Endangered Species Day is coming up on May 19th, so last night I sat down to watch Nature on PBS. The episode was called “The last songs”. The lyre bird can mimic anything: other animals, a human voice, the click of a camera, even a chainsaw. They show the last footage ever recorded of a male lyre bird who calls and calls but there are no remaining females on this planet so tragically, no one ever calls back.
And yet our agencies are spending exorbitant amounts of money because they think all that matters is deer management. Meanwhile, a startling new study has found that the United States is at risk of losing 40% of our animals and more than a third of our plants to extinction. 1 in 5 species of songbirds are gone. It’s catastrophic.
We are witnessing a biodiversity crisis. Our organization will continue working tirelessly to do what we can to save them but the reality is for many of those species, all we can do is reduce the suffering of those going extinct (and not in a zoo…they don’t belong there.) The Endangered Species Act has not only saved other species but it has saved humans too. Yet, the fight for wildlife remains underfunded and undervalued.
The northern right whale is another species that is critically endangered, so much so that they haven’t died of natural causes in 300 years. Not one calf has been born in 40 years. Maybe you’ll never see a right whale in your lifetime, but don’t they deserve a place in your heart? My heart is breaking off into pieces each day. Humans have millions of advocates. Imagine what we could do for wildlife with that passion.
Please give to Great Lakes Wildlife Alliance for these species and their songs that are disappearing from the sound waves of this planet and our very own ears every single day. We have a 5k match for the month of May. With your help, we can stop this.
Please listen to this song never to be heard in nature again. He was a lyre bird and he was important. Calling out, never to hear back from another of his kind.
Why Meeting with your Legislators Matters!
I feel by informing Representative Riemer that he will do something for wolves, he didn’t know all the details and about hounding. He was very receptive.
Representative Baldeh was shocked and appalled at what we had to say. The camaraderie energized me that we can actually win.
Speaking to my legislators was much easier than I thought it would be.
Dr. Jeff Smith was very receptive to banning killing contests.
Representative Dave Maxey was very open to changing state mandate and banning killing contests.
Senator Carpenter commended our support for changing the mandate to shall in wolf hunt bill. He also recommended that we continue educating legislators about wolves, he will introduce his edit of wolf hunting law.
The aide we met with was actually three of the legislative aids, they had a genuine interest about all aspects, they had no idea of any of these practices. They asked a ton of questions.
Senator Hesselbein knows the bear hunters are too powerful, says we are lucky to be working with Melissa Smith, wants to change the sporting heritage and NRB. Keep lobbying!
Representative Hong suggested to try using legal marijuana to fund conservation instead of the Pittman-Robertson Act.
Kelda Roys was very attentive and is going to take on the WCC fight and intends to introduce killing contest legislation.
Howls of thanks to all who joined us last month at the Wisconsin State Capitol for a day of speaking up for wolves and wildlife!
For those who still have not sent your thank you cards, please reach out if you need help finding your legislator’s mailing address, or you can mail them to us and we’ll take care of it for you!
Your Legislator Meeting Feedback form can also either be scanned or mailed to us. If you prefer to email your feedback, contact Britt at bricci@wiwolvesandwildlife.org.
We are still looking for Wildlife Day event feedback as well! Even if you were unable to attend, please let us know how we can help make that happen for you next time. Click below to provide feedback on how our organization performed.
DNR Secretary says changes are coming to the state’s wolf management plan
“I think most people that we deal with agree there needs to be some kind of number,” Brust said. “To have, basically, an unlimited number is not acceptable because wolves have spread out into areas where they don’t do well. They end up preying on pets and livestock.”
Wolf advocates argue the number of farms with livestock killed by wolves represents a tiny fraction of the state’s 64,000 farms.
Melissa Smith, executive director of Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf and Wildlife, argued the goal of 350 wolves is from a vastly outdated plan that doesn’t represent the best available science. She said Republican lawmakers are circulating the bill “to reduce the wolf population” and appease a vocal minority of voters that don’t like wolves.
She pointed to a DNR public attitudes survey that found 75 percent of those surveyed had a favorable view of wolves, although those living in wolf-range held less favorable views toward the animals. The survey also found around a quarter of residents in the wolf’s range wanted fewer wolves while a third wanted to maintain the current population. Read more here.
Friends of the Wisconsin Wolf & Wildlife 
Come on Melissa. We should be happy that many have heavily sprayed and manicured lawns. I read something that lawns account for way more acreage than actual food crops in the US.
Aren’t we just a prize. We just run this planet to the point of no return, yet the corporations still gotta make record profits.
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