2 Thumbs up Award -Leatherbacks win!

February 2, 2012 at 6:03 pm (ancient animals, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, saving oceans/waterways, saving the environment, sea life, turtles, working together)
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2 Thumbs Up Award goes to SeaTurtles.org and One World One Ocean

These two organizations and their dedicated volunteers have saved the habitat off our western coast for the leatherbacks at last!

-Mother Nature and all of us mere mortals are very grateful.

The news about new protections for Pacific leatherbacks along the U.S. West Coast made major headlines and is gaining momentum!  Nearly 42,000 square miles of ocean along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington will be permanently protected for these ancient ocean dwellers. The new protections take effect Feb. 27, 2012.

Check out the video.

Excerpts courtesy of  Sea Turtle Restoration Project  @seaturtles.org

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“2 Thumbs Up Award -757 Imperiled Species protected”

September 10, 2011 at 5:04 am (Helping Mother /earth, insects, Nature's wonders, Saving endangered animals + plants, saving oceans/waterways, sea life, turtles, water/ice, working together)
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The “Two Thumbs Up Award”  goes to the Center of Biological Diversity and the the US Fish and Wildlife Service and an enlightened federal judge for helping save 757 threatened species. Thank you from Mother Nature and all of us at Nature’s Crusaders.

 

Court Approves Historic Agreement to Speed Endangered Species Act Protection for 757 Imperiled Species

Walrus, Wolverine, Albatross, Fisher, Mexican Gray Wolf, Sage Grouse,
Golden Trout Among Those Fast-tracked for Protection

TUCSON, Ariz.— A federal judge today approved a landmark legal agreement between the Center for Biological Diversity and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requiring the agency to make initial or final decisions on whether to add hundreds of imperiled plants and animals to the federal endangered species list by 2018. The court also approved an agreement with another conservation group that it had previously blocked based on legal opposition from the Center.

“The court’s approval today will allow this historic agreement to move forward, speeding protection for as many as 757 of America’s most imperiled species,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. “The historic agreement gives species like the Pacific walrus, American wolverine and California golden trout a shot at survival.”

The Center wrote scientific listing petitions and/or filed lawsuits to protect the 757 species as part of its decade-long campaign to safeguard 1,000 of America’s most imperiled, least protected species. Spanning every taxonomic group, the species protected by the agreement include 26 birds, 31 mammals, 67 fish, 22 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 197 plants and 381 invertebrates.

“With approval of the agreement, species from across the nation will be protected,” said Greenwald. “Habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species and other factors are pushing species toward extinction in all 50 states, and this agreement will help turn the tide.”

Individual species included in the agreement include the walrus, wolverine, Mexican gray wolf, New England cottontail rabbit, three species of sage grouse, scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper (‘i‘iwi), California golden trout and Rio Grande cutthroat trout — as well as 403 southeastern river-dependent species, 42 Great Basin springsnails and 32 Pacific Northwest mollusks.

The agreement, formalized today with the judge’s approval, was signed by the Center and the Fish and Wildlife Service on July 12. Already dozens of species have been proposed for listing, including the Miami blue butterfly, one of the rarest butterflies in the United States.

While the agreement encompasses nearly all the species on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s official list of “candidates” for Endangered Species Act protection, two-thirds of the species in the agreement (499) are not on the list. This corresponds with the conclusion of numerous scientists and scientific societies that the extinction crisis is vastly greater than existing federal priority systems and budgets.

“The Endangered Species Act specifically allows scientists, conservationists and others to submit petitions to protect species,” said Greenwald. “These petitions play a critical role in identifying species in need and help the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with the ever-expanding task of protecting species threatened with extinction.”

The species in the agreement occur in all 50 states and several Pacific island territories. The top three states in the agreement are Alabama, Georgia and Florida, with 149, 121 and 115 species respectively. Hawaii has 70, Nevada 54, California 51, Washington 36, Arizona 31, Oregon 24, Texas 22 and New Mexico 18.

An interactive map and a full list of the 757 species broken down by state, taxonomy, name and schedule of protection are available here.

Highlighted species are below.

Species Highlights

American wolverine: A bear-like carnivore, the American wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. It lives in mountainous areas of the West, where it depends on late-spring snowpacks for denning. The primary threats to its existence are shrinking snowpacks related to global warming, excessive trapping and harassment by snowmobiles.

The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list the wolverine as an endangered species in 1994. It was placed on the candidate list in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2013 and finalize the decision in 2014 if warranted.

Pacific walrus: A large, ice-loving, tusk-bearing pinniped, the Pacific walrus plays a major role in the culture and religion of many northern peoples. Like the polar bear, it is threatened by the rapid and accelerating loss of Arctic sea ice and oil drilling.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an endangered species in 2007. It was placed on the candidate list in 2011. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2017 and finalize the decision in 2018 if warranted.

Mexican gray wolf: Exterminated from, then reintroduced to the Southwest, the Mexican gray wolf lives in remote forests and mountains along the Arizona-New Mexico border. It is threatened by legal and illegal killing, which has hampered the federal recovery program, keeping the species down to 50 wild animals.

The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list it as an endangered species separate from other wolves in 2009. It is not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2012 and finalize the decision in 2013 if warranted.

Black-footed albatross: A large, dark-plumed seabird that lives in northwestern Hawaii, the black-footed albatross is threatened by longline swordfish fisheries, which kill it as bycatch.

The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list this albatross as an endangered species in 2004. It is not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection, determine it does not qualify, or find that it is warranted but precluded for protection in 2011.

Rio Grande cutthroat trout: Characterized by deep crimson slashes on its throat — hence the name “cutthroat” — the Rio Grande cutthroat is New Mexico’s state fish. It formerly occurred throughout high-elevation streams in the Rio Grande Basin of New Mexico and southern Colorado. Logging, road building, grazing, pollution and exotic species have pushed it to the brink of extinction.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an endangered species in 1998. It was placed on the candidate list in 2008. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2014 and finalize the decision in 2015 if warranted.

403 Southeast aquatic species: The southeastern United States contains the richest aquatic biodiversity in the nation, harboring 62 percent of the country’s fish species (493 species), 91 percent of its mussels (269 species) and 48 percent of its dragonflies and damselflies (241 species). Unfortunately the wholesale destruction, diversion, pollution and development of the Southeast’s rivers have made the region America’s aquatic extinction capital.

In 2010, the Center for Biological Diversity completed a 1,145-page, peer-reviewed petition to list 403 Southeast aquatic species as endangered, including the Florida sandhill crane, MacGillivray’s seaside sparrow, Alabama map turtle, Oklahoma salamander, West Virginia spring salamander, Tennessee cave salamander, Black Warrior waterdog, Cape Sable orchid, clam-shell orchid, Florida bog frog, Lower Florida Keys striped mud turtle, eastern black rail and streamside salamander.

Only 18 of Southeast aquatic species are on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue initial listing decisions on all 403 plants and animals in 2011.

Pacific fisher: A cat-like relative of minks and otters, the fisher is the only animal that regularly preys on porcupines. It lives in old-growth forests in California, Oregon and Washington, where it is threatened by logging.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list the fisher as an endangered species in 2000. It was placed on the candidate list in 2004. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2014 and finalize the decision in 2015 if warranted.

Cactus ferruginous pygmy owl: A tiny desert raptor, active in the daytime, the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl lives in southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It is threatened by urban sprawl and nearly extirpated from Arizona.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an endangered species in 1992. It was protected in 1997, then delisted on technical grounds in 2006. The Center repetitioned to protect it in 2007. It is not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2011 and finalize the decision in 2012 if warranted.

42 Great Basin springsnails: Living in isolated springs of the Great Basin and Mojave deserts, springsnails play important ecological roles cycling nutrients, filtering water and providing food to other animals. Many are threatened by a Southern Nevada Water Authority plan to pump remote, desert groundwater to Las Vegas.

In 2009, the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list 42 springsnails as endangered species, including the duckwater pyrg, Big Warm Spring pyrg and Moapa pebblesnail. None are on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue initial listing decisions on all 42 species in 2011.

Scarlet Hawaiian honeycreeper (‘I‘iwi): This bright-red bird hovers like a hummingbird and has long been featured in the folklore and songs of native Hawaiians. It is threatened by climate change, which is causing mosquitoes that carry introduced diseases — including avian pox and malaria — to move into the honeycreeper’s higher-elevations refuges. It has been eliminated from low elevations on all islands by these diseases.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an endangered species in 2010. It is not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2016 and finalize the decision in 2017 if warranted.

Ashy storm petrel: A small, soot-colored seabird that lives off coastal waters from California to Baja, Mexico, the ashy storm petrel looks like it’s walking on the ocean surface when it feeds. It is threatened by warming oceans, sea-level rise and ocean acidification.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it as an endangered species in 2007. It is not on the candidate list. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2013 and finalize the decision in 2014 if warranted.

Greater and Mono Basin sage grouse: Sage grouse are showy, ground-dwelling birds that perform elaborate mating dances, with males puffing up giant air sacks on their chests. The Mono Basin sage grouse lives in Nevada and California. The greater sage grouse lives throughout much of the Interior West. Both are threatened by oil and gas drilling, livestock grazing, development and off-road vehicles.

The Center for Biological Diversity and allies petitioned to list the Mono Basin sage grouse as an endangered species in 2005. It was placed on the candidate list in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2013 and finalize the decision in 2014 if warranted.

The greater sage grouse was petitioned for listing in 2002 and placed on the candidate list in 2010. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2015 and finalize the decision in 2016 if warranted.

Miami blue butterfly: An ethereal beauty native to South Florida and possibly the most endangered insect in the United States, the Miami blue

was thought extinct after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 but rediscovered in 1999. It is threatened by habitat loss and pesticide spraying.

It was petitioned for listing as an endangered species in 2000 and placed on the candidate list in 2005. The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to list it on an emergency basis in 2011. Under the agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was required to propose it for protection (or determine it does not qualify) in 2012 and finalize the decision in 2013 if warranted. In August, the agency protected the butterfly on an emergency basis. 

Oregon spotted frog: The Oregon spotted frog lives in wetlands from southernmost British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to northernmost California. It is threatened by habitat destruction and exotic species.

 

Press release provided by The Center for Biological Diversity http://goo.gl/DlFGk

Image courtesy of  http://goo.gl/bl00h

Image Ca. Golden trout courtesy of dfg.ca.gov http://goo.gl/1nNls

Image Pacific walrus courtesy of farnorthscience.com  http://goo.gl/P6MJE

Image Miami Blue butterfly courtesy of dep.state.fl.us  http://goo.gl/nTRNf

Image Oregon spotted frog courtesy of blm.gov  http://goo.gl/Cin8a

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“340+ dead sea turtles washed up in Gulf 2011″

June 10, 2011 at 11:21 pm (ancient animals, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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Turtles and the people of the Gulf of Mexico deserve a healthy environment to grow up in and raise their families in.

Tell Congress we demand the funding of research and the total financial support and co operational of the oil companies that caused the Deepwater Horizon disaster for as many decades as it takes to return the human and natural health to proper balance

The turtles and the people deserve it.

Gulf of Mexico may look “pristine” again after the disaster in 2010, but the sea life continue to die at record rates. We must stand

Kemps-Ridley sea turtle hatchlings

tall and strong and fund research to clean up our messes and insist that Congress take a proactive roll in energy conservation and making the oil companies fully responsible for the restoration of the Gulf’s marine and human life and livelihoods.

 Last year’s devastating Deepwater Horizon disaster was a serious blow for sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico. But the catastrophe for the sea turtles hasn’t ended yet.

Already this year, more than 340 dead sea turtles have washed ashore on the Gulf Coast — more than three times the annual average — and the death toll is likely to be much higher. Signs point to shrimp fishing as a likely cause for the spike in deaths — perhaps combined with the lingering effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Yet the government has not taken action to save these animals struggling to survive. Defenders and our conservation partners have launched a lifesaving lawsuit to protect sea turtles, but federal officials need to hear from you.

Yet the government has not taken action to save these animals struggling to survive. Defenders and our conservation partners have launched a lifesaving lawsuit to protect sea turtles, but federal officials need to hear from you. Take action now: Urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce lifesaving protections for threatened and endangered sea turtles in the Gulf.

Take action now: Urge the National Marine Fisheries Service to enforce lifesaving protections for threatened and endangered sea turtles in the Gulf.

https://secure.defenders.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=2183&autologin=true&JServSessionIdr004=twjkw1joq7.app226a

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“Endangered turtle populations dropping”

February 3, 2011 at 6:03 pm (ancient animals, animals, global warming, Saving endangered animals + plants, sea life, turtles, working together)
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Around the world in the Year of the Turtle, turtle populations are declining due to  climate changes, habitat loss and over-exploitation.


Historically, the common snapping turtle is widespread in the Eastern and Central United States, but not much is known about their current distribution. They are a target species for the USA Turtle Mapping Project currently being organized by Dede Olson of the US Forest Service. Credit: Mark Feldman

Sex affected nest temperature
The sex of some species of turtles is determined by the temperature of the nest: warm nests produce females, cooler nests, males. And although turtles have been on the planet for about 220 million years, scientists now report that almost half of the turtle species is threatened.

Turtle scientists are working to understand how global warming may affect turtle reproduction.

Why should we be concerned about the loss of turtles?

“Turtles are centrally nested in the food web and are symbols of our natural heritage. They hold a significant role in many cultures. For example, in many southeast Asian cultures turtles are used for food, pets, and medicine,” explains Deanna Olson, a research ecologist and co-chair of the Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation steering committee spearheading the Year of the Turtle campaign.

Turtles (which include tortoises) are central to the food web. Sea turtles graze on the sea grass found on the ocean floor, helping to keep it short and healthy. Healthy sea grass in turn is an important breeding ground for many species of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans.

The same processes hold for freshwater and land turtles. For example, turtles contribute to the health of marshes and wetlands, being important prey for a suite of predators. The Year of the Turtle activities, include a monthly newsletter showcasing research and conservation efforts, education and citizen science projects, turtle-themed art, literature, and cultural perspectives, says Olson, a scientist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station.

Turtles facts:

+ 50 percent of freshwater turtle species are threatened worldwide, more than any other animal group.

+ 20 percent of all turtle species worldwide are found in North America.

+ Habitat loss and exploitation are the biggest threat to turtles.

+ Climate change patterns, altered temperatures, affected wetlands and stream flow  are key factors that affect turtle habitats.

+ Urban and suburban development causes turtles to be victims to fast-moving cars, farm machinery; turtles can also be unintentionally caught in fishing nets.

Help conserve turtle populations?

+ Protect rare turtle and tortoise species and their habitats.

+ Manage common turtle species and their habitats so they may remain common.

+ Manage crisis situations such as acute hazards (i.e., oil spills) and rare species in peril.

Excerpts and Image courtesy of   http://bit.ly/gYErJY

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“Sea turtle lovers unite!”

January 27, 2011 at 4:54 pm (Saving endangered animals + plants, sea life, turtles)
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If you haven’t signed up already, this is a friendly reminder that you are invited to join our February 3rd Conservation Conference Call to hear what the Sea Turtle Restoration Project is doing to help protect Australia’s sea turtles – and how you can help!

The interactive call is scheduled for 6 p.m. U.S. Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, February 3, 2011. A call-in number will be sent when you register. To register for the call, click here.

View a 6-minute slide show with gorgeous shots of the Kimberley and the natural wonders we are fighting to preserve, set to haunting didgeridoo music. Click here to view the show.

During the 45-minute call, I’ll report on my recent sea turtle research and campaign trip to the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Dr. Jill St. John of the Wilderness Society in Perth, Western Australia, will also be on the line from Down Under to describe the unique marine wonders of the Kimberley. Jill, a marine biologist, is leading the Australian conservation coalition working to oppose the gas hub.

Join me and Jill in a discussion about how you can help oppose the destructive gas hub project!!
Together, Jill and I will detail the actions needed to generate international support to protect the Kimberley from oil and gas drilling by BP, Chevron, Shell, Woodside Petroleum and BHP Billiton.

Please note that while this Conservation Conference Call free to Sea Turtle Restoration Project members, you may be charged long distance fees by your phone service provider to participate as our conference service is based in the Midwest.

We do hope you will join us on our first Conservation Call of 2011!

Sincerely yours,

Program Director

Image 1. courtesy of   http://bit.ly/ibr0EQ

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“Give sea turtles a special holiday gift”

November 16, 2010 at 4:26 am (reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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Give yourself and a sea turtle a special holiday gift this season.

Plan to be an Eco-Volunteer
Help the sea turtles.
Experience sustainable travel with do your part to help save sea turtles.
Your next vacation could be the most important of your life.

Depending on your age you might travel to Costa Rica, the east coast South Carolina or Florida or even Texas or California. Turtles breed in many places around the US, Central America and the

Eco-Volunteer Adventure in Costa Rica for those 18 years and older.
For 2nd through 8th grade Barrier Island Center offers a summer camp program for students entering 2nd through 8th grades!

Ages 12 to 112 an 8 day turtle conservation trip includes tagging  Flatback Turtle population during this rewarding travel experience. Located in the breathtaking natural surrounds of Eco Beach Wilderness Retreat, this scientific research program collects valuable data on nesting Flatback Turtles.

With the guidance of a Conservation Volunteers marine species specialist, volunteers spend their days patrolling sections of the beach and assisting researchers.

This fun and educational opportunity blends research with an exotic location to get you involved in protecting endangered sea turtles.
•    Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta) (right)

•    Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

(left)

 

 

Young leatherback

•    Leatherback turtle (right) (Dermochelys coriacea)

 

Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricate

Every year from June to September these endangered marine turtles come to lay their eggs in the white sand beaches of the Mexican Caribbean coasts. Now this unique and amazing sight can be witnessed on Cozumel Island!

Internships available for 2011

The internships are offered from mid March – mid August of each year. We offer wages and housing on the island. Students participate in all three missions of the organization. They will learn medical treatment, triaging, calculating dosages, and tagging under our rehabilitation mission. They will be required to give short educational tours to the public. They will be conducting beach patrols to look for nesting turtles and their tracks for the protection of nests under our conservation program. Interns will travel to Mexico to the largest nesting beach for the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle to train. For more information

If you really love sea turtles, sign up today. -Mother Nature thanks you!


Resources

Excerpts courtesy of    http://bit.ly/9Av1Sz

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/cZ3NRh

Excerpts courtesy of  http://www.tourstogo.com.au/tour/30015-8-day-turtle-conservation/

Eco-volunteers http://www.conserveturtles.org/volunteer-research-programs.php

Image courtesy of

Image Flatback turtle http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/images/tsd05flatback-turtle.jpg  http://bit.ly/bvy2BJ

Image 2. Loggerhead  http://www.answersingenesis.org/assets/images/articles/aqua/Loggerhead_Sea_Turtle.jpg

Image 3.

Image 4.

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“Help those Gulf animal survivors that cannot help themselves”

September 18, 2010 at 3:21 am (ancient animals, Environmental crisis, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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Securing the Future of the Gulf

The Gulf of Mexico’s biggest heroes might just be humble species like the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and the saltmarsh topminnow.

Washed ashore freezing and dying

Two of the many animals that have taken a huge hit from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, their populations throttled, their habitat grossly polluted.

We consider preserving the future of the Gulf, from its diverse and rich marine and coastal ecosystems to the human communities it supports, to be a priority.

The Endangered Species Act is our Nation’s most powerful tool to safeguard the future for native animals and plants, and secure our environment for the health of people as well.

Speak out today and demand swift protections be made for these unsung heroes.

We started “Gulf Week” with the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, taking the federal government to court for failing to designate critical habitat – on land and at sea – for this beleaguered sea turtle.

Kemps Ridley hatchlings

Scientists agree that the Kemp’s ridley is being dramatically impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. Of the 1,092 sea turtles stranded in the Gulf, 70% have been Kemp’s ridleys. More than half of all stranded sea turtles have perished.

Urge federal agencies to take action now to increase legal shields for the Kemp’s ridley and other Gulf species.

Halfway through Guardians’ Gulf Week, another oil rig exploded in the Gulf – this time off the coast of Louisiana. This latest calamity underscores the need to halt all future off-shore oil drilling to give the Gulf’s marine and coastal wildlife a break.

WildEarth Guardians wants a Gulf of Mexico with clean water and healthy wildlife.  Please urge the federal government to step up for this special place.

We also filed formal petitions requesting Endangered Species Act listing for three species of grouper (the speckled hind, Nassau grouper, and goliath grouper), the fascinating Texas pipefish, the Caribbean electric ray, and the saltmarsh topminnow.

The topminnow is already suffering from the oil spill, with oil polluting its fragile and imperiled saltmarsh habitat. Stuck between coastal development and an oily sea, the saltmarsh topminnow urgently needs federal safeguards under the Endangered Species Act.

Speak up for wildlife in the Gulf by writing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, urging immediate and effective endangered species safeguards to shield the Gulf of Mexico from further disaster.

Thank you for standing up for the Gulf.

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“23 Kemp’s Ridley released into the Gulf of Mexico”

August 19, 2010 at 6:38 am (ancient animals, endangered animals and plants, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, sea life, turtles, working together)
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What a beautiful sight! Twenty three Kemp’s Ridley are all cleaned up and ready to swim home.  A team from NOAA, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Riverhead Foundation and the In-Water Research Group rescued these turtles covered with oil weeks ago. No one was certain if these endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles would make it.

The Audubon Nature Institute of New Orleans, state and federal biologists began releasing the turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico near Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key provides excellent habitat for Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles and has long been known as an important habitat area for this species,” said Barbara Schroeder, NOAA’s national sea turtle coordinator. “Thanks to the efforts of our rescue teams and rehabilitation facility partners all of the turtles we released on August 18, 2010 have an excellent chance of surviving in the wild and contributing to the recovery of this species.

The turtles received excellent treatment and care, including cleaning and de-oiling, at Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, La., and at Gulf World in Panama City, Fla. The turtles were then cared for by Sea World of Florida, Mote Marine Laboratory, and the Florida Aquarium.

So far about 500 live turtles have been rescued during the Gulf oil spill, and more than 450 had visible evidence of external oil. Now 350 turtles are still in rehabilitation facilities and will be released as they are given clean bills of health.

“Thanks everyone for all your love, perseverance, dedication and hard work.” -Mother Nature

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  http://bit.ly/aqnvDY

Image courtesy of  http://bit.ly/djIk9A

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“Selflessly rescuers toil to save oiled critters”

August 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm (ancient animals, endangered animals and plants, Environmental crisis, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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It is a lonely, dangerous and potentially health threatening job.

Rescuers are working tirelessly to save the wildlife impacted by the BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. They are faced with the overwhelming task of finding and saving thousands of oiled birds and hundreds of injured sea turtles and marine mammals.

We’d like to let them know that we appreciate the incredible work that they are doing. Please join us in sending a thank you letter to the wildlife rescuers on the Gulf Coast.

Take a moment to

Thank the rescuers for saving wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hundreds of government and non-profit staff are working in the toxic environment and the hot oppressive weather to find and rescue injured wildlife.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alone, has over 500 personnel actively engaged in the response, working to protect wildlife and their habitats, including 36 national wildlife refuges. They have saved 1,643 oiled birds. They have rescued and relocated over 2,000 sea turtle hatchlings. They are also assessing the damage from the oil spill in preparation for the work that will be needed to restore the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, more staff and resources are needed to help with the wildlife rescue efforts. But, we shouldn’t ignore the great work that is currently going on.

Let them know that you support their work to save wildlife and that you appreciate their dedication. We will compile the thank you letters and send them to the wildlife rescuers.

To send a thank you letter to the wildlife rescuers, click here.

Thank you for your help to save endangered species and their habitat.
The Endangered Species Coalition is a national network of hundreds of conservation, scientific, sporting, religious, humane, business and community groups across the country working to protect our nation’s wildlife and wild places.

www.StopExtinction.org

“Thank you to all of you for all your dedicated hard work. Our admiration and hearts go out to all of you for your tireless efforts.”

-Mother Nature and  Nature’s Crew

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“Endangered sea turtles releasing them into the sea-a ?? future”

July 22, 2010 at 10:54 pm (ancient animals, endangered animals and plants, Environmental crisis, global warming, good news, reptiles, Saving endangered animals + plants, turtles, working together)
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On July 14, 2010 eight  endangered sea turtles were released into to the Atlantic Ocean. The four were named Sunny, Ada Lee, Krista and Gary. All were rescued in February after a drop in the ocean temperature during a winter cold spell stunned the animals. This cold shock  can bring on life-threatening health issues. They have been recovering at the George Sea Turtle Center.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center is a hospital for ill and injured sea turtles.  We are the only hospital of its kind in the state of Georgia.  Research at the center includes a tracking program for all rehabilitated and released sea turtles.

Check out where these turtles are today.

Before release, satellite tags were placed on two of the turtles, Sunny and Ada Lee, so their travels and health can be  monitored. See where the turtles are now:

To see  Sunny and Ada Lee location today!

Needed Project Sponsors

SEATURTLE.ORG and its partners are looking for Project Sponsors to help track sea turtles around the world. Your support will help to pay for the transmitter and satellite time required to track a sea turtle. The cost of each transmitter and attachment materials is approximately US$2,000, and the average cost of satellite time per transmitter is an additional US$3000.

Will you sponsor a transmitter contacttracking@seaturtle.org

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/aSNHZB


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