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Oil Spill Recovery support
needed for the us fish and wildlife services national wildlife refuge’s
along the alabama and mississippi coast
As
I know you are aware, the oil spill that continues in the Gulf of Mexico
is mounting up to be a devastating disaster to the Gulf Coast’s
environment and its wildlife inhabitants. Dolphins, sea turtles,
manatees, countless species of birds and not to mention our seafood
industry just to mention but a few are at stake. As the Support Group to
the US Fish and Wildlife’s Gulf Coast Complex which comprises of coastal
Refuges in Coastal Alabama and Mississippi (to include Bon Secour
National Wildlife Refuge in Gulf Shores, AL and Grand Bay National
Wildlife Refuge in Moss Point, MS), the Southeastern Wildlife
Conservation Group has been called upon to support these Refuges during
this difficult time. Provision of materials and supplies, volunteer
services for clean up efforts and wildlife rescues are but a few of the
needs to support the recovery of this disaster.
If
you are interested in volunteering your time to the clean-up effort,
please do respond to this email with your contact information and include
any special training you may have. As soon as the recovery plan is
finalized, we will start contacting volunteers for their service.
If
you are unable to provide volunteer services but would like to help, we
are in need of funds to support the clean-up/recovery mission. If you are
able to make a money donation to this effort, please mail your donation
donate by check to “Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group, PO Box
7876, Spanish Fort, AL 36577” and please refer to the National Wildlife
Refuge Oil Spill Recovery effort.
Should
you know anyone who may be interested in volunteering or supporting this
effort monetarily, please do forward this email.
As
always, we truly appreciate your support. Should you have any questions,
please do not hesitate to contact me at mark.langner@swcgroup.org.
Thank
you.
Sincerely,
Mark
Langner
President
Adopt-A-
Crane PROGRAM
The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group and the US Fish and
Wildlife Service are pleased to announce the start up of the ADOPT-A-CRANE
Program to benefit the critically endangered Mississippi Sandhill Crane. Currently,
there are only about 110 Mississippi Sandhill Cranes living in the wild
today, all of whom reside on the 20,000 acres of the Mississippi Sandhill
Crane National Wildlife Refuge located in Jackson County,
MS. Proceeds from this program will go towards:
1) Education;
2) Research;
3) Conservation of the Sandhill Cranes needed habitat, the also rare and
disappearing wet-pine savannah and;
4) Protection of the existing wild population of Sandhill Cranes;
5) and reintroduction of the Sandhill Crane into the wild.
Currently we have 3 Cranes available for adoption.
  
Crane #146 "Swamp
Girl"
Crane
#712
Crane Family Pair w-28 / 196
Click
here for information on this program and to Adopt-A-Crane.
REFUGE
FRIENDS VISIT CAPITAL HILL
Approximately
150 Refuge Friends representing more than 100 national wildlife refuges
and wetland management districts in 36 states visited Capitol Hill on
April 7. They talked with Congressional staff and, in some cases, members
of the House of Representatives, providing information about the national
wildlife refuges that are important in their local communities.
Representing the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge was
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group President Mr. Mark Langner and
US Fish and Wildlife Service Park Ranger Ms. Emily Neidigh.
In addition, over the weekend prior to their visit to Capital Hill, the
Refuge Friends had attended the "Friends for the Future"
national conference, sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
the National Wildlife Refuge Association. The conference – the largest
ever held – was a prime time for Refuge Friends to learn about current
issues and exchange ideas for a host of programs.
This
conference and the trip to Capital Hill was very
important for the continued growth of the relationship between the
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group and the US Fish and Wildlife
Service’s Mississippi Sandhill Crane, Grand Bay
and Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuges. The USFWS’s
work is of utmost importance and continues to be one of the least funded
agencies.
To
find out more and how you can help support these three
Gulf Coast Refuge’s, please visit our website "Projects"
link.
Spanish Fort Elementary Assists in Sand Dune Restoration
at Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
The SWCG coordinated
with Project Jubilee teacher, Ms. Nadia Hamade, to get the Spanish Fort
Elementary (Spanish Fort, AL) Project Jubilee Classes involved in hands
on conservation activities associated with our Cooperative Agreement with
the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
The students, grades 3rd – 5th, traveled to
the Bon Secour NWR on March 12, 2008 to learn vital conservation
education and to actively assist in sand dune restoration.
USFWS
representatives (Refuge Manager, Mr. Jereme Phillips and Public Outreach
Coordinator, Mr. Doug Hunt) and Refuge Volunteer Ms. Claudia Frosch educated the students on the sand dune
ecosystem, endangered sea turtles and the endangered Alabama Beach Mouse.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service provided a hands-on experience where
students got to learn about sea turtle nest identification and nest
recording procedures. Students were then given the chance to locate eggs
and protect a “mock” sea turtle nest. In addition to this exercise, the
students physically participated in sand dune restoration by planting
over 750 sea oats and other native dune plants which were provided by the
Friends of Bon Secour.
The
Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is very pleased to have been
able to help coordinate this much needed conservation education activity
with Spanish Fort
Elementary. Not
only were we able to educate the students on conservation issues, but
were also able to get the students to physically participate in being a
part of the solution. Due to the success of this event, the school is
very much interested in making this experience a repeat activity.
The SWCG
needs your help to continue to provide these types of educational
activities. Please become a member today and help join our cause.
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