Environment and Ecology News

Top 40 Under 40: Findley Frazer, Goodwyn Mills and Cawood Inc.
Birmingham Business Journal
Bass Pro Shop in Leeds, the Cahaba River Mitigation Bank and City of Tarrant Five-Mile Creek flood study are among Findley Frazer's notable projects as director of environmental engineering of Goodwyn Mills and Cawood Inc. Frazer, 32, ...

Shelby County Reporter
Suspects arrested after high-speed pursuit
Shelby County Reporter
A few hours after calling off the pursuit, Helena detectives located the suspects' vehicle in a remote area off of Shelby County 91 in the Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area. After the suspects allegedly attempted to flee and strike one of the ...
Brothers jailed after pursuits by Pelham, Helena policeThe Birmingham News - al.com (blog)

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Multiple arson fires Tuesday in White Plains
Anniston Star
by Brian Anderson Multiple arson fires broke out near White Plains Tuesday night, according to a release from the Shoal Creek Ranger District of the Talladega National Forest. The US Forest Service and Alabama Forestry Commission responded to the fires ...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Satellite tracking of threatened loggerhead sea turtles has revealed two previously unknown feeding ‘hotspots’ in the Gulf of Mexico that are providing important habitat for at least three separate populations of the turtles, according to a study published recently in the journal Biological Conservation. 

The two sites, located in the open waters off the coast of Southwest Florida and the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, were found by a team of scientists when they compiled and analyzed loggerhead tracking data. 

The researchers' goal was to synthesize tracking data from three genetically distinct loggerhead populations to learn more about how they use the Gulf of Mexico. By identifying the specific location of regularly used habitat, the results provide invaluable information for marine planning and management for this species, whose populations in the Gulf of Mexico are well below historic levels and in recent years have continued to decline drastically in some areas. 

The maritime feeding grounds also hold the first clues about how loggerhead sea turtles spend time at sea – which is, in essence, most of their lives. 

"Up until now, management actions that affect loggerheads have often focused on their limited time at nesting beaches, or on fisheries regulations," said Kristen Hart, Ph.D., the U.S. Geological Survey research ecologist who led the synthesis. "Our findings open up important new options for marine habitat conservation, and provide valuable geographic data that can be used to strategically locate marine reserves based on the best available science, as called for in the new National Ocean Policy." 

"The use of satellite tags for tracking marine animals has opened our eyes to the secret lives of some of nature's most elusive creatures," said USGS director Marcia McNutt, "At first a scientific tool to understand the life cycle of animals, such as white sharks and leatherback turtles, who rarely come into contact with humans, these tags may now be the main hope for understanding what we can do, or what we should stop doing, in order to bring them back from the road to extinction." 

Researchers intercepted female loggerheads after their nesting forays to beaches and outfitted them with satellite tags at study sites in the Florida Panhandle, Casey Key in southwest Florida, and Dry Tortugas National Park. They then tracked the females’ migrations and used a new method to determine precisely when they had arrived at "hotspot" foraging areas, in two geographically different locations. 

Seven female turtles migrated to foraging sites off Southwest Florida, while the other three took up residence at foraging sites at the Yucatan site. Once the researchers applied the new method for synthesizing their satellite-tracking data, it became clear that these loggerhead turtles from all three populations consistently converged around two common sites. This confirmed a hunch that the researchers had developed after years of tracking turtles. 

At both of the feeding hotspots, turtles selected individual sites where they foraged in shallow or nearshore waters less than fifty meters deep. Turtles appeared to prefer their own distinct territories, where they tended to remain resident. This suggests that it may be possible to accurately predict where sea turtles will feed, information that will prove vital for managers looking to focus conservation efforts on prime foraging habitat. 

Researchers don't yet know what attracts loggerheads from around the Gulf to these specific feeding areas, although generally, loggerheads forage on the bottom of the sea floor for crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, clams or conchs. 

"The logical next step is to investigate what makes these particular sites 'prime' foraging grounds by mapping and sampling the habitat types found on the sea floor," explained Hart. "It would also be useful to tag loggerheads at these foraging sites to confirm how long they reside in these areas, or alternatively to see where they go next."

Cahaba River Society recognizing projects with conservation awards
The Birmingham News - al.com (blog)
By Thomas Spencer -- The Birmingham News The power company will be honored for saving water and the water company will be honored for saving power at the Cahaba River Society's annual meeting from 5:30 to 8:00 pm Thursday at the Birmingham Botanical ...

Additional Partnerships: 

State Museum of Pennsylvania Denison University

Constrictor Snakes (B-roll):  Video footage (B-roll) of Everglades National Park biologists hunting and capturing a Burmese Python in Florida. 

Editors: For frequently asked questions about this study and Burmese pythons, please visit the Fort Collins Science Center, Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida website.

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Precipitous declines in formerly common mammals in Everglades National Park have been linked to the presence of invasive Burmese pythons, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The study, the first to document the ecological impacts of this invasive species, strongly supports that animal communities in this 1.5-million-acre park have been markedly altered by the introduction of pythons within 11 years of their establishment as an invasive species.  Mid-sized mammals are the most dramatically affected.

Bobcats are one of the predators that may be negatively affected by pythons, which both compete with them for prey and prey on them. Photo copyrighted by Christopher Gillette, Florida International University. This photo may be used by media and others in association with the Burmese pythons and Everglades press release. (High resolution image) Once-common opossums are now rarely seen in Everglades National Park, likely because of being preyed upon by Burmese pythons. Photo copyrighted by Christopher Gillette, Florida International University. This photo may be used by media and others in association with the Burmese pythons and Everglades press release. (High resolution image)

The most severe declines, including a nearly complete disappearance of raccoons, rabbits and opossums, have occurred in the remote southernmost regions of the park, where pythons have been established the longest.  In this area, populations of raccoons dropped 99.3 percent, opossums 98.9 percent and bobcats 87.5 percent.  Marsh and cottontail rabbits, as well as foxes, were not seen at all.  

"Pythons are wreaking havoc on one of America's most beautiful, treasured and naturally bountiful ecosystems," said U.S. Geological Survey Director Marcia McNutt. "Right now, the only hope to halt further python invasion into new areas is swift, decisive and deliberate human action."  

The researchers collected their information via repeated systematic night-time road surveys within the park, counting both live and road-killed animals.  Over the period of the study, researchers traveled a total of nearly 39,000 miles from 2003 to 2011 and compared their findings with similar surveys conducted in 1996 and 1997 along the same roadways before pythons were recognized as established in Everglades National Park.  

The scientists who authored the paper noted that the timing and geographic patterns of the documented mammal declines are consistent with the timing and geographic spread of pythons. 

The authors also conducted surveys in ecologically similar areas north of the park where pythons have not yet been discovered. In those areas, mammal abundances were similar to those in the park before pythons proliferated.  At sites where pythons have only recently been documented, however, mammal populations were reduced, though not to the dramatic extent observed within the park where pythons are well established.    

"The magnitude of these declines underscores the apparent incredible density of pythons in Everglades National Park and justifies the argument for more intensive investigation into their ecological effects, as well as the development of effective control methods," said Michael Dorcas, lead author of the study, a professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, and author of the book Invasive Pythons in the United States. "Such severe declines in easily seen mammals bode poorly for the many species of conservation concern that are more difficult to sample but that may also be vulnerable to python predation." 

The mammals that have declined most significantly have been regularly found in the stomachs of Burmese pythons removed from Everglades National Park and elsewhere in Florida.  The authors noted that raccoons and opossums often forage for food near the water's edge, a habitat frequented by pythons in search of prey. 

The authors suggested that one reason for such dramatic declines in such a short time is that these prey species are “naïve” – that is, they not used to being preyed upon by pythons since such large snakes have not existed in the eastern United States for millions of years. Burmese pythons over 16 feet long have been found in the Everglades.  In addition, some of the declining species could be both victims of being eaten by pythons and of having to compete with pythons for food.   

"It took 30 years for the brown treesnake to be implicated in the nearly complete disappearance of mammals and birds on Guam; it has apparently taken only 11 years since pythons were recognized as being established in the Everglades for researchers to implicate pythons in the same kind of severe mammal declines," said Robert Reed, a USGS scientist and co-author of the paper. "It is possible that other mammal species, including at-risk ones, have declined as well because of python predation, but at this time, the status of those species is unknown." 

The scientists noted that in their native range in Asia, pythons have been documented to consume leopards. Consequently, even large animals, including top predators, are susceptible to python predation. For example, pythons have been documented consuming full-grown deer and alligators. Likewise, the authors state that birds, including highly secretive birds such as rails, make up about a fourth of the diet of Everglades pythons, and declines in these species could be occurring without managers realizing it. 

"Our research adds to the increasing evidence that predators, whether native or exotic, exert major influence on the structure of animal communities," said John Willson, a study co-author, a research scientist at Virginia Tech University and author of the book Invasive Pythons in the United States. "The effects of declining mammal populations on the overall Everglades ecosystem, which extends well beyond the national park boundaries, are likely profound, but are probably complex and difficult to predict.  Studies examining such effects are sorely needed to more fully understand the impacts pythons are having on one of our most unique and valued national parks."

The authors found little support for alternative explanations for the mammal declines, such as disease or changes in habitat structure or water management regimes.  

"This severe decline in mammals is of significant concern to the overall health of the Park's large and complex ecosystem," said Everglades National Park superintendent Dan Kimball.  "We will continue to enhance our efforts to control and manage the non-native python and to better understand the impacts on the Park.  No incidents involving visitor safety and pythons have occurred in the Park.  Encounters with pythons are very rare; that said visitors should be vigilant and report all python sightings to park rangers," Kimball said. 

On Jan. 23, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a rule in the Federal Register that will ban the importation and interstate transportation of four non-native constrictor snakes (Burmese python, northern and southern African pythons, and the yellow anaconda) that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems. These snakes are being listed as injurious species under the Lacey Act. In addition, the FWS will continue to consider listing as injurious five other species of nonnative snakes: the reticulated python, boa constrictor, DeSchauensee’s anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda. 

The paper, Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, was published online on Jan. 30, 2012, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The authors are Michael E. Dorcas, Davidson College; John D. Willson, Virginia Tech University; Robert N. Reed, USGS; Ray W. Snow, NPS; Michael R. Rochford, University of Florida; Melissa A. Miller, Auburn University; Walter E. Meshaka, Jr., State Museum of Pennsylvania; Paul T. Andreadis, Denison University; Frank J. Mazzotti, University of Florida; Christina M. Romagosa, Auburn University; and Kristen M. Hart, USGS.

Forest Service to burn 1075 acres in Cleburne Co. today
Anniston Star
by Star staff People near Dugger Mountain may see lots of smoke today and tonight as the US Forest Service plans to burn 1075 acres of the Talladega National Forest. The burn area, about 4 miles northwest of the Mt. Pleasant area in Cleburne County, ...

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msnbc.com
Weather Service Documents 10 Tornadoes in Alabama
Insurance Journal
The Maplesville tornado destroyed the sanctuary of the Historic Ephesus Church, tore apart trees in the Talladega National Forest and damaged homes and business just north of downtown Maplesville. The weather service had previously documented eight ...
Maplesville tornado rated EF-2Clanton Advertiser
Weather Service: 10 Twisters Documented in AlabamaClaimsJournal.com
Texas and Alabama tornadoes and Oklahoma drought updatesTulsa World (blog)

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USA TODAY
Weather service: 10 tornadoes hit Alabama
USA TODAY
It also tore apart trees in the Talladega National Forest, toppled a radio tower and damaged homes and businesses just north of downtown Maplesville. The deadliest twister in the storm outbreak was an EF-3 that struck in St. Clair and Jefferson County, ...

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Weather service: 10 twisters documented in Alabama
WAFF
It also tore apart trees in the Talladega National Forest, toppled a radio tower and damaged homes and businesses just north of downtown Maplesville. The deadliest twister in the storm outbreak was an EF-3 that struck in St. Clair and Jefferson County, ...

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Salt Lake City, UT.  Last week Team East and Team West teamed up in Salt Lake City to take part in the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market at the Salt Palace Convention Center.   This bi-annual show gathers the top companies and organizations in the outdoor industry to showcase the latest gear, trends, and innovations for the outdoor enthusiast.  Every year the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics hosts the Great Gear Giveaway, sponsored by Backpacker Magazine and Subaru of America, which is inevitably a highlight of the week!  This year did not disappoint as 18 lucky people walked away with a sweet prize package of the hottest gear on the market.  Thank you to all of those companies that donated to the Great Gear Giveaway, and a special thank you to Backpacker Magazine and Subaru for sponsoring the event!

In addition to the Great Gear Giveaway, a few other partners of Leave No Trace stepped it up to host a fundraiser happy hour during the show.  On Friday night, Big Agnes hosted a happy hour, which not only raised money for the Center but also sent one lucky winner home with a brand new Wolf Mountain Tent!


On Saturday, we joined Osprey Packs for another happy hour fundraising party.  Osprey Packs has been a long standing partner of Leave No Trace.  It is because of partners, like Osprey, that help make Leave No Trace a successful organization.  Pictured below are former Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers JD Tanner and Emily Ressler.  They bought their raffle tickets to support Leave No Trace and walked away with the grand prize!

THANK YOU to Osprey Packs and Big Agnes for their support at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market!  Respect the Resource...Kate and Tracy

Maplesville tornado rated EF-2
Clanton Advertiser
The tornado tracked northeast into the Talladega National Forest, where hundreds of trees were snapped or uprooted. Along Perry County 9, the sanctuary of historic Ephesus Church was destroyed and the building's roof and steeple were partially blown ...

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al.com (blog)
Jefferson County votes to close commuter shortcut dodging Acton-Camp Horner ...
al.com (blog)
With Lakeland closed, the main route across the Cahaba River to Shelby County will be Camp Horner and Caldwell Mill, which is scheduled to be widened from Acton to Heatherwood Drive. The work is a joint project of Jefferson and Shelby counties. jeffco ...

Kayaker rescued from Cahaba River; police chief says group wanted to ride high ...
al.com (blog)
By Jeremy Gray -- The Birmingham News TRUSSVILLE, Alabama -- A kayaker had to be rescued by helicopter this afternoon after he broke his leg in the Cahaba River, said Trussville Police Chief Don Sivley said. Three kayakers decided to take advantage of ...

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Plants in wild places
Birmingham Weekly
My family and I own twenty acres on the Cahaba River in Shelby County. The entire acreage was covered with beautiful wood ferns. There is no dwelling on the property, but others on either side have built large houses on their lots.

Forever Wild
Birmingham Weekly
It's a 94-year recreational lease on 61000 acres at the Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area in Bibb and Shelby counties and the Mulberry Fork Wildlife Management Area in Walker and Tuscaloosa counties. In addition to hunting, plans are in the works ...

Every month in the Center's eNews, we pose a difficult Leave No Trace ethical and skills based situations for readers to comment on. Below is December's situation and a few of your responses.

What would you do?
As you approach your favorite wildlife viewing spot along a pristine alpine lake, a group of four has decided to set up camp right along the lakeshore. You know that camping 200 feet from water will protect the water source from becoming polluted. In addition, you fear the group's camping choice will impact wildlife in their natural habitat. How would you encourage these campers to select an alternative camping spot?

This is what you said:

Response from Keith Abraham: I would approach them and ask about the beautiful view and location they have chosen and ask about the wildlife in the area. Whether or not they want to see some of the wildlife will determine where you go from there. If they want to see wildlife but haven't, you may share the fact that the animals usually come to the lake to drink but they may be scared because people are so close. You may want to suggest that moving several hundred feet back from the lake is a good idea to allow the wildlife to come down and drink, you may even offer to help them move.


Response from Mark Katich: I would tell them that the following story.

“How the Fly Saved the River: A Native American Lore”
Many, many years ago when the world was new, there was a beautiful river. Fish in great numbers lived in this river, and its water was so pure and sweet that all the animals came there to drink. A giant moose heard about the river and he too came there to drink. But he was so big, and he drank so much, that soon the water began to sink lower and lower.The beavers were worried. The water around their lodges was disappearing. Soon their homes would be destroyed. The muskrats were worried, too. What would they do if the water vanished? How could they live? The fish were very worried. The other animals could live on land if the water dried up, but they couldn't. All the animals tried to think of a way to drive the moose from the river, but he was so big that they were too afraid to try. Even the bear was afraid of him. At last the fly said he would try to drive the moose away. All the animals laughed and jeered. How could a tiny fly frighten a giant moose? The fly said nothing, but that day, as soon as the moose appeared, he went into action. He landed on the moose's foreleg and bit sharply. The moose stamped his foot harder, and each time he stamped, the ground sank and the water rushed in to fill it up. Then the fly jumped about all over the moose, biting and biting and biting until the moose was in a frenzy. He dashed madly about the banks of the river, shaking his head, stamping his feet, snorting and blowing, but he couldn't get rid of that pesky fly. At last the moose fled from the river, and didn't come back. The fly was very proud of his achievement, and boasted to the other animals, "Even the small can fight the strong if they use their brains to think."

I would then say, you are the moose and I am the fly.

Response from the Subaru/ Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers Kate Bullock and Tracy Howard who posed this Situation: When approaching people that are exhibiting "less than Leave No Trace" behaviors, try using the Authority of the Resource Technique, developed by Dr. George N. Wallace. Using this technique, will not only give you a chance to speak for nature, but it will also allow you to educate others on the importance of practicing low-impact camping.

The technique involves three steps:

1. First, after opening conversation with the group, make an objective statement about the observed behavior (avoid value-laden terms such as "you shouldn't, don't, don't you know it's wrong, harmful, against regulations, etc.).
2. Second, explain the implications of the behavior. This is where you can EDUCATE the party about why it is important to protect the water source.
3. Finally, try to provide an alternative on what can (or should) be done to improve the situation. It is important to keep in mind that people are generally not trying to cause unnecessary impacts to the land and it is good to expect the best of people when we can.

Remember education can influence people's behavior. The hope is for long-term change in people's respect for nature in general and an intrinsically motivated stewardship of the out of doors!

Meet extraordinary member-activists who have impacted their communities with Leave No Trace. The Center has so much love to spread around that we are honoring 11 people for their 2011 contributions!

Rob Stevens: Rob Stevens worked diligently to bring Leave No Trace awareness and education to Central Arkansas. On the Arkansas River Trail, a 24-mile trail system through Central Arkansas, he volunteered to support the Center’s development of a Leave No Trace program there. In October, Rob and the Traveling Trainers hosted a successful Backyard Session in downtown Little Rock that brought together people interested in strengthening Leave No Trace within their community. Because of Rob’s herculean efforts, Leave No Trace will be the Trail’s minimum-impact education program.

David Polivy: Avid outdoorsman and owner of Tahoe Mountain Sports, Dave Polivy collaborated with the Center to bring a stronger Leave No Trace presence to Lake Tahoe. Dave conducted an online fundraiser through Facebook for the Center and organized Leave No Trace at Snowfest, an annual festival to celebrate winter sports in the area. Working with the Center, David also put together a program for locals to learn more about Leave No Trace winter skills.

Steve Kominsky: Climber and member-activist, Steve Kominsky, incorporated Leave No Trace in his 2011 initiative, The 10in6 Challenge, where he climbed Oregon’s 10 highest mountains in 6 days. He engaged scouts, state parks staff and visitors, as well as others as he traveled through Oregon. Steve organized great press coverage for this event and raised important awareness in Oregon for Leave No Trace.

Rita Hussman: Minnesota State Advocate, Rita Hussman, has offered a constant stream of Leave No Trace training since taking on the volunteer position with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. She helped host the Center’s first Minnesota Backyard Session, and facilitated National Public Lands Day participation on behalf of Leave No Trace. She is consistently offering local outreach and truly advocates for Leave No Trace wherever she goes.

Jordan Mammal: U.S. Park Ranger Jordan Mammal led the Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park campaign to have the park’s Paradise Area designated as a 2011 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. Her vision and diligence to coordinate Leave No Trace work ensured that all National Park Service departments and volunteers shared her passion and support for the initiative, making it a great success.

Hamish Morin: Hamish Morin, chair of the Smartwool Advocacy Team, worked closely with the Center to increase awareness about Leave No Trace. Hamish organized community outreach within schools in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and led efforts to provide Leave No Trace volunteer opportunities to Smartwool employees.

Awanti Sura: Awanti Sura sought out the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and was a full-time volunteer and intern for six months at the Center’s Colorado hub. With a double Masters in Commerce specializing in Tourism Marketing and International Business, Awanti lent her skills to support constituent communication and education. She left the Center as a Master Educator.

Jeff Marion: Jeff Marion, recreation ecologists with the U.S. Geologic Survey and adjunct faculty at Virginia Tech, wrote a new Leave No Trace publication in 2011 addressing frontcountry environments. A long-standing member of the Center’s Educational Review Committee, Jeff’s volunteerism as well as his scientific research and publications have been important contributions to the organization.

Kelly Pearson: Ardent Leave No Trace supporter, Kelly Pearson, is wilderness tech and volunteer coordinator with the Shawnee National Forest. Kelly was instrumental in the 2011 frontcountry stock pilot Master Educator Course held on the forest. She managed logistics, camping, transportation and provided the key U.S.D.A. Forest Service support needed to make the new course offering a reality.

Paula Booth: Leave No Trace Trainer Paula Booth’s dedication and passion for educating both youth and adults in Leave No Trace has a 15-year history. Her work which began with Leave No Trace training for Cub Scouts and then in the Venturing program, evolved into work with day camps and community events. In 2011 Paula led eight field-based Leave No Trace Trainer Courses.

Reed Waite: Former head of the Washington Water Trails Association, member-activist Reed Waite has not only been a longtime supporter of the Center, but he has also provided important strategic guidance and offers Leave No Trace Trainer Courses in his community. Recently, Reed helped with the Center's Seattle-based Backyard Sessions to build support for the Mount Rainier Hot Spot initiative.

JSU breaks new ground with intern student from UGA
Jacksonville News
The projects, facilities, and natural areas McCutchen will be involved with include the Little River Canyon Center, Talladega Mountains Natural Resource Center, Talladega National Forest, the Chief Ladiga Trail, Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife ...

The Birmingham News - al.com (blog)
Driver's Side: Shelby County commuters may lose shortcut to Caldwell Mill Road
The Birmingham News - al.com (blog)
If Lakeland closes, the main route across the Cahaba River to Shelby County will be Camp Horner and Caldwell Mill which is scheduled to be widened from Acton to Heatherwood Drive. The work is a joint project of Jefferson and Shelby counties.