Predator Culls

Predator/prey relationships are a huge factor in the balance of an ecosystem, and, as with any relationship, when one party is destroyed, so is the balance and there are consequences. A cull is a mass killing of an animal, and unfortunately, predators are often culled mainly due to fear and not scientific reasoning.

Good ol' Wile E. Coyote. Funny, yes, but also true- not even a super genius stands a chance against humans. 

Coyotes
Coyotes are considered a pest in many parts of the United States. Even though their love of scavenging gives them a valuable role in the "janitorial" section of the ecosystem, many people classify them as bloodthirsty killers. And yes, they also will hunt other animals such as raccoon, skunks, foxes, rodents, and Canada geese (we have too many geese anyway, right?). They will also attack farm animals, which is where people start getting angry.  

Controlled by trapping, shooting, poisoning, and denning (killing pups), the government is trying to protect farm businesses from the destruction these "pests" cause (and yes, this has caused a stir). The problem with this approach is that coyote populations bounce back. When more are killed, they reproduce more- it's called compensatory reproduction. They will mate at an earlier age, and have larger litters of pups, therefore completely defeating the purpose of a cull. 

There is also the giant issue of coyote contests, where people go out and kill as many coyotes as they can in a race for the grand cash prize. In my opinion, it's unnecessary and cruel to just go out and slaughter these animals in a contest, but there is a large population of people that love these contests more than their pick-up truck (not that I'm picking on a certain collective of people). But I won't tell you what to think, read about it yourself.  Also, here is a great film called "Killing Coyote" that gives a good insight. 

Big Bad Wolf
All too often this phrase gives wolves a bad reputation. Unlike coyotes, wolf populations don't bounce back when they are under pressure. They crumble, like a big crumbly cookie. In fact, when wolves were extirpated from the Eastern United States, coyotes moved in to fill the empty niche. You see? Every action we have on our environment has some sort of consequence. Wolves have been reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park, but unfortunately I doubt they will ever regain their historic territory (the gray area) . 

Sharks
Did you think I would go through a blog without mentioning sharks? Ha! Well, sharks are one of the predators that fall victim to mass killings. The most recent tragedy was the government-funded shark cull of Western Australia, in an effort to make beaches safer. The plan was to kill as many sharks as they can by catching and shooting them in the head, or letting them die and rot on baited hooks, which would theoretically help bathers and surfers. But the funny thing is, when sharks are killed, more sharks step into their niche, or their place, which doesn't accomplish anything. Even funnier, of the almost 200 sharks killed, none of them were great whites, which was the targeted species. Thankfully, this cull has been called to an end, and you can read about it here and here 

How can you not love sharks? 

Predator control depends on public acceptance. Isn't it a whole lot easier for legislation on wolf control to pass than if someone proposed the mass killing of bunny rabbits? There needs to be economic, social, and especially biological justification for predator control, and only lethal methods should be used if nothing else works.

I bet they are all tweeting about palm oil, I can tell. Except the guy in the striped shirt, he's on reddit /r/gonewild.

If you are disturbed by anything you read about in this post, or any of my blog posts, please do something! Take a little action, go on Google, read about these topics, and spread awareness of these issues. A simple tweet can go a long way, folks, and tweeting about a conservation issue would do a lot more good than tweeting a picture of your lunch. 

As always, thanks for reading everyone! 

Consumer Responsibility

Be aware of what you buy! 
When you buy a company's products, you are supporting them and their practices. For example, when you buy a steaming bowl of shark fin soup (which I hope none of you would do), you are encouraging people to keep pulling sharks out from the ocean and slice off their fins. So, long story short, be aware of what you are buying and be a responsible consumer! 

Here are some easy labels to look for: 

Rainforest Alliance

Marine Stewardship Council






Here's a link to some other food labels, too! 

Shoutout to LUSH Cosmetics- proving one company can make a difference! Many of their products contribute to a charity pot, benefiting 600 charities! They also raise awareness for many issues, including the FinFree movement (they even had a petition during shark week!). 

Oh donuts, I always knew you were good

Another shoutout to Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme for sourcing their palm oil from sustainable sources! I've mentioned before that palm oil is a huge factor in deforestation, especially in lush, biologically important rain forests. If these mega-mouthwatering donut chains are pushing for more sustainability, hopefully other fast food restaurants will follow!! Here's an article on it. 

Thanks for reading everyone! 

A History Lesson

In honor of school resuming, I'd like to take a minute to talk about the men who led the American conservation movement. 

John Muir
Muir is most famous for his "Preservationist Ethic"=nature has intrinsic value. He is considered the "Father of the National Park System" because of his role in creating Yosemite, Sequoia, Mt. Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks. To protect these parks, he formed the Sierra Club. In 1903, he assisted Teddy Roosevelt in his conservation programs, many of which are still in effect today.  

Gifford Pinchot
Pinchot was the 1st US Forest Service chief, after studying forestry in France. As chief forester, he increased the number and size of national forests, and constructed proper managerial practices for them. He believed in the "Resource Conservation Ethic"=if you manage resources properly, they will be around for generations to come. His work earned him the reputation as "Father of American Conservation".

Aldo Leopold
Considered the "Father of Wildlife Management", Leopold aimed to utilize and conserve resources at the same time. He is known for the "Evolutionary-Ecological Land Ethic"=conservation based on succession, the fact that ecosystems change. Among his published works is the first Fish and Game Handbook used to catapult game management.

Theodore Roosevelt
Our 26th president was quite a force in wildlife conservation! He recognized ecosystems, he believed in conservation through wise use, and that science is the cornerstone of conservation (somethings I think we need to focus more on in today's wold). He made the National Park System, with the help of Mr. Muir and Mr. Pinchot, and because of what he did, the USA is considered one of the best models of wildlife management in the world! (In the future, I will post more about Teddy- right now I'm reading a book about him.) 

You know Theodore Roosevelt was awesome because he was played by Robin Williams (*tries not to cry......cries a lot*)

Well there ya have it folks, four of the founding fathers of wildlife conservation in the US of A. Keep a look out for upcoming posts about everything from tea brands to coyote contests, and, as always, thanks for reading!! 

Book Review: Jeff Corwin

Jeff Corwin is famous for his work in wildlife conservation, and I have been a fan of his since I was little. While it's hard to compare anyone to Steve Irwin, I would say Jeff Corwin is the American version of the late Crocodile Hunter, teaching audiences about animals from around the globe with his funny and educational TV shows ("The Jeff Corwin Experience" has over 13 million viewers in the US!) 

In this book, he narrates a series of tales about the world's most endangered species of animals. "100 Heartbeats" means that 100 or less of the animals of these species exist in the wild. And not only does this book talk about heartbeats, it also pulls on heartstrings- I found myself crying several times over the atrocities some of these animals face. But on the flip side, Mr. Corwin's outgoing and entertaining personality shines through, and kept me hungry for the story on each following page. Even for someone educated in animals and conservation like myself, this book was an eye-opener- it showed what is going on on the front lines of these issues. 

In short, I recommend this book to everyone. I absolutely loved it, and I think if more people read this piece, the general public would have a better appreciation for wildlife and those fighting to protect it. So do yourself a favor and buy it! 

For fun, here's a video of some of his shows' clips! Can you see why I adore this guy?

Here are a few links to some more of Mr. Corwin's projects:
TV Shows and Appearances
Another Book of His
Emerald Canopy Rainforest Research Association

With the summer ending, I look forward to posting more often, so keep checking back! And of course (you guessed it:) thank you for reading!