Lee Richardson Zoo Unveils Kansas Waters Exhibit
Dozens of patrons came out for the unveiling of the new Kansas Waters exhibit at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City April 30. The new outdoor exhibit showcases Kansas water resources and dependent wildlife species through interactive displays, a life-size, walk-through arroyo, and live otter and native fish habitats. The interactive water graphics were funded in part through the PLJV/ConocoPhillips grant program. The exhibit has been in development for the past three years, and the otters, which moved into their new home in January, have already been a huge hit with zoo visitors.
Educators Sought for Multi-State Playa Training
The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) is seeking educator teams from each PLJV state to participate in a playa lakes facilitator training workshop June 8 - 9 in Dodge City, KS. The purpose of the workshop is to increase PLJV states' capacity to conduct playa education, and will feature presentations from educators across the PLJV region involved in playa education, state-to-state sharing of resources and activities, a hands-on field trip to a nearby playa, and sessions dedicated to developing playa workshops in participants' home states. The workshop was made possible through the PLJV/ConocoPhillips grant program. For more information about the workshop, contact Beth Carreno.
Oklahoma Panhandle Readies for Great Plains Trail
The Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance (OWPHA) unveiled new road signs which will mark sites along the up and coming Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma during its meeting in Waynoka April 13.
The trail, which has been in development by the OWPHA, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and local community groups for the past two years, will highlight dozens of public and private wildlife-viewing areas throughout western Oklahoma. Surrounding communities are beginning to prepare for the increased tourism the trail is expected to bring, and are holding meetings on how to train front line service employees, landowners and business owners on making trail users feel welcome. Trail maps will be available to the public early this summer.
Happenings Around the PLJV:
>May is American Wetlands Month.
> May 2: Playa lakes exhibit debuts at Eula Mae Edwards Museum in Clovis, NM; Contact Paul Katz.
>May 12: Prairie and Wetlands Focus Area Committee landowner workshop in Baca County, CO; Contact Tammy VerCauteren.
> May 14: International Migratory Bird Day
> May 16 - 18: Playa Lakes Festival in Olton, TX; Contact Darryl Birkenfeld.
> May 18: PLJV board member Barth Crouch receives National Wetlands Award at ceremony in Washington, D.C.
> May 24 - 25: Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams Annual Meeting Ft. Scott, KS; Contact Tim Christian.
> June 15 - 17: Playa Lakes Joint Venture Management Board Meeting, Albuquerque, NM; Contact Mike Carter.
> Now through July 1: Call for Speakers for the Western Wetlands Conference Oct. 24-26, Denver; Contact Karen Filipovich.
> Now through July 4: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's Mountain Plover Nest Conservation Hotline, open to Colorado and Nebraska landowners; call: 1-970-482-1707.
Dozens of patrons came out for the unveiling of the new Kansas Waters exhibit at the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City April 30. The new outdoor exhibit showcases Kansas water resources and dependent wildlife species through interactive displays, a life-size, walk-through arroyo, and live otter and native fish habitats. The interactive water graphics were funded in part through the PLJV/ConocoPhillips grant program. The exhibit has been in development for the past three years, and the otters, which moved into their new home in January, have already been a huge hit with zoo visitors.
Educators Sought for Multi-State Playa Training
The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) is seeking educator teams from each PLJV state to participate in a playa lakes facilitator training workshop June 8 - 9 in Dodge City, KS. The purpose of the workshop is to increase PLJV states' capacity to conduct playa education, and will feature presentations from educators across the PLJV region involved in playa education, state-to-state sharing of resources and activities, a hands-on field trip to a nearby playa, and sessions dedicated to developing playa workshops in participants' home states. The workshop was made possible through the PLJV/ConocoPhillips grant program. For more information about the workshop, contact Beth Carreno.
Oklahoma Panhandle Readies for Great Plains Trail
The Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance (OWPHA) unveiled new road signs which will mark sites along the up and coming Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma during its meeting in Waynoka April 13.
The trail, which has been in development by the OWPHA, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and local community groups for the past two years, will highlight dozens of public and private wildlife-viewing areas throughout western Oklahoma. Surrounding communities are beginning to prepare for the increased tourism the trail is expected to bring, and are holding meetings on how to train front line service employees, landowners and business owners on making trail users feel welcome. Trail maps will be available to the public early this summer.
Happenings Around the PLJV:
>May is American Wetlands Month.
> May 2: Playa lakes exhibit debuts at Eula Mae Edwards Museum in Clovis, NM; Contact Paul Katz.
>May 12: Prairie and Wetlands Focus Area Committee landowner workshop in Baca County, CO; Contact Tammy VerCauteren.
> May 14: International Migratory Bird Day
> May 16 - 18: Playa Lakes Festival in Olton, TX; Contact Darryl Birkenfeld.
> May 18: PLJV board member Barth Crouch receives National Wetlands Award at ceremony in Washington, D.C.
> May 24 - 25: Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams Annual Meeting Ft. Scott, KS; Contact Tim Christian.
> June 15 - 17: Playa Lakes Joint Venture Management Board Meeting, Albuquerque, NM; Contact Mike Carter.
> Now through July 1: Call for Speakers for the Western Wetlands Conference Oct. 24-26, Denver; Contact Karen Filipovich.
> Now through July 4: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's Mountain Plover Nest Conservation Hotline, open to Colorado and Nebraska landowners; call: 1-970-482-1707.
Kansas Offers Incentives to Landowners to Enroll in CP23a The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is sweetening the pot for landowners to enroll in the Wetlands Restoration Non Floodplain Initiative (CP23a) under the Conservation Reserve Program. The Department has launched the new Playa Lakes Signup Incentive Program (PLSIP) which provides a one-time incentive payment of $15 per acre of playa and buffer enrolled in a CP23a contract. The PLSIP is administered through the KDWP's Landowner Incentive Program. Other program partners include the PLJV, ConocoPhillips, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, USDA Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Landowners interested in the program should contact their area LIP coordinator. Contact information and application details are available on the PLSIP brochure (PDF).
PLJV Management Board to Meet in New Mexico in June
Save the date! The next PLJV Management Board meeting will take place June 15 - 17 in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Double Tree Hotel. A block of rooms has been reserved until May 16 under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Call 1-888-223-4113 to reserve a room. For more meeting details, contact Mike Carter.
Follow the Money:
>Fund for Wild Nature:
The Portland, Oregon-based Fund for Wild Nature provides funding for campaigns designed to save and restore native species and wild ecosystems, including actions to defend wilderness and biological diversity. The fund provides support for advocacy, litigation, public policy work, development of citizen science, and similar endeavors, as well as media projects. Special attention is given to ecological issues not currently receiving sufficient public attention and funding.This program is open to all PLJV states and the deadline to apply is June 10.
> EPA Region 7 Wetland Program Development Grant:
The EPA Region 7, which includes Nebraska and Kansas, is now accepting applications from states, tribes, and local and interstate agencies for the Wetland Program Development Grant for projects that promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training, demonstrations, surveys, and studies for comprehensive wetlands program development. The EPA estimates that FY 2005 funding for Region 7 for this program will be approximately $1,000,000 and the deadline to apply is June 2.
> Acres for America:
Applications are now being accepted for the new the new "Acres for America" program which was launched by Wal-Mart Corporation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to offset the company's current and future development. Acres for America will permanently conserve at least one acre of priority wildlife habitat for every acre of Wal-Mart's current footprint, estimated at 88,000 acres, as well as the company's future development over the next 10 years, estimated at 5,000 acres per year, putting the minimum total acres to be protected at 138,000. Wal-Mart has pledged $35 million over 10 years for the program.
> NMDGF Share with Wildlife Grant Program:
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is accepting applications for the Share with Wildlife program which supports non-game biological investigations, wildlife rehabilitation, habitat conservation and restoration and conservation education programs. Proposals are due June 3; contact Donna Howell at (505) 476-8111.
Playa Post ©2003, 2004, 2005 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.