WildlifeConservationStamp.org is a collaborative effort to promote a new wildlife stamp and funding stream for our National Wildlife Refuges. We are birders, photographers, conservationists, wildlife rehabilitators, scientists, teachers and artists … joined by a common passion and concern for our nation’s wildlife and wild habitats. We propose the Wildlife Conservation Stamp to provide a consistent source of income…
Our Thanksgiving Tradition: Turkey Adoption
There are a few posts I recycle annually, this Thanksgiving piece being one of them. Farm Sanctuary, where we’ve “adopted” our turkeys in previous years by making a donation, was the first farm sanctuary I learned about years ago when I was looking for a more animal-friendly way to celebrate the holiday with friends and…
Livestock Production, Wildlife & Food Choices
Edited 11/9/12: I received some additional links which expand the discussion here, concerning the findings of the FAO report I link to below. I’ve noted a few corrections in the actual text. But, you can read a good summary of the points in this New York Times piece, Measuring Livestock’s Long Shadow. In this article…
The Deafening Sound of Man
My title here derives from a quote in this article about Dr. Bernie Krause: “A great silence is spreading over the natural world even as the sound of man is becoming deafening. Little by little the vast orchestra of life, the chorus of the natural world, is in the process of being quietened. There has…
The Sac Bee on USDA Wildlife Services
I knew about some of the lethal practices used by Wildlife Services, but I had no idea about the extent of usage and implementation. This three-part series from the Sacramento Bee is a really tough read (as in painful), but I think it’s information worth knowing: The Killing Agency (Part 1) and Part Two by…
How Do You Feel About Wing Tags?
Edited 4/4/12 to add: I got a note from the biologist associated with this study, who gave me some background on the hawk pictured here. It’s a juvenile female who was tagged last August 2011 at SeaTac Airport. She — along with the other hawks who are trapped and tagged — was taken up to…
“Windstalk” Energy and Birds
I came upon this story on my local birding list this morning. It’s a Discovery News piece about Windstalks — windmill alternatives — designed for the automobile-free, green city of Masdar, outside of Abu Dhabi. Windstalks, conceived by the New York firm Atelier DNA, won second place in the 2010 Land Art Generator competition which…
Having a Heart for Horses
In commemoration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday: “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way. ” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. I’ve…
Part 3: Our Economic Potential As Birders & Wildlife Watchers
This is Part 3 (of 3) in a series on non-hunting revenue streams for our National Wildlife Refuge system. In Part 1 I talk about the issues surrounding the current funding system. In Part 2, I interview Marlin Greene who’s been producing an alternative refuge stamp since 2006, to draw attention to this subject. Edited…
Part 2: The Non Hunters’ Stamp
In the first part of this three-part series, I posted about the funding issues that shape land-use decisions on National Wildlife Refuges.You can read that post here: Part 1: Non-Hunters and National Wildlife Refuges.In Part 3 I discuss how birders, photographers and wildlife watchers can capitalize on their economic power. Here, I interview photographer Marlin…
