Our country is in dire need of education that stops water pollution and habitat destruction.

Nearly half of our population does not know what a watershed is; let alone which one they live in.

Right now, your U.S. representative has the opportunity to support a bill that will increase funding for key environmental and watershed education programs.

This bill will educate America's youth about their local watershed and provide opportunities for them to experience their watershed firsthand.

Clean watersheds are not only essential to wildlife survival on land and in the water, but also to our health. By investing in our youth through environmental education, we can secure healthy watersheds for years to come!

Ask your representative to help build the next generation of habitat stewards today.

Sincerely,

Julia Marden
Online Grassroots Coordinator
National Wildlife Federation
alerts@nwf.org

Wildlife cams

• Africam.com/Nkorho pan, Elephant Plains, Flamingo and Tempe cam(streaming video) - South Africa
• Bird nests in Nederlands - (different cams-streaming video)
• Black Vultures -Spain-Balears (streaming video)
• Estonia - looduskalender.ee (different cams)-streaming video
• Finland - NatureIT - Sääksikameraa (refreshing cam)
• France - Ardeche-Refuge LPO feeder cam
• Gentoo Penguins - Antarctica (refreshing)
• Hailuoto-Marjaniemi-Finland (refreshing cam)
• Pete's Pond cam / National Geographic (streaming video) - Botswana
• Scottish Seabird Centre (refreshing cams)
• Scottish Wildlife Trust-Osprey cam (streaming video)
• White Storks - Bornheim, Germany (refreshing cams)
• Wildearth TV, South Africa (streaming video)

	Wildlife Groups Commend the Interior Department for Seeking to Halt Polar Bear Trade

October 16, 2009

Trade in Polar Bear Skin Rugs and Other Parts Threatens the Species

WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Defenders of Wildlife applaud the United States Department of the Interior for submitting a proposal to next year's meeting of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to stop the international trade in polar bears. The meeting is set for March 13-25 in Doha, Qatar.
"By submitting this proposal, the United States is, once again, leading the way to save this magnificent species from extinction. International trade in polar bear parts and products is exacerbating the devastating impact that climate change is already having on the polar bear. We should not be making rugs out of polar bears at a time when they are threatened with extinction," said Teresa M. Telecky, Ph.D., director of wildlife for Humane Society International, the global affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States.
There are presently between 20,000 and 25,000 polar bears and the number is decreasing.
"On May 8, 2009, Secretary Salazar said that he and President Obama were fully committed to protecting polar bears, and that we must do everything we can to eliminate all threats to the species. With this laudable action, they are making good on that commitment. By uplisting the species at the next CITES conference, the U.S. will help prevent the deaths of hundreds of polar bears killed needlessly for the commercial market," said Jeff Flocken, D.C. office director, International Fund for Animal Welfare.
Polar bears are completely dependent on sea ice, which they use for hunting prey, reproduction and movement. Ongoing atmospheric pollution is causing oceanic and atmospheric warming, leading to reductions in sea ice. Some scientists have concluded that polar bears will not survive past the end of this century due to the complete loss of summer sea ice.
In addition to hunting trophies, polar bear parts — skin, fur, claws, skulls and even stuffed bears — enter international commercial trade. More than 500 polar bear skins are traded annually; most come from Canada and most go to Japan.
In 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. This ended the importation to the United States of trophies of polar bears killed by American sport hunters. Although hunters from other countries can still import trophies, the United States was by far the largest importer and American trophy hunters had driven this large-scale commercial killing.
"While we cannot stop the impacts of global warming on polar bears immediately, one thing we can do is quickly address other threats which are heightening the bear's problems, such as the commercial trade. By increasing protections for polar bears under CITES, we can start to give the polar bear some more protections while we take the necessary steps to address global warming," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president, Defenders of Wildlife.
The proposal would transfer the polar bear from CITES Appendix II, which allows regulated international commercial trade, to Appendix I, which prohibits all international commercial trade in the listed species. The purpose of CITES is to prevent over-exploitation of species through international trade.
The Appendix I designation would mean that countries agree to prohibit international trade for primarily commercial purposes and thus ensure that international trade will not contribute to the ongoing decrease in polar bear numbers. Appendix I listing will not affect native subsistence hunting or use of polar bears.

10/10/09

Thank you for standing up for the Arctic! With your help, The Wilderness Society and partner groups delivered an astounding 280,000 letters to the Obama administration last month, asking for a roll-back of Bush-era plans to open sensitive Arctic waters to oil and gas development. Together we sent a resounding message to the Department of the Interior, which we hope will result in a science-based plan for the Arctic's future. Much more work remains to be done to ensure that the Arctic ecosystem is protected. But thanks to the generosity of so many WildAlert subscribers, we are better fortified to do the work that will lead to that outcome.

And more positive news on an initiative we recommended to the new administration to help address climate change on our landscapes. For the first time ever, the Interior Secretary has directed the agency to set up a new mechanism for the diverse land management agencies within the Department to address climate change in an integrated, coordinated way.

Did you catch the Ken Burns series The National Parks: America's Best Idea on PBS last week? In his usual brilliant fashion, Burns captures the passion of place that has inspired so many of us to care for our national lands, and reminds us how very fortunate we are to have them. Burns recently sat down with us to discuss his documentary. Watch the interview here.

If you're seeking a bit of inspiration today, click here to take a walk through wilderness, courtesy of our wilderness photo