September 27, 2026

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

In 1976, Minnesota residents fought plans for landfills and development along their river valley; 50 years later, the refuge they helped create protects more than 15,000 acres

In 1976, Minnesota residents fought plans for landfills and development along their river valley; 50 years later, the refuge they helped create protects more than 15,000 acres

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com05 mins

Conservation challenges remain part of the conversation and the anniversary panel will examine issues facing the Minnesota River Valley, including water quality, flooding and development along the river’s bluffs. Half a century ago, a stretch of Minnesota river country faced a very different future. Plans for landfills and development threatened the Minnesota River bottoms, prompting…

Read More
In 1954, aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin donated over 2,500 acres of his Chesapeake Bay hunting preserve; today the refuge spans 4,548 acres and protects migratory birds

In 1954, aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin donated over 2,500 acres of his Chesapeake Bay hunting preserve; today the refuge spans 4,548 acres and protects migratory birds

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com08 mins

Chesapeake Bay (Image Credit: iStock) A piece of Chesapeake Bay marshland that once formed part of an aviation pioneer’s private hunting preserve has become an important refuge for wildlife. What began as a donation of thousands of acres more than seven decades ago now protects tidal marshes, creeks, coves and wooded ridges used by migratory…

Read More
In 2024, Colorado stepped up restoration for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse; two years later, a new project is expanding habitat protection

In 2024, Colorado stepped up restoration for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse; two years later, a new project is expanding habitat protection

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com07 mins

Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Image Credit: Wikipedia) Colorado’s efforts to protect the threatened Preble’s meadow jumping mouse are gaining momentum as conservationists work to restore the streamside habitat the tiny species depends on. In northern Colorado, restoration has focused on improving riparian areas, reconnecting streams with their floodplains and encouraging landowners to protect suitable habitat….

Read More
In 1964, Elizabeth Hird and her husband bought Connecticut's Outer Island; in 1995 she donated it in his memory so it could remain protected for wildlife, research and education

In 1964, Elizabeth Hird and her husband bought Connecticut’s Outer Island; in 1995 she donated it in his memory so it could remain protected for wildlife, research and education

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com07 mins

Connecticut’s Outer Island (Image Credit: outerisland.org) In 1964, Elizabeth Hird and her husband, Basil Rauch, purchased Outer Island as a summer retreat in Connecticut’s Thimble Islands. More than three decades later, Hird made a decision that transformed the island’s future: in 1995, she donated it to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in memory of…

Read More
Oregon's Siletz Bay is restoring 37 acres of tidal wetland this summer, digging new channels where more than a century of diking turned marsh into pasture

Oregon’s Siletz Bay is restoring 37 acres of tidal wetland this summer, digging new channels where more than a century of diking turned marsh into pasture

wizbuddypointm@gmail.com08 mins

Drift Creek Unit of Siletz Bay National Wildlife (Image Credit: Wikipedia) Oregon’s Siletz Bay is undergoing a major wetland restoration effort this summer, with crews working to bring back natural tidal flows to land that was dramatically altered by more than a century of diking and land conversion. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife…

Read More