Family-Outdoors

Why talk about butterflies in the winter? Well, this is the time of year when the DNR does management work to help Karner blue butterflies. This pretty, nickel-sized butterfly is federally endangered, which means that it is in danger of becoming extinct. The small, green caterpillars of this butterfly feed  only  on wild lupine. To keep Karner blues around, it is important to conserve and manage the oak savanna habitats and wild lupine they need. Oak savannas are grasslands with less than 50 percent trees, which are often oaks.  They require frequent fires or disturbances to keep them open without many trees. The DNR uses prescribed burning and mowing to keep these habitats open and to remove invasive species. A variety of state game areas in southern Michigan are lucky to have Karner blues. At Allegan State Game Area, the staff often mows over deep snow at this time of year to make sure that they don’t crush any of the hibernating caterpillars. ...

Image via Wikipedia The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Winter Bird Feeder Survey starts Jan. 5 and gives wildlife enthusiasts and their families an exciting way to kick off the New Year.             Attracting birds and maintaining backyard feeders for wintering birds is popular in both urban and rural areas of Oklahoma. People in both places can help the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation by participating in the survey while also getting close-up views of a number of unique birds.             Any Oklahoman with a backyard bird feeder can participate by choosing any two days between Jan. 5-8 to count birds at their feeders and record their observations. And according to Rachel Bradley, wildlife diversity specialist for the Wildlife Department, attracting birds to backyard feeders is not difficult.       ...