Birds of prey can be seen this spring and summer at West Virginia state parks, and not just in the sky and trees. Park visitors and guests will be introduced to eagles and other raptors throughout the summer program series, “Wings of Wonder – Birds of Prey” from May through September. The presentation of live birds by Three Rivers Avian Center (TRAC) is an up-close look at live hawks, owls and eagles. The program includes information about habitats, diet and behavior of each bird presented, the most common causes of injury to each species, and the laws protecting these special
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As temperatures start to climb, birds begin their annual spring migration and also begin breeding. American Bird Conservancy (ABC) often gets asked, particularly during the spring, “How can I help the birds?” Here are the top ten things ABC recommends people do to aid or protect birds in their homes and yards. According to Dr. George Fenwick, President of ABC, “Birds need help now more than ever. In addition to the ongoing threat of loss of habitat, staggering numbers of birds are directly killed due to a number of other human-related causes. Scientists estimate that 300 million to one billion
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According to the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) website, bird watchers from 103 countries made history in the first global GBBC last month on February 15–18. In the largest worldwide bird count ever, bird watchers set new records, counting 34,512,432 birds on 134,935 checklists in four days—and recording 3,610 species, nearly one-third of the world’s total bird species. The GBBC is an annual event where everyday people tally the number of individual birds of each species they see during the count period. These numbers are then recorded on the GBBC website and added to the global data. This data is
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Experienced bird watchers are needed to fill vacant bird monitoring routes in eastern Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. These routes are organized by the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), which is used to track long-term population changes of many bird species. The driving routes also offer opportunities to visit scenic destinations in Ohio. “Ecotourism and destination birding are popular vacation activities, and Ohio offers opportunities for both through the Breeding Bird Survey,” said Nathan Stricker, Division of Wildlife biologist and BBS state coordinator. “A morning of bird watching and sightseeing in
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On March 27, the U.S. Forest Service’s Wings Across the Americas program honored the Eastern Golden Eagle Working Group, an international collaboration of biologists and wildlife managers from 20 institutions in the United States and Canada, with its 2013 Research and Management Partnership Award. Headed by Todd Katzner, a research biologist jointly funded by the U.S. Forest Service and West Virginia University, and Charles Maisonneuve of the Ministère des Ressources naturelles in Quebec, the Golden Eagle Working Group is identifying gaps in knowledge, prioritizing research needs, promoting science-based conservation and management actions, increasing public and governmental awareness, and coordinating the activities of managers and
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The Appalachian Ohio Weed Control Partnership received a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) small grant to restore and improve 438 acres of palustrine wetland and associated upland habitat at 12 sites in Ohio. The Partnership received $75,000 – the maximum amount that can be awarded – and their proposal ranked 6th out of 37 proposals for inland wetland projects. Improved forage, nesting, winter and brood rearing habitat from restoration activities will benefit wetland migratory and local birds – including mallard, wood duck, American widgeon, lesser scaup, ring-necked duck and other wetland dependent species. It will also improve habitat in priority forested landscapes identified
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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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