1) Success Stories: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Longleaf
2) Habitat For Endangered Beach Mice
3) Found! Mimic Glass Lizard in the Conecuh National Forest
4) Hunters Feed the Hungry Program Tops 57,000 Pounds Donated
5) BEN Notes: CRS Activities, Birmingham Historical Society Celebrates Olmstead, ALEEC Fall Conference - Climate Change and Alabama, Moss Rock Festival, Weeks Bay Christmas Ornaments, 13th Annual Wiese Lecture Series - Dr. Daniel Pauly, AUFA Annual Meeting, American Chestnut Foundation Annual Meeting
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Readers have requested where to send donations in memory of Shane Hulsey . Three groups have been chosen by the family, the Cahaba River Society, Nature Conservancy and American Whitewater. Please visit http://www.cahabariversociety.org to access the links.
You can also read a wonderful tribute by Birmingham News columnist John Archibald here.
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1. Success Stories: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Longleaf - Last week, I was fortunate to witness the "relocation" of a pair of red-cockaded woodpeckers in the Talladega National Forest. It was a wonderful and moving experience.
The woodpecker relocation project was just one of the many public/private partnerships described during a morning media tour organized by Southern Company and its many partners, including the Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Quail Unlimited. The following is a few of Southern Company's most recent conservation accomplishments:
* Four projects regionally have been funded, including restoration of 1,200 acres of red-cockaded woodpecker habitat on Alabama's Talladega National Forest, doubling from 20 to 40 the number of juvenile birds being moved annually to jump-start the growth of new populations.
* The Tuckabatchee Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, received $13,750 to convert 42 acres of clearcut and pine beetle loblolly plantations to longleaf in central Alabama using 21,000 seedlings; this planting compliments 440 acres of adjacent longleaf. One beneficiary is the endangered canebrake pitcher plant.
* In the South, since the "Power of Flight" partnership's inception in 2002, 32 projects have been funded, committing $1.5 million in Southern Company/National Fish and Wildlife funds, with a total grant impact of $4.3 million. More than 113,600 acres of private lands have been enrolled in bird habitat conservation programs and 37,000 acres of habitat has been enhanced through management.
* The Longleaf Legacy program has funded 16 projects region-wide committing $1.2 million in Southern Company/National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funds, with a total grant impact of $2.6 million. More than 4,847 acres have been replanted with approximately 2.4 million longleaf seedlings.To learn more about Southern Company's environmental programs and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation's programs visit:
http://www.southerncompany.com/planetpower
http://www.nfwf.org
2. Habitat For Endangered Beach Mice - According to the Mobile Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a final ruling that will designate nearly 6,200 acres along the Alabama and Florida Panhandle beaches as critical habitat for three endangered beach mouse species. Of the 3 species, only the Perdido Key beach mouse lives in Alabama.
In Alabama, 147 acres will become critical habitat in Orange Beach and 114 acres within Gulf State Park property. Along with public land, 33 acres of private land has been been identified in Alabama as critical habitat. In total, 1,300 acres are now designated as critical habitat for the Perdido Key beach mouse, most of which is in Florida's Escambia County.
For more info about this new designation, visit http://www.fws.gov/panamacity/hottopics/BeachMice.html
3. Found! Mimic Glass Lizard in the Conecuh National Forest - According to a recent report, earlier this year (May 21, 2006), Auburn University and Conservation Southeast scientists captured a Mimic Glass Lizard in the Conecuh National Forest. Not seen in Alabama since 1976, only three previous specimens had been documented in the state. The species is strongly associated with the longleaf pine wiregrass ecosystem and is distributed across the lower Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains from North Carolina to Mississippi.
To see a picture of the new-found Mimic Glass Lizard, visit Conservation Southeast's website at:http://www.conservationsoutheast.com/mimicus.htm
4. Hunters Feed the Hungry Program Tops 57,000 Pounds Donated - Since 1999, hunters have been donating venison to Alabama's food banks statewide. Last year, according to the Department of Conservation, 57,000 pounds of venison was donated. More than 319,000 pounds of venison have been donated since the program's inception.
The Hunters Helping the Hungry began as a joint effort of the Governor's Office, the Department of Conservation, the National Rifle Association and the Phillip Morris Company. Today, the program is sustained by annual fundraiser quail hunts hosted by the Governor.
As the 2006-2007 deer season approaches, hunters are encouraged to participate in this worthwhile program. For additional information go to:http://www.outdooralabama.com/news/release.cfm?ID=451
5. BEN Notes: CRS Activities, Birmingham Historical Society Celebrates Olmstead, ALEEC Fall Conference - Climate Change and Alabama, Moss Rock Festival, Weeks Bay Christmas Ornaments, 13th Annual Wiese Lecture Series - Dr. Daniel Pauly, AUFA Annual Meeting, American Chestnut Foundation Annual Meeting
CRS Activities - The Beth Young Photography Workshop - Please make your reservations today, to learn photography - THIS WEEKEND - from Alabama's "Ansel Adams" - Beth Young. Learn more about this special workshop by going to http://www.cahabariversociety.org/BMYworkshop.htm or call today at 205-32-CLEAN and ask for Kim Adams.
Also.
Do not forget that on November 3rd at the Southern Progress Corporation (on Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, Alabama) the Cahaba River Society presents Tim Palmer, award winning author and photographer. There will be a reception, silent auction and slideshow. For additional details go to http://www.cahabariversociety.org/TIMPALMER.htm
Birmingham Historical Society Celebrates Olmstead - The Birmingham Historical Society has a special exhibit showing from October 9-31 and December 1-30 at the Birmingham Central Public Library. Titled The Olmstead Vision-Parks for Birmingham, the exhibit compliments a beautiful and information filled 72 page publication that is available for $20 at the Birmingham Library and at local bookstores.
ALEEC Fall Conference - Climate Change and Alabama - The Alabama Environmental Education Consortium (ALEEC) Fall Conference will be held November 4th, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Christenberry Planetarium on the campus of Samford University. The topic of the day-long conference is Climate Change and Alabama. For more info call 205-726-4246.
Moss Rock Festival - Check out the Moss Rock Festival (in Hoover, Alabama) November 4-5, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. This group probably has the coolest website I've also seen in a while. Go visit http://www.mossrockfestival.com for additional details.
Weeks Bay Christmas Ornaments - Start your Christmas shopping early by checking out the Weeks Bay Reserve Foundation's new 20th Anniversary Christmas ornament. Call 251-990-5004 for details or visit http://www.weeksbay.org/newsletter/Fall_2006/Pg2_2.htm to see a picture of the design.
13th Annual Wiese Lecture Series - Dr. Daniel Pauly - World-renowned fisheries scientist Dr. Daniel Pauly will be giving a lecture on "Global Trends in World Fisheries" on November 1st, 7:00 PM at the University of South Alabama Mitchell Center in Mobile. For more information call 251-460-7136 or visit http://www.disl.org
AUFA Annual Meeting - The Alabama Urban Forestry Association will be holding it's annual meeting in Montgomery, November 3rd. For more information visit their website at http://www.aufa.com .
American Chestnut Foundation Annual Meeting - The Alabama Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation will be meeting November 4th, 9:00 to 3:00 PM in Huntsville at the Alabama A&M Agricultural Research Center Auditorium. For more info about the meeting call Wayne Boldin at 205-915-2863
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