Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up: 06/16/17

Your weekly roundup of wildlife news from across the country.

WildSights:

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Wild stories from the Week:

Even though President Trump announced that the U.S. would withdraw from the Paris Agreement, we will continue to fight climate change as it is one of the leading threats to wildlife and wild places. Join the #Iamstillin campaign today: http://dfnd.us/2s2abrA

Scientists warn US coral reefs are on course to disappear within decades: http://dfnd.us/2rjmqmi

Climate destabilization causing thousands of new species migrations: http://dfnd.us/2rWavcK

Papahānaumokuākea national monument turns 11 today. Help protect this remarkable achievement: http://dfnd.us/2rBK2kR

Celebrate World Sea Turtle Day by making a positive difference for sea turtles in your area! Here are five easy things you can do to save one of Earth’s most ancient creatures: http://dfnd.us/1dzNPp8

Facing the threat of increasing temperatures, no animal better exemplifies the looming problem of climate change than the American pika:

Our Defenders in Action:

In Florida:

Last month Kent Wimmer, our Northwest Florida Representative, participated in the Hands Across the Sands Rally held at the Florida Capital. People from various environmental organizations came together to voice their support for the protection of the oceans and the Gulf of Mexico. They also rallied against offshore oil drilling, seismic testing in the ocean, and pipelines across the ocean floor all of which potentially harm marine and coastal ecosystems.

In Florida:

Our Florida staff, Elizabeth Fleming, Kent Wimmer and Mike Adams, participated in a state-wide Florida Wildlife Corridor Summit. The purpose of the summit was to collaborate with interested partners and stakeholders to help chart a future course for securing, connecting, restoring and protecting a statewide wildlife habitat corridor lands and waters network. Participants explored and considered innovative ideas and exchanged meaningful dialog about how best to achieve such bold state-wide conservation goals, that lead the nation. Over thirty years ago, wildlife corridors linking core habitat areas were conceptualized to extend throughout Florida and into Georgia and Alabama. Incorporated in 2010, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Inc. sponsored expeditions in 2012 and 2015 to highlight and advocate for conserving this habitat network. Defenders has advised the Florida Wildlife Corridor from its beginning and contributed to its vision for landscape-level conservation. Conserving habitat connections between the Everglades, longleaf pine and wiregrass forests, scrub lands, freshwater habitats landscapes and beaches are essential for restoring wide ranging species such as the Florida panther, manatee, black bear and protecting habitat for Defenders’ key species.