About 47 million people spent time watching birds in 2011. That’s about 20 percent of the U.S. population age 16 and older. Spring and fall are some of the best times to see some of their amazing feats of migration. USA Todaytakes advantage of the fall migration to ask readers to choose their favorite bird-watching spot. National wildlife refuges figure prominently in the nominations: Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, (The city Cape May is the nominee.), Laguna Atascosa and Santa Ana National Wildlife
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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens today announced the state awarded $280,000 in Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) grants for urban forestry projects to small and large communities across New York. The Urban Forestry grants are part of New York’s ongoing initiatives to address climate change and environmental justice. The projects target local environmental needs and can truly benefit the community and the environment, including watershed protection. “Urban forestry programs are vital in promoting clean air, clean water, energy savings, habitat creation and an improved quality of life for New York residents,” Commissioner Martens said. “The
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The International Wood Thrush Conservation Alliance (Alliance) is a consortium of scientists and conservation biologists from academic institutions, agencies, and non-profits in Central and North America. It is focused on conserving Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) populations using the best available science and raising awareness about the conservation needs of associated forest birds and their habitats. Our specific mission is to ensure the long-term viability of Wood Thrush populations and the habitats on which they depend through science-based, full life cycle conservation planning, management, and education. Our Goals include: Develop and implement a science-based, full life-cycle conservation plan that is focused
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Land change is a signature activity of human civilization. Since the dawn of history, people have purposefully converted natural landscapes to human-dominated areas. Typical motivations for land change are cultivation (e.g. slash-and-burn fields, rice paddies, modern farms); occupation (villages, cities, housing developments); and other cultural and economic pursuits (roads, schools, airports). Through time the surface of the earth has become a mosaic of natural and cultural landscapes. Each patch of the mosaic forms part of a diverse, yet interconnected set of landscapes ranging from relatively pristine natural ecosystems to completely human-dominated urban and industrial areas. The scale of landscape change
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Will the eastern hemlock — a tree that has been around for 10,000 years, often lives 300 years, and can live as long as 800 years — be wiped out by an invasive cousin of the aphid known as the hemlock woolly adelgid? Maybe not. When a Virginia Tech faculty member and her graduate student examined eastern hemlocks in six states from Massachusetts to Georgia, they had some unexpected results. “We wanted to see if there was a silver lining in this otherwise doom-and-gloom story, so we examined the few eastern hemlock trees that have survived the insect infestation,” said
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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said today that in fiscal year 2014, the U.S. Forest Service invested a total of $20 million in partnerships that supported work and training opportunities for 11,000 youth and veterans on national forests and grasslands. Service members worked on projects that addressed restoration, hazardous fuels, watershed protection, wilderness stewardship, recreation access, facilities management, trail maintenance, and other natural and cultural resource priorities. “The partnerships associated with developing the next generation of conservationists offer an opportunity to connect veterans and our young people to the great outdoors,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This program engages veterans and
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Click here to view and download the 2023 AMJV Partnership Year in Review!
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The 2023 AMJV Impact Report is now available for downloading and sharing! Starting in 2022, this beautiful report has been designed annually by Liz Brewer (AMJV Outreach Specialist) to…
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by Liz Brewer, AMJV Outreach Specialist Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV), in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and the West Virginia…
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