Costa Sunglasses’ Post

Valerie Speaks to FWC-Exposing Backdoor Deals and Violation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act In case you missed it, here’s a glimpse into Valerie Anderson’s recent presentation to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Board of Directors on May 1st, 2024. As the leader of Friends of Split Oak Forest, she took the stage to shed light on what’s happening behind closed doors. Despite over 86% of voters rejecting it in the 2020 election, the Commission has been in cahoots with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, planning to bulldoze a toll road through Split Oak Forest. 🛑 These secret meetings, devoid of public scrutiny, reek of deception. But it doesn’t stop there. They claim controlled burns can still happen, just with signage. 🚧 Yet, the reality is roads can’t intersect with the smoke from these burns, crucial for maintaining our habitat’s health. And the cherry on top? The Expressway Authority’s offer to mitigate the toll road’s impact is laughable. Slashing their original budget from $103 million to a mere $43 million is an insult to conservation efforts. 🤦♀️ Allowing this sets a dangerous precedent, jeopardizing conservation easements across Florida’s wildlife corridor. It’s not just about Split Oak; it’s about protecting our entire ecosystem. Valerie Anderson and her team won’t stand idly by while greed tramples over our natural heritage. 🌿 It’s time to hold those accountable and defend what’s rightfully ours. Join the fight, spread the word, and let’s save Split Oak together! Please donate by visiting https://lnkd.in/eE_u89Ru

Valerie Speaks to FWC-Exposing Backdoor Deals and Violation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act In case you missed it, here’s a glimpse into Valerie Anderson’s recent presentation to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Board of Directors on May 1st, 2024. As the leader of Friends of Split Oak Forest, she took the stage to shed light on what’s happening behind closed doors. Despite over 86% of voters rejecting it in the 2020 election, the Commission has been in cahoots with the Central Florida Expressway Authority, planning to bulldoze a toll road through Split Oak Forest. 🛑 These secret meetings, devoid of public scrutiny, reek of deception. But it doesn’t stop there. They claim controlled burns can still happen, just with signage. 🚧 Yet, the reality is roads can’t intersect with the smoke from these burns, crucial for maintaining our habitat’s health. And the cherry on top? The Expressway Authority’s offer to mitigate the toll road’s impact is laughable. Slashing their original budget from $103 million to a mere $43 million is an insult to conservation efforts. 🤦♀️ Allowing this sets a dangerous precedent, jeopardizing conservation easements across Florida’s wildlife corridor. It’s not just about Split Oak; it’s about protecting our entire ecosystem. Valerie Anderson and her team won’t stand idly by while greed tramples over our natural heritage. 🌿 It’s time to hold those accountable and defend what’s rightfully ours. Join the fight, spread the word, and let’s save Split Oak together! Please donate by visiting https://lnkd.in/eMPfRwVe

A week ago we launched this appeal and today we sit having exceeded our target. This is wonderful and will help not only buy the land but also, as we have a bit more money, it will accelerate the pace at which we can transform the biodiversity and habitat. The most moving thing for me is the power of focus. There is a clear goal here, which resonated with enough people who were willing and able to donate. And although we had some very generous donations (which are just amazing .. thank you so much) the vast majority were much smaller, some suggesting they may be kids donating their pocket money ... all of these small acts of kindness have added up to making a big big difference which will benefit so many people, as well as the nature that will now not be disturbed and which will increase and grow as a result. Never doubt for one moment that a small act can make a big difference. It's not too late to donate and if you're not able to do that, don't worry, just sign up for the free email newsletter to help us raise awareness and get involved where you can. Nature needs us more than ever, and some of the solutions are behavioural and free.. there are some great top tips in the newsletter 👍 So why not sign up for a "wildly different inbox" here: www.durhamwt.com (scroll down the page)

This article highlights the important work we are doing to develop the Managing Animals in Disasters Handbook. When finished it will provide good practice guidance to those that have to plan to reduce risk for animals, as well as respond and recover. We are fortunate to have Mel Taylor helping shape a very complicated topic, working from foundational work from Peta O'Donohue, and a great working group guiding the process. #knowledgeispower #drrknowledge #reducedisasterrisk #nonaturaldisaster

Over 32,000 stems have been planted, habitat connectivity improved across more than 10,000 hectares and hundreds of new homes created for wildlife over the past two years through a partnership between Great Eastern Ranges (GER) and WIRES Inc. As part of Glideways, Flyways and Stepping Stones, GER’s regional partners have been working with landholders in three landscapes in NSW to assist dozens of wildlife species still recovering from the Black Summer bushfires. This includes collecting she-oak seeds and planting food trees in Nymboida to encourage glossy black-cockatoos back to the bushfire-impacted region; creating hundreds of new hollow homes for greater gliders and other animals in the Hawkesbury-Nepean; and working with dairy farmers in the Bega to create stepping stones of habitat across farmland. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gtgcyt7i #connectivityconservation #wildlife #community #makingadifference

Wildfires are increasingly threatening communities across California and the West, highlighting the urgent need for proactive fire management. We’re thrilled to share our latest educational video series that captures our large-scale prescribed burn project on the McCloud Soda Springs Working Forest in Siskiyou County. These videos provide an in-depth look at the preparation, execution, and early results of this significant burn, demonstrating how controlled fires can mitigate the impacts of wildfires. The 1,346-acre Schroll Timberlands property, located near the town of McCloud, has undergone various treatments aimed at improving wildlife habitats and overall forest health. Thanks to a grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board, Pacific Forest Trust recently completed a major prescribed burn—the largest on private forestland in over 20 years. This burn is part of our ongoing effort to restore a climate-resilient forest and reduce wildfire risk. We hope these videos will serve as a valuable resource, educating and inspiring other forest owners and foresters to use prescribed burns as a tool to promote healthy, fire-adapted forests and enhance community safety. A special thank you to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for supporting this educational initiative and helping us work towards a safer, more resilient future for our forests and communities. Watch the videos and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/g53arhrK #ForestManagement #PrescribedBurns #WildfirePrevention #ClimateResilience #EnvironmentalStewardship #CALFIRE #PacificForestTrust

It's #NationalWildlifeRefugeWeek! Did you know the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the only federal agency dedicated solely to wildlife conservation? With the biodiversity crisis accelerating —21 species declared extinct last year and 2 million at risk—they are critical partners in building wildlife and habitat resiliency. But it’s not just about protecting wildlife; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is also committed to expanding equitable access to nature. Their Urban Wildlife Conservation Program is making strides in improving green space access in cities across the country. With over 560 national wildlife refuges, including 101 urban ones close to major cities, there’s still more work to do. Local communities are calling for action to protect more land from development and climate impacts.

✊ We’re suing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect wolves! ✊ Like everyone else, we’ve been reeling in the wake of the #Wyoming wolf incident, where a wolf was brutally run over by a snowmobile, captured and then tormented before being killed. We share in your outrage. This incident has been a stark reminder of why wolves need restored federal protections–because the states of the Northern Rockies continue to allow egregious and unlimited killing practices that embolden individuals to commit heinous acts like these.   That’s why, this week, we’ve joined a coalition of organizations to challenge the recent decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over their refusal to federally protect the western gray wolf. In 2022, we sued the state of Montana over their unscientific, senseless wolf slaughter. We challenged the state's use of a faulty population model which studies now show could be overestimating wolves by 2.5 times! In this recent decision by the USFWS, they cite and rely on that same population model and its misleading wolf population estimates, threatening wolves' survival in the region. This decision also continues to turn a blind eye to the egregious and indiscriminate killing practices rampant throughout the Northern Rockies.  It’s past time for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to be held accountable for their negligence in not relisting Western wolves. Please support our efforts to Protect America’s Wolves by donating today or monthly. We need community support for these critical legal battles against the government agencies failing to protect wild wolves from unscientific and inhumane persecution. Thank you for strengthening our new legal efforts, as well as our ongoing litigation in #Montana. Together, we can create a more humane world for wolves, their families, and all wild carnivores. #USFWS #ESA #EndangeredSpecies #EndangeredSpeciesAct #Wolves #GrayWolves #ProtectAmericasWolves #RelistWolves #RockyMountains 📷 Rain

When people offer abrasive opinions on subjects that don’t affect them, a common retort is “stay in your lane.” And yet, when it comes to wildlife, humans freely intrude into the lanes of others — namely, the creatures who belong there. America’s mountains and forests, and some other wild areas that haven’t been paved yet, are a refuge for creatures that are not friendly to humans. Among these wild animals are bison, black bears, brown bears, grizzly bears, polar bears, moose, mountain lions, wolves, and wolverines. Some humans have an irresistible urge to hike, climb and camp in the wild. But doing so frequently puts them in conflict with Nature. While it’s a thrill for people to see these magnificent wild animals in their natural habitat, it is not a thrill for the animals. Humans are usually perceived as a threat, and the consequences can be fatal to both the humans and the animals. Humans have their habitats: cities, villages, towns and settlements. In my opinion, humans should stick to their habitats, and respect the boundaries of animal habitats. And when humans build their homes too close to animal habitats, well….. keep in mind that YOU are the intruder. https://lnkd.in/eTtpN4dY

Today marks the kickoff of Colorado's Western Burrowing Owls season! 🌿 These migratory marvels make their homes in prairie dog burrows, showcasing the incredible interconnectedness of our ecosystems. 🚫 Remember, it's not just a season—it's a commitment to conservation. Federal and state laws stand guard, prohibiting harm or destruction of these owls and their nests. 🛑 Let's be stewards of the land and protect these vital habitats. 👷 Planning a construction project? Take a cue from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW): survey the area for burrowing owl presence before breaking ground. 🚧 CPW's guidelines ensure responsible practices, with seasonal restrictions to safeguard these owls during nesting (March 15 - August 31). 🏡🌳 Let's build a future where wildlife and progress coexist harmoniously! #BurrowingOwls #NatureConservation #CPWGuidelines 🌎 Visit the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Burrowing Owl Survey Protocol for more information: https://lnkd.in/gst9AZZ4