For the cadre of Big Oil backers in the House, chief among them Speaker John Boehner, it’s one more chance to do the bidding of special interests. The question is – how far in this game of chicken are they willing to go?  Might they scuttle one million jobs that will be created by the transportation bill so oil companies can reap profits by building the dangerous Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. NWF’s Jeremy Symons said it well a few months ago and it still applies,

“Speaker Boehner is willing to put jobs at risk once again by hijacking the transportation bill.”

Here at NWF, we worked up a chart to check the spin of Keystone XL backers who are pondering scuttling the transportation bill.  Those big long bars on the right represent jobs that would be created or supported by the transportation bill.  Those little slivers on the left represent the industry’s own job projections by building Keystone XL. It’s below.

You can help stop the Keystone XL pipeline and tell Congress to protect wildlife instead of Big Oil profits.  Click here to take action.

Salmon Salmon!

Occasionally lost in the limelight of nude bicyclists, triple IPA’s and feminist bookstores is our amazing Chinook Salmon fishing.

How many places on our planet exist where on your lunch break you can cruise the river that bisects your downtown metropolis, go catch a salmon, and be back to work before your boss notices? Not too many.

This salmon fishery defines our state and is why the conservation work that the National Wildlife Federation is doing throughout the Pacific Northwest is so important.

Check out the video for proof that salmon fishermen are a little wacky and why many salmon fishermen will fight like hell against threats to the fishery.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Say “No” to Big Coal

Right now, Big Coal is attempting to transform Oregon’s majestic Columbia River from the heart of  our renewable energy corridor and salmon fishing paradise into the nation’s hub for exporting dirty coal to China.

If the big coal companies get their way, up to 38 million tons of coal per year could soon be shipped through Oregon on uncovered trains and exported through the Port of St. Helens- directly adjacent to one of the hottest salmon fishing spots on the river come late summertime. 

This is not the Oregon I know. No room for coal, lets keep it Bikes, Brews, Books, Salmon and more Salmon!

Live in Oregon? Speak up to stop coal export terminals today.

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of 10 NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in California, Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Already, 500 wolves have been cruelly killed this way in nearby developed areas, and this persecution is planned to expand in the tar sands area. If we don’t fight back, 6,000 more wolves may face the same fate.

Stopping the massive Keystone XL pipeline–which would roughly double imports of dirty tar sands oil into the United States–is a critical step in protecting wolves from the dangerous expansion of tar sands. Legislation to force the approval of Keystone XL is moving quickly, and your help is urgently needed to ramp up the fight to make sure Congress votes the right way for wolves.

Save wolves from dirty oil–urge your members of Congress to stand up against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

The photographer's grandson decided to show his love for trees by wrapping one in a big hug while exploring the woods behind their North Carolina home. Photo by Em Sartor.

Happy Love A Tree Day!

There are a bunch of reasons to love trees: they produce oxygen, give us shade, prevent soil erosion, provide food and shelter for animals… the list goes on! If you certify your garden as a wildlife habitat in the month of May, we’ll plant a tree in your honor!

Or if you prefer to plant your own, here’s some tips on planting and caring for your tree.
 
 

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

Children's books have been moving away from the outdoors for decades, but one summer reading list includes a number of books about nature (flickr | Librarian In Black)

According to a study published in the Journal of Sociological Inquiry, since 1960 the emphasis in children’s books has moved away from the natural world surrounding us, and is becoming a much smaller part of a child’s perspective.  You can read NWF’s original blog post about that finding here.

Mainstream illustrations of the natural world are less and less available to our kids. From 1938 to 2008, depictions of nature show up half as much as depictions of the manmade environment. The study concludes that “today’s generation of children are not being socialized toward an understanding and appreciation of the natural world and the place of humans within it.”

This is why I was pleased to see that the Horn Book’s 2012 Summer Reading List for Children includes a number of books that foster a connection with nature. The Horn Book which has been around since 1924 publishes a magazine that reviews “the best of the best” in children’s books. Here are some of their recommendations for summer that are sure to inspire kids to spend time outdoors.

• Coral Reefs by Jason Chin – imaginative blend of fiction and nonfiction
• The Camping Trip That Changed America by Barb Rosenstock – Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and our National Park System  – engaging, accessible picture book version of the story
• Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld – the food chains and food webs in our backyard
• Stars by Mary Lyn Ray – beautiful and evocative
• A Stick Is An Excellent Thing by Marilyn Singer - Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play
• Friends: Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley – for younger readers, introduces desert setting and animals
• Cork & Fuzz: The Swimming Lesson by Dori Chaconas – outdoor play with a muskrat and opossum
• Citizen Scientists: Be Part of the Scientific Discovery from Your Own Backyard by Loree Griffin Burns
• Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage by Sophie Webb
• The Penderwicks at Point Mouette by Jeanne Birdsall – celebration of sisters at play by the sea

All of these books are available on Amazon.com, and if you use the links above a portion of the purchase will be given to National Wildlife Federation.

After reading about the wonders of nature, kids will be inspired to check out the nature around them, in their backyard, at a park down the street, or on a family camping trip. NWF’s Be Out There program has lot of ideas for fun outdoor play. Of course reading NWF’s Ranger Rick magazine is one of the best ways to turn kids on to the wonders of nature.

No more than 1 day old, this killdeer chick was already scurrying around its home in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Jack Rogers.

More Adorable Wildlife Photos, Please.

Vote for your favorite wildlife photos in the 2012 National Wildlife Photo Contest. Or enter your own by July 16th for a chance to win!
 
 

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

A view of Montana’s landscape along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park

Photo by Flickr member chaines9
See more of chaines9′s photos on Flickr >>

Your Photo Could Be Here

We want one of your nature photos to be the next Photo of the Day! Share your images with our Flickr group and tag them with “PhotoOfTheDay-NWF12“.

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Asclepias tuberosa – Butterfly weed provides nectar for butterflies and serves as homes and food sources for Monarch caterpillars.

I am often asked why native plants are becoming so popular, and why we’re reading and hearing so much about them these days. I think it’s part of a larger “green movement” that we’re experiencing in our country today. People are becoming more aware and better educated about our environment through organizations like the National Wildlife Federation.

There seems to be a sincere desire to live in such a way that our impact on the environment is lessened. Perceptions about nature and beauty are changing too. While a meadow or a woodland garden may once have been thought of as “messy,” natural landscapes are now valued for their biodiversity as well as their beauty.

Another reason that native plants are becoming so popular is that people are having real success growing natives, quite simply because they are easier to grow. They are already adapted to your soil and climate. They don’t need extra chemicals in the form of costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides to grow and thrive. And, once your new plants are established, their water needs are more in balance with what nature provides.

I enjoy working in the garden, but a little less work and a little more R&R doesn’t sound bad to me. More importantly, when my children or grandchildren play in the yard or eat food we grow there, I want to know it’s safe.

Speaking of children, who wouldn’t want theirs to discover the wonders of nature in their own back yards? Native plants provide food and shelter for the birds, butterflies and all the other creatures we cherish and delight in watching. Here is an example that everyone can identify with: the relationship between a Monarch butterfly and a milkweed plant.

Milkweed plants produce alkaloids that are toxic to many creatures. Monarch butterflies have evolved to have an immunity to the toxins and, in fact, by ingesting them are less delectable and better able to ward off bird predation. The relationship is so interconnected that Monarchs can only feed on milkweed. Please, think about it for one minute: no milkweed, no more Monarchs. That is not an unusual story in the world of plants and animals.

Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’ – My favorite! The golden yellow blossoms of this perennial will give you long lasting color in your sunny border.

I really want to be clear, I’m not advocating that you tear your garden apart and swear off non-native plants forever and neither is anyone at American Beauties. I’m just hoping that you’ll make a start, and begin to incorporate more native plants into your garden. Maybe you could start with some milkweed. I think you’ll be happy you did. When you buy American Beauties Native Plants a portion of the proceeds go to our partner, the National Wildlife Federation.

Peggy Anne Montgomery runs her own business as a horticultural consultant. She is proud to represent American Beauties Native Plants as their Brand Manager. As a long-standing member of the Garden Writers Association, she has written for numerous trade and popular publications such as Better Homes & Gardens, American Nurseryman and Organic Gardening. Peggy Anne has a background in native plant research, public relations with a large wholesale nursery, and she has owned her own business as a landscape designer in the Netherlands. In her free time she is an avid home gardener as well.

A bison mother comforts her calf after an exhausting swim across the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by David Bahr.

Happy Mother’s Day!

• Thanks Mom, For the Gift of Nature – How did your mom give you the gift of nature? Share your story and read others’ memories!
• Wildlife Moms Photo Gallery – See more photos of wildlife mothers from the National Wildlife Photo Contest.

This Photo of the Day was donated by a participant in the annual National Wildlife Photo Contest. See more photos or sign up for the 42nd Annual National Wildlife Photo Contest.

Swainson’s Hawk

Photo by Flickr member JosieN2010

Your Photo Could Be Here

We want one of your nature photos to be the next Photo of the Day! Share your images with our Flickr group and tag them with “PhotoOfTheDay-NWF12“.

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