Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up: 07/28/17

Your weekly roundup of wildlife news from across the country.

WildSights:

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Wild stories from the Week:

We partnered with Humane Society International to hold three two-day shark workshops with Peruvian government agencies to improve implementation of CITES: http://dfnd.us/2v8Ttev

Check out Michael Dax’s, our national outreach representative, interview with KRWG on the proposed border wall and its negative impact on wildlife: http://dfnd.us/2uqEQBB

We may be seeing the first steps towards reducing the legal protections for marine habitats that are home to a diverse array of wildlife. Here’s what’s at stake: http://dfnd.us/2tEQwSp

A humpback whale that was badly tangled in fishing gear has been freed by rescuers: http://dfnd.us/2twUEnu

Our Defenders in Action:

 In North Carolina:

In June, the Southeast office of Defenders of Wildlife launched a new seasonal educational series entitled: Wildlife Workshops & Walkabouts.  Each event includes a 90-minute presentation with a hands-on activity, and a companion field trip on the weekend. This first event focused on native pollinators and included a presentation by Phyllis Stiles, Founder and Director of Bee City USA on what pollinators are, why they’re important and the threats facing them. Then, Tracy Davids, SE Program Coordinator at Defenders led a workshop on how to build solitary bee houses and each participant build their own. That weekend, Bee City USA led a tour of the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary pollinator meadow for Defenders’ volunteers before they got to work improving the habitat by removing invasive weeds.

In Arizona and New Mexico:

Defenders of Wildlife members and activists showed up in force the week of July 17, to speak up for the Mexican gray wolf. The Fish and Wildlife Service held four public meetings in Arizona and New Mexico to explain their new, draft Mexican wolf recovery plan. There were about 50 pro wolf advocates in Flagstaff, AZ who held a pro-wolf rally outside the meeting and about 60 wolf supporters in Albuquerque that also rallied in support. Defenders is not happy with the provisions of the draft recovery plan and does not believe it is supported by the best available science. Stay tuned for your opportunity to sign our petition asking the Fish and Wildlife for improvements to the plan.