A HEAD START
(Collaboration with the Minnesota Zoo)
With hopeful imminent listing to the Endangered Species Act, the wood turtle is in dire need. I followed along the headstart team, led by Tricia Markle, of the Minnesota Zoo as they strive to give young wood turtles an advantage along the rivers of Minnesota. Markle and her team collect eggs from known nesting areas, bring them back to the zoo, hatch and rear them at the Zoo for a year before returning them into the wild. This gives them adequate time to grow to sustainable size and strength, giving them an advantage and (hopefully) a headstart in the wild to prop up the population of wood turtles that reside here in Minnesota. Unlike many other animals, reproduction for turtles is very slow. The vast majority of turtle eggs and hatchlings do not survive, and despite living for decades, a turtle may only be replaced by a couple of offspring over its lifetime. “My future outlook for wood turtles is both hopeful and concerned.” Says Markle.
THE URBAN OWL
(Collaboration with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife)
Cape Coral, holds the largest population of burrowing owls in Florida. It's also a city that has been experiencing unprecedented growth, while great for their economy, it’s disastrous for the wildlife, especially species that thrive in open, treeless areas. Being the smallest burrowing bird of prey in the americas, they are in a delicate situation. As its habitat shrinks; currently designated by the state as "threatened," this small bird is an essential part of the ecosystem and deserves protection. So local residents and conservationists are teaming up to address the issue.
THE FINAL JOURNEY
(In collaboration with Eastern Michigan University Tarantula Lab)
Each fall thousands of solo male tarantulas traverse through the Comanche National Grasslands (just outside of La Junta, Colorado) in search of a mate, and it's the last thing they'll do. For millennia tarantulas have been villainized, but they are an essential part of the ecosystem. One town in Colorado aims to change that negative perception. To commemorate this movement of spiders and bring attention to the essential role they play in the region’s environmental health, the town of La Junta hosts an annual tarantula festival. Also an active strategy to demystify one of earth’s most misunderstood and villainized creatures. Connecting tarantula lovers from all walks of life, including their dogs dressed as tarantulas, cars decorated in tarantulas and even one self-proclaimed "Tarantula King".
TAMARACK NATURE CENTER
(Contracted by Ramsey County)
These photographs showcase the incredible animal ambassadors of our local nature center, captured against clean, white backgrounds to highlight every detail. By highlighting their unique features in a simple, distraction-free way, these images support the nature center’s mission of educating our community about the importance of conservation, wildlife awareness, and the natural beauty around us.
144,000 Ladybugs Released Into the
Mall of America on Earth Day
As part of its Earth Day celebrations, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, released 144,000 ladybugs into the mall to help keep its 30,000 live plants and trees healthy. The ladybugs help the mall avoid the use of harmful chemicals, which is vital considering that many of the plants are within reach of mall visitors. This is at the heart of the mall's 1.2 miles of skylights that help maintain a 70 degree temperature, along with body heat from visitors, lighting and fixtures to utilize passive temperature control avoiding a central heating system. A conscious design choice aimed at sustainability.
