Jennifer Babcock’s Post

Manatees are dying at an alarming rate: Declining seagrass has led to an ongoing mortality event — almost 20% of the entire Florida population perished in just two years. These gentle giants are starving to death. But there's hopeful news: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recently proposed to protect nearly 2 million acres of critical habitat for manatees under the #EndangeredSpeciesAct. If the proposal is finalized, the Act's safeguards will ensure that #manatees will have warm, safe places to swim and eat seagrass for generations to come. But the proposal leaves important waterways unprotected. Join us in urging the Service to protect all the critical areas manatees need to recover — as soon as possible.➡️ https://bit.ly/4eADzuH

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to expand manatee habitat protections for the first time in over 50 years, but it can go even further. Join us in urging the agency to expand the proposed updates to critical habitat – this is one of our best chances in decades to deliver enhanced protections for manatees: https://dfnd.us/4gJAGca

Big news for the ducks! Please consider giving the ducks a follow!

There is NO evidence that supports hunting #grizzlyBears as an effective tool in reducing human-bear conflict. 🐻 ℹ️ The Government of Alberta recently made changed to the Wildlife Act, without consultation with conservation groups or the public, to permit the hunting of "problem" grizzly bears. 🐾 We and Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - Southern Alberta have key concerns, which are highlighted in the statement below. Ultimately, the most important step that SHOULD be taken to achieve grizzly bear recovery and manage human-bear conflict is prioritizing the conservation, restoration, and management of grizzly bear habitat – a step that has been sorely overlooked.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recent report reveals that wetlands (mostly freshwater) now cover less than 6% of the lower 48 states, half their original area. Loss rates have increased by 50% since 2009. The report calls for action to reverse this trend and continue providing future generations with clean water, protection against natural disasters, resilience to climate change, and habitats for wildlife. #Wetlands #Conservation #NatureBasedSolutions

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has proposed to protect Monarch butterflies as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This is a great first step to secure populations of this one of a kind insect. However, this government regulation is only one piece of a complex story. From an inclusive conservation approach, we need to secure collaboration with and among all relevant a decision-makers on the ground (landowners, farmers, conservationists, and everyday citizens) to safeguard critical habitats along their unique 4,000+ kilometer migratory route. By securing protected and conserved areas throughout the migratory route and restoring landscapes and milkweed populations we can collectively secure Monarch butterflies!

Just some of the 72 This image shows wildlife rescuer and carer Emma from Bungalook Creek Wildlife Shelter weighing just some of her 72 rescued Grey-headed Flying-fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) pups in care. At one stage Emma had 109 to look after! Wrapped in ‘mumma rolls’ to keep warm and secure before being weighed, the majority of these pups were found alone in colonies. Why? Maybe their mums didn't make it home due to being caught in barbed wire, illegal fruit-tree netting or were electrocuted. There was also a starvation event this year. By helping disperse pollen and seeds up the east coast of Australia, Grey-headed Flying-foxes are keystone species (which is an animal that helps define an entire ecosystem, and without them, ecosystems would be dramatically different or even cease to exist altogether) and so are vital for the health and regeneration of many of our forests. Listed as vulnerable to extinction, significant threats include continued habitat destruction and climate change (e.g. heat stress, cold snaps) related events. #greyheadedflyingfox #fruitbat #bat #mum #pup #baby #vulnerable #keystonespecies #conservationphotography #wildlifephotography

🐊 Urgent request for all who care about clean air in the Southeast and friends of the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge! Please respond by this Monday (Nov. 18)❗ Last month, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced a proposed boundary expansion of the refuge, adding approximately 22,000 acres. The expansion would allow the refuge to work with landowners to explore voluntary management actions that would protect the swamp’s hydrologic integrity, conserve wetlands, and safeguard the swamp and landowners from wildfires. This is our chance to protect the swamp for future generations, and we need your help to ensure the expansion moves forward. Here's how YOU can make a difference: ✅ Visit the One Hundred Miles website, where you’ll find all the info you need on the proposed expansion: https://lnkd.in/e9JCMUnJ. ✅ Send a quick email: The website provides a simple template you can use to express your support directly to the USFWS. It takes just a few minutes! The clock is ticking! USFWS must receive your email by Monday, Nov. 18! We need to show the USFWS that there is strong, widespread support for this expansion. Every email counts in helping ensure the protection of this vital ecosystem. The Okefenokee Swamp is a national treasure—a vast, biodiverse wetland that provides critical habitat for countless species. Let’s stand together and make sure the Okefenokee Swamp stays protected for generations to come! #Wildlife #WaterConservation #Conservation #Nature #RootLocal

🛑 National Wildlife Refuges are facing an unprecedented crisis 🛑 Staff cuts, reduced public programs, and even closed refuge areas are the result of severe underfunding, leaving critical habitats and wildlife vulnerable. This #RefugeWeek, we ask for your help in raising awareness about the importance of protecting the National Wildlife Refuge System. These lands don’t just support wildlife—they protect our communities and provide opportunities for recreation and conservation education. Find out how you can get involved: https://lnkd.in/gpFYPpNU #WildlifeCrisis #WildlifeRefuge #SaveOurRefuges

A GNU ISSUE   Unlike the proverbial chicken, we know why the gnu crossed the road. Unfortunately, after completing his crossing, this gnu got stuck against a fence before falling into a trench dug for electrical wires.   For millions of years, gnus (commonly known as wildebeest) have navigated rivers, predators, and droughts, their movements driven by the rains and their search for grazing. But fences, roads, and towns now block these historic migrations, slowly strangling wildebeest populations across Africa.   Fortunately, word of the wildebeest’s deadly predicament quickly reached Big Life’s rangers in the area, who responded with their SORALO-supported colleagues and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust-funded KWS Amboseli vet tranquilized the animal to make its rescue safer, and then it was successfully released into a local conservancy to recover.   Human development is necessary. Roads, fences, and farmlands are an inevitable part of this, but nature needs space too, and we are working with local landowners across Amboseli to lease areas that can be kept free of obstructions and keep wildlife safe.   When wildlife strays out of protected areas, as they inevitably do, our rangers will be there to help. Please support Big Life and be a part of our effort to protect Amboseli’s wildlife and wild lands. #conservation #kenya #ngo #amboseli #wildlife