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Friday, March 31, 2017

Scientists Discover UFO Jelly Fish





#EpicWildlife


Small Lizard is Super Feisty!



#CoyotePeterson #BraveWilderness

Sweet Revenge | Bumblebees | Bumblebees

Wildlife Exposure to Rat Poison





We've documented widespread exposure to rat poison in bobcats, coyotes, and mountain lions. Alternatives:

NOAA Restoration Center





The Exxon Valdez oil spill was 28 years ago--it led to the creation of the NOAA Restoration Center. See what we've accomplished since then:

Pre-spawn Walleye

#Friday

From Midwest Fisheries Center:




Our field crews have been out monitoring for invasive species but catch many other fish as well. Here is a very thick pre-spawn walleye that found it's way into a net near Dubuque and we snapped a quick picture before it was released. This one has an extra stocky build to it. Photo: Katie Lieder/USFWS 




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A Jewel of a Mussel!

#Friday

From USFWS Fisheries:




A Jewel of a Mussel! Like pirates searching for treasure, biologists scour the St. Croix River for winged mapleleaf mussels to raise future generations at Genoa National Fish Hatchery.http://bit.ly/2m4W9 

National Park Service 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

Phone: Sarah Sorenson/USFWS 




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Emporer Goose

#Friday

From U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Alaska:




Emperor goose subsistence season opens for the first time in more than 30 years. The annual spring/summer federal subsistence migratory bird harvest regulations for 2017 will take effect on Sunday, April 2nd. http://bit.ly/2okab74
Photo: Emperor Goose by Lisa Hupp/USFWS 




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Gray Tree Frog

From USFWS Northeast Region:




This gray tree frog is berry excited for the weekend!#TGIF




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Mule Deer

#Friday

From U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mountain-Prairie Region:




This mule deer on Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge is just one of #350species that rely on the#sagebrush ecosystem. 




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Male Mallard Duck

#Friday

From Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge:




Mallard 

Jessica Bolser/USFWS 




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Moose crossing stream on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest

From U.S. Forest Service:




Moose crossing stream on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest 




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Graphite Drawing of a Pair of Canada Geese

From Necedah National Wildlife Refuge:




Announcing Wisconsin’s 2017 Best of Show for the Jr. Duck Stamp Contest! Rene Christensen, 17 of Nekoosa High School, takes top honors this year with her graphite drawing of a pair of Canada geese. Well done Rene! Best of luck to you at the National Contest on April 21 in Charleston! 

Photo of the original art work by USFWS 




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Roads in Yellowstone National Park

#Friday

From U.S. Department of the Interior:




Some cleared roads in Yellowstone National Park opened for bicyclists this week. Work continues to open major routes to cars by April 21. Soon, millions of people will visit the park to enjoy its amazing natural wonders. Just remember, bison always have the right of way. Photo by National Park Service. — at Yellowstone National Park




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Holding a HUGE Centipede!





#CoyotePeterson #BraveWilderness


Marine Debris

#Friday

From NOAA Digital Coast:




Since 2006 NOAA Office of Response and Restoration has removed 5,500 metric tons of debris from our oceans & coasts.More on #marinedebris https://go.usa.gov/xXkeK




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The Threatened, Not Endangered, Manatee

#Friday

From USFWS Endangered Species:




TGIF with another #ESASuccess story! Thanks to conservation partnerships inspired by the Endangered Species Act, the manatee has been reclassified from endangered, to the less critical category of threatened. This is a major milestone for manatee recovery! http://bit.ly/2nqR4nL




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Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

#Friday

From Hopewell Culture National Historical Park:




Signs of spring are popping up along our trails! Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is in bloom on the Mound City Group nature trail. Get out this weekend and look for more spring colors at your national park.

#FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque
NPS photo/R.Raisanen




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There has been a bit of a resurgence of winter this week at Rocky!

#Friday

From Rocky Mountain National Park:




There has been a bit of a resurgence of winter this week at Rocky! Spring snow on the East side of the park is not only typical this time of year, but it is also an important part of the hydrologic cycle. Precipitation during the winter and spring eventually makes it way down to the Front Range where it gets reabsorbed into the atmosphere. Easterly and southerly summer winds cycle the water back to the Rockies where it falls as rain. Spring snow reduces the risks of both drought and fire in the park. 
(NPS Photo by Hope Ozolins) ct 




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Spring Burning Season

#Friday #USFWS

From St. Croix Wetland Management District:




Our Spring burning season started this week when we burned an oak savanna at Prairie Flats South WPA. Spring burn on Prairie Flats WPA: Photo by David McConnell/USFWS




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Red-winged Blackbirds

#Friday

From Great River and Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuges:




“Birds of a feather flock together,” is particularly true with blackbirds. They are noisy, announcing their spring arrival.

Photo: Red-winged blackbirds by Candy Chambers/USFWS. 




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At the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Cactus with unusual buds at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Interesting sculpture at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Desert Snow Bush (Maireana sedifolia) at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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At the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Bougainvillea at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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At the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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At the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Springtime at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




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Herb Garden at the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona. March 23, 2017.




Thursday, March 30, 2017

Importance of Estuaries




generate >75% of U.S. commercial fish catch, & even more of the recreational fish catch (and fish caught by other wildlife!)


A Path Over Every Mountain





"Over every mountain there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley." Theodore Roethke (NPS Photo Tim Rains)

New Zealand's Giant Bird Monsters | Wild New Zealand

Can a Snake Cure Fear?



#CoyotePeterson #BraveWilderness





11 Worlds's WORST Invasive Species



#EpicWildlife

These Game Wardens Are Helping An Injured Bald Eagle | Lone Star Law





#AnimalPlanet


Preening Sandhill Crane

#Thursday

From Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge:




Sandhill cranes preen their feathers with mud to better blend in with their surroundings. Look close to see the mud on this crane's beak and neck feathers! The red tint to the mud comes from iron in the soil and also from plant compounds (tannins) found in some water. 

Photo: Sandhill Crane Preening courtesy of Bob Schneider. 




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Keeping a Watchful Eye

#Thursday

From Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex:




Neighborhood Watch: One of the refuge volunteers was on a bike ride with friends on Lower Sugarloaf Key this week. When they finished their ride they decided to go for a swim at the local park near Sammy's Creek. It was then they noticed that the "neighborhood watch" team was keeping an eye on them.

Photo: Loretta Gallant 




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Happy birthday to National Conservation Lands!

#Thursday

From Bureau of Land Management:




Happy birthday to National Conservation Lands! On March 30, 2009, Former President Obama signed into law the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. The act congressionally established the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System. Read more about National Conservation Lands:https://on.doi.gov/2odEdsZ

(Photo of Snake River in Idaho. Photo by Bob Wick) 




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Guided Nature Walk at Don Edwards Refuge

From San Francisco Bay NWR Complex:




It's looking to be a gorgeous day this Saturday. Start your weekend off right by joining us in a guided nature walk at Don Edwards Refuge in Fremont at 10:30 a.m. Meet in front of the Visitor Center. #HealthyParksHealthyPeopleBayAreaPhoto: Srikanth Srinivasan 




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Living Fences

#Thursday

From Homestead National Monument of America:




Imagine you were going to build a fence. You collect your lumber, check the garage for tools, and head to the hardware store to purchase whatever else you may need. But wait. What if instead, you planted a fence? 

Living fences, such as the Osage Orange hedgerow planted by Daniel Freeman, offer a more sustainable and longer-lasting boundary for your Homestead. When woven together these fast-growing trees produced a "pig tight, horse high, and bull strong," fence. One bushel of seed would yield 30,000 plants, enough for 6 miles of fence! This was a popular solution to the fencing problem on the treeless prairie. The original Osage orange hedgerow planted on Daniel's homestead has survived a century!

#HomesteadNM #ModernMonday#MondernHomesteadingMonday#HomesteadAct1862 #Homestead #Homesteading#NPS101 #NPS 





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Funny Things

#Thursday

From Midwest National Parks:




"From there to here, from here to there, funny things are everywhere!" - Dr. Seuss 

#MidwestNPS




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Wildlife Action Plans

#Thursday

From USFWS Northeast Region:




Wildlife does not exist in a vacuum and neither can conservation. That is one of the reasons states create Wildlife Action Plans. These plans lay out the needed conservation to protect wildlife in each state. The largest one weighs 14 pounds (that's a lot of conservation!) Learn more athttp://bit.ly/2nzI6W7




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Gorgeous light lingers during sunset at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

#Thursday

From U.S. Department of the Interior:




Gorgeous light lingers during sunset at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. This amazing shot from the South Rim was taken a few months ago after a winter storm. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Hilgers. — at Grand Canyon National Park




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Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge

#Thursday

From U.S. Department of the Interior:




An impressive mix of pine savannas and wetlands, Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge straddles the border of Alabama and Mississippi and preserves a uniquely southern environment. With only 5 percent of wet pine savanna remaining across its originally range, the refuge is home to many unusual plants, including 9 species of carnivorous plants. Discover these and other marvels as you explore this remarkable place. Photo by Tom Carlisle via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service




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Waterfowl on the Niemackle Slough Waterfowl Production Area in Stevens County

#Thursday #USFWS

From Morris Wetland Management District:




Waterfowl on the Niemackle Slough Waterfowl Production Area in Stevens County

Alex Galt/USFWS 




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Beautiful sunset overlooking National Key Deer Refuge tonight

#Thursday #USFWS

From Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges Complex:




Beautiful sunset overlooking National Key Deer Refuge tonight.

Photo: USFWS 




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Can you believe Maryland has 3,190 miles of coastline?!

#Thursday

From NOAA Digital Coast:




Can you believe Maryland has 3,190 miles of coastline?! Discover more coastal facts here:https://go.usa.gov/xXkja




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