<
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07092024/florida-grasshopper-sparrow-fights-extinction/>
"On a recent morning, 10 Florida grasshopper sparrows, tiny brown-speckled
birds that are the most endangered on the continent, took their first scampers
and flaps on the state’s central prairie.
It happened so fast it was hard to distinguish which of the captive-raised
sparrows was the 1,000th released on this expanse of grasslands not far from
Walt Disney World, the only place on Earth where the birds are found in their
natural habitat.
Dozens of conservationists, gathered some distance away to avoid spooking the
skittish sparrows, celebrated the milestone in an unprecedented recovery
program that in only a few years has doubled the bird’s wild population, from a
mere 80 five years ago to some 200 today.
By the time the land-dwelling sparrows emerged from the two large enclosures
and disappeared onto the prairie, the observers couldn’t help but cheer. The
moment marked the culmination of years of deliberation, doubt and diligence
among those engaged in the bird’s fate, said Paul Gray, science coordinator for
the Everglades Restoration Program at Audubon Florida.
“It’s just a lot of hard work by a whole lot of people,” said Gray, who has
worked on the Florida grasshopper sparrow for about 30 years and was present
for the 1,000th release in July. “I can’t describe how hard it was emotionally
for everyone involved in this because every step of the way, we had to do
something that nobody had done before.”"
Via
Fix the News:
https://fixthenews.com/create-the-right-conditions/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
