Southwest Florida is currently being hit not by one, but by two, massive outbreaks of toxic algae. It could take many years for these systems to fully recover. The National Wildlife … Read more
Lacey McCormick’s Archive

One Year After Hurricane Harvey, Are We Ready for Future Storms?
It’s been one year since Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, lashing the coast and dumping record-breaking amounts of rain over Houston and surrounding communities. The resulting floodwaters damaged over 204,000 residences … Read more

Wins for Water and Wildlife in the Florida Panhandle
The Apalachicola region in Florida has two recent reasons to celebrate, thanks to one landowner and five Supreme Court justices. Donation to a National Wildlife Refuge Last month, a landowner … Read more

Hurricane Season is Here: Preparing our Coast for the Future
Subtropical Storm Alberto just drenched much of the southeast, killing at least four people. Significant storms before the official start of hurricane season seem to be becoming less and less … Read more

A Wild Year for the Whooping Crane
The whooping crane is one of North America’s most majestic birds. Standing five feet tall, with a seven-foot wingspan, the bird’s snow white plumage, black legs, and red spot on … Read more

Protecting the Coast, Providing Wildlife Habitat: Pensacola’s Project GreenShores
How can communities best protect themselves against hurricanes and storms? Two decades ago the City of Pensacola, Florida began Project GreenShores, an effort to better protect its downtown by mimicking … Read more

Cleaning Up the Texas Coast After Hurricane Harvey
When Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas in late August, it caused at least 75 deaths, billions of dollars of damage, and incalculable emotional suffering in addition to significant ecological impacts, … Read more

Texas Birds and Bays – Hurricane Harvey’s Ecosystem Impacts
What will be the fate of wildlife and their habitats on the Texas Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey? Even as floodwaters from the most extreme rain event in … Read more

5 Ways Restoring the Gulf’s Estuaries Will Help Wildlife
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20th, 2010, but the restoration process is still underway. Payments from BP’s 2016 settlement will flow to the Gulf annually through 2031. … Read more

A Win for the Whooping Crane’s Texas Home
The Texas coast is also the winter home of the last wild flock of whooping cranes. These majestic birds winter in and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on San … Read more