New tiny mussel, big conservation story! Biologists uncover Ligodonta obscura, or the solstice creekmussel, a new genus and species found only in a few miles of North Carolina streams.
Topics Related to Conservation
The rare tricolored bat, state listed as endangered, was captured at Robertson Millpond Preserve for the first time in six years. NC Wildlife is filling data gaps in the species’ range maps across the state. The survey team navigates one of Piedmont’s most challenging terrains to make these discoveries possible.
They are elusive and hard to find. Sometimes referred to as a “feathered mouse” due to their movement and behavior, these secretive little, marsh-loving birds called Eastern black rails, once widespread in North Carolina, are at risk of extinction. And the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking public review of a management plan developed to save this very important species from disappearing.
As North Carolina’s only native trout, the brook trout is the official freshwater fish of our state and is near and dear to so many. Numerous generations of Western North Carolinians have grown up fishing for, or hearing about, “specks” (the name often used locally), while many anglers continue to travel to our mountains to fish and create their own stories. Approximately 370,000 anglers fished the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Public Mountain Trout Waters in 2022, which generated close to $1.4 billion for the state’s economy.
We are currently seeking nominations for the
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission partnering with N.C. State for research study in the Triangle
If you build it, they will come—nesting waterbirds, that is.
BearWise® (bearwise.org) is an outreach program that provides science-based resources and information on how to live responsibly with American black bears. The program encourages residents, businesses and communities to take proactive measures to avoid conflicts with bears with a goal for harmonious co-habitation. It’s helpful information for anyone living in communities frequented by bears – which can literally be almost anywhere in the state!
This early hint of Spring is certainly refreshing after what seems like months of cold, damp weather. As the melodies of chorus frogs and the refrains of towhees welcome us back outdoors, many of us are sucker punched by an aggressive invader known to some as the Bradford pear and to others as the Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana).
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!Are you looking to get outside this summer while helping to develop new fish and wildlife habitats? We will be planting native aquatic vegetation in reservoirs across the Piedmont and need your help!Our goal is to improve habitat for sport fishes and other wildlife by establishing self-sustaining native aquatic plant communities. These wetland communities can also help improve water quality, stabilize bank, as well as angler catch rates and enjoyment.