My thoughts about the St. Croix Snaketail (Ophiogomphus susbehcha, meaning of the snaketail genus, and the species Lakota Sioux for dragonfly), the endangered WI species I chose for June since its peak flight time is now!
1. Do you know what makes a dragonfly a dragonfly? Do you know what makes the St. Croix Snaketail unique?
Find some general information here: See UW-Madison Entomology website for dragonflies’ status, habitat, range and flight times http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/wes/pubs/dragonfly.htm , the WI DNR’s http://www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/dragonflies/ for what makes dragonflies what they are as well as info about other endangered and threatened dragonflies, the National Park Service’s http://www.nps.gov/sacn/naturescience/upload/Dragonfly%20factsheet-2.pdf for a dragonflies’ life cycle, from eggs, larvae to adult, and the discovery of the St. Croix,
and Integrated Taxonomic Information System’s http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=592874 for taxonomy.
Specific information about the St. Croix Snaketail itself is here: Explore the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center site
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/insects/dfly/wi/249.htm for a map of where it’s found in WI, the National Park Service’s St. Croix National Scenic Riverway http://www.nps.gov/sacn/naturescience/insects.htm and the DNR’s and Terrestrial Resources Inventory site http://wiatri.net/inventory/odonata/SpeciesDetail.cfm?TaxaID=101 for wonderful St. Croix photos, status, charachteristics, habitat, map and flight season.
2. There are still new things to discover – even in today’s WI!
Read about the inspiring discovery of the St. Croix Snaketail by William Smith in 1989, whose keen observation of strange “exuviae” (in this case, skins of the last larval stage of the dragonflies, as they leave the water for dry land) led to his recognition that he found a new species of dragonfly. Read The WI DNR http://www.lake-link.com/news/headline.cfm?NewsHeadlinesID=2705 , the
Wisconsin State Journal: http://www.madison.com/tct/sports/199198
and the New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/12/science/a-delicate-creature-yields-its-secrets.html provide accounts.
3. Which leads me to the observation that this dragonfly is the first creature I’ve featured that is popular enough to hit the mainstream media, to be used as a fundraising tool by the National Park Service http://www.eparks.com/store/product/65124/St.-Croix-Riverway-Pin/ and be the focus of a popular high school research project. Read the next to last article http://cbm.wiatri.net/Partnership/abstracts04.cfm in which the Grantsburg High School students collaborate with the Citizen Based Monitoring Network of WI. Go to http://web.gk12.net/ to read about the students’ experience at the Great Lakes Odonata Meeting, a collaborative event between experts and amateurs.
Check out some gorgeous photos of dragonflies here, and a photo of the exuviae. I got the photo that my drawing is based on from this website!
Is there something that draws us to creatures that fly, earthbound as we are without artificial means – and especially to dragonflies. With their unique form, they seem magical, almost fairylike, as if they could have come from an enchanted land.
4. This creature has very specific needs, detailed in this WI DNR fact sheet http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/dragonflies/stcroix.htm .
Ophiogomphus are quite sensitive– the larvae can only live in a certain habitat with clean gravel of a certain size, in well-aerated warm water streams, and are very sensitive to water quality.
And, Snaketail’s are uniquely sensitive within the Ophiogomphus genus – they prefer larger, deep streams that flow fast and clean, with much cobble and gravel with sand substrates, bounded by largely forested watersheds.
5. Dams, organic pollution, inorganic sediments, waterway modifications, and shoreline modifications are each factors which could cause the extinction of the St. Croix Snaketail.
6. What can you do to help? If you live near their habitat, don’t use fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. Keep your property forested. Oppose development and pollution. Vote accordingly. Amaze and educate your friends and family with the story of this unique creature! Support your WI DNR at http://www.dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/how_you_can_help.htm and the NPS http://www.eparks.com/store/product/65124/St.-Croix-Riverway-Pin/ , as well as River Alliance of Wisconsin http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/index.php?page=content&mode=view&id=83 . Even if you live elsewhere, join a local conservation organization to make a difference where you live. Think and act as if what you do on your own land, in your own city makes a difference, because it does! Help change the world!!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
May's Featured WI Endangered Species: Fassett's Locoweed
Look at this beautiful field of Fasssett’s Locoweed (Oxytropis campestris var. chartacea) http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/communities/index.asp?mode=photoview&Code=CTGEO091WI&PhotoNum=985 and this lovely head shot http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=3068a
I picked Fassett’s Locoweed for my May Wisconsin endangered species because it begins flowering in May. Happy Mother’s Day! After such a long unspringlike spring, it truly feels like spring has arrived now that flowers are in bloom! Farther north, where this species grows, its blossoms are especially welcome. This is one of the intangible reasons plants are so important to us – they raise our spirits!
I didn’t find much information about Fassett’s Locoweed. We don’t devote much time to Fassett’s Locoweed because it’s of no practical use - it is not agriculturally profitable, not a species we garden with, it’s not used for medicinal purposes… Fassett’s is one of those creatures that just exists, without regard for us.
Here are some facts that stuck with me – as Fassett’s Locoweed ages, its leaves change color – just as our hair greys as we age. And, like some of us who need variety in life to keep us alive and healthy, Fassett’s depends on fluctuations in lake level – its seeds germinate when the soil dries out as summer progresses and the plant can only grow in full sun. These extreme changes make other species unable to live here so they can’t shade out Fassett’s. These similarities between us and Fassett’s remind me that although we are so different, because we are living beings we share certain qualities and rights– including the right to exist and thrive!
Here is some more information about Fassett’s Locoweed and what you can do to keep it from being LOST:
1. Fassett’s Locoweed is only found in 3 counties in Wisconsin (see this map
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/gla/tesweb/plants/locoweed/loco.htm ): Bayfield http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna473.htm ( and in the Chequamegon National Forest), Portage http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/sna/sna227.htm , and Waushara http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna226.htm - and nowhere else in the world. It’s thought that Fassett’s exists in these places because it is a remnant from plant life from two large glacial lakes, which existed 10,000 years ago. Help WI DNR protect these unique places by donating, using the links found on the above pages!
2. Know why Fassett’s Locoweed is endangered: development (housing and recreation), trampling and driving on habitat, runoff from herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, invasive species, and erosion and irrigation of nearby land. While visiting these areas, be conscious of your actions, and spread the word to other vacationers and people living here.
3. Government agencies play a large role in defending and educating us about Fassett’s Locoweed. The University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program’s second article in its newsletter http://www.uwsp.edu/uwexlakes/laketides/vol29-2/Text-only.htm tells us how Fassett’s Locoweed got its name: Although Fassett’s Locoweed was first discovered in 1928, it was later found by a famous WI botanist, Norman Fassett. It’s called Locoweed because it contains alkaloid compounds that cause cattle to behave crazily. Its Latin name, Oxytopis campestris, describes its flower petals and where it’s found: oxus means sharp and tropis, means keel; Campestris means "of the fields or open plains."
US Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/plants/fassetts.html, the US Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/profiles/tep/oxytropis_campestris_chartacea/index.shtml., the WI DNR http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/factsheets/plants/locowd.htm and the USDA http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OXCAC (plant classification details) give more interesting information.
4. This private organization, the Center for Plant Conservation http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/, has some interesting information about Fassett’s Locoweed http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=3068 and could use your donations to help them fulfill their mission of plant education and conservation.
5. Be alert when in possible Fassett’s Locoweed habitat. You might discover some new plants! If so, contact the land owners or government agency where the plant is found. Read the story about how some naturalists found a new population of Fassett’s Locoweed in the Chequamegon National Forest at http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/conservation/success/oxytropis_campestris_protect.shtml . Pretend you are there while you enjoy the great photos on this link!
6. The Whitefish Lake Consevation Organization is a grassroots group protecting Fassett’s Locoweed and other sensitive species. Here’s their newsletter: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/landcenter/whitefish_lake/WL_pdf/WILCO_Online_Newsletter_May_2007.pdf You can do the same here! Support your local environmental organizations, such as your local Sierra Club http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/involve/donate.htm and Audubon Society http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/index.htm . The same dangers to Fassett’s Locoweed threaten animals and plants everywhere! Act and help spread the word!
I picked Fassett’s Locoweed for my May Wisconsin endangered species because it begins flowering in May. Happy Mother’s Day! After such a long unspringlike spring, it truly feels like spring has arrived now that flowers are in bloom! Farther north, where this species grows, its blossoms are especially welcome. This is one of the intangible reasons plants are so important to us – they raise our spirits!
I didn’t find much information about Fassett’s Locoweed. We don’t devote much time to Fassett’s Locoweed because it’s of no practical use - it is not agriculturally profitable, not a species we garden with, it’s not used for medicinal purposes… Fassett’s is one of those creatures that just exists, without regard for us.
Here are some facts that stuck with me – as Fassett’s Locoweed ages, its leaves change color – just as our hair greys as we age. And, like some of us who need variety in life to keep us alive and healthy, Fassett’s depends on fluctuations in lake level – its seeds germinate when the soil dries out as summer progresses and the plant can only grow in full sun. These extreme changes make other species unable to live here so they can’t shade out Fassett’s. These similarities between us and Fassett’s remind me that although we are so different, because we are living beings we share certain qualities and rights– including the right to exist and thrive!
Here is some more information about Fassett’s Locoweed and what you can do to keep it from being LOST:
1. Fassett’s Locoweed is only found in 3 counties in Wisconsin (see this map
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/gla/tesweb/plants/locoweed/loco.htm ): Bayfield http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna473.htm ( and in the Chequamegon National Forest), Portage http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/sna/sna227.htm , and Waushara http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/sna/sna226.htm - and nowhere else in the world. It’s thought that Fassett’s exists in these places because it is a remnant from plant life from two large glacial lakes, which existed 10,000 years ago. Help WI DNR protect these unique places by donating, using the links found on the above pages!
2. Know why Fassett’s Locoweed is endangered: development (housing and recreation), trampling and driving on habitat, runoff from herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, invasive species, and erosion and irrigation of nearby land. While visiting these areas, be conscious of your actions, and spread the word to other vacationers and people living here.
3. Government agencies play a large role in defending and educating us about Fassett’s Locoweed. The University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program’s second article in its newsletter http://www.uwsp.edu/uwexlakes/laketides/vol29-2/Text-only.htm tells us how Fassett’s Locoweed got its name: Although Fassett’s Locoweed was first discovered in 1928, it was later found by a famous WI botanist, Norman Fassett. It’s called Locoweed because it contains alkaloid compounds that cause cattle to behave crazily. Its Latin name, Oxytopis campestris, describes its flower petals and where it’s found: oxus means sharp and tropis, means keel; Campestris means "of the fields or open plains."
US Fish & Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/endangered/plants/fassetts.html, the US Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/profiles/tep/oxytropis_campestris_chartacea/index.shtml., the WI DNR http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/factsheets/plants/locowd.htm and the USDA http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=OXCAC (plant classification details) give more interesting information.
4. This private organization, the Center for Plant Conservation http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/, has some interesting information about Fassett’s Locoweed http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/ASP/CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=3068 and could use your donations to help them fulfill their mission of plant education and conservation.
5. Be alert when in possible Fassett’s Locoweed habitat. You might discover some new plants! If so, contact the land owners or government agency where the plant is found. Read the story about how some naturalists found a new population of Fassett’s Locoweed in the Chequamegon National Forest at http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/rareplants/conservation/success/oxytropis_campestris_protect.shtml . Pretend you are there while you enjoy the great photos on this link!
6. The Whitefish Lake Consevation Organization is a grassroots group protecting Fassett’s Locoweed and other sensitive species. Here’s their newsletter: http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr/landcenter/whitefish_lake/WL_pdf/WILCO_Online_Newsletter_May_2007.pdf You can do the same here! Support your local environmental organizations, such as your local Sierra Club http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/involve/donate.htm and Audubon Society http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/index.htm . The same dangers to Fassett’s Locoweed threaten animals and plants everywhere! Act and help spread the word!
Saturday, April 4, 2009
April's Featured WI Endangered Species: The Crystal Darter
My thoughts about the Crystal Darter:
No one knows much about the Crystal Darter (Crystallaria asprella). We don’t even know exactly how many Crystal Darters now exist, although we do know they have gone extinct in six states. In Wisconsin, Crystal Darters live in the lower Black, lower Trempealeau, lower Red Cedar Rivers and the Chippewa, Mississippi, St. Croix and Wisconsin rivers. They used to live in the Mississippi River basin from Wisconsin and Minnesota east to Ohio and south to Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida and on the Gulf slope in the Escambia, Mobile Bay, and Pearl River drainages. They were never common, but at least widely distributed. Now, they are extinct in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Iowa. Because of their scarcity and the many threats to their existence from our degradation and destruction of their habitat, they are globally and nationally vulnerable, and endangered in Wisconsin.
1. What we do know about Crystal Darters is quite interesting:
A. Although they are part of the familiar Perch family, along with walleye, sauger and yellow perch, they are one of two darter species recently put into their own subgenera (they’re now called Crystallaria asprella) because of their “elongated shape, single anal spine, translucent flesh, and
B. their peculiar behavior of burying themselves in the sand”.The Crystal Darter’s unique behavior – burying in the sand, with only its eyes protruding…until prey comes along – is the most interesting to me. They are also mostly nocturnal, making their predatory strategy even more eerie and effective!
If you’d like to learn more, take a look at the Crystal Darter Status Assessment Report from 2003 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, found at http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Eco_Serv/soc/fish/crda-sa.pdf . Excellent maps and general information about the Crystal Darter can be found here: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt&loadTemplate=species_RptComprehensive.wmt&selectedReport=RptComprehensive.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt&elKey=100313&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false&offPageSelectedElKey=100313&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true&post_processes=&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=100313 You can also find some information specifically about the WI Crystal Darter at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/factsheets/fish/Crydrt.htm .
2. Threats to the Crystal Darter -- These include water pollutants from homes, agriculture, and industry as well as destruction and degradation of habitat through development, impoundment, channelization, dredging, and siltation. All river dwellers are vulnerable to these threats.
3. What is being done to protect the Crystal Darter?
In Colfax, WI residents voted to remove a dam in darter habitat.
The Lower WI State Riverway was formed by the WI legislature, in response to increased, uncontrolled development here. It seeks to preserve the aesthetic beauty of the region, from the Prairie du Sac dam to the Mississippi River, while respecting the rights of landowners, particularly those engaged in agriculture. See http://lwr.state.wi.us/ for more information.
The Lower Chippewa River Basin Partnership Team is a grassroots and government effort, in response to development pressures here. See http://basineducation.uwex.edu/lowerchip/index.htm as well as this report http://www.chippewariver.com/documents/2004MonitoringReport.pdf which tells us that despite this group’s efforts, there is much work left to do to keep these waters safe for people and wildlife.
5. What you can do to help protect the Crystal Darter --. Given the little we know, and how unusual the darter is from what we do know – what a great opportunity for those with a scientific bent to study the Crystal Darter, add something fascinating to our knowledge of the natural world, and hopefully save it from extinction!! If you live near these rivers, support dam removal and oppose development harmful to the Crystal Darter. If you own, work at, or know of farms and industry here, or if you live nearby, spread the word and act to eliminate harmful runoff! Vote accordingly!! Join and become active in local conservation groups!! Help save the Crystal Darter!!
No one knows much about the Crystal Darter (Crystallaria asprella). We don’t even know exactly how many Crystal Darters now exist, although we do know they have gone extinct in six states. In Wisconsin, Crystal Darters live in the lower Black, lower Trempealeau, lower Red Cedar Rivers and the Chippewa, Mississippi, St. Croix and Wisconsin rivers. They used to live in the Mississippi River basin from Wisconsin and Minnesota east to Ohio and south to Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Florida and on the Gulf slope in the Escambia, Mobile Bay, and Pearl River drainages. They were never common, but at least widely distributed. Now, they are extinct in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Iowa. Because of their scarcity and the many threats to their existence from our degradation and destruction of their habitat, they are globally and nationally vulnerable, and endangered in Wisconsin.
1. What we do know about Crystal Darters is quite interesting:
A. Although they are part of the familiar Perch family, along with walleye, sauger and yellow perch, they are one of two darter species recently put into their own subgenera (they’re now called Crystallaria asprella) because of their “elongated shape, single anal spine, translucent flesh, and
B. their peculiar behavior of burying themselves in the sand”.The Crystal Darter’s unique behavior – burying in the sand, with only its eyes protruding…until prey comes along – is the most interesting to me. They are also mostly nocturnal, making their predatory strategy even more eerie and effective!
If you’d like to learn more, take a look at the Crystal Darter Status Assessment Report from 2003 by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, found at http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Eco_Serv/soc/fish/crda-sa.pdf . Excellent maps and general information about the Crystal Darter can be found here: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?sourceTemplate=tabular_report.wmt&loadTemplate=species_RptComprehensive.wmt&selectedReport=RptComprehensive.wmt&summaryView=tabular_report.wmt&elKey=100313&paging=home&save=true&startIndex=1&nextStartIndex=1&reset=false&offPageSelectedElKey=100313&offPageSelectedElType=species&offPageYesNo=true&post_processes=&radiobutton=radiobutton&selectedIndexes=100313 You can also find some information specifically about the WI Crystal Darter at http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/er/factsheets/fish/Crydrt.htm .
2. Threats to the Crystal Darter -- These include water pollutants from homes, agriculture, and industry as well as destruction and degradation of habitat through development, impoundment, channelization, dredging, and siltation. All river dwellers are vulnerable to these threats.
3. What is being done to protect the Crystal Darter?
In Colfax, WI residents voted to remove a dam in darter habitat.
The Lower WI State Riverway was formed by the WI legislature, in response to increased, uncontrolled development here. It seeks to preserve the aesthetic beauty of the region, from the Prairie du Sac dam to the Mississippi River, while respecting the rights of landowners, particularly those engaged in agriculture. See http://lwr.state.wi.us/ for more information.
The Lower Chippewa River Basin Partnership Team is a grassroots and government effort, in response to development pressures here. See http://basineducation.uwex.edu/lowerchip/index.htm as well as this report http://www.chippewariver.com/documents/2004MonitoringReport.pdf which tells us that despite this group’s efforts, there is much work left to do to keep these waters safe for people and wildlife.
5. What you can do to help protect the Crystal Darter --. Given the little we know, and how unusual the darter is from what we do know – what a great opportunity for those with a scientific bent to study the Crystal Darter, add something fascinating to our knowledge of the natural world, and hopefully save it from extinction!! If you live near these rivers, support dam removal and oppose development harmful to the Crystal Darter. If you own, work at, or know of farms and industry here, or if you live nearby, spread the word and act to eliminate harmful runoff! Vote accordingly!! Join and become active in local conservation groups!! Help save the Crystal Darter!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
March's Featured WI Endangered Species: The Winged Mapleleaf Mussel
My thoughts about the Winged Mapleleaf Mussel (Quadrula fragosa) –
From knowing nearly nothing about molluscs, I’ve become a big fan! I’ve learned so many interesting facts through my research and all the time I’ve spent observing and trying to do them justice in my paintings, capturing the subtleties of their patterns and shapes. Here are some facts – sobering, interesting amusing…
Did you know that the Midwest once had the greatest diversity of mussels in the world? Now, 43% of these are endangered, making this group of animals the most in danger of becoming extinct in North America. The Winged Mapleleaf Mussel is only one of many of these nearly lost creatures.
On the lighter side, the names of the different mussels can be quite amusing - monkeyface, sheepnose, elephant ear, wartyback, snuffbox, spectacle case, pistolgrip – like characters in a Mollusc Charles Dickens novel. Their names are so descriptive I can’t help but think that mollusc specialists must be amusing too.
Did you know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have complicated lifecycles? Sperm in the water is taken in through the female’s gills. The larvae, called glochidia, then have to attach to specific host fish – blue and channel catfish - to further develop. When they do, they drop off to mature at the river bottom.
I also didn’t know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels are relatively long-lived – take this college-aged 22 year old found in the St. Croix River!
Although these mussels live in a river, mussels always make me think of shells, and shells the ocean, where all life on Earth began. Let’s work together to ensure that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have a lot more life ahead of them!!
Here’s where you can go, to become as fascinated and charmed by mussels as I am, and find out ways to help save them:
1. To learn some basic facts about the Winged Mapleleaf, go here:
www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page28_9.html dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/wingedmaple.htm
www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/winge_fc.html - I like their slogan: learn, join, protect
www.fws.gov/Midwest/fisheries/topic-wingedmapleleaf.htm
2 To get excellent overviews, explore here:
Many of these sites are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/mussel_recovery.html - My favorite!! Gives an interesting history of how mussels were and are used (cancer research!), as well as lifecycle and conservation efforts, and their important place in the food web
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Facts on diversity & extinction
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/index.html - Amusing mussel names & conservation info
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/ - Great general guide
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Funny mussel names
http://news.fws.gov/mussels.html - Mussels as a cultural legacy, as well as biological and conservation info
One from the National Park Service:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/mussels.htm - Great overview
One from your WI DNR:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/ - Funny mussel names
3. To find out more about what’s being done to help save the Winged Mapleleaf, investigate here:
http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/index.php?id=83&mode=view&page=content - Grass roots organization dedicated to stopping habitat loss and degradation, from dam impoundments which alter the river’s natural flow, dredging and polluted runoff, and ridding the river of the invasive zebra mussel – Donate to this worthy organization!
http://www.macalester.edu/~hornbach/winged.mapleleaf/index.html - A college doing research to help learn about & protect these mussels
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/LaCrosseFisheries/mapleleaf.html - Photos and conservation info; a behind the scenes look on the captive breeding of the winged maple leaf
http://www.peoplelandandwater.gov/fws/03-29-07_fws_hatchery-biologist-chosen.cfm - A story of the hard work and collaboration among biologists from the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, state conservation agencies of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and academic interests to help captive breed the winged maple leaf mussel. The story begins with the USGS’s discovery of the host-fish species of the winged maple leaf mussel, ending with the first-ever captive propagation of the winged mapleleaf. In 2007, they infested 600 channel catfish with an amazing 120,000 glochidia!
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/monthly activities.html - See 2nd story, about the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office educating young people about the dangers of pharmaceuticals in our waters – they cause male fish to produce eggs and prematurely eject the mussel larvae.
4. If you truly become enamored of mussels, you can join others like you in these professional societies:
American Malacological Society http://erato.acnatsci.org/ams/
Conchologists of America http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/home/
Freshwater Mollusc Conservation Society http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/FMCS/
5. I’ll end with some practical suggestions:
If you live near or boat on the St. Croix River, oppose development and dam management that would effect this river! Join your local conservation groups and donate to your local DNR. Vote for politicians who are conservation-conscious! When boating, ensure that you’re not further spreading the zebra mussel (http://www.nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/upload/zebra%20mussels.pdf ). Find out where to drop off your toxins such as medicine, paint, and car oil. Do not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden.
Even if you don’t live near the St. Croix River, remember that what you do effects the wildlife living near you! Act accordingly! Properly dispose of the everyday wildlife toxins you use, such as medicines (in Dane County http://www.meddropdane.org/ ), paint and car oil (http://www.danecountycleansweep.com/ ) Support your WI DNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/taxes.htm) and local conservation groups (http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/ , http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/ ) that are fighting to keep your wild neighbors safe! Help spread the word!!
From knowing nearly nothing about molluscs, I’ve become a big fan! I’ve learned so many interesting facts through my research and all the time I’ve spent observing and trying to do them justice in my paintings, capturing the subtleties of their patterns and shapes. Here are some facts – sobering, interesting amusing…
Did you know that the Midwest once had the greatest diversity of mussels in the world? Now, 43% of these are endangered, making this group of animals the most in danger of becoming extinct in North America. The Winged Mapleleaf Mussel is only one of many of these nearly lost creatures.
On the lighter side, the names of the different mussels can be quite amusing - monkeyface, sheepnose, elephant ear, wartyback, snuffbox, spectacle case, pistolgrip – like characters in a Mollusc Charles Dickens novel. Their names are so descriptive I can’t help but think that mollusc specialists must be amusing too.
Did you know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have complicated lifecycles? Sperm in the water is taken in through the female’s gills. The larvae, called glochidia, then have to attach to specific host fish – blue and channel catfish - to further develop. When they do, they drop off to mature at the river bottom.
I also didn’t know that Winged Mapleleaf mussels are relatively long-lived – take this college-aged 22 year old found in the St. Croix River!
Although these mussels live in a river, mussels always make me think of shells, and shells the ocean, where all life on Earth began. Let’s work together to ensure that Winged Mapleleaf mussels have a lot more life ahead of them!!
Here’s where you can go, to become as fascinated and charmed by mussels as I am, and find out ways to help save them:
1. To learn some basic facts about the Winged Mapleleaf, go here:
www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cbd/musselmanual/page28_9.html dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/wingedmaple.htm
www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/winge_fc.html - I like their slogan: learn, join, protect
www.fws.gov/Midwest/fisheries/topic-wingedmapleleaf.htm
2 To get excellent overviews, explore here:
Many of these sites are from the US Fish and Wildlife Service:
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/mussel_recovery.html - My favorite!! Gives an interesting history of how mussels were and are used (cancer research!), as well as lifecycle and conservation efforts, and their important place in the food web
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Facts on diversity & extinction
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/clams/index.html - Amusing mussel names & conservation info
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/ - Great general guide
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/mussel/threatened.html - Funny mussel names
http://news.fws.gov/mussels.html - Mussels as a cultural legacy, as well as biological and conservation info
One from the National Park Service:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/water/mussels.htm - Great overview
One from your WI DNR:
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/invertebrates/mussels/ - Funny mussel names
3. To find out more about what’s being done to help save the Winged Mapleleaf, investigate here:
http://www.wisconsinrivers.org/index.php?id=83&mode=view&page=content - Grass roots organization dedicated to stopping habitat loss and degradation, from dam impoundments which alter the river’s natural flow, dredging and polluted runoff, and ridding the river of the invasive zebra mussel – Donate to this worthy organization!
http://www.macalester.edu/~hornbach/winged.mapleleaf/index.html - A college doing research to help learn about & protect these mussels
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/LaCrosseFisheries/mapleleaf.html - Photos and conservation info; a behind the scenes look on the captive breeding of the winged maple leaf
http://www.peoplelandandwater.gov/fws/03-29-07_fws_hatchery-biologist-chosen.cfm - A story of the hard work and collaboration among biologists from the Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, state conservation agencies of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, and academic interests to help captive breed the winged maple leaf mussel. The story begins with the USGS’s discovery of the host-fish species of the winged maple leaf mussel, ending with the first-ever captive propagation of the winged mapleleaf. In 2007, they infested 600 channel catfish with an amazing 120,000 glochidia!
http://www.fws.gov/midwest/genoa/monthly activities.html - See 2nd story, about the La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office educating young people about the dangers of pharmaceuticals in our waters – they cause male fish to produce eggs and prematurely eject the mussel larvae.
4. If you truly become enamored of mussels, you can join others like you in these professional societies:
American Malacological Society http://erato.acnatsci.org/ams/
Conchologists of America http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/home/
Freshwater Mollusc Conservation Society http://ellipse.inhs.uiuc.edu/FMCS/
5. I’ll end with some practical suggestions:
If you live near or boat on the St. Croix River, oppose development and dam management that would effect this river! Join your local conservation groups and donate to your local DNR. Vote for politicians who are conservation-conscious! When boating, ensure that you’re not further spreading the zebra mussel (http://www.nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/upload/zebra%20mussels.pdf ). Find out where to drop off your toxins such as medicine, paint, and car oil. Do not use pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers on your lawn and garden.
Even if you don’t live near the St. Croix River, remember that what you do effects the wildlife living near you! Act accordingly! Properly dispose of the everyday wildlife toxins you use, such as medicines (in Dane County http://www.meddropdane.org/ ), paint and car oil (http://www.danecountycleansweep.com/ ) Support your WI DNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/support/taxes.htm) and local conservation groups (http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org/ , http://www.madisonaudubon.org/audubon/ ) that are fighting to keep your wild neighbors safe! Help spread the word!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
