In the late 1980’s I was sitting in the library at the University of South Florida (USF) yearning for adventure. This was around the first time I read about the FSPSP: “Fakahatchee Strand is perhaps the wildest place east of the Mississippi River.” I was hooked.

Sometimes I flew solo, sometimes I convinced a few friends to go with me. Sweaty, dirty, chronically cash-poor college students crammed into the cab and camper shell of my old truck, heading out into the night. A jumble of backpacks, grills, firewood, hiking boots, sleeping bags, tents, paddles, PFDs, coolers, and a very loud boom box rattled around the vehicle.

We would return many, many times.

FSPSP is nestled above the Ten Thousand Islands portion of Everglades National Park and lies just next to Big Cypress National Preserve. It is wet, wild, fecund, sublime, dark, dangerous, and demanding. Wading is as common as hiking. Reptiles and amphibians of all types are abundant as are insects, native plants, and iconic Florida species from bears to panthers, to crocodiles, to alligators.

We saw a Florida black bear on our first trip. We found Florida panther tracks in the soft oozing mud along the trams. The evening chorus of frogs, insects, birds, and God knows what else was a deafening cacophony. Florida folk musician and wilderness poet Dick Joslyn christened it the “Fakahatchee Jam.” We were not in Kansas anymore… and a gator was eyeing Toto for a snack.

We navigated the darkened waist deep waters you waded through with your feet, hidden beneath the water’s surface. We hoped the round objects you encountered were logs and not big toothy alligators. We saw endless snakes, many of which were fat and long and adorned with rattles, and others laid between ferns on a partially submerged log, thick as your forearm, were of the Moccasin variety. You were hyper aware of where you put your hands and feet. It was a long way to the hospital, and this was in an era before cell phones.

One afternoon we set up camp and hiked further along the tram to a large and open prairie. We lost track of time and after a miraculous sunset began hiking back to our campsite. Between the three of us we had one small flashlight with a feeble beam that barely penetrated the enveloping darkness. As we walked, we gradually kept drawing closer to one another. Then we made out a round elongated 8-10 foot wide shape in front of us. Was it a downed tree or log? Had we stepped over it before on the way in? We honestly could not remember.
Slowly, effortlessly, the log rose up on its four legs, and with great power and nobility eased into the darkened waters off the trail. Slowly. The darkened waters were still and silent again, betraying nothing of the modern dinosaur lurking within. The beam of the flashlight seemed ever more feeble.

We had a favorite island that we loved to camp on, remote and wild, in the Ten Thousand Islands. Comer Key was an official campsite within Everglades National Park. There were few amenities and it was only accessible by boat (or in our case, canoe).

A few months after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 we decided to return to our island paradise, perched along out near the edge of the islands along the Gulf of Mexico.  After leaving the boat launch in Everglades City in our canoes we arrived at a spot of open water and no island. Hurricane Andrew had simply washed it away. The power of nature.

I support NWF’s Gulf Program because I want there to always be places along the Gulf Coast that embody deep wilderness. I want to find places still, even in 2026, to get a little lost or to feel the power of nature. NWF saves the places that stir my soul.

So, in the spirit of adventure and exploration I urge you to travel south on I-75, jump on Tamiami Trail (US 41), leave Naples in the rearview and head east into the wild, wet, and wooly swamps. When you hit SR 29 head north to Copeland and enter FSPSP. While it might be a little less of a frontier than in the days of my youth, it is still one of the wildest places left east of the Mississippi River. Enjoy!

Learn more about Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Floridian who lives along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida’s Nature Coast. Joe is a former staff member for NWF’s Gulf Program and contributes these blog posts as a supporter and alumnus. You can follow Joe on Facebook.

Here are some commons owls you might see in the United States:

• American Barn Owl: Recognized by its distinctive heart-shaped face, the barn owls prefer to live in human-made structures, like old barns.  
• Barred Owl: Recognized by its distinctive call that sounds like it’s saying “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”, the barred owl can be found in mature woods and swamps in the eastern half of North America and the Pacific Northwest.
• Burrowing Owl: Known for its distinct white “eyebrows,” the burrowing owl makes its home in underground burrows.
• Eastern Screech-Owl: One of the smallest owl species in North America, the eastern screech-owl can often be found in suburban backyards, as well as forests and riparian areas.
• Great Horned Owl: One of the larger owl species in North America, the great horned owl lives in almost every type of ecosystem, from deserts to urban forests. 
• Western Screech-Owl: Known for sounding like a bouncing ping pong ball, the western screech-owl lives in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico, and commonly found in open woodlands, deserts, and suburban areas.

Download Owl Fun! Activity Guide for Kids and Families to Learn About Owls

Owls and a Healthy Ecosystem

Owls play an important role in a healthy ecosystem. They help control the rodent (e.g., mice, rats, etc.) and large insect populations (e.g., beetles, moths, etc.), which reduce the damage done to crops when there is an overabundance of these animals. Additionally, controlling the “pest” population also decreases the farmer’s need to use pesticides on their crops. Owls will often prey on sick, smaller mammals in the forest (like other predators also do) which helps reduce the chances of sickness or disease spreading through the prey population.

Threats to Owls and Conservation Strategies

Fortunately for wildlife enthusiasts, there are several species of owl across the country that are considered common (as highlighted above), but there are also a few owls facing population declines that have landed them under the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Currently, there are three threatened species in the U.S. protected under the ESA:

• Cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl
• Mexican spotted owl
• Northern spotted owl

Read NWF blog, Spotted Owls: A Proven Strategy Against Extinction

One of the key threats to owls is habitat destruction. Practices such as logging, deforestation, and urban development destroy forests and other owl habitats, which impacts their ability to find safe spaces to raise young and to successfully hunt. Some conservation best practices for owls include leaving areas in your yard or in the community un-mowed to provide homes for owl prey and installing owl boxes. Additionally, leaving dead trees standing (if it is safe to do so) for nesting and perching.

Check out this DIY video from Roanoke College on how to build a screech owl box!

Owls can suffer secondary poisoning when they eat mice or rats that have consumed poisonous pest control baits (anticoagulant rodenticides), colloquially known as rat poison. The conservation community strongly encourages homeowners, farmers and others to forego the use of poisonous pest control baits and use other measures to deter rodents such as blocking entry to residences, reducing potential food sources, using mechanical rodent traps (if necessary), and/or consult a licensed wildlife control professional.

Advocating for laws such as the Endangered Species Act, that protect imperiled owl species and their habitats, and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which will provide much-needed funding to support the conservation of owls in decline and other species of greatest conservation need, when passed.

Fall and the Spooky Season

I would be remiss to not mention the popularity of owls during the spooky season. Stories from Roman and Greek mythology have owls playing a leading role, sometimes as a wise, helpful mystic, or a guardian of the dead. According to NWF Blog by Braelei Hardt, naturalist and science communication specialist at NWF, Why are Bats, Owls, Toads, and Crows Associated with Halloween?, Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was often depicted with an owl companion. Athena’s owl was hailed as a symbol of knowledge and insight, and therefore owls were treated with reverence within Greek culture. In Roman mythology the owl was a bird of ill omen that fed on humans. When Rome defeated Athens in 146 BCE, this more malicious depiction of owls began to dominate both areas and spread into the world form there. 

And in autumn, the leaves are falling in the forest, allowing the sounds of the owl to be heard more easily.  There are simply better acoustics, with less foliage and a chill in the air. It’s also easier to see owls sitting in a tree, either hunting or just hanging out, without the cover of the tree’s leaves. Check out NWF blog, Trick-or-Tweet, to read more about Halloween’s haunted birds.

Now, are you ready to find out if you are as wise as an owl? Take our owl quiz.

Get outside and go on an owl prowl. Take a nighttime walk and see “whoooo’s” calling! If you are lucky enough to hear an owl, try calling back.

How to Help

• Leave dead trees standing (if it is safe to do so) for nesting and perching.
• Leave areas in your yard or in the community un-mowed to provide homes for owl prey.
• Install owl boxes in your yard or in the community.
• Advocating for laws such as the Endangered Species Act, that protect imperiled owl species and their habitats, and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which will provide much-needed funding to support the conservation of owls in decline and other species of greatest conservation need, when passed.

Kids’ Corner

• Owl Fun! Kids and Family Activity Guide
• Craft: Paper Plate Owl
• Craft: Make an Owl Mask
• Craft: Owl Door Hanger
• Craft: Pinecone Snowy Owls
• Recipe: Rice Cake Snowy Owl
• Video: Watch on Owl Turn Its Head
• Video: How do burrowing owls scare animals away?

Bats provide a remarkable natural pest-control service, helping protect California’s Central Valley crops, from rice and vegetables to orchards of fruit and nut trees. Across the United States, bats provide billions of dollars’ worth of natural pest control. Their contribution is especially relevant in California’s Central Valley, one of the nation’s major agricultural regions.

The Mexican free-tailed bat is not only the world’s fastest mammal, but also one of our key insect-consumers. By foraging high above the ground, Mexican free-tailed bats can intercept flying insects before they oviposit, or lay eggs, potentially helping prevent future generations of crop-damaging pests.

Despite being the most common kind of bat in the Central Valley, there is no time to waste when it comes to conservation efforts.

Mortality Events

As a frequent flier to the warm, arid landscapes of the Southwest and Mexico, Mexican free-tailed bats may appear well-adapted to high temperatures. However, a concerning pattern has emerged.

Over the past five years, several large mortality events have been documented at maternity roosts throughout California’s Central Valley. In June 2022, more than 200 Mexican free-tailed bats were found dead beneath a roost in Modesto, with no apparent cause of death.

Between June 2022 and August 2025, multiple mortality events involving at least 100 bats were documented beneath a bridge in Butte City. In July 2024, more than 1,000 pups were found dead beneath a separate roost in Bakersfield. Later that year, in September, several hundred dead bats were observed beneath a maternity roost near Fresno.

Each event coincided with a period of peak summer heat. This pattern raises concerns about the vulnerability of Mexican free-tailed bats and their maternity roosts as the Central Valley experiences a warming climate due to climate change.

Maternity roosts are essential refuges for Mexican free-tailed bats to give birth and raise their young until they can make the migration down south. In California, the largest maternity roost is composed of over a quarter of a million individuals. Protecting these roosts is therefore an important part of conserving Mexican free-tailed bat populations.

Bat Research at California State University Sacramento

Witnessing one of these mortality events firsthand inspired the central research question: How do Mexican free-tailed bats regulate their body temperature during periods of extreme heat in California’s Central Valley?

To answer this question, researchers at California State University, Sacramento (Sac State), embarked on a project funded by the Wild Kingdom College and University Grant Program, a collaboration of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom and National Wildlife Federation.

This involved catching Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from a maternity roost and affixing temperature-sensitive transmitters to assess body temperature changes during high heat periods across late summer. Temperature loggers were also inserted into these roosts to compare body temperatures with outside temperature changes.

Research Goals

By revealing how these bats respond to extreme heat, this research can improve our understanding of their ability to cope with a warming climate and inform conservation efforts. Protecting Mexican free-tailed bats may also help preserve the natural pest-control services that benefit the Central Valley’s agricultural industry.

Beyond its conservation goals, this project also seeks to expand public appreciation of bats.

Students from Sac State gained hands-on field experience by helping capture, process, and release these incredible mammals. Outreach events, including those at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, introduced members of the public and legislators to bats and their importance. By combining research with education, the project aims to build appreciation for these often-overlooked animals.

About the Authors

Alexandra Lyon is a master’s student at California State University, Sacramento, with five years of experience working with wildlife across various fields, including environmental consulting. She is passionate about bat conservation, public education, and plans to pursue a career centered around bats and climate change.

Anna Doty is a Professor of Biology at California State University, Sacramento, with decades of experience studying small mammals and bats. She has worked across the world including Australia, South Africa, and the southeastern United States, where she has published research with an emphasis on bat physiological ecology.

One of our first big victories was led by hunters and anglers with the passage of the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, which created an excise tax on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment and directed the generated funds to states for wildlife management, conservation, and restoration. 

In 1950, we supported a similar plan for fishing equipment and helped pass the Dingell-Johnson Sportfish Restoration Act. To date, these two funds have directed more than $40 billion into fish and wildlife management, restoration, and conservation, and are but two of the innumerable contributions America’s hunters anglers have made to conservation over our country’s history.

Hunters and anglers also have an unmatched, intimate connection to the outdoors and to wildlife, things we can’t afford to lose in our modern world. They contribute countless hours to restoration projects and clean ups, to the conservation of public and private  lands, and to securing access to these lands. 

Hunters and anglers are simply invaluable in American conservation. They are a part of the fabric of the National Wildlife Federation and always will be. We’ve known it since 1936, and it remains true today. These are but a few of the reasons we support Amendment 83 in Colorado.

Amendment 83 would add Colorado to the 24 other states that constitutionally protect the right to hunt and fish. Proponents were spurred by several years of attacks by anti-hunting and fishing advocates to the tune of more than 20 separate efforts through ballot initiatives, proposed wildlife commission rulemakings, and legislation to restrict or prohibit legal hunting and fishing activities and science-based wildlife management. 

Efforts to restrict or prohibit hunting and fishing are growing, and not unique to Colorado. Over the past several years, anti-hunting and fishing advocates have deployed similar tactics across the United States, even going so far as to introduce a ballot initiative in Oregon (IP28) that would have prohibited hunting, fishing, and even raising livestock for food, and prohibited several other animal related practices. 

There have been two attempts to get the measure on the ballot that have thus far failed, but proponents have vowed to return again next year. Efforts like these are happening across the country. Clearly, the ability to hunt and fish is under attack. 

Hunting and Fishing Fund Conservation

The threats to hunting and fishing have broad implications well beyond limiting or prohibiting those activities themselves. Most states get the vast majority of their wildlife management budgets from hunting and angling license fees and the aforementioned Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson excise taxes through the sale of hunting and fishing equipment. 

Additionally, most state wildlife agencies do not receive general fund allocations from their respective state legislatures. Without license fees and excise tax revenue most states would see their wildlife management budget reduced by at least 60% or more. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) receives 68% of its wildlife budget from license fees and roughly 16% of its budget from excise taxes. CPW operates as an “enterprise agency”, which means it does not depend on the state’s General Fund for operating revenue and has received little to no allocation from the state legislature over the past decade during the period the anti-hunting and fishing efforts have become more frequent. 

Proponents for prohibiting hunting and fishing do not address this in their communications while pushing these proposals across the country nor do they propose alternative funding models. It is easy to surmise with the budget situation in Colorado—and in many states—that there simply will not be much money for wildlife without traditional sources of revenue, i.e. hunting and fishing sources.

Beyond the obvious implications above, opponents of Amendment 83 have also been disseminating false claims about what the amendment would or could do. They have stated that Amendment 83 could bring back leghold traps in Colorado. The leghold trap ban was a constitutional amendment that passed in 1996. 

Changing the state constitution requires a ballot initiative and 55% or more voter approval. That would be the case for reversing the leghold trap ban. Amendment 83 does nothing to change the ban on leghold traps nor does it repeal or change any existing laws. 

Anti-hunting and fishing efforts over the past several years and their problematic implications have led a coalition of hunters, anglers, and wildlife advocates to propose Amendment 83 in order to ensure that the ability to hunt and fish becomes a right, and that the management of wildlife will be conducted by the professional wildlife agency rather than through ballot initiatives. 

A Necessary Action

Hunters and anglers believe that if we do not enshrine these rights, it will only be a matter of time before anti-hunting and fishing initiatives pass and end hunting, fishing, and science-based wildlife management in Colorado. Thus the necessity of Amendment 83. 

The National Wildlife Federation supports Amendment 83 because we understand and value the traditions of hunting and fishing, the value of hunters and anglers as conservationists, and the billions of dollars hunting and fishing license fees and excise taxes have contributed to conservation for decades. 

Simply put, without hunting and fishing, we would lose resources for wildlife management agencies and conservation, we would lose a huge connection to wildlife and the outdoors, and we would lose a key segment of the population that is deeply invested in and has a long history of wildlife conservation. We would lose part of ourselves.

As one of the oldest and largest wildlife conservation organizations, that is a fate we simply will not accept. 

Data center electricity demand is projected to double by 2027, while data centers’ land needs are expected to triple in the next five years. As data center development accelerates, driven by investments in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, developers are searching for more land. Increasingly, that search is extending into rural America.

Today, the vast majority of data centers are in urban areas, but roughly two-thirds of planned U.S. data centers are being proposed in rural areas. Rural counties are attractive to developers because they can offer preexisting cleared land, contiguous acreage, lower land prices, fewer nearby residents to oppose projects, easier access to large transmission corridors, and room for new power generation. 

Data centers can access farmland through rezoning, direct purchases, or development of supporting energy infrastructure. In many parts of the country, agricultural lands are being rezoned for industrial use to develop data centers.

Rezoning—along with extraordinary purchase offers—can encourage farmers to sell their lands at prices well above their agricultural value. The prospect of future development can also create speculative value, increasing land and rental costs and real estate taxes for farmers who choose to not sell and remain in production.

Growing electricity demand is also driving the development of new transmission lines, substations, and generation infrastructure, placing additional pressure on agricultural land. In some data center hotspots, these projects would not be built without new demand from the industry. 

These projects can affect farmers, even when a data center is not built directly on their property. Utilities may use eminent domain—the government-authorized power to acquire private property for a qualifying public use with compensation—to obtain land or easements for transmission infrastructure. The use of eminent domain for energy infrastructure varies by state, and some states place restrictions on acquiring private property for economic development.

However, transmission projects may still qualify when they are justified by broader public purposes, such as improving grid reliability or meeting electricity demand. For farmers, this can mean losing productive acreage or having new transmission corridors cross and divide agricultural land.

The Fight for Water Resources

Data center development can also create competition for water. Many large facilities rely on water-based cooling systems to manage the substantial heat generated by high-density computing, including AI workloads. Data centers also have a significant indirect water footprint through the electricity they consume. This is because thermoelectric power plants, which generate much of the electricity used by data centers, require large amounts of water for cooling, meaning the water demands associated with data centers can extend beyond the facility itself.

Agriculture is already one of the largest users of water in the United States. Between 2010 and 2020, agricultural irrigation accounted for 47 percent of total U.S. freshwater withdrawals. In regions where water resources are limited, new demand from data centers and their supporting energy infrastructure can place additional pressure on the watersheds, groundwater supplies, and municipal systems that farmers and rural residents depend on.

Today, communities often lack clear information about how much water data centers use. Inconsistent and limited reporting makes it difficult to compare facilities or assess their cumulative effects on local water supplies.

“In Virginia, fifth-generation farmer Cory Garrett is fighting Caroline County’s effort to acquire his riverfront property for a proposed water pipeline that would deliver up to 14 million gallons of water per day to support data center development. Garrett’s case illustrates how the water demands of data center development can reach beyond facility boundaries and directly affect agricultural land and the farmers who depend on it.”

Impacts on Wildlife and Ecosystems

Agricultural landscapes are already highly modified ecosystems. But when agricultural land is developed for industrial uses, that loss is permanent. Conversion from productive agricultural land to industrial use may limit opportunities for adopting conservation practices on working lands or diversifying production systems. In turn, this could cause further cumulative environmental impacts, both in the U.S. and abroad, if new land is converted to farmland elsewhere. 

Data center campuses may replace agricultural and undeveloped land with buildings, parking areas, roads, and other impervious surfaces. Supporting infrastructure—including transmission lines, substations, and water infrastructure—can further fragment fields and natural areas. Construction of data center facilities can compact soils, alter drainage, and disturb vegetation.

These changes can also affect the prairie strips, forests, grasslands, wetlands, and riparian areas that may be embedded within or around agricultural landscapes. This habitat fragmentation can disrupt wildlife movement and reduce habitat for species that utilize agricultural landscapes, including those that support agricultural productivity, like pollinators.

Data center infrastructure can also introduce additional stressors, as these facilities may emit significant noise and air pollution or alter the microclimate of the area. For example, research has found that anthropogenic noise can inhibit pollination by bumblebees, while certain electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure has been associated with reduced flower visitation by honeybees and changes in plant metabolism.

People and wildlife will also see additional impacts from climate change if the rapid growth in energy demand for data centers is met by coal and gas-fired generation rather than renewable energy and energy storage. A reliance on fossil fuels will make international greenhouse gas emission reduction targets more difficult to reach.

As concerns over the loss of productive farmland grows, marginal agricultural lands with low productivity may prove to be another target for data center developers. But low agricultural productivity doesn’t equate to low ecological value—when restored to grasslands or wetlands, these areas can give native biodiversity a boost.

Farming Communities are Fighting Back 

At the local level, farmers and rural communities are increasingly pushing back against data center development and the conversion of agricultural land. Across the country, farmers have rejected multimillion-dollar offers for their land. In Kentucky, one farmer reportedly declined a $26 million offer for her farmland, while a Pennsylvania farmer has repeatedly rejected offers exceeding $15 million per acre, opting instead to preserve his land.

These individual decisions are occurring amid broader concerns about the long-term resilience of U.S. agriculture. Rising costs and competing land-use pressures are increasing strain on producers. Since 1982, cropland, pastureland, and rangeland declined, while developed land increased by about 66 percent. This makes the permanent loss of productive farmland an increasingly consequential land-use decision.

Communities are also questioning whether the economic benefits of data centers justify their local impacts. Developers and public officials frequently emphasize construction jobs and economic investment, but data center operations can require relatively few permanent workers. Public opposition is also widespread: a recent Gallup poll found that roughly 7 in 10 Americans oppose AI data centers being built in their communities. 

Local governments therefore play a critical role in determining how data center development affects rural communities. While states control many aspects of energy infrastructure and utility regulation, local governments typically retain authority over zoning, land use, and other community-level impacts, and often own or oversee water utilities. These authorities can give residents a meaningful avenue to influence whether and where large industrial facilities are built.

The Policy Landscape

State preemption—laws that allow states to override local zoning and land-use regulations—presents a significant risk to this local decision-making authority. These laws can restrict local governments’ ability to regulate certain large energy facilities and limit local control over data center development. 

Developers are also increasingly pursuing unincorporated rural land, where projects may face fewer zoning requirements, rezoning votes, or other forms of local review. This can reduce opportunities for residents to participate in decisions that fundamentally alter agricultural landscapes. 

The federal government could also intervene, such as by preempting state and local authority over electric supply decisions for data centers, or conversely by establishing minimum standards for water use efficiency and requiring renewable energy and energy storage to meet new data center energy needs. 

Balancing Digital Infrastructure With Agricultural and Wildlife Resilience

As data centers increasingly expand across rural America’s farmlands, communities, local and state officials, and policymakers must weigh how to accommodate new digital infrastructure without unnecessarily sacrificing farmland, water supplies, wildlife habitat, or rural communities’ agency.

Preventing harm from rapid growth requires policies that account for data centers’ full land, water, climate, and infrastructure footprint. Protecting agricultural resilience means evaluating not only where data centers are built (avoiding siting on farmland and valuable wildlife habitat), but also where and how their generation, transmission, water, and transportation infrastructure is located.

Greater transparency, meaningful community engagement, and clear communication can help ensure that rural communities have a meaningful voice in decisions that will shape their land and resources for decades to come.

The effort to celebrate, conserve, protect and enhance our public lands culminates with National Public Lands Day on September 26th. This month, I am hopeful that many Americans will gather in shared purpose and spirit on this special day in a fellowship of service and join efforts at the local, state and federal level to serve our public lands.

Clean ups, plantings, wildlife surveys, trail maintenance, painting parties, group outings and invasive plant removals are just some of the options available to volunteers across the country. The theme of the day is turning support into effort and showing how you value public lands.

In 2026, this month and day are more important than ever.

Our public lands, across the Gulf and across the nation, are facing unprecedented assaults from politicians, developers, the oil and gas industry, mining and logging, and other extractive industries. In Florida, for example, over the last two years, we have defeated efforts to develop our state parks and swap portions of our state forests and wildlife management areas for development. 

Unfortunately, those who would sacrifice our public lands to greed and political influence do not give up. Bad ideas and bad actors simply wait for another opportunity—the bulldozers will return to the gates of Eden.

So let us commit during National Public Lands Month 2026 to give voice to place, to use passion and creativity to engage in advocacy and to let our elected leaders know that public lands are essential to our communities.

So, what can you do?

First and foremost, get out there! You love what you know, and you only know what you experience. Get wet, dirty and immerse yourself in all things wild. You can find a guided hike or outing through most state parks, and organizations like your local Sierra Club, Audubon Society, or Native Plant Society all regularly schedule and lead local trips into wild places and parks.

Be your own north star! Bust out the map and chart your own adventure down the river or along the trail in September. If you are in Florida, take advantage of things like the Florida 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday (September 1st through December 31st) to buy and use the gear needed to watch wildlife, sleep under the stars or catch a mess of fish. Go online and see if your state or surrounding states have similar programs.

Pile the whole family into the car and head out. Families that spend time together on our public lands are stronger for it, so unplug the devices and plug into the world around you as a family. Your kids may not remember the last electronic experience they had, but they will remember the fish you caught and the amazing animals you saw through the binoculars.

Maybe most importantly, once you enjoy our public lands, fight for them. Give voice to them. Speak for them. They are the birthright of all Americans. The idea of setting aside natural places for outdoor recreation and wildlife is an essential part of the American experience and core to who we are as a people. Become part of that tradition.

Create artwork, music, writings, poems, pictures, videos or multi-media projects using what you learned or experienced on public lands. Share your creations with friends, neighbors, fellow congregants, and co-workers. Share them on social media and with elected officials.

Ask candidates running for state level public office if they support your state’s land acquisition program and are willing to fully fund it. Ask those running for Congress if they will speak up for hunters and anglers and defend public lands for recreational use. Ask them if they will stop efforts to build more roads, expand energy leasing, and weaken protections for public lands. 

Start traditions this September in recognition of National Public Lands Month that take you, your family and your advocacy as a citizen in a new and better direction. Spend time in our state parks and state forests. Speak up for what you have learned to love through time on the trail, the river and at the fishing hole.

Use these experiences to regularly contact elected officials and remind them that you, your family, and your community value public lands. You want them acquired, well managed and protected. That will be a mighty and wonderful way to observe National Public Lands Month this year.

Learn more about National Public Lands Day events in your community 

Learn more about the Florida 2026 Hunting, Fishing, and Camping Sales Tax Holiday

Joe Murphy is a native and lifelong Florida resident who lives along Florida’s Nature Coast. He is a former Wildlife Policy Specialist for NWF’s Gulf Program and contributes these blog posts as an alumnus and supporter. You can follow Joe on Facebook. An edited version of this blog post was published in several Florida newspapers and social media sites.

Los polinizadores son esenciales para la vida silvestre y su contribución es vital para los ecosistemas y la cadena de alimentos. Todas las abejas, mariposas, polillas, murciélagos y colibríes autóctonos son polinizadores de las plantas que proporcionan los alimentos de los seremos humanos, crean los hábitats de otras especies de la fauna, estabilizan y mantienen los suelos. Lamentablemente, debido a la destrucción del hábitat, el uso de pesticidas, las enfermedades, el cambio climático y las especies invasoras, los polinizadores están disminuyendo en toda Norteamérica.

• Más de 1 de cada 5 especies de polinizadores tiene un riesgo elevado de extinción en Norteamérica, según un estudio liderado por NatureServe.
• A nivel mundial, en promedio, el 85% de las especies de plantas con flores dependen de la polinización animal. Esto incluye plantas silvestres que forman la columna vertebral de las redes tróficas, estabilizan los suelos, regulan los ciclos del agua y proporcionan hábitat a otras especies.
• El declive en los polinizadores de fauna silvestre provoca descensos paralelos en las plantas que dependen de ellos, con efectos en cascada en muchas otras especies.
• Las investigaciones demuestran que la pérdida de polinizadores puede reducir la rendición de los cultivos y afectar la nutrición, amenazando la salud humana.

La creación de un centro nacional para conservar a los polinizadores

Para afrontar la crisis de los polinizadores, el Departamento del Interior estableció el Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores, en el Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE. UU. (USFWS). A pesar de su historial y logros significativos, su futuro está en riesgo debido los recortes presupuestales que han sido propuestos para el año fiscal 2027.

Desde su fundación en 2022, el Centro ha sido una entidad de colaboración entre gestores responsables de tierras, científicos, líderes de programas y socios comunitarios para compartir buenas prácticas y coordinar los esfuerzos de conservación de los polinizadores a nivel nacional.

Construyendo las bases

Las principales acciones de conservación del Centro han estado enfocadas en apoyar la salud de los polinizadores:

• El Plan de Acción para Polinizadores. El Centro reunió a más de 170 grupos socios de conservación de los polinizadores y creó el Plan de Acción para Polinizadores, guiando los esfuerzos de conservación en los Estados Unidos.
• Dos herramientas emblemáticas, la North American BeeTool y la Monarch Conservation Opportunities Tool, han proporcionado mapas y directrices a los socios y gestores de las tierras en EE. UU., Canadá y México. Estas herramientas ayudan a identificar los lugares donde las acciones en favor de la conservación son más necesarias y tienen mayor impacto.
• Otros programas como las encuestas de ADN ambiental (eADN), las evaluaciones de hábitats asistidas por drones y otros análisis, han sido fundamentales para reunir a los investigadores y proporcionar datos basados en la ciencia que apoyan la conservación de los polinizadores.

El Plan de Acción para Polinizadores incluye aumentar la disponibilidad de las semillas y las plantas autóctonas; simplificar las regulaciones para crear hábitats; mejora la colaboración e integración de las iniciativas de conservación y tomar en cuenta las decisiones acerca del uso del suelo y las nuevas infraestructuras.

Un ejemplo, es la iniciativa de “Colaboración de Monarcas del Oeste de San Joaquín”, en el valle central de California, en donde se ha desarrollado una estrategia regional de conservación de las mariposas monarca con un plan de trabajo de dos años.

Estudios y monitoreo del hábitat de los polinizadores

Los estudios y el monitoreo del hábitat son la columna vertebral de la conservación eficaz de los polinizadores. En 2024, gracias al trabajo del Centro, se estudiaron los Refugios Nacionales de Vida Silvestre y los distritos de gestión de humedales para determinar la situación de los hábitats y las poblaciones de los polinizadores, así como examinar el uso de pesticidas y la restauración de praderas. Los resultados de estos estudios ayudaron a identificar los lugares donde los polinizadores están prosperando, donde tienen dificultades y es necesario fortalecer las colaboraciones.

La importancia del financiamiento para la protección de los polinizadores

La propuesta de recortar el presupuesto federal para el año fiscal 2027, incluiría eliminar hasta el 20% de los fondos del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE. UU., poniendo en peligro a los programas del Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores y perjudicando la recuperación de estas especies de la vida silvestres.

El financiamiento del Centro se encuentra dentro de las asignaciones de Aplicaciones Científicas y Refugios Nacionales de Vida Silvestre, lo que hace que su financiamiento sea aún más vulnerable.

Reducir los fondos del Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores significa:

• Reducir el personal, eliminando las herramientas y las colaboraciones que son necesarias para la conservación.
• Reducir los recursos para mantener el hábitat y monitorear a los polinizadores.
• Eliminar las oportunidades para formar a los gestores de las tierras, los líderes comunitarios y la próxima generación de expertos en polinizadores.

No podemos tomar a la ligera el impacto que tendría reducir los fondos del Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores, especialmente teniendo en cuenta las crecientes amenazas que enfrentan.

Defendiendo la Conservación de los Polinizadores

Los polinizadores no tienen voz y no pueden expresar el gran valor que aportan a nuestros ecosistemas y nuestra salud. El Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores es una importante voz que ayuda a conectar la ciencia y sus herramientas prácticas en favor de estas especies que son vitales. Todos podemos amplificar esa voz siguiendo las siguientes recomendaciones:

• Contacta a los líderes de tu comunidad. Pídeles que incluyan presupuestos para conservar polinizadores y planificar del uso del suelo teniendo en cuenta proyectos de transporte, energía y programas agrícolas. Anímalos a fomentan alianzas con iniciativas federales, como el Plan de Acción para los Polinizadores.
• Haz que los polinizadores formen parte de la conversación sobre la conservación ambiental. Resalta la conexión entre el hábitat de los polinizadores y las decisiones que favorecen su conservación. Guía tu mensaje con información fiable; ¡Asegúrate de revisar bien tus datos! La información creíble es más poderosa que el mensaje que pretende ser más fuerte.
• Defiende la capacidad de la ciencia. La conservación de los polinizadores requiere el personal necesario para monitorear a estas especies y su hábitat en el largo plazo. También es necesario contar con herramientas prácticas basadas en la ciencia y con la colaboración entre las comunidades y en diferentes jurisdicciones. Alienta a los líderes a considerar decisiones de largo plazo durante los procesos de toma de decisiones y las conversaciones en público.

El Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores es más que un programa. Es una entidad que ayuda a mantener unida a una red nacional de conservación. El Centro, conecta la ciencia, los socios y las acciones de conservación, ayudando a los Estados Unidos a estar mejor preparado para proteger a nuestros polinizadores, los ecosistemas, la cadena de alimentos y nuestras comunidades.

NWF en acción
National Wildlife Federation apoya la recuperación de las mariposas monarca y de todos los polinizadores mediante la restauración del hábitat, la investigación y las asociaciones con líderes estatales y tribales, contribuyendo a la creación de planes a nivel estatal y los programas de conservación comunitarios como, Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, y la iniciativa Garden for Wildlife.

Lean este blog en inglés aquí.

Aviso legal: Este artículo está preparado de forma independiente por NWF, utilizando registros gubernamentales públicos e investigaciones científicas. Sus afirmaciones fácticas se basan en esas fuentes. Las opiniones expresadas no representan las del Servicio de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de EE. UU., el Centro para la Conservación de los Polinizadores, el DOI ni el Gobierno Federal.

Pollinators are essential to wildlife yet often overlooked contributors to our food systems and ecosystems. All native bees, butterflies, moths, bats, and hummingbirds are pollinators and play a crucial role in sustaining the plants that provide food for humans, create habitats for wildlife, stabilize soils, and maintain entire food webs. Unfortunately, these populations are declining across North America due to factors such as habitat destruction, pesticide use, disease, climate change, and invasive species.

• More than 1 in 5 species of pollinators have an elevated risk of extinction in North America, according to a study led by NatureServe.
• Globally, on average, 85% of flowering plant species depend on animal pollination. That includes wild plants that form the backbone of food webs, stabilize soils, regulate water cycles, and provide habitat for other species.
• Decline in wildlife pollinators leads to parallel declines in the plants that rely on them, with cascading effects on many other species.
• Research shows that the loss of pollinators can reduce yields and affect the nutrition of many crops, threatening human health.

From Pollinator Crisis to a National Conservation Center

To confront this crisis, the Department of the Interior established the Center for Pollinator Conservation at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Despite its clear track record of significant accomplishments, its future is now at risk due to the proposed 2027 fiscal year budget. Established in 2022, the Center created a national hub for land managers, decision-makers, scientists, program leaders, and community partners to share best practices and coordinate pollinator conservation efforts nationwide.

Building the Foundation

Since then, the Center’s key conservation actions have become the foundation of actions to support the health of the nation’s pollinators:

• The Pollinator Action Plan. The Center brought together more than 170 pollinator conservation partner groups and created the Pollinator Action Plan to guide U.S. conservation efforts.
• It launched two flagship tools—the North American BeeTool and the Monarch Conservation Opportunities Tool—making maps and guidance available to managers and partners in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. These tools help identify where conservation is most needed and which actions are likely to have the greatest impact.
• Other technical programs and investments, such as environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys, drone-assisted habitat assessments, and social network analyses, have been critical in bringing together pollinator researchers to provide fact-based data to support pollinator conservation.

The Pollinator Action Plan outlines key areas of focus, including increasing the availability of native seeds and plants, streamlining regulatory processes for creating pollinator habitats, enhancing collaboration among partners and initiatives, and integrating pollinator conservation into broader land-use and infrastructure decisions.

The Center began implementing this plan through tangible actions, such as the San Joaquin Western Monarch Collaborative in California’s Central Valley, which is developing a regional conservation strategy for monarchs and a two-year work plan.

Surveys and Monitoring Pollinators’ Habitat

Surveys and monitoring are the backbone of effective conservation, and the Center has built that backbone for pollinators.

In 2024, National Wildlife Refuges and wetland management districts were surveyed and monitored to establish baseline habitat and populations, and to examine pesticide drift and prairie restoration practices.  The outcomes of these surveys identify where pollinators are thriving or struggling, which habitats best support pollinators, and where collaborations can be strengthened.

Funding Proposals and the Capacity to Protect Pollinators

Despite the urgency, proposed federal budget cuts of up to 20% for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fiscal Year 2027 would jeopardize these programs and harm pollinators most in need of recovery. The Center’s funding falls within broader Science Applications and National Wildlife Refuge allocations, making it vulnerable to across-the-board funding reductions.

Reduced funding could mean:

• Many fewer staff to maintain tools and drive collaborations.
• Insufficient resources to support pollinator habitat and monitoring.
• Elimination of opportunities to train land managers, community leaders, and the next generation of pollinator experts.

Scaling back the Center for Pollinator Conservation is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially given the numerous facts highlighting the growing threats to our pollinators and the genuine risk of a future pollinator catastrophe that would be difficult to recover from.

Protecting the Foundation for Pollinator Conservation

Pollinators cannot express the pressures they face or the values they provide to our natural ecosystems and our health. The Center for Pollinator Conservation has been an important voice for pollinators and their conservation, helping connect science, practical tools, and partners across landscapes. You can help amplify that voice.

• Reach out to local leaders. Encourage them to consider pollinator conservation budgets, land-use planning, transportation and energy projects, and agricultural programs, while also nurturing partnerships with federal initiatives, such as those listed in the Pollinator Action Plan.
• Make pollinators part of the conversation. Highlight the connection between pollinator habitat and the decisions under discussion. A well-timed question can make an overlooked pollinator crisis visible. Lead your message with reliable information; double-check your facts! Credible information is more powerful than the loudest message.
• Defend capacity, not just awareness. Pollinator conservation requires people, long-term monitoring, accessible science, practical tools, habitat work, and collaboration across communities and jurisdictions. In public conversations and decision-making processes, encourage leaders to consider what it takes to sustain these functions over time.

The Center for Pollinator Conservation is more than a program; it is the connector that helps hold a nationwide pollinator conservation network together. By sustaining the national Center that connects science, partners, and conservation action, the United States can be better prepared to protect our pollinators and the natural ecosystems, food systems, and communities they support.

NWF in Action

The National Wildlife Federation supports monarch and all pollinators’ recovery through habitat restoration, research, and partnerships with state and Tribal leaders, contributing to the creation of state-level plans and community-based conservation programs such as the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge and Garden for Wildlife.

Read this blog in Spanish here.

Disclaimer: This article is independently prepared by NWF using publicly available government records and peer-reviewed research. Its factual statements are based on those sources. The views expressed do not represent those of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Pollinator Conservation, the DOI, or the Federal Government.

Picture millions of small wetlands scattered across the grasslands of the northern Great Plains: these are the Prairie Potholes. They were formed when ancient glaciers retreated over 10,000 years ago, leaving millions of shallow depressions that fill with snowmelt and water in the spring creating a vast network of seasonal wetlands.

These shallow wetlands are known as potholes, and they provide critical habitat for a large array of wildlife and are one of the most important migratory bird habitats in the western hemisphere, home to more than 50% of North American migratory waterfowl.

Not only do these potholes support a vast amount of biodiversity, but they also deliver many ecosystem services. Wetlands help recharge groundwater systems, reduce flooding by acting as natural sponges, and assist with filtering out pollutants and excess nutrients from agricultural operations—helping to purify our drinking water. In addition, they also store carbon securely underground.

Why These Potholes Matter

Due to its important role in supporting migratory waterfowl, the Prairie Pothole region is also known as North America’s Duck factory. Each year it provides the resources and habitat needed to support 10 million ducks. Some of these duck species include the northern pintail, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler and more.

The region also supports an incredible array of additional bird species, including songbirds, waterbirds, raptors, shorebirds, and upland game birds. Impressively, forty different species of breeding waterbirds including herons, American white pelicans, and sandhill cranes can be found in the US part of the region. The Prairie Potholes also support a variety of other wildlife species, from frogs, turtles, deer, and more.

These wetlands are small but mighty, delivering a huge impact not only for wildlife and the environment but also surrounding communities. But right now, the Prairie Potholes are at risk due to proposed changes to protective provisions.

Wetland Loss and Swampbuster

These wetlands face many threats and over the years have suffered substantial losses. The grasslands of the Great Plains have faced intense degradation from agricultural conversion. Many wetlands have been drained or filled, and grasslands have been converted to cropland for agricultural uses. Estimates show that over 50% of the potholes have been lost or degraded and over 60% of the native grasslands have been lost.

Due to the intense agricultural activity in the region, Prairie Potholes also face threats from pollutants, excess nutrients, and chemical runoff. Climate change has also had an impact, with rising temperatures and increased drought events, the prairie potholes are at risk of drying up more often, greatly impacting their ability to provide for the many wildlife species that rely on them.

With the substantial loss of wetlands in the Prairie Potholes that has already occurred, it is even more imperative to protect this region. One tool we have is through USDA’s Swampbuster provision which was created in the 1985 Farm Bill and is instrumental in protecting and preventing wetland conversion.

Under the Swampbuster provision producers are eligible to receive publicly funded subsidies on commodities, crop insurance premiums, and conservation programs as long as they preserve wetlands on their farm. Since its creation Swampbuster has been successful in helping to protect wetlands and preventing draining of the Prairie Pothole region. The provision applies nationwide, so it also protects rural wetlands in other parts of the country.

Swampbuster has been an effective provision for multiple reasons, it has built in flexibility for producers and provides motivation for conservation compliance while allowing farmers to graze or even crop the wetlands when weather permits.

Protect Swampbuster, Protect the Prairie Potholes

Swampbuster works because it relies on the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to use a scientific and objective process to determine wetland boundaries. These delineations help ensure that landowners are able to prevent impacts to wetlands. Current wetland criteria are governed by standards set by the Army Corps of Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, and USDA in 1996.

For many years USDA has been working on updating inaccurate early wetland maps that were previously given to farmers prior to the 1996 standards. Updates to these maps have been made through on-site visits to correct and certify wetland boundaries. However, USDA has recently issued an interim rule that would automatically approve all pre-1996 wetland delineations without making sure they are accurate.

USDA is making the change without doing an inventory or estimate of how many unverified wetland maps remain, without an environmental assessment, without consulting the Fish & Wildlife Service about the impacts on threatened or endangered species, and without consulting Native American Tribes that could be affected.

This rule would weaken Swampbuster and significantly impact wetlands, leading to damage to these important habitats. The Prairie Pothole region and the millions of wildlife species that rely on it are counting on the protections afforded by Swampbuster especially as other protections for these vital areas, such as the Clean Water Act, have been lost through rollbacks.

You can lend your voice to help protect the Swampbuster provision and in turn provide protection to important wetlands and the many wildlife that rely on them. Please join the National Wildlife Federation in calling on the USDA to strengthen and protect Swampbuster.

Help Protect the Prairie Pothole Region – Take Action with the NWF Action Fund

For further reading, check out this report from NWF and the Izaak Walton League: Wetlands Conservation in the Farm Bill

In some areas across the United States, cavity-nesting owl populations, including the American barn owl, have declined. One reason for this decline is loss of nesting habitat, including standing, dead timber that is perfect for some owl species to find a safe space for their young.

In 2024, Morrisville’s environmental sciences department, in collaboration with their sustainability council, launched the Owl Conservancy Project. Over the last two years on Earth Day, students, faculty, staff, and community members have built more than 20 owl boxes to place around campus to provide safe habitat for their owls within the more than 1,000 acres of college woodland. The campus is home to the American barn owl (Tyto alba), the eastern screech-owl (Megascops asio), and the northern saw-whet owl (Aegolius acadicus).

This 2026-2027 academic year, through a donation of the Reolink TrackMix LTE, students studying wildlife management will be able to observe owls on campus.

The dual-lens, 4K camera provides expansive 360° coverage, intelligent animal tracking, and reliable 4G LTE connectivity, making it ideal for remote locations without Wi-Fi or traditional power sources.

The video footage collected will help answer some of the research group’s key questions, including are the nest boxes being used by any of the three target species, what other animals are using the boxes, is the use by other animals creating competitive interference to the box use by owls, and are there extrinsic factors which are prohibiting box use by owls.

Additionally, students enrolled in the environmental interpretation and education course will develop signage, programming, and educational materials to promote owl conservation.

About Reolink 

Reolink offers smart security solutions for homes and businesses, aiming for a seamless security experience with its wide range of products. Serving millions globally, it provides video surveillance and protection, standing out for its commitment to security technology innovation.

For more information about Reolink, please visit the website.

About National Wildlife Federation

Founded in 1936, the National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest and most trusted grassroots conservation organization with 52 state and territorial affiliates and more than six million members and supporters, including hunters, anglers, gardeners, birders, hikers, campers, paddlers, educators, and outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes.

For more information about National Wildlife Federation, please visit our website.