If you’re like me, you’re very ready for this winter to be long gone. So for our Photo Friday offering, we have a beautiful woodland scene with a blossoming dogwood tree — to remind us that spring is coming to save us from the snow.

The Metro Santa Cruz newspaper is reporting that paint chips from an old Navy base on the Midway Islands is causing the deaths of thousands of threatened Laysan albatross chicks, who are dying of lead poisoning. UC–Santa Cruz assistant researcher Myra Finkelstein did a study that provided evidence that paint chips from an abandoned U.S. [...]

At this time of year, some wildlife refuges perform mid-winter eagle surveys. They’re a great way to keep track of the local eagle population. Check with your local refuge to see if you can volunteer to join a mid-winter eagle survey.

As the sun rises on a new year, here’s hoping that in the new decade, America’s wildlife species receive the protection and consideration they need to face the many challenges that lie ahead.

I’m posting “Photo Friday” a day early to say I hope all our readers, as well as the volunteers, supporters and staff in the National Wildlife Refuge System, have a wonderful and safe holiday season!

Several national wildlife refuges offer “cut your own” tree events, including Kenai NWR in Alaska, Rydell NWR in Minnesota, and Moosehorn NWR in Maine. Check with the refuge before visiting to learn of any restrictions and to find out if a permit is required.

October 11-17, 2009 is National Wildlife Refuge Week — a great time to seek out your local widlife refuge and find out what’s happening.
More from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Week press release:

Whether you prefer to admire the fall colors, thrill to a skyful of migratory birds, explore a mountain trail or [...]

The Friends of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey are leading the way for refuge Friends groups that are interested in using Web 2.0 tools to promote their group and their refuge. The Friends have established a Facebook account where you can follow news about the group. Of particular interest are their photo [...]

On September 11, 2001, Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Manager Rich Guadagno was aboard hijacked United Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania, killing all aboard. Rich had just finished a visit with his family on the East Coast and was on his way back to Humboldt in California.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [...]

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has posted two attractive public service announcements for the Duck Stamp — or Migratory Bird Stamp — program. The graphics are a nice reminder that all nature lovers should be supporting the purchase of Duck Stamps, which help fund the protection of habitat and species that we all enjoy. [...]

Alaska photographer Patrick Endres has posted an amazing collection of aerial photography from Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in his Alaska PhotoGraphics blog.
In this day of high energy demands and exploding human populations, many argue over whether wilderness such as this is necessary. In reply, I provide a quote from Howard Zahniser, who was [...]

What is Twitter, you might wonder. It’s a microblogging website that lets users post 140-character entries, which keep them connected to their followers in real-time.
So what does Twitter have to do with wildlife refuges? Well as of today, two regions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are now on Twitter, as is one of [...]