Calling all communications and marketing professionals! MNA is looking for a talented communications coordinator to join our team in Okemos (in the greater Lansing area). Duties will include overseeing the MNA blog! Think you or someone you know would be a fit? Application information follows the job description. Continue reading
Each week, MNA gathers news stories from around the state and the globe. Here is some of what happened this week in environmental news:
The Karner’s range extends from eastern Minnesota and eastward to the Atlantic seaboard. Image: USFWS Midwest
Imperiled butterfly leads way for conservation of climate sensitive species (Great Lakes Echo): The Karner blue butterfly population in Michigan is down, and experts say the state’s dry winters, hot summers, and inconsistent precipitation are to blame. Conservation strategies like oak savanna restoration have helped the Karner blues, as well as a number of state threatened and endangered plants. With additional pressure from climate change, scientists are seeking new approaches to protect the butterflies and other rare species.
There are now just three wolves left on Isle Royale (IFL Science): Wolves and moose have been observed for decades on Isle Royale National Park. Wolves access the remote island by walking over ice bridges from land near the Minnesota-Ontario border. Typically, between 18 and 27 wolves are seen each year and there may have been as many as 50 at one time. Last winter, there were nine wolves. The wolf population began declining in 2009, plummeting by 88 percent. The dwindling frequency of ice bridges means fewer new or visiting wolves can access Isle Royale.
Scientists and religious leaders discuss climate change at Vatican (The New York Times): Scientists, diplomats and religious and political leaders gathered at the Vatican on Tuesday to discuss climate change and its impact on poverty. In September, the pope is expected to address Congress and a United Nations summit meeting on sustainable development to reiterate his environmental message. Following Tuesday’s symposium, the participants released a statement underscoring their environmental concerns.
Whooping crane, No. 27-14, that was spotted in Michigan. Photo courtesy of Rhoda Johnson.
Rare whooping crane spotted in Southwest Michigan land preserve (MLive): Local birdwatcher Rhoda Johnson reported seeing an endangered whooping crane at the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy’s Topinabee Preserve near Niles earlier this month. There are only about 600 whooping cranes in the world and the bird Johnson saw in Southwest Michigan was raised at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland and has a tracking device. She was released in Wisconsin last September and has migrated from Kentucky to Wisconsin, Indiana, and now Southwest Michigan.
Michigan Nature Association 