TAMPA, Fla. - Thousands of boaters will be enjoying Florida waters this weekend, but they're not the only ones. Manatees also are quite common this time of year, as they migrate to their feeding and resting areas for the summer - and getting hit by boats is the leading cause of their injuries and deaths.

Lifelong Florida boater and sailing coach Ian Lineberger said it takes just a little effort to exercise a lot of caution.

"You can see the manatees if you wear a good pair of sunglasses and know what you're looking for," he said. "They're usually a big, dark smudge in the water. If I'm not in a manatee zone and I see a manatee, then I'm going to give them a wide berth and probably slow up a little bit."

Because it's sea-turtle nesting season, they also are at greater risk.

Aside from looking for these critters, there are other clues. A "footprint of swirls" often can be seen in the water just above a one-ton manatee, and a 300-pound loggerhead sea turtle may only show its head.

Boaters who hit an animal are encouraged to call 1-888-404-3922 so wildlife officials can help. Provided they were boating legally, boaters will not be charged or fined.

Elizabeth Fleming, senior representative with Defenders of Wildlife, said it's important to watch out for identified "manatee zones," obey the boating speed limits - and wear the right pair of sunglasses.

"Wearing polarized sunglasses is always a good thing," she said. "It helps boaters see through the water; it helps see these other types of animals, and can save a life."

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, about 5,000 manatees live in Florida waters. Scientists believe the population, near extinction at one point, is increasing. Lineberger said they're not the only thing that has benefited from environmental efforts.

"Conservation efforts to clean up Tampa Bay, in my lifetime, have made a big difference," he said. "Tampa Bay used to be kind of nasty - there wasn't any sea grass, and you couldn't see bottom."

In addition to threats from boaters, manatees also can be harmed by environmental factors such as red tide and loss of warm-water habitat. The state Wildlife Conservation Commission said last year was the worst year on record for them, with 830 manatee deaths - double the number in the previous year.

More information on Florida manatees is online at defenders.org.


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Today is Earth Day, and one initiative in southern Arizona is helping build public gardens providing beneficial habitat for pollinators, from Monarch butterflies to bees and bats.

Emily Bishton, founder and coordinator of the Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project, said the human population depends on these animals and insects, as many of our foods and plant-based products require pollination. But human activity and climate change have put pollinators in jeopardy and Bishton wants to increase awareness of how crucial they are.

"The best chance you have for attracting and nurturing pollinators is with the species that they've co-evolved with," Bishton explained. "They will instinctively know that is food for them, or a place they can lay their eggs. They also are more likely to be able to put up with the way our climate is now and the way it is changing."

Bishton pointed out one focus of the project is to get Arizonans to plant more native species like milkweed, which is especially critical for Monarch butterflies. She would also like people to reconsider the use of pesticides since they do kill pests but also other beneficial insects. She suggested contacting a local county extension service or master-gardener program for alternative methods.

Madian Romero, technical assistant supervisor for the Caviglia-Arivaca Library, has been responsible for getting teenagers in the area to participate in the Arivaca Pollinator Pathway Project. They not only help build garden spaces around town but grow their knowledge behind the importance of pollinators, as well as community building.

"The teens, they've come up with ideas on how to fundraise for the projects," Romero emphasized. "Each business that agrees to have a garden, it can be free."

Romero added the project has also been a character-building exercise for the young people of Arivaca, and hopes it is an experience they will cherish.

The state Department of Natural Resources and Iowa State University are looking for volunteers to help create a new Bumble Bee Atlas.

Bees are an important part of the ecosystem, and scientists are figuring out their habitats to help them thrive.

Iowa is home to at least 14 species of bumble bees that help pollinate native wildflowers and flowering crops in farm fields and backyard gardens.

Iowa State University University Professor of Sustainable Agriculture and plant pathologist Matt O'Neal said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently listed several bee species as endangered.

"And that includes the Rusty Patch bumble bee," said O'Neal, "20% of what it used to be, and that includes parts of Iowa. There is also evidence that other bumble species are in decline and so, this survey will give us a chance to see where those bees are and how abundant they are."

With that information, O'Neal said scientists can work to protect the bees' habitats and create Iowa's Bumble Bee Atlas.

It's part of a larger project to map the bees and foster bee development nationwide. Sign up online to volunteer.

The national project is part of a collaboration with the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Some 900 people have volunteered for the national atlas project, and counted more than 20,000 bumble bees - which O'Neal said face several major threats.

"Pesticide exposure, parasite and pathogens," said O'Neal, "and then the last 'P,' and probably the most important, is poor forage."

The researchers will work to alleviate those threats by knowing where the bees are.

Volunteers have discovered species thought to be gone from their states, contributed to new field guides, and improved scientists' understanding of bumble bee populations across the country.




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A coalition of conservation groups has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to relist wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

Helena-based Alliance for the Wild Rockies is part of the suit. The Alliance sued to successfully overturn the wolf's delisting in 2012 but the move fell victim to congressional funding bill negotiations.

Mike Garrity, executive director of the alliance, said the wolves clearly qualify to be protected under the Act and hunting is driving down their numbers, which could cause problems for the animals.

"As their numbers decline, they are at greater risk for inbreeding," Garrity pointed out. "Once inbreeding sets in, the population is sunk."

Livestock and cattle owners argued wolves are a threat to their flocks and herds and want their numbers reduced. The suit was filed in federal District Court in Missoula.

Beyond keeping a robust population of wolves on Montana's lands and helping their species thrive, Garrity noted wolves can also help reduce the population of diseased animals.

"We're starting to have disease in deer, such as Chronic Wasting Disease," Garrity explained. "Predators like wolves are really good at focusing on the sick animals, so that's an excellent way to control Chronic Wasting Disease."

Garrity added wolf management policies in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, all of which allow aggressive hunting of the animals, fail to protect wolves and all native species for future generations, the primary mandate of the Endangered Species Act.