Wildlife Weekly Wrap-Up: 06/02/17

Your weekly roundup of wildlife news from across the country

WildSights:

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Wild stories from the Week:

June is Orca Month! On the first day, we brought attention to the plight of the Southern Resident orca, which faces toxic pollution and alarming food shortages. This is the most endangered community of killer whales in the world! http://dfnd.us/2gB7WbP

There’s solid evidence that Florida panthers are expanding their range. Thanks to recovery efforts, the prospects for the big cats are better than they’ve been in decades:  http://dfnd.us/2rBgy7N

As the Trump administration fiddles on climate, the world goes Californian: http://dfnd.us/2qL2KCE

This week we celebrated World Otter Day! Sea otters are a keystone species, meaning their role in their environment has a greater effect than other species. As predators, sea otters are critical to maintaining the balance of the near-shore kelp ecosystems: http://dfnd.us/14W55x7

Our Defenders in Action:

In the Northeast:

Staff, led by our Director of National Outreach Deanna Steege, and volunteers participated in a horseshoe crab tagging event on the Delaware Bay! Horseshoe crabs are an essential food source for the threatened Red Knot and other migratory shore birds, and every year, the crabs swarm the shoreline of New Jersey’s Delaware Bay – but this abundant food source is threatened by over-harvesting. Tagging horseshoe crabs allows scientists to better understand the local ecosystem, improve habitat and ensure healthy populations of shorebirds.

In Washington D.C.:

Defenders was informed about the “emergency rally” thanks to our partners in the GreenLatinos network.  It was quickly shared around the office and folks gathered at the end of the day to walk over to the White House. Our D.C. staff proudly represented our members who want to protect wildlife and wild places against climate change, as it is one of the leading threats to their survival.