Our Fish &
Wildlife Conservation work is designed to help Nebraskans get involved in fish
and wildlife conservation projects in their backyard or community. Some
examples:
Tallgrass
Prairie Project
Nebraska
has lost some 98% of the 15 million acres of native tallgrass prairie that once
dominated the eastern one-third of the state. Remaining areas of Nebraska
tallgrass prairie -- perhaps 300,000 acres in all -- are scattered, the habitat
fragmented, across 42 counties. These remnant prairies are owned by a
variety of private, public, and non-profit entities, and managed for a variety
of purposes like livestock production, research, and environmental
education.
To provide help to agencies and organizations trying to restore and protect
tallgrass prairie, the Nebraska Wildlife Federation developed a Tallgrass
Prairie Database. With funding from the State Wildlife Grants program, the
Federation identified over 1,000 native prairie remnants scattered throughout 42
counties in eastern Nebraska. We also published a map in 2005 with directions to
75 prairie remnants that are on public land, or on private land but with some
public access.
We shared the database of 1,033 native prairie remnants to the US Fish &
Wildlife Service, which used the information in a project to digitally map
remnant native prairies. We are looking for volunteers interested in updating
our map of publicly accessible prairies, making the map accessible online,
and/or continuing the search for remnant prairies. If you are interested,
contact the Federation office (see below).
Backyard Habitat
The National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Habitat program has certified over
125,000 backyard, schoolyard, churchyard, and community habitat areas over the
past 35 years. The program helps people understand that by providing food,
shelter, water, and a place to raise young, anyone can make a place for
wildlife. Certified habitats have been as small as an apartment patio, and as
large as several hundred acres. For more information, visit
NWF's Gardening for Wildlife web page here.
Nebraska Wildlife Federation helps Nebraskans understand how to use the native
plants of our state to attract and sustain birds, butterflies, mammals, and
other wildlife. We are currently looking for a volunteer or volunteers to turn
the information we have into a readable Nebraska Backyard Habitat Guide. If you
are interested in volunteering, contact the Federation office (see below).
Adopt a Stream
Nebraska Wildlife Federation's Adopt
a Stream
program teaches Nebraskans how to
understand, enjoy,
monitor and conserve their neighborhood stream.
Through a series of workshops
held across Nebraska, we have trained over 220 Nebraskans in basic
stream monitoring and conservation techniques. While some of our Adopt
a
Stream participants focus their efforts on monitoring streams and
recording data, many take the next step by developing steam
conservation projects that restore and protect habitat for fish,
amphibians, and other wildlife that depend on Nebraska rivers,
creeks and wetlands. See more
information here.
Master Naturalist
Nebraska Wildlife Federation joined
with other Nebraska conservation organizations and agencies to create a
Master Naturalist program in our state.
If you have the
desire to experience Nebraska's natural legacy up close, meet people who share
your passion for the outdoors, and give back to your community through exciting
volunteer opportunities, the new Nebraska Master Naturalist Program is for you!
The program
provides volunteers with more than 60 hours of science based natural resources
training taught in the field by Nebraska's best and brightest. Participants will
learn hands-on about the natural history of Nebraska through topics such as
ecosystems, plants and animals, conservation biology, and much more.
More information here.
