5 Resolutions to help wildlife
How are those New Year’s Resolutions working out for you? Are you looking to make a real difference? Look beyond yourself to help wildlife in need! It can be a lot harder to disappoint these cute creatures than to cut yourself slack for skipping the gym. Here are resolutions you can take to help wildlife:
1) Share the Shore
Spring may feel a long way off, but migratory birds will be returning before you know it. Migratory shorebirds are facing declining populations across the globe, and many shorebirds in the Northeast need special protections to help their struggling populations.
The Atlantic Coast piping plover is a federally threatened shorebird that raises its chicks on beaches across the northeast in the spring and summer months. These tiny birds — many lighter than three ounces — are vulnerable to numerous threats. Because they are so small and nearly camouflaged to the sand, they can be easily crushed by pedestrians and off-road vehicles or eaten by pets.
You can help the imperiled plovers by sharing the shore when the birds and humans return to the beaches. Do not enter into posted and fenced areas, keep your dogs on a leash and cats indoors, clean up your trash, and always watch your step! But keep your ears open for the melodious call of the plover!
2) Become a Citizen Scientist
Science and conservation aren’t just for biologists. With a few tools, a little training, and a commitment to helping wildlife, anyone can become a citizen scientist! Everyday environmentalists can have big contributions to recovery efforts.
Our partner the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has developed numerous citizen science resources that you can utilize in the new year. Project Feederwatch is one ongoing effort for birdwatchers to record the visitors to their feeders during the winter months. Not only is it fun to keep track of the birds that stop by, but it contributes to a better understanding of bird migration. You can find out more about Project Feederwatch and many other citizen science opportunities, here: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/Page.aspx?pid=1478#
The Christmas Bird Count is another avenue for getting involved with citizen science. For over 100 years, the National Audubon Society has been conducting community bird counts across the country to collect data for their research and conservation efforts. Additionally, the Great Backyard Bird Count and The Big Sit are just a few other national citizen science efforts. Learn more at audubon.org.
3) Give a Chit
You can be a big help to the tiny Chittenango ovate amber snail. There are only 200 COAS in the world, and they are all found in one specific site in upstate New York. A single rockslide or a few misplaced human feet could easily wipe out their whole population!
You can help by supporting a dedicated group of local stewards who are hard at work trying to save these snails. A coalition of Service members, researchers at local universities, and staff at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo have come together to protect the COAS. Follow these “Snailblazers” on Facebook and learn about their mission and ways to get involved here: http://www.rosamondgiffordzoo.org/donate/special-projects
If you want to visit Chittenango Falls State Park where the snails are found, be sure to follow all posted signs. Stay out of the snails’ protected area, and make sure that fellow parkgoers show the same respect.
4) Be a Bat Buddy
Bats are some of our most misunderstood mammals in our state, and they desperately need our help. Many bats, like the endangered Indiana Bat, are insectivores that play an important role in keeping down the populations of pesky insects like mosquitoes. But white nose syndrome and habitat decline have decimated local bat populations.
To help our nocturnal neighbors, it’s important to stay out of caves and mines throughout the winter so that you don’t disturb their hibernation. You can also help by protecting their preferred habitat — dead and dying trees — through conservation easements and the preservation of these plants. It can also help to reduce pesticide use, put up a bat house, and spread the word about these important but imperiled animals. Find out even more ways to help.
5) Spread the Stewardship
Some of the easiest resolutions to keep are not small actions, but lifestyle changes. That’s why committing yourself to a lifestyle of environmental stewardship can be a long-lasting way to make an impact for your environment.
Make sure you’re making sustainable choices in your everyday life, like recycling, reducing plastic use, and using efficient forms of transportation like biking, carpooling, or public transit. Get outside, even in the colder months, to appreciate the plants and animals that need our help. While you’re out there, make sure to respect all posted signs and stay on trails to ensure the protection of these important habitats. Finally, help spread the stewardship by educating others about their wild neighbors and ways that they too can preserve these special species.
We at the Fish and Wildlife Service could not help all of our local species without the contributions of our dedicated community members. Together, let’s make 2019 a wonderful year for wildlife!
