Modoc suckers, Monarch butterflies, and climate change: this week in environmental news

Service Removes Modoc Sucker from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Press Release): The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that, thanks to decades of collaborative conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), it is removing the Modoc sucker from the Act’s protections. This marks the second-time that a fish has been ‘delisted’ due to recovery. The Modoc sucker is a small fish native to the Upper Pit River Watershed in Southern Oregon and Northeastern California. The fish was listed as endangered in 1985 due to habitat loss and degradation from overgrazing, situation and channelization due to agriculture practices. The recovery of the Modoc sucker is a great victory for conservation, for the Endangered Species Act, and for our natural heritage.

Modoc sucker taken off Endangered Species List. Photo: USFWS

Trust fund awards $28 million for Michigan public lands projects (Great Lakes Echo): Michigan’s Natural Resources Trust Fund will award nearly $28 million for public lands projects, including funds for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Parks and Recreation divisions. The DNR Wildlife Division will get $2.47 million for a Petobego State Game Area in Grand Traverse County land acquisition project. The primary goal is to provide essential habitats for migratory and resident wildlife and create opportunities for hunting, trapping, fishing, and wildlife viewing.

Report: Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Reserve Lost 24 Acres (ABC News): Studies found that illegal loggers clear-cut at least 24 acres in the monarch butterflies’ wintering ground in central Mexico this year. The butterflies depend on the pine and fir forests west of Mexico City to shelter them against cold and rain. Environmentalists called on authorities to stop illegal logging in the butterfly reserve.

A kaleidoscope of Monarch butterflies hang from a tree branch, in the Piedra Herrada sanctuary. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell

Oneida Lake among hundreds worldwide warming due to climate change: study (Syracuse.com): A new study of more than 200 lakes around the world show that many – including Oneida Lake – are warming so rapidly that toxic algae outbreaks could become more frequent. Increasing warmth in lakes is projected to increase algal blooms by 20%, and toxic blooms by 5%, according to NASA. The warmer water could also alter the balance of ecosystems and threaten the livelihood of people who depend on fish from the lakes.

Triple Your Impact

Hurry before the 2015 tax year is over!

There is still time to make your tax-deductible gift for 2015 and have your donation matched two-to-one.

Thanks to generous anonymous donors, all gifts to MNA of $35 or more will be matched, two-to-one, up to $5,000. That means your $35 gift generates $105 for the protection of Michigan’s natural heritage.

And, it gets better!

If you enroll in our Monthly Protector Program the match increases to three-to-one, up to $1,000, and you can quadruple your impact!

MNA’s Monthly Protector Program is a convenient way to help protect Michigan’s natural heritage and spread your gift out over a period of time. By authorizing MNA to automatically charge your credit card or checking account an amount of your choice ($10 minimum) every month, you provide sustainable support to help MNA acquire, protect, and maintain critical habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species throughout the year.

Send your year-end gift in the mail today, make a secure donation online, or give us a call at (866) 223-2231.

Thank you for all that you do to help MNA build a brighter future for Michigan!

Christmas Bird Count, rehabbing reefs, and piping plovers: this week in environmental news

Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count takes off Dec. 14 (Mother Nature Network): The 116^th annual Christmas Bird Count begins Dec. 14, and scientists are relying on more than 70,000 volunteers to help them gather data about birds across the Western Hemisphere. Information gathered from the CBC will help scientists pinpoint priority areas for conservation efforts.

For the fourth season in a row, the 115th bird count documented a major flight of snowy owls southward. Photo: mO1229/flickr

Limestone dumped in Lake Michigan aims to rehab reef (Detroit Free Press): About 450 tons of limestone have been dumped into Lake Michigan as part of an effort to rehabilitate a northern Michigan reef and boost native fish populations. The limestone was put in a reef complex in Grand Traverse Bay near Elk Rapids where lake trout, lake whitefish, and lake herring are known to spawn. The fishes’ populations plummeted due to overfishing, degraded habitat, and invasive species, so the project team hopes rehabilitating the reef will help native fish keep eggs safe from predators and the harsh winter.

Smart Science: App Helps Protect Shorebirds (U.S. Department of the Interior Blog): Rob Thieler, U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, is combining science and smartphone technology to help study a threatened bird – the Atlantic Coast piping plover. Rising sea levels and storm surges associated with climate change, as well as increased development in their beach habitats, threaten the species. To help track changes in piping plover habitat, Thieler developed a free app called iPlover. All the information scientists and citizen scientists alike collect helps federal and state agencies create policy plans for addressing climate change impacts worldwide.

A piping plover stands on a beach with three small chicks. Photo: USFWS

Tradition, science join to combat emerald ash borer (Great Lakes Echo): A new study shows how science and traditional Native American cultural traditions can combat emerald ash borer. The collaboration showed how the traditional practice of submerging black ash logs until they’re ready to use for basket-making can kill borer larvae and prevent adults from emerging. In their two-year study, they discovered that keeping logs in a stream for at least 14 weeks during the spring and for at least 18 weeks during the winter kills all the larvae and prevent adults from emerging. The study said the project illustrates the value of meshing scientific and traditional knowledge to seek solutions to environmental problems.

Giving Back on Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday follows the holiday shopping season’s busiest days, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is a global day to celebrate generosity and our common goal to build a brighter future.

This Giving Tuesday, consider giving to help MNA protect critical habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species. Without your help, much of our work would not be possible.

Support Michigan Nature on Giving Tuesday

MNA Protectors automatically contribute each month providing sustainable, predictable support to help MNA acquire, protect, and maintain our over  170 nature sanctuaries across the state. As a Protector, your credit card or bank account will automatically be charged an amount you choose ($10 minimum) each month.

MNA has obtained a challenge grant that will match the first two months of all new Protectors at a 3:1 ratio, up to $1,000. That means a new $25 Protector will provide $200 to help protect Michigan’s rare, threatened, and endangered species, expand MNA’s statewide network of sanctuaries, and connect children with nature.

To give a tax-deductible gift, visit the MNA website or call us toll-free at 866-223-2231.

Share how you’re giving back on Giving Tuesday! Use the hashtag #GivingTuesday and be sure to connect with MNA on Facebook and Twitter.

Thank you for all that you do for Michigan. Together, we build a brighter future.