"Wu" the WuShock Mascot

Wichita State Wushock

What is a WuShock you ask? Wichita State describes their mascot, the WuShock as big, bad, muscle-bound, bundle of wheat. Fitting, as back in the early 1900′s many of the Fairmont College (later became Wichita State) football players earned tuition by harvesting or “shocking” wheat during the summer. Unfortunately, this wheat bundle isn’t as invincible as he seems. Over the last 30 years, we’ve seen global yields for wheat decrease by 5.5%, and scientists predict that this trend will continue as temperatures rise. A recent study from Stanford University found that a two degree increase in temperature could reduce the growing season by nine days, resulting in 20% less yield.

ISU Cyclone

Iowa State Cyclones

You won’t see a college student donning a twister costume on the court of ISU athletic events–rather, you’ll see “Cy” the cardinal wearing red and gold. Story goes, that the cardinal was ISU’s mascot until 1895 when damaging tornadoes wrecked havoc on central Iowa. When ISU stomped Northwestern 35-0 in a football match up that year, the headline in the Chicago Tribune the next day read “Struck by a Cyclone: It Comes From Iowa and Devastates Evanston Town”. The name stuck. Destructive storms and tornadoes continue to occur in the heartland, and as our air warms and moisture in the atmosphere increases due to climate change, we can expect even more dangerous storms. Warming winters and springs may cause some twisters to happen earlier as well–for example, Nebraska recorded their first February tornado on record this year.

Credit: Robert Postma

Michigan Wolverines

There are varying theories of why Michigan’s mascot is the wolverine. No wild wolverines exist in the state as far as we know. My favorite theory goes back to the Ohio-Michigan rivalry: Michiganders were called ‘wolverines’ in 1803 when the two sides argued over where to place the state line. What is unclear, however, is if Michiganders called themselves wolverines due to their tenacity and strength, or if Ohioans coined the term due to the gluttonous habits of their neighbors to the north. Either way, wolverines today are extremely threatened by climate change. As few as 250 wolverines may be left in the contiguous United States, of which only 35 individuals are thought to be successfully breeding.  Snow is melting earlier, putting the wolverine, who requires snowy habitat to find mates, reproduce, and survive in danger.

Credit: OSU

Ohio State Buckeyes

Brutus Buckeye is the famous mascot of the Ohio State University and is named after Ohio’s state tree, the buckeye. Contrary to popular belief, squirrels (thanks Jon Stewart!) are not the only threat to Brutus Buckeye. Climate change is moving the Ohio buckeye north into–dare I say it–Michigan. The Forest Service recently published a Climate Change Tree Atlas that predicts northward movement of the Ohio buckeye tree with a warming climate. Ohio State University student Kristen Arnold said in a 2008 press conference, “As a die-hard Buckeyes fan, the only thing worse than losing to Michigan would be giving them our mascot. This is one thing Buckeye and Wolverine fans should team up on: work together on global warming so they keep their wolverines and we save our buckeyes.”

Monte from Montana

Montana Grizzlies

Montanans have long recognized the grizzly as a symbol of the state’s wild heritage. The famous mascot, Monte the Grizzly hails from the University of Montana. The University’s basketball team officially became the Grizzlies in 1923 when they joined the Pacific Coast Conference–this was the same year Montana became the first state the in the nation to designate grizzlies as a protected game animal. Grizzly bears are slowly expanding their habitat range higher into the Arctic, to areas once thought to too chilly for the bear. This more northern habitat has been traditionally dominated by polar bears, leading many scientists to wonder about the ecological impacts of this habitat clash. I wonder if any team will adopt the Grolar bear as a mascot in the future?

Albert & Alberta

Florida Gators

Albert and Alberta Gator (one of the few male and female mascot pairings in the NCAA) call the University of Florida home. Appropriately suited since over 1 million alligators live in Florida and in 1987 the state of Florida declared the American Alligator their official state reptile. Climate change threatens alligators as sea levels rise, causing an influx of saltwater to the gator’s freshwater and brackish habitat. What’s worse, we may be seeing fewer ‘Albertas’ in the future. Eggs incubated at warmer temperatures tend to be born as males–altering the male to female sex ratio.

Which mascot will fend off extinction elimination in the tourney? My guess is a more climate resilient mascot will win this year…

Update: The first egg hatched March 27, 2012. (Get a glimpse of the “D12″). Update: March 29, 2012 - Here’s footage of the emergence of “D13.” Stay tuned!

Symbolically Adopt a Bald Eagle

Help National Wildlife Federation in its efforts to protect the bald eagle and its habitat by adopting an eagle. Your adoption will go toward supporting NWF’s efforts with wildlife conservation, education and more. Adoption packages include a certificate, poster, bald eagle plush and more.

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Feb. 17, 2012: First egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb. 20, 2012: Second egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb 24, 2012: Third egg is delivered (watch video)

Who operates and maintains this eagle cam?

The Raptor Resource Project maintains the cams, of which there are two. The feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view.

More Frequently Asked Questions About the Eagle Cam

See these frequently asked questions answered by the Raptor Resource Center.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, 3 more in 2010, and 3 more in 2011.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of Raptor Resource Project, switches to the pan-tilt-zoom cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. They establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing more than 23 falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, the Raptor Resource Center provides training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reaching more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and the web, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages.

Related Links

• Read an interview with Robert Anderson, the Director of the Raptor Resource Project, who helped set up the famous UStream video footage of the Decorah Bald Eagle, the #1 most watched live video stream of all time.
• Learn more about bald eagles from National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Library and find out how they are an Endangered Species Act success story.

Thousands of people encircling the White House on Nov. 6th (Shadia Fayne Wood, Tar Sands Action)

I gathered with thousands of others around Barack Obama’s house on Sunday, urging the President to say no to the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline that would carry millions of barrels of tar sands oil through America’s heartland, including the sensitive sandhill region in Nebraska. President Obama will be deciding whether or not to approve the dirty energy project in the coming months.

Tar sands oil is one of the dirtiest and most energy-intensive forms of oil to produce. Oil companies are digging up pristine habitat in Alberta, Canada that provides habitat for lynx, moose, grizzly bears, and migrating birds.  Wildlife advocates joined with ranchers, faith leaders, sportsmen, environmentalists, tribal leaders, and many other Americans across the country to completely encircle the White House, sending a powerful statement to Mr. Obama: We will not back down.

Larry Schweiger addresses the crowd on Nov. 6th (Shadia Fayne Wood, Tar Sands Action)

Bill McKibben with 350.org and Tar Sands Action who coordinated the day, recalled the President’s promises to end the tyranny of oil and commit to curbing climate change.

Looking out over a sea of activists wearing orange “Stop the Pipeline” safety vests and waving “No Oil in Our Soil” cornfingers in the air, NWF President and CEO Larry Schweiger spoke to the crowd as well, calling on the President to make the right decision for future generations and the well-being of our planet.

Want to see more? Check out Tar Sands Action’s amazing photos capturing the event!

The Story Behind the Whooping Crane

It’s a chicken! It’s a swan! It’s an ostrich! Actually….it’s a whooping crane.  Aside from a couple polar bears, the endangered whooping crane was the only impacted animal seen at the White House.  The whooping crane has a lot at stake in whether the Keystone XL pipeline is approved. Although I’m sure the chickens, swans, and ostriches (nice guesses!) of the world don’t like the pipeline either.

Whooping Cranes at risk from Keystone XL (Amy Dewan, Tar Sands Action)

The whooping crane (also known as NWF staff member, Sabrina Patel) donned white feathers speckled with oil and a characteristic red featherless patch near its beak.  Whooping cranes are one of the most highly endangered birds on the planet–only 74 breeding pairs exist in the core population found near the tar sands in Canada’s boreal forest.

Keystone XL would follow the bird’s migratory route and cross the Platte River in Nebraska where whooping cranes stop to rest and eat on their journey to Canada.  An oil spill in the Keystone XL pipeline (experts have predicted that 91 spills will occur in KXL’s lifetime) would harm the whooping crane’s migratory route and put the already endangered bird in even greater risk.

 Speak up to keep oil out of whooping crane habitat.

Nebraskans give TransCanada the CornFinger (Photo: Nic Callero, NWF)

As a born and raised Iowan, I can’t say I’ve always thought fondly of my neighbors to the west.  Corn jokes aside, I am anticipating the new Big 10 match up between my Hawkeyes and the Huskers the fall. Without a doubt, Nebraska will be a force to be reckoned with, especially with a home-field advantage.

Off the football field, Nebraskans have been a force to be reckoned with as well.  Ask TransCanada, an international oil company who is attempting to obtain a permit from the United States to lay a pipeline carrying crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Texas. When TransCanada started making plans to place the Keystone XL Pipeline through Nebraska landowner’s fields, through the Sandhills, and over the Ogallala Aquifer, Nebraskans acted just as any true Cornhusker would: they put up a fight. 

Cornhuskers come out in full force to oppose Keystone XL (Photo: Nic Callero, NWF)

TransCanada’s risky pipeline carrying dangerous tar sands oil threatens the land, water, and wildlife that Nebraska and it’s economy depend on.  Studies have shown that the pipeline would be prone to numerous spills that could harm drinking water supplies. The pipeline would also run through the migratory corridor of the endangered whooping crane. In addition, it’s been found that the pipeline would actually raise gas prices for Midwesterners, Hawkeyes and Huskers alike.

Almost 1000 Nebraskans showed up with their game faces on today, when the US State Department held a hearing in Lincoln, NE on whether it was in the United States’ best interest to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. As industry and union representatives bused in people from out of state to support the project, the home team showed up in full force to give TransCanada the “CornFinger” and urge President Obama and the State Department to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline.

"Stop the TransCanada Pipeline" in Nebraska (photo: Nic Callero, NWF)

Similar hearings will be held in Austin TX, the Sandhills in NE, South Dakota, and Oklahoma later this week. A final hearing will be held in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 7th.

Tell the Obama administration yourself that you oppose this dangerous pipeline. Take action to protect land, water, and wildlife in our country’s heartland!

Get updates, photos, and videos on all the hearings this week on the dirtyoilsands.org’s Facebook page.

Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Rep. Lois Capps, and Rep. Doris Matsui speak to protect children's health from mercury pollution

A press conference was held on Capitol Hill today in support of an amendment to the House Environment and Interior Appropriations bill that would protect people and wildlife by striking a rider in the bill that delays the Environmental Protection Agency’s  ability to limit mercury and other harmful air toxics emitted from power plants.

The amendment, introduced by Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) would allow the EPA to set standards for dangerous air pollution that will save thousands of lives each year and reduce 90% of mercury that is emitted from coal fired power plants.

Mercury is a particularly harmful air toxic because it settles from the air onto our lakes, rivers and forests, polluting the environment and accumulating up the food chain as fish and wildlife consume the contamination.

Please call your Representative at 1- 202-224-3121 and tell him or her to vote “YES” on the Capps amendment to H.R. 2584, the House Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.

NWF activists support Rep. Lois Capps and Rep. Jan Schakowsky as they work to limit mercury pollution

Mothers in Congress spoke at the event, including Rep. Lois Capps, Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).  All expressed concern about the effects of mercury on children and women of child bearing age. Mercury is especially dangerous to children and developing fetuses; exposure affects a child’s ability to walk, talk, read, write and learn.

The EPA is currently accepting public comments on a proposed rule to limit mercury and air toxics from power plants. The public has been largely supportive of this rule. EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe noted that since March, the EPA has received over 800,000 comments from across the country in support of regulating these harmful emissions.

To learn more about the impacts mercury has on wildlife, visit http://www.nwf.org/mercury