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Nature Conservancy and Oregon Coast Aquarium Team Up To Save Butterflies
Newport, OR - Habitat restoration for the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly received assistance from the Oregon Coast Aquarium early this month. The Aquarium grounds staff helped by rooting and planting nectar producing food sources for butterfly habitat. The Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta), listed as a threatened species since 1980, requires a very specific coastal habitat and certain plants to survive. A collaborative effort between the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Nature Conservancy and other agencies seeks to stabilize declining silverspot populations. Brent Butler, Aquarium groundskeeper, had been doing volunteer work at the Nature Conservancy and suggested the Aquarium assist with the project. Val Knox, Nature Conservancy botanist, called Bob Llewellyn, Aquarium grounds manager, last summer and asked for help. “We were in dire need of nectar sources for the adults’ upcoming fall food, so we asked the Aquarium for some aster seedlings,” said Knox. “They not only agreed to give us the asters, but they also volunteered to plant them.” Planting day arrived and the Aquarium grounds crew including Bob Llewellyn, Brent Butler and Bob Merry showed up with tools and plants. “I couldn’t believe how many they brought,” said Knox. “Through wind and rain, climbing steep slippery slopes; armed with planting tools and good natures, they arrived with the power of flowers!” Knox said they put 1,500 plants in the ground that day to help sustain the butterfly throughout its life cycle.
The Oregon silverspot is a brown and orange butterfly that lives in humid coastal salt-spray meadows and fields from northern California to Washington. Adult silverspots use their proboscis to sip nectar from asters, pearly everlasting, yarrow and goldenrod. The butterfly is a threatened species due to loss of habitat and the decline of its host plant, the violet. When their eggs hatch into caterpillars, they eat the only the leaves of the early blue violet (Viola adunca). “Ideally, we’d like to restore silverspot habitat between Rock Creek and Bray Point,” said Anne Walker, USFWS Endangered Species biologist. “There are a number of steps people can take to help including participation in the Safe Harbor Agreement, which allows landowners to do habitat restoration on their property.” Other steps Walker cited include planting native species, removing invasive species, mowing on a high setting, not mowing around the edge, minimizing herbicide use and using extreme caution in preserve areas. The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lewis and Clark College, Oregon Zoo and Woodland Park Zoo are working together to implement a silverspot captive-rearing program. Adult female silverspots are collected and encouraged to lay eggs. The caterpillars that hatch are then raised at the college and the zoos, until they become pupae and are released into the declining populations. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a private, not-for-profit aquatic and marine science educational facility offering a fun and interesting way to learn about Oregon’s unique coastal ecosystem. The Aquarium is dedicated to teaching marine wildlife and ocean conservation through responsible management and exhibition of marine life. For more information, visit the Aquarium’s Web site at www.aquarium.org or call (541) 867-FISH. Photo Captions: 1) An Oregon silverspot butterfly (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) 2) Habitat restoration for the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly received assistance from the Oregon Coast Aquarium early this month. L to R: Bob Merry, Aquarium groundskeeper, Brent Butler, Aquarium groundskeeper, Bob Llewellyn, Aquarium grounds manager and Val Knox, Nature Conservancy Botanist. Photos Courtesy Val Knox, Nature Conservancy |
By Cindy Hanson 
“The weather wasn't really so bad, it was fun,” said Llewellyn. “We brought asters and goldenrods. Anne Walker and Val Knox brought violets raised by the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Plant Materials Center in Corvallis, OR. We planted all of these on a rainy windswept hillside overlooking the ocean south of Yachats.” 
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Irresponsible Board of Management
Maybe , just maybe The Toronto Zoo Board Is In The Middle Of A Financial Crisis And There Is No Place To Go But To City Council like a wayward son go to Mom and Dad for more money...
Although it was made clear by Shelley Carroll (the City's Budget Chief) that the Toronto Zoo has to behave more financially responsible, perhaps the problem is that there is no place else to go. The $250 Million fund-raising plans are a pipe dream (especially after firing the Zoo Foundation), it is not possible to raise admission prices any longer (or face a significant drop in attendance) and the "junkets" (especially to China for the Giant Pandas) by members of the Zoo Board can not be cut significantly for any reason. In other words, there is no place to go but City Council. What a crock! The Toronto Zoo Board needs a reality check, as it has become clear that they do not understand the problems they are facing. Perhaps the thousands of free Zoo passes given to Councillors on the Zoo Board could be cut to zero, perhaps the Zoo Foundation could be re-instated, and perhaps a citizen's advisory committee could be formed to provide much-needed guidance to the existing members of the Board.
This is Proof positive
that citizens should have more direct say in the budget process. Line item veto by a citizen's budget committee might get the desired cuts we must attain. The citizens of Toronto should stand with one voice that we just won't allow a property tax increase this year.
By Latinoboy in TORONTO
Ethyl Mercaptan
I would be quite interested in any reference you might have to the presence of ethyl mercaptan in carrion. Most literature indicates that dimethyl sulfide and methyl mercaptan are the sulfur containing entities involved. I had also thought that vultures, like many carrion eating and inhabiting species (flies, etc) were attracted to the rather bad smell of the nitrogenous materials (cadaverine, putresceine, etc) produced during decomposition.
Ant farms
Very nice ant exhibit! I wrote a small ant farm post with a reference to your article.
Train Business Directory Available for Visitors
A "Train Business Directory" shows over 850 locations near all of the Portland MAX light rail at PortlandLightRail.net.
Happy Birthday, Boomer!
You are a great ambassador for your cousins in the wild, Boomer!
Orangutans are critically endangered because of rapid deforestation and the expansion of palm oil plantations.
If nothing is done to protect orangutans, they could be extinct in just a few years!
Your fans can visit the Orangutan Outreach website to make a difference!
Orangutan Outreach
http://redapes.org
Reach out and save the orangutans!
Facebook Cause: http://causes.com/redapes
Venemous snakes?
What is it with people that want to exterminate venemous snakes? If they weren't an integral part of the food chain and ecosystem, they wouldn't be here! Evolution and natural selection has chosen them as survivors! The fact that they are "harmful" to humans is only a result of humans encroaching on their territories and habitats. Be mindful of your surroundings and situation and you can safely live with the so called "harmful" species that we share this planet with!
Local wildlife day
Good luck with the event. We have some fabulous wildlife in Devon that's really worth celebrating. We recently had a botanical survey of our small Devon nature reserve, which recorded more than 180 species in about 3.5 acres. And even more amazing was the depth of local knowledge the visiting naturalists had to share - on everything from obscure moths to lichens.
Local wildlife day
Good luck with the event. We have some fabulous wildlife in Devon that's really worth celebrating. We recently had a botanical survey of our small Devon nature reserve, which recorded more than 180 species in about 3.5 acres. And even more amazing was the depth of local knowledge the visiting naturalists had to share - on everything from obscure moths to lichens.
Sadly, a lack of common sense is the trend
What is sad to me is the lack of common sense regarding venomous snakes that seems to becoming more commonplace.
It has become trendy for government agencies to defend venomous snakes, saying they kill rodents, etc., but non-venomous snakes also kill rodents. I have not heard one logical argument as to what a venomous snake contributes to an ecosystem that a non-venomous snake doesn't.
Any non-biased biologist can affirm species extinction has always happened naturally. It's common sense to kill a venomous snake, rather than let it continue breeding and increase the potential for harm.
The unfortunate consequence of naturalists defending venomous snakes is they make them appear so necessary and harmless that both people and agencies--hospitals, for example--do not expect or prepare for snake encounters.
It's doubtful that many hospitals near the snakes stock the expensive antivenin. Governments should help fund snakebite treatment rather than fund snake protection.
Skype Usage
Very cool and novel way to use Skype. Glad to see that people are thinking outside the box with its collaborative application. If it's not too late, you may want to submit this to Skype as a good use of their software for the Skype in business contest they're running.
Shawn
OnState Communications
Word Oceans Day - June 8
And don't forget to "Wear Blue and Tell Two"
Another great way to celebrate World Oceans Day is to wear blue in honor of the ocean and tell people two things they likely don't know about the ocean and two ways they can take action. For more Information check out this website:
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