey – revealing that staff and volunteers have thus far captured, banded, collared and released more than 560 Cackling geese.  And those were the ones that they wanted to capture, let’s not forget the birds they didn’t  - a handful of mallards, a dozen sandhill cranes, a few pintails and 1 confused wood duck

Up at dawn, migratory bird specialists, hunters, and volunteers prepare the selected fields with bait and the rocket nets that will be used to safely capture the geese.  Three fields were chosen on this particular morning and the observers waited quietly for the flocks to alight in the areas closest to the nets.  Anticipation builds as the numbers grow and I had to steiffel a gasp or two as the geese land within the project area, only arriving a dozen at a time.  Fingers are poised on the triggers of the rockets that will propel the nets into the air, ensnaring the geese until we can release them. 

Patience is essential, for sometimes one might have to wait for hours.  Silence must be observed at all times (torture for this writer), no shuffling around or unnecessary movement that may startle the birds.  Volunteers pull their jackets close around them and sit quietly in the dusty barn, peering through the slats and windows, just waiting for the grounded birds to reach a significant number.  Disappointment can come just as quickly, as you watch the resident bald eagle, also in search of a good breakfast, swoop down on the field and send the geese back into the air.  Back to the drawing board….to sit and wait and hope that the flock of geese will return. 

This project was initiated last year in partnership with the Pacific Flyway Council and other conservation partners  -  a 3-year cooperative ‘Mark-Resight Study’ for cackling Canada geese which involves marking cacklers and re-sighting them in wintering areas in California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.  This information will verify population estimates currently in use and provide essential data that will have a big impact on the types of management actions the Service will implement and how we will best manage the agricultural depredation impacts of geese in Oregon and Washington

This planned effort is coordinated range-wide and involves intensive surveys during fall and spring.  Each survey consists of a minimum of two survey days in one week, followed by two survey days the next week.   The Pacific Flyway is very large, encompassing thousands of miles

“Trying to execute a survey of this magnitude without our partners would be like trying to survey fish in the lake with only one boat” said Todd Sanders, Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Specialist.  “Multi-agency coordination is essential to accurately collect data in all the areas that these geese inhabit.”

Results of past surveys identified Cackler populations at a low of about 25,000 birds in the mid 1980s.  The decline is believed to be largely due to sport harvest in California and subsistence harvest on the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta in Alaska.  To recover this species hunting restrictions were put into effect by State and Federal Agencies.  Once in place, this successful management practice allowed the geese population to increase; numbers began to rebuild and the cackler hunting season was reopened in 1994.  Continued monitoring of Pacific Flyway geese have indicated that last year’s population exceeded 240,000 birds.

There are seven different sub-species of Canada Geese that reside in the Willamette Valley.  It is important to collect accurate data to identify the specific bird species and accurately propose management plans for that species.  

Service personnel are tasked with surveying National Wildlife Refuges and surrounding areas.  Staff from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office will survey state wildlife areas and other non-refuge lands and volunteers from partnering agencies and migratory bird offices, cover other areas and fill in as needed. 

Citizen Scientists are also asked to participate and report additional resightings of geese populations outside of the scheduled survey periods.  This information is of great value to the study by providing information on neckband numbers with location, date, and any pertinent information observers may provide.

Canada geese found in the Willamette Valley and Lower Columbia River areas feed on agricultural crops, specifically grass seed, causing extensive damage.  The Fish and Wildlife Service is striving to achieve a balance between managing geese populations without negatively impacting agricultural interests.  With partners such as the Pacific Flyway Council, State Wildlife Offices, Alaska Natives, and other conservation groups, we strive to protect this species by developing harvest guidelines that will continue to increase the cackling goose population.

The Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse on Kīlauea Point NWR. Photo credit: Scott Hanft

By Megan Nagel

Recently, I’ve had the privilege to work on a wonderful effort - the Kīlauea Point Lighthouse, part of the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on the island of Kaua‘i in Hawai‘i, was renamed in honor of the late Senator Daniel K. Inouye in April 2013.

An American hero on the battlefield, Senator Inouye represented Hawai‘i for over 50 years. He was a beacon for generations of people and for conservation issues, working to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act that protect the unique, beautiful ecosystems of Hawai‘i and to conserve special places like Kīlauea Point NWR and the lighthouse.

For over 100 years, the Kīlauea Point Lighthouse has been a beacon for the island of Kaua‘i and the community of Kīlauea. Guiding ships safely and standing tall as a link between the islands past, present and future.

The Kīlauea Point Lighthouse will be re-dedicated the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse in a special ceremony on Saturday, May 4, 2013 on the Kīlauea Point NWR.

The rededication ceremony will also celebrate the centennial birthday and recently completed restoration of the lighthouse. It is part of a week-long series of events in the town of Kīlauea and at Kīlauea Point NWR. The restoration effort took three years and is a result of the hard work of refuge staff and the members of the refuge friends group, the Kīlauea Point Natural History Association. Thanks to the restoration efforts, public tours of the lighthouse will be available for the first time in years during the centennial celebration.

Regarding the renaming, the late Senator Inouye’s wife Irene Hirano Inouye said, “Dan placed a high priority in preserving pristine lands throughout Hawai‘i to ensure that future generations are able to enjoy what we oftentimes take for granted. Dan and I visited the Kīlauea Point Lighthouse a few years ago and were taken by the overwhelming community support for its preservation.  It was a beautiful evening, and the success achieved is testament to what is possible when everyone pitches in. Dan’s grandparents arrived on the island of Kaua‘’i at the turn of the 1900’s to begin a new life.  It is most fitting that the Department of the Interior’s site which will bear his name is on the island where it all began.”   

The Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse is a visual icon, an image of Hawai‘i that many people across the world know. But Daniel K. Inouye’s legacy as a tireless champion for his state and his country is one that Americans, not only the people of Hawaii, have been by touched by time and again. He is a true American icon.

With over 500,000 visitors annually, the Kīlauea Point NWR is the most visited refuge in the Pacific Region and the fourth most visited in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge is part of the Kaua‘i National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This management area consists of three refuges - Kīlauea Point NWR, Hanalei NWR and Hulē‘ia NWR.

Kīlauea Point NWR staff, the Kīlauea Point Natural History Association, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and the community of Kīlauea have come together to celebrate the centennial with a series of events over five days, May 1-5, 2013:

Daily Events

From May 1-5 enjoy daily guided tours of the lighthouse which will enable a close up view of the interior of the restored Kīlauea Lighthouse. Meet on the refuge at the contact station, which is next to the lighthouse, to sign-up for tours. All tour participants must wear special booties (provided) and be at least 44” tall.

 Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5 are fee free days and free parking and a shuttle to the refuge will be available both days about a mile from the refuge in the heart of Kīlauea Townat 4244 Kīlauea Road, Kīlauea, HI 96754. Parking is also available on the refuge, except Saturday, May 4 when all visitors are required to park and take the shuttle.

Directions to the Kīlauea Point NWR

Wednesday, May 1

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.   

Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge open to the public. 

10:30 a.m.                      Official lighthouse re-opening ceremony at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. 

12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.    Lighthouse tours take place every 30 minutes. Last tour begins at 3:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.                        Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge closes to the public.

6:00 p.m.                        Evening slideshow at Princeville Library on the history of the Kīlauea Lighthouse.

Thursday, May 2

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.    Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge open to the public. 

10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.     Lighthouse tours take place every 30 minutes. Last tour begins at 3:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.                          Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge closes to the public.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.       Meet and greet artists displaying their work at the Kīlauea Lighthouse Art Show Reception at the Kong Lung Center.

Friday, May 3 

10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.    Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge open to the public. 

10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.     Lighthouse tours take place every 30 minutes. Last tour begins at 2:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m.                          Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge closes to the public.

Saturday, May 4 

Free day of entertainment and activities at the lighthouse on the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.     Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge open to the public.

10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.     Lighthouse tours take place every 30 minutes. Last tour begins at                                                                             3:00 p.m.

5:00 p.m.                         Official Recognition and Renaming Ceremony at Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. The Kīlauea Point Lighthouse will be rededicated the Daniel K. Inouye Kīlauea Point Lighthouse in honor of the late senator.

6:00 p.m.                          Relighting of the lighthouse beacon.

Sunday, May 5

The Kīlauea Neighborhood Association will kick off the 150th anniversary of Kīlauea town. Another free day at the Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.

10:30 a.m.                      Kīlauea Community Parade and Celebration in the Kīlauea Park.

10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.   Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge open to the public. 

10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.   Lighthouse tours take place every 30 minutes. Last tour begins at 3:30 p.m.

Details can be found at www.Kīlaueapoint.org orfacebook.com/Kīlauealighthouse. Contact 808-828-0384 orshineonKīlauea@yahoo.com for more information.

A Columbian white-tailed deer bounds toward it’s new home on Ridgefield NWR. Photo credit: Tim Jewett

By Megan Nagel

The recent emergency effort to relocate endangered Columbian white-tailed deer from Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-tailed Deer to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge has ended successfully. Since translocation began on January 29, 2013 a total of 37 Columbian white-tailed were translocated to Ridgefield NWR and 12 were translocated to Cottonwood Island.  

The goals of the emergency relocation were to protect the deer and stabilize an existing population on Cottonwood Island. If the deer had not been moved, the entire population was at risk from an failing dike that stands between the refuge and the mighty Columbia River. As a result of the successful translocation of the 49 deer, the population is now protected. Additionally, for the first time in many years, there will be a population of Columbian white-tailed deer on Ridgefield NWR - a part of their historic range from which they were extirpated. However, after being relocated to Ridgefield, 10 deer have died – two were hit by cars after moving off of the refuge post-relocation, several died as a result of likely predator attacks and the rest died of unknown causes. Only two deer died during the relocation itself. It is important to note that these loses roughly equate to a mortality rate which is close to the natural mortality rate for the Columbian white-tail deer population, typically between 15% - 20%.

The deer were moved using a variety of methods and multiple efforts that included U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge staff, partners and volunteers from the local community. Read how helicopters were used in one such drive to capture deer by clicking here.

Safely capturing, moving and protecting the 49 deer was the result of successful partnerships. Jackie Ferrier, Project Leader for Willapa NWR Complex, said, “We sincerely appreciate all of the hard working volunteers, dedicated veterinarians, amazing partners – especially the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and US Army Corps of Engineers - as well as our own USFWS staff.  Each of you contributed your time, energy, resources and so much more to this emergency Columbian white-tailed deer translocation.  Outstanding job everyone.  Thank you so very much!”

Learn more about the translocation and get weekly updates: http://www.fws.gov/jbh/translocation.html

Service staff, partners and volunteers working together to save endangered deer during a capture effort. Photo credit: Tim Jewett

Read the entire blog series from the millerbird team at: http://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/nihoamillerbird.html

Millerbird carrying nesting material. Photo: Robby Kohley

By Michelle Wilcox

After being closed since November 2012, the camp on the 1,016-acre coral atoll known as Laysan Island was reopened in late March 2013 and is now staffed with five USFWS personnel and two millerbird biologists. I was lucky enough to return to Laysan Island along with Megan Dalton, the newest biologist. Together we will continue monitoring the newly translocated millerbirds to try to determine how many survived the winter and then monitor them throughout the summer.  We hope to discover how many new chicks have fledged, and where on the island they are living. In the first couple of weeks we have already seen more than 38 individual millerbirds and are expecting to find even more in time.

The birds began nesting on Valentine’s Day last year, so we predicted they would be nesting when we arrived this year. The birds are indeed busy and Megan and I have found six pairs nesting so far - three pairs have nests with chicks in them and three pairs are building nests. Additionally, we have found males defending new territories adjacent to the area they favored last year. The naupaka shrubland on the north end of the island appears to be the millerbirds’ favorite area.  

Although millerbirds are our focus here on Laysan, our ‘Nature Sight of the Week’ has to go to the tens of thousands of Laysan Albatross chicks sitting all over the island. Their parents had just started arriving in the fall when we left and the island is now a very different place, so much more full of life and activity.  There is a grey, downy chick the size of an overweight bowling pin under my clothesline. During the heat of the day he waddles unsteadily into the shade of my weatherport platform, but he must return to the patch of ground where he hatched or his parents will not feed him with regurgitated fish, fish eggs and squid when they return from foraging flights, which can cover 1,000s of miles. The Laysan Albatross do not begin breeding until around their eighth year of life, but starting at age three they begin to return yearly to Laysan during the breeding season to practice their courtship dance, to find and defend a territory (males), and to find a life-long mate.  This means that in addition to the chicks and their itinerant parents there are tens of thousands of young adults on the island who spend most of their days calling, clacking, and dancing.  What a life.

Laysan albatross chick. Photo: Robby Kohley

In addition to the Laysan and Black-footed Albatross, there is one lone Short-tailed Albatross who returned again this breeding season to what we call the “northeastern desert”.  Along the brine lake edge we have seen two Ruff, four Long-billed Dowitchers, two Red Phalaropes, 12 Sanderlings, in addition to the large numbers of Wandering Tattlers, Pacific Golden-Plovers, and Ruddy Turnstones. We have seen one Cattle Egret near the grove of coconut tree snags and we have seen a good number of Bristle-thighed Curlews around the island.

Our plan is to post these blogs every two weeks.  We will include updates on the status of the millerbird population, stories about specific individuals and information on all the other natural and unnatural wonders on Laysan.

Laysan Island population and monitoring team. Photo: M. Dalton 

Ann Gannam, Regional Nutritionist, USFWS Abernathy Fish Technology Center, Longview, WA

Growing up with many outdoor opportunities drove my curiosity to find out more about my surroundings.  Weekend and summer camping trips; Sunday picnics, usually to a beach; even early morning trips to the river for breakfast picnics before school, all of these experiences fueled my desire to continue to acquire information and knowledge about the environment in which we live and about the organisms that share it with us.  My parents encouraged me and provided opportunities for me to learn.  I collected sea shells and they took me to the library to get books on shells to identify them.  I got to go to summer classes at the Science Museum in my home town where I participated in numerous activities involving learning the biology of local mammals, birds, fish and reptiles.  Two of our projects which stand out for me were making an insect collection and caring for guppies.  During my undergraduate college years I returned to the museum to work in the summer and helped put together some new exhibits for the kids’ section of the museum.

My eagerness to learn has never waned.  My biology related classes at the university were amazing.  The field trips provided great hands on experience.  I found myself in marsh mud half way up my legs taking samples, walking through the woods with eyes glued to the forest floor looking for snakes or surveying a stream then seining it to collect fish.  In all cases we were looking for the denizens of each ecosystem and learning more about which habitat and food items they preferred.  As my studies evolved I began to concentrate on the food item aspect and nutrient requirements of organisms, particularly fish became my focus.  I got my B.S. in zoology and in relatively quick succession my M.S. in biology/marine biology and my Ph.D. in fish nutrition.

I loved working out of doors and in the laboratory.  Then I found I could make a living at this sort of work. That was just an added benefit.  The US Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) offered me an excellent opportunity to pursue my field of interest.  After 21 years with the Service I still find my job as a fish nutritionist interesting and challenging.

At times I think of Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, especially the last paragraph when I think about the turns my life has taken:

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

From biology to law enforcement, the Service has a wide variety of exciting and unique careers in conservation. We are highlighting the true stories of different people in each the Pacific Region and the work they are doing to ensure the future of fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. To learn more about career opportunities in the Service, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/humancapital/jobs.html

Spring has arrived in the Pacific Northwest, bringing warmer temperatures, spring blossoms on the trees and the re-appearance of wildlife in urban areas.  The orchard and garden plot of Pacific Middle School has seen this change - witnessed by the 6th, 7th and 8th grader attending classes during the day.  Oh, but when the school day ends – that’s when the fun begins.  Students stay after school and participate in the school’s Garden Program, calling themselves “The Veggie Maniacs”.  Brainchild of Science teacher, Tyler Carlson, the program began in 2012 with a 40 x 40 foot plot of land amidst the 2 dozen neglected fruit trees and unused school property.

With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), through the Columbia River Fisheries Program Office in Vancouver, Washington, the project is now in its second year and has expanded to include community partners, the school district, local business and family members.  This project was awarded one of the Service’s ‘Connecting People with Nature’ grants that purchased all the tools, gloves and garden implements.  Support from the National Schoolyard Habitat Program pushed it even further and they’ve succeeded in restoring a garden, teaching about agriculture and sustainability while getting children outside to learn about soil, plants, pollinators, and ecosystems. 

With encouragement from the Evergreen School District in Clark County, Washington, Mr. Carlson led this program through its initial stages, organizes work parties and project activities.  With his passion for nature and this project, the orchard and garden will thrive and the school’s Garden Club will continue for many years to come.  The children are engaged, enthused and educated (but don’t tell them that – they think it’s just fun).  The success of this project can be seen with the number of students attending this afterschool club – The Veggie Maniacs continue to grow. 

Of the many individual projects this massive effort has undertaken, the students are involved every step of the way.  From assisting with the bed building, planting and pruning, power-washing, compost building, or rain-barrel assembly, the students have taken ownership of this garden and love the idea of passing this legacy to their underclassmen.  They also enjoy assisting Mr. Carlson with the indoor activities carried out through the fall and winter, including making planters from recycled materials, building birdhouses and designing a pollinator habitat.  Mr. Carlson will also show PowerPoint presentations and slide shows on soil and plantings to further enhance their learning experience. 

Fish and Wildlife Service staffs participate in the garden club activities too.  Through the Pacific Region’s “I gave 8 program” employees can assist with many of these activities, indoors and out.   “I really enjoy getting out of the office and connecting with students in the community.” says Donna Allard of the Vancouver Fisheries Office, “Can I help it, if I want to steer those young minds toward careers in natural resources?” 

The project’s success also depends on the participation of community members, local businesses and parents.  One student and avid gardener, Alyssa, enlisted the aid of her Dad, whose support came through his employer.  Lowes - Home Improvement donated hundreds of dollars’ worth of vegetable starter kits to kick off the spring planting.  These partnerships are successful because they allow the children to learn and then share their knowledge. 

Contributions from other partners have helped to define this garden.  The Veggie Maniacs have been diligently working to spread the 11 yards worth of wood chips donated by Clark Public Utilities District.  Redistributing the pile of chips around the base of the fruit trees and defining the paths and walkways is hard physical labor but the children don’t seem to mind.  In fact, they are getting a science lesson as well.  Mr. Carlson explains about the methane gas escaping from the wood pile. One child put her hand inside the mound and exclaimed  “Hey, feel this!  It’s warm”.

The Service’s Schoolyard Habitat Programs will continue to help reconnect today’s children to the outdoors.  We applaud the efforts of teachers like Mr. Carlson who share their love for nature and the passion for developing outdoor classrooms where educators and students learn how to attract and support local wildlife as well as hone academic skills and nurture an innate curiosity and creativity.

Jennifer Rowlen, Park Ranger for the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex

As Park Ranger, Jennifer Rowlen spend the majority of her time introducing school aged kids to the unique life cycle of the Pacific Salmon. The Salmon in the Classroom program both brings the kids to the fish (hatchery tours) and the fish to the kids (tanks in the classroom). Once a Salmon in the Classroom tank is placed in a school, kids revel in watching the same eggs they saw at the hatchery, hatch, grow and develop. During this time, Jennifer presents lessons highlighting the importance of healthy watersheds, animal adaptations, and guides the student scientists through a real salmon dissection.

Jennifer guides student scientists from Portland’s Boise-Eliot Humboldt Elementary School during a salmon dissection

Sharing her joy and enthusiasm for the natural world with kids is Jennifer’s favorite part of her job and she says the reward is in “seeing the eyes of a child light up as they see, touch, and smell the outdoors.”  Jennifer considers this engagement her greatest achievement and the highest compliment for her work comes in hearing “fish are cool!” from future biologists. 

From biology to law enforcement, the Service has a wide variety of exciting and unique careers in conservation. We are highlighting the true stories of different people in each the Pacific Region and the work they are doing to ensure the future of fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. To learn more about career opportunities in the Service, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/humancapital/jobs.html

The latest blog from the Washington Field Office Word From the Wild:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Eastern Washington Field Office, in cooperation with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and numerous other cooperating agencies, recently captured 32 pygmy rabbits from populations in Oregon and Wyoming to support ongoing reintroduction efforts in the Columbia Basin of central Washington. 

WDFW Biologist Penny Becker with rabbit traps in sagebrush country, Oregon

After undergoing veterinary examinations and being transported from their home states, the new animals were placed in large (5 to 11 acre) enclosures at the state-managed Sagebrush Flat Wildlife Area and will be allowed to breed with resident, inter-crossed Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits.

View of Wyoming vet clinic

The newly added animals and most of the kits born throughout the 2013 breeding season will then be released to the wild over this coming spring and summer to bolster a number of surviving wild animals that have been released at the site since mid-2011. There are encouraging signs that a new, albeit small, population is becoming established in central Washington, including signs of reproduction in the wild that was documented during surveys this past winter.

Pygmy rabbit Stunnel poses for the camera during his journey to central Washington.

In a moment of inspiration during the recent capture effort, Chris Warren, USFWS Wildlife Biologist in our Eastern Washington Field Office, wrote this fitting rhyme:

Pygmy Rabbit is a clever chap,

who burrows out a home,

dives down the front then zips out the back,

before Coyote knows he’s gone! 

She buries her kits in a secret place,

only one that she will know.

Beneath the Earth she’ll keep them safe,

until their time to go. 

Hawk and Weasel, and many others yet,

will all attempt to dine,

on this little rabbit of the Sagebrush Steppe,

who’s so difficult to find!

Cheri Anderson, Information and Education Specialist for the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex

Cheri Anderson provides outreach services to the visiting public and education opportunities to schools and special interest groups throughout the Columbia River Gorge at the Columbia River Gorge National Fish Hatchery Complex. The complex includes:  Carson, Little White Salmon, Spring Creek and Willard National Fish Hatcheries. The complex includes the states of Oregon and Washington, six counties and an area of approximately 60 miles Anderson  developed the Salmon in the Classroom program for over 25 schools in the area, teaching students about water conservation, salmon life cycle and health, the importance of healthy habitats and being good stewards of the land. She has also developed a program to connect people with nature through archery. In addition to this work with the local communities, Anderson also maintains the Complex websites, social media and Public Information services to local media.

Anderson loves her job, “…because I see natural resource conservation inspiration daily with the people I interact with.” She has the opportunity to partner with many agencies, tribes and non-profit organizations to accomplish our important mission.  Every school year offers new students to teach the wonders of salmon, outdoor education and making connections with their environment.  Anderson says that she has always loved working with people and her job allows her to interact with people of all ages and provide information about the important work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Anderson says, “ The future decision makers are the ones I work with daily and it is inspiring to see them grow and develop opinions of their own.”

From biology to law enforcement, the Service has a wide variety of exciting and unique careers in conservation. We are highlighting the true stories of different people in each the Pacific Region and the work they are doing to ensure the future of fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats. To learn more about career opportunities in the Service, please visit: http://www.fws.gov/humancapital/jobs.html

By Megan T. Cook, USFWS

Like many of us in the field, my journey to becoming a wildlife biologist and scientist began as a kid and developed with the help of fantastic teachers and mentors throughout my life.

I grew up in urbanized Stockton, California, but my family spent every summer camping at the beach and in the mountains. When I was younger, I used to let slugs from our backyard crawl all over my hands. I also remember literally embracing a boa constrictor at a local zoo.

 Even as a kid I went for the slimy and scaly!

 My mom was a science resource teacher, so curiosity about the natural world was always present and seemed completely normal to me. My high school biology teacher also took us on great field trips to the redwoods and tidepools

 But my career in wildlife conservation actually started with math.

In 11th grade, I was one of the winners of a math competition sponsored by a national lab. I thought I might win a graphing calculator, but instead was offered a paid summer internship! This temporary job led to a more permanent position, and I subsequently spent my college summers banding songbirds, surveying amphibians, and teaching environmental education and outreach.

After that, I was hooked. Working outside with cool critters? Sign me up for life!

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Kayaks and canoes are boats too.

This may be an obvious factoid for most water loving recreationalists, but when it comes to aquatic invasive species prevention this little factoid matters. Roadside inspection stations throughout OR, WA, and ID are in place during boating season to prevent spread of invasive freshwater mussels, plants, and snails.

In 2012, eighteen of 4,675 inspected vessels in Oregon, including a kayak and folding boat, were contaminated with quagga or zebra mussels. Kayaks and canoes can also transport aquatic invasive species to new uninfested waterways, just like larger boats. Aquatic invasive species choke our waterways and cost millions in management dollars every year! Do your part; stop at inspection stations and Clean, Drain and Dry your watercraft!  

Controlling the spread of aquatic invasive species across state borders is a hot ticket item this year at the National Invasive Species Awareness Week meetings held in Washington, DC. On Wednesday, a forum of federal agency policymakers and legal specialists will convene to address gaps in coordination efforts at controlling the movement of invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels and Asian carp.  

Follow the NISAW action all this week at #NISAW

To learn more about invasive and what you can do, check out our new NISAW site:  http://goo.gl/L4ZCj

Photo: Zebra Mussels

Credit: David Britton/USFWS

Adventures in Science

 by Kira Mazzi,Biological Science Technician

Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, Lacey, Washington

I have a confession. I love playing in the dirt and mud; I love coming home exhausted and dirty from a hard day working in a river; I love going out and collecting information; and I love getting paid to work outside. I currently work as a Biological Science Technician for US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in Lacey, WA, and I have also worked for the National Park Service (Crater Lake National Park and Biscayne National Park), several state agencies, and the private sector. My job makes me work my mind and body in ways that test my mental and physical endurance, and at the end of the day I always have something to show for it, be it information gathered, a new tracking or monitoring device placed, an invasive species removed and a native replaced, and/or a sore muscle to remind me that I worked hard today!

The field of science has allowed me to travel many places already and it could take me anywhere in the world in the future. At Biscayne, I was privileged to scuba dive on some of the most pristine coral reefs in the U.S., removing invasive lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles), monitoring algae growth on coral heads, and documenting the population dynamics of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus). At Crater Lake, I worked to assess the chemical and biological health of the lake by netting and trapping invasive fish and crayfish, collecting water samples for lab analysis, and installing equipment that will allow scientists to monitor the lake year-round.

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By Joan Jewett, External Affairs, USFWS 

Federal Wildlife Officer Russell Haskett is a hero but he won’t call himself that. He is understated when describing how he waded into Idaho’s frigid Snake River around noon December 1 and pulled two duck hunters, one of them nearly dead, to safety.

“It was a calculated risk,” the officer for the Southeast Idaho National Wildlife Refuge Complex said of his decision to go in after the men. “It was either (go in) or watch those two guys drown.”

The men, Michael Jones and Norman Davis, both of Pocatello, Idaho, were clinging to their capsized canoe in the middle of the Snake River near Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge when Haskett heard a sheriff’s radio report of the incident. The Snake River is wide in that spot and has a current but no rapids. High winds were holding the men and the canoe in place, despite the current, and they’d been in the freezing water a half-hour despite their attempts to get to shore. Jones was unconscious. Davis couldn’t speak.

Haskett, the first law enforcement responder on the scene, weighed the risks of trying to save the men and stay alive himself. He knew the river in that area was a mix of rock shelves and deep holes, so he inched his way in until he was up to his neck and close enough to toss a stick with a rope tied to it. When he got the stick hooked on Jones’ body, he pulled the men and the canoe to where he could reach them. Grabbing a man in each arm, the burly Haskett, 45, pulled them to shore, about 75 yards away.

“I’ve pulled people out of the river before,” he said modestly, and been in other rescue situations where people had hypothermia. Haskett was a fish and game officer for the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe in Idaho for 13 years before joining the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2004.

Federal Wildlife Officer Russell Haskett and his law enforcement vehicle on the banks of Idaho’s Snake River, close to where he pulled the two hunters to safety

Three hunting buddies of Jones and Davis waited anxiously on shore and as soon as Haskett brought in the victims, he and the others put Jones and Davis in dry clothes and laid down around them to transfer their body heat while they waited for help.

Jones, 42, started to go into cardiac arrest. He was taken by Lifeflight to the Portneuf (Idaho) Medical Center, where the emergency room staff had prepared for his arrival. The helicopter team was performing CPR as they wheeled him in for treatment. 

The center’s cardiac surgeon, Dr. Jacob DeLaRosa, performed a cardiopulmonary bypass, according to the local Idaho State Journal, in which he cut into the femoral artery and vein on Jones’ thigh and transferred his blood to a machine that warmed and oxygenated it before circulating it back into Jones’ frigid torso.  Jones was literally warmed from the inside, out, the Journal reported.

Making a miraculous turnaround, Jones reportedly was conscious six hours later and asking for ice cream. He was released from the hospital about 10 days later. Haskett visited him twice in the hospital and even returned to the rescue site to find Jones’ eyeglasses.  Davis, Jones’ hunting buddy, had been treated and released the day the men were rescued.

Dr. DeLaRosa, the cardiac surgeon, called Jones “a miracle man” and his survival “the miracle on the Snake.”

Everyone is calling Haskett a hero. But the father of three says he is just thankful that he and the hunters are all OK.  

As for Jones, he told the Associated Press he won’t give up duck hunting. But he plans to confine his efforts to dry land.

“You can’t give up something you love,” he said, “at least I can’t.” 

Find out more about the Pacific Region’s law enforcement program: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/lawenforcement/

Watch news coverage: http://goo.gl/99YbV

Read the article in the Idaho State Journal: http://goo.gl/94anB

By Amanda Fortin

Wisdom and her mate prepare to begin their first shift of incubation, Photo credit: Pete Leary, USFWS

They say you are only as old as you feel and it seems that Wisdom, the world’s oldest banded bird, isn’t feeling her 62 years. More impressive than the age of this now famous Laysan albatross is that she is a new mom. Wisdom and her mate were spotted on November 28 by a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist building up the nest around a new egg and preparing for the first incubation shift.

This isn’t the first time these two have readied their nest. Laysan albatrosses mate for life and Wisdom has raised between 30 to 35 chicks since being banded in 1956 at an estimated age of 5.  Laying only one egg per year, a breeding albatross will spend a tiring 365 days incubating and raising a chick.  Most albatross parents then take the following year off (and who could blame them?) but not Wisdom.

Nesting consecutively since 2008, Wisdom’s continued contribution to the fragile albatross population is remarkable and important. Her health and dedication have led to the birth of other healthy offspring which will help recover albatross populations on Laysan and other islands.  

Albatross, particularly as chicks, face many threats. Chicks can’t fly away from invasive predators like rats or escape weather-related risks like flooding and hot spells.  If they make it to adulthood, they face different threats.  Manmade problems like marine debris and pollution are dangers faced by all albatross.  Although the population of Laysan albatross has strengthened to roughly 2.5 million, 19 out of the 22 species of albatross are threatened or endangered.

Laysan albatross chick washed over by tsunami wave. Photo credit: Pete Leary, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Mainstream naysayers and conventional “wisdom” may say it is too late for us to make a difference for these birds. It is easy to believe that the changing climate and spread of pollution are too immense for the efforts of one person to be felt.  Maybe this long-living avian mom is here to offer a new kind of “wisdom” by teaching us the power of one.

 Imagine if we all took a cue from Wisdom and used our seemingly small steps to combat climate change or contribute to conservation?  What begins as a single idea can hatch, and fledge into stronger, more numerous acts that take flight and make a dramatic difference. This spirited albatross has inspired and amused people around the globe for decades. Hopefully, she has shared some Wisdom too. 

Oceanographer, explorer, and “hero for the planet” Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Wisdom share a moment together at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge within Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

Photo credit: Susan Middleton.

Find out more about climate change in the Pacific Region: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/Climatechange/index.cfm

See more photos of Wisdom: http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=52133016@N08&q=wisdom

Learn more about Laysan albatross on Midway: http://www.fws.gov/midway/laal.html

Get the latest on the happenings in our Pacific Region: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/

Want to learn more about the natural world around you? Come join Team Naturaleza/¿Quieres aprender más sobre el mundo natural alrededor de tí? Vengan a juntar con el Team Naturaleza! 

Co-lead by USFWS scientists and members of the Latino community, Team Naturaleza offers the public a variety of fun and educational bilingual activities , including nature walks, guided bird watching tours, and special events throughout North Central Washington. For more information, visit thei

r Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Naturaleza/311748628919308

Co-dirigido por científicos del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre y miembros de la comunidad Latina, Team Naturaleza ofrece el público una variedad de actividades bilingües divertidos e educacionales, inclusive caminatas guiadas de naturaleza, tours de observación de aves, y eventos especiales en el Norte Central de Washington. Para más información, visita a su página de Facebook en: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Naturaleza/311748628919308

“Overall an incredible year so far for Lake Sammamish kokanee…nothing we’ve really encountered before. They are returning to creeks they haven’t been seen in for at least a decade and in numbers not seen before. If this is any sign of future returns, with the continued efforts of the existing partnership, we may be on our way to recovering this population. “ - Jeff Chan, USFWS Fish Biologist

Photo credit: Roger Tabor, USFWS

Only a few years ago Jeff Chan, Brad Thompson and other federal, state, tribal and local fisheries biologists were worried that Lake Sammamish’s once-plentiful kokanee salmon were headed for extinction. Kokanee are land-locked sockeye salmon that live in lakes, returning to spawn in surrounding streams much as their ocean-going relatives return from the ocean to coastal rivers.

“Decades of human development, including an extensive localized road system that severely hampered fish passage from Lake Sammamish to vital spawning grounds in surrounding streams, had contributed to the loss of two seasonal kokanee runs, leaving only the late run,” said Brad Thompson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries biologist. “We were at the point where it was not uncommon to find only fifty or less fish in all of the spawning streams around the lake.”

“This year we’re seeing hundreds in a given day, repeated in multiple creeks, some streams where we haven’t seen fish in decades.”

Thompson and his colleagues are ecstatic.

What biologists believe has made the difference has been a strategic habitat conservation partnership that has recently begun working to protect the remaining existing habitat, reconnect historical habitat through fish passage efforts by removing barriers such as undersized or non-functional road culverts, and restore degraded fish habitat to increase the ability of young kokanee to survive in their natal streams. This partnership, made up of King County, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the cities of Issaquah, Redmond, Bellevue, Sammamish, Trout Unlimited, the Snoqualmie Tribe, local landowners and local businesses such as Darigold, has also developed an emergency hatchery supplementation program to prevent near-term extinction.

For the last three years, biologists collaborating through the partnership, have been collecting wild kokanee from three spawning streams along Lake Sammamish, spawn them and rear their offspring for release back into the Lake Sammamish system. Thompson cites the observation and reporting by local landowners of the presence of spawning fish in the streams each fall as essential to capturing the adult fish for the program. When landowners report the presence of spawning fish, King County sends out biologists to capture the fish and transport them to the Issaquah state fish hatchery, where they are spawned and reared for release back into the wild the following spring.

Photo credit: USFWS

“The supplementation program is really an insurance policy to prevent some random catastrophic event from wiping out the remaining wild fish while we work to protect, reconnect and restore the habitat,” said Thompson. “We really want to get to where we don’t need to rely on the supplementation program. We want the day to come when habitat conditions allow these fish to flourish on their own.”

Thompson said the program, slated to run only until 2021, is based on a successful program to restore ESA-listed Hood Canal summer chum salmon. 

Thompson says the partnership is utilizing a biological marking system to mark the fish so they can determine if the supplementation program works. That process, which requires bursts of cold water to create tiny marks on the ear bones of the developing fish, depends on the availability of large amounts of well water donated by the Darigold Dairy processing plant in Issaquah. Thompson says the donation is worth at least $50,000 over the life of the supplementation program.

The real success, Thompson says, is that local communities have stepped forward, made kokanee recovery their own, and begun taking steps to protect, reconnect, and restore the habitat around the lake.

“Kokanee got a nice down-payment on that this year with the completion of an important habitat restoration project by a local landowner on Ebright Creek,” Thompson said. “There was an old culvert that was blocking fish passage to upstream historical spawning habitat. The landowner, Wally Pereyra, working with the partnership, replaced the decades-old culvert with a new fish-friendly version that allows kokanee unfettered access to the best remaining habitat in the Lake Sammamish Basin for the first time in seventy years.”

Thompson said biologists began seeing hundreds of kokanee spawning upstream of the replaced culvert within weeks of project completion .

“It’s a perfect example of how one person, taking the initiative to work with the partnership, can make a difference,” Thompson said. “He did the project this summer and already this fall he can see it working. That’s progress!”

Photo credit: Roger Tabor, USFWS

For more images, check out our Flickr set at:  http://bit.ly/UPxvzi

To see these kokanee when they started out as fry, click here:http://bit.ly/RuOj12 For a video on the Kokanee rearing project, check out: http://bit.ly/PprFHs 

To learn how you can “keep the salmon coming home”, visit the Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery: http://www.issaquahfish.org

Read the original post and explore a variety of factors affecting wild and hatchery fish and other aquatic resources: http://the-fish-files.blogspot.com/

Posted by USFWS Washington FWO Fisheries Division

Photo: Outfall drop at the outlet of a culvert pre-construction, Wishkah River tributary, Chehalis River watershed, 2010./Caída del agua a la salida de un tubo de desagüe antes de que el tubo fuera remplazado con uno más grande,  afluente del Río Wishkah, Cuenca del río Chehalis, 2010.

The Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program supports and implements fish passage barrier removal projects.  Culverts are typically the culprits.  Fish passage barriers can be created if the culvert outlet is too high and fish are not be able to jump up to the culvert.  If the culvert is too small for the stream, it can be a water velocity barrier for fish and other aquatic organisms when water velocity exceeds their swimming capability.  The CFRP works with many partner organizations to open up streams to allow fish, and other aquatic organisms, access to high quality habitat for rearing and spawning.  Nearly 30% of all projects supported by the CFRP over the last 18 years increased stream connectivity by removing barriers.   During the last decade, over 125 stream miles of salmon habitat were opened.  Fish passage projects often incorporate large wood to the project, which adds structure and cover for juvenile fish.  These projects often also involve stream-side plantings to provide shade and cover to help keep stream temperatures cooler and more optimal for fish and other stream creatures.

Photo: Newly re-opened stream provides coho salmon access to rearing habitat, Wishkah River tributary, Chehalis River watershed, 2010./Proyecto de restauración donde una barrera que impedía el paso de los peces fue eliminada y ahora  provee acceso a hábitat para las crías de salmón de la especie coho, afluente del Río Wishkah, Cuenca del río Chehalis, 2010.

El Programa de Restauración de Pesquerías del Río Chehalis, (CFRP, por sus siglas en inglés) apoya e implementa proyectos que se dedican a eliminar barreras que obstruyen el paso de los peces.  Los culpables de que existan estas barreras suelen ser los tubos que se usan para conducir el agua.  Las barreras de obstrucción pueden crearse si la salida del tubo que conduce el agua se encuentra demasiado alta y los peces no son capaces de saltar hasta el tubo cuando están nadando corriente arriba. Si el tubo es demasiado reducido, éste puede convertirse en una barrera de velocidad de la corriente para los peces y otros organismos acuáticos cuando la velocidad del agua que pasa a través del tubo excede su capacidad de nadar contra la corriente.  El CFRP trabaja con muchas organizaciones para eliminar estas barreras de obstrucción para abrirles paso a los peces y otras especies acuáticas para que tengan acceso a un hábitat de alta calidad para su desove y cría. Casi el 30% de todos los proyectos en los cuales el CFRP ha participado, durante los últimos 18 años, han ayudado a incrementar la conectividad de las corrientes de los ríos como resultado de haber eliminado estas barreras.  Durante la última década, se restauraron más de 125 millas de hábitat para el salmón.  Los proyectos de eliminación de barreras que impiden el paso de los peces a menudo incorporan en los ríos troncos y trozas grandes de arboles, los cuales ayudan a crear un hábitat que favorece especialmente a las crías de los peces.  Asimismo, estos proyectos a menudo también involucran la siembra de plantas que proporcionan sombra y cubertura, que ayudan a mantener el agua fresca, con temperaturas óptimas para los peces y otras especies acuáticas. 

Protecting the rare streaked horned lark through partnerships

By Amanda Fortin, outreach specialist, External Affairs, USFWS Pacific Region

Photo credit: David Maloney

The streaked horned lark, a rare subspecies of the horned lark found only in small parts of Oregon and Washington, has been confirmed for the first time on Tenasillahee Island—thanks to partnerships and the help of “the Lark Defenders.”

Situated in the middle of the Columbia river, Tenasillahee Island is part of a series of small islands that make up the Julia Butler Hansen refuge for the Columbian white tailed Deer. The island is also a disposal site for dredging operations run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Port of Portland to maintain proper channel depth for ship passage.

As Rob Beringer, the shore superintendent of Dredge Oregon for the Port of Portland, scanned the sandy island terrain where his crew would soon dump tons of silt from the bottom of the Columbia River, he saw a brown and white blur out of the corner of his eye.

The blur turned out to be a bird. Beringer quickly realized, however, that this was not just any bird, “I knew it was a juvenile streaked horned lark and that they are both rare and fragile.” Beringer identified the bird thanks to his own online research and training from partnering agencies.

Beringer contacted one of those partnering agencies and spoke to Jon Gornick, dredge operations manager for the Corps. Gornick reasoned that, “the presence of a juvenile bird indicated the presence of a nest,” and felt a buffer zone should be established, “to be mindful of the breeding site but still allow the work to be done.”

Gornick reached out to Hannah Anderson, regional rare species program manager for the Center for Natural Lands Management and expert on Columbia River larks. Anderson “recommended that they have a buffer of 100 feet.”

Finding evidence of streaked horned larks breeding on Tenasillahee Island came as a “pleasant surprise” to Cat Brown, wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the streaked horned lark lead in Oregon. “We detected larks there in the past but not regularly,” said Brown.

The streaked horned lark is a candidate species, and the Service is currently reviewing its status to determine if it warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. Regular surveys for the last several years have found a small but persistent population of larks on the sandy islands in the lower Columbia River.

The crews cordoned off the area as Anderson recommended. It was a little problematic because it was in the middle of our disposal area so we could only run one disposal pipe instead of two around their perimeter,” said Beringer. The Corps continued its work despite reduced capacity and space, giving Anderson the “warm and fuzzies” because, “they could have easily dumped on the larks and no one would have known.”

The streaked horned lark couple and their young continued nesting undisturbed, and Gornick and Beringer were dubbed “the lark Defenders” by Anderson. “Their teams really went the extra mile to protect these rare birds,” said Anderson. “You can almost imagine them in superhero outfits!” said Brown.

While Gornick and Beringer don’t think they will be donning capes anytime soon, they are both pleased at the collaborative help they provided for the streaked horned lark. “We are coordinating with the Fish and Wildlife Service on what to do to help, altering our operation to get work done and not impact the birds,” said Gornick. “I think we did the right thing. It slowed us down but we were able to both dispose on the island and save the baby larks, a twofold win,” added Beringer. 

Rob Beringer, shore superintendent for Dredge Oregon, stands next to the vehicle that inspired his nickname - “Lark Defender”

Photo credit: Hannah Anderson

Snowy Plover Recovery Trends Upward

Initial Numbers Indicate Record Year

CORVALLIS, ORE. – Early population survey results of the Pacific coast western snowy plover indicate another highly successful year towards recovery of the species listed as threatened under both federal and state Endangered Species Acts.

Numbers from this year’s field count indicate there were a total of 315 nests, the highest number of nests found in a given year.  Roughly 173 chicks fledged from those nests, one more than last year’s total, and the highest number since monitoring began in 1990.

“This is really fantastic news,” said Dave Lauten, a wildlife biologist with the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, Portland State University. “Overall, despite a pretty wet spring through most of June, the plovers did very well,” he added.

Snowy plover habitat ranges from Baja, Mexico north to the southern beaches of Washington. Numbers surveyed include only plovers nesting in Oregon.

While many variables figure into improved numbers, predator management and public support play a large part in ongoing recovery of the species.

A lot of thanks go to beach visitors who help out by observing signs and leashing their dogs to give plovers space to successfully nest and rear their young. One of the biggest challenges to ongoing recovery of the species is keeping plover nests intact through the breeding season—safe from walkers, dogs, and vehicles.

While there is much to be pleased about, there still remain some individual breeding sites that were not very productive, so there is room for improvement.  Luckily, the number of adult plovers – 290 for 2012, the highest estimate since intense monitoring began in 1990 - is gradually increasing and they can produce enough young birds to keep heading towards recovery of the species.

“Volunteerism is invaluable to plover management on the Central Oregon Coast,” according Cindy Burns, wildlife biologist for the Central Coast Ranger District and Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. “We have help cleaning the nesting sites of winter storm litter, roping off nesting areas, and having people staged to make contact to help explain the importance of plover recovery,” Burns said.

In 2012 seven volunteers staged at nesting sites on the Oregon Dunes to alert visitors of dry sand closures and answer questions about the plover.

Graph Trend

Nesting Season

The nesting season for the western snowy plover ended mid-September and access restrictions put into place on Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service and state lands last spring was lifted, granting visitors access to the dry sand portions of area beaches.

Dry sand closures ended for habitat sites at Sutton Beach, Siltcoos Estuary, Oregon Dunes Day Use, Tahkenitch Estuary, Tenmile Estuary (northern Coos County), the North Spit of Coos Bay, Bandon Beach State Natural Area, and New River area beaches. The access restrictions affected 18 miles of beach in Oregon.

Even though the official nesting season is over, biologists caution plovers are still active and ask people to pay attention when they are on the beach.

About eighty percent of plovers that nest in Oregon stay here year around, according to Burns.

“Wintering birds trying to maintain fat reserves to survive the winter can still be affected by human activities,” she added. “Birds that maintain energy reserves during the winter will be healthier when spring nesting resumes”.

The Snowy Plover

The western snowy plover is a small shorebird, about 6 inches long, that lays its eggs and raises it young in the open dry sand. The Pacific coast population of the western snowy plover was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as threatened in 1993. 

Photo: wikimedia, creative commons

By Russ MacRae, USFWS Field Supervisor, Eastern Washington Field Office

Gibson Guitar Corp. settled a criminal enforcement case with the United States recently over their alleged illegal importation of rosewood and ebony from Madagascar and India to make guitar fingerboards. Fingerboards, by the way, are the top portion of the neck of the guitar where, as you might expect, the player presses their fingers to make different notes.  For a music aficionado, the better the fingerboard, the better the look and sound of the guitar.

Some considered this another example of the “feds” over-reaching into the well-meaning affairs of a well-respected private company.  After all, don’t the feds have better things to do in these tough budget times than make a stink about a few trees?  Well, aside from the fact that Gibson seems to have broken the law, they knowingly or not, acted as a small but important cog in the complex mechanics of international environmental degradation.  

We, like Gibson Guitar Corp., all play a part in in the slow and steady pressure on our environment, and we, Gibson Guitar Corp. and the “feds” all have a duty to do what we can to temper this degradation.  More people, more demand, more pressure. But Fingerboards?  Really? How much “environmental degradation” could possibly come from importation of a few fingerboards? Actually, quite a bit.  But first, let’s go back in time and talk feathers.  

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