Unacceptable: Killing of a Remnant

Recently I received a sickening email with the link to a story of a Whooping Crane, shot and killed, in the rural area around Cayuga, Indiana.   Had it been any other Whooper the loss would have been very sad.  However, the loss of 17-02 was extremely tragic.

Sometime at the end of November a very uninformed and ignorant human being destroyed the only captive Whooper who had successfully raised chicks in captivity.  This was a major blow to the captive Whooper program.

As a Hoosier, a hunter, involved in both Outdoor Writing, Conservation and Resource Advocacy, I am appalled, shocked and angered by the level of disrespect for life and sheer ignorance, that took the life of this invaluable avian.

It pains and shames me to say this ugly act of violence, has taken place in the shadow of my own Home Ground.

My sincerest apologies to all those who respect and admire this majestic bird. I can assure you, this is NOT the mindset of your typical Hoosier. Whomever perpetrated this cowardly act, has embarrassed ALL Hoosiers.

I would also like to address the tenor and direction of a few comment threads I've read online accompanying articles about the death of Whooper 17-02.

1) No other word describes the Whooping Crane population better than FRAGILE.

It is true that roughly 500 living members of the once vast populations of Whooping Cranes survive. So, the death of this one Whooper isn't as if someone killed, 'one of the last 10 individuals'. But, when one reads the science behind the recovery effort,  it quickly becomes evident the problem of species recovery, does NOT hinge on population numbers.  The problem is all about FECUDITY: breeding and the ability to PRODUCE OFFSPRING.

Thus, since the individual Whooper, killed in Indiana, was the ONLY successful female to produce a living offspring in any study group, in North America, it was a HUGE loss.  The only other study group in North Amercia was scrapped a year earlier due to several years of zero fecundity.

To demonstrate just how fragile the Whooper population is, during a 2007 Spring storm, in Florida, 16 yearling Whoopers were killed. That was an entire year class gone in one swipe.  In the wild, the population is susceptible to predation, accident, storm, disease, toxic poisoning and of course human stupidity.

A small population also means a very limited genetic diversity pool.  Genetic diversity equates to a stronger population.

One of the greatest benefits is natural immunity strength against disease.  If the wild populations are hit hard by any of the above disasters, the entire species would be at extreme risk of extinction.

Again, FRAGILE is the key concept.  Thus loosing 17-02 was a very BIG deal.

2) HUNTERS: just because a human kills another species of animal, the act does NOT make them a hunter..!

The person who took the life of 17-02 was NOT a hunter.  Not in even the loosest of terms.  The irresponsible human who committed this atrocity was a KILLER.  NOT a hunter.  Any true hunter is both sickened and outraged by this criminal act.

For it was not only Federal Crime in violation of the Endangered Species Act, but a violation against everything all responsible hunters commit to.  This is a violation against the very heart and soul of the hunting heritage; conservation, respect for the resource and the passage of the heritage to the next generations.

3) Broad Brushing All Hoosiers as, "... ignorant clods.." - offensive, wrong and small minded.

Too many have been quick to paint the Hoosier name as ignorant killers.  Indiana has its problems, but it's not unique.

Every state and nation has its undesired minority of morons. But while those who chuck verbal molotovs, run, hide and toss insults - there are many of us who remain and work to educate and clean up the messes created by the few loose canons we share with the rest of the world.

I challenge all who would resort to such useless drivel by taking the simple minded approach and wiping the table clean with an improbable curse, so-to-speak,  to get out and involve yourself in frontline grassroots efforts to combat the cause.

Be a part of the solution.  Not the problem.  Or worse... a roadblock to change.

Indiana Rivers Rally: Day One

Indiana Rivers and Water Quality , Jane Frankenburger

Comments on Water Quality: (get date)
Water Quality: 1) not good enough 2) not well enough understood 3) conference should bring people together to work on answers.

Fish and Mussels in Indiana Rivers, Brant Fisher, IDNR

211 species of fishes in IN rivers; many are invasive species compared to those located in the native rivers and streams before European colonization.

Four major drainages in IN: Kanakee, Ohio, L Michigan L. Erie

Indiana streams and rivers have a very diverse and abundant list of fish. The minnow family is quite abundant, with many of the darters, sunfish, the lake sturgeon are on the endangered species list.

Typical cross-section of fishes are the darters, minnows, sunfish, sucker and catfish. A few others species are found in various waters.

Mussels 19 expterpated, 6 endangered, 9 special concern. With the Ohio taking the hardest hit with exterpation. Clubshell mussel is a good example of a once wide ranging specie that is now relegated to only two streams: Fish Creek and Tippecanoe River.

The challenges and opportunities for Indiana rivers and streams is the same as we've had for years. It's just now that we need to get more people educated and in-line with the programs of interest.

Recreation and Indiana Rivers, Steve Morris IDNR Outdoor Recreation

96% of the land in Indiana is privately owned. This has a large impact on the recreation opportunities for Hoosiers.

Roughly 400K Hoosiers canoe and/or kayak. Doing the math from 6.3M Hoosiers, there are 19% of them who canoe or kayak.

Water Trail information is found in the IDNR's Hoosiers On The Move program.

Hoosiers show an interesting statistic in Indiana. Roughly 3M Hoosiers are also fisherman. The second most used reason for boating in IN is for fishing.

Ted Lebberman, contact to provide ideas and comments.

Indiana Rivers and Our Culture and History, Donn Werling, Allen County Historical Society

Donn's main comment, "... we have the opportunity to make history, not just be a part of it." We must know how to read the natural landscape: under the water and on the banks. The history and heritage that exists in IN must be understood to appreciate it. If we do not understand it - let alone know about it - we will not have a motivation to rebuild, restore and live in harmony with the land.

If we learn to read the land we will then begin to build the understanding for why we need to protect the waters and the land that surrounds it.

Donn mentioned the resource called the The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, compiled and edited by Reuben Gold Thwaites in the 19th C. This resource is valuable for pealing back the layers of history.

Donn closed by singing a song he wrote about rivers, "The Rivers we

IN: Economic Development/Tourism, Stan Lambert

The role of rivers in the IN economic history. Stanton provided a presentation on the current status of the economic developments along IN rivers.

Overview of various urban areas that are working on river area developments.

The state of Indiana has in its sights to become the leader in bio-life science and hi-tech industry. To do this, all members of the state must develop a new outlook on the economic approaches accomplished by Hoosiers.

The 'quality of life' factor - used by most companies in their choice of locations, is higher today than ever before.

Q&A

City wastewater treatment plants - bacteria only - or do they have to remove heavy metals and other waste problems? JF... response was totally political. Talk of TMBL's.

Benthic community: restoration post destruction? BF... yes, it can but the data and experience is very limited. Restocking is very difficult due to the variables and large areas
How long do mussels live? BF... growth rings in shell -rough idea: up to 50yrs+

Legal Issues around 'log jams' when using waterways? SM ... trespassing is common, due to using officially non-navigable streams; navigable streams allow it below high-water mark. Other issue: who is responsible for clean-up.

Biggest priority in topic area and what can public do to help?
DW .. Thoreau .. "heaven is under your feet as well as over your head"
JF... get involved in watershed projects.
BF ... anything we can do to improve water quality
SL ... we must have one camp that works together; Stanton used the word 'sustainability' - the idea is good, but we must remove this word from our vocabulary. We do NOT need sustainability, we need IMPROVEMENT.
SM ... bring those who are not in the 'non motorized' community on board.

Rivers Rock Around the World, Dennis Wichelns

No longer with the Rivers Institute but continues to collaborate.

The density of the human footprint, worldwide, is closely tied to the occurrences of water on the earth. Water is essential to life for all of the earth. Water is also closely tied to the development of a country. Many of the nations in Africa have been adversely affected by the lack of navigable waterways. Much of Africa is unpopulated, due to lack of water or too much water and the density of life threatening water borne diseases.

Wichelns explains the problems with water access and hydro-politics around the world, by focusing on the major hot spots around the world. Those hot spots are in the areas of the most densely populated areas on earth. Water and its use form the basis of major challenges in the hot hydro-political spots in the world will have future consequences for the rest of the world.

He also pointed out the problem growing in 3rd World countries making strides to gain position in the global economy while still having population growth well above the ability to handle such variance between industrial growth and human quality of life.

Wicheln pointed out the problem with technological advances being introduced into dense population areas of the world. The idea of tube wells made clean, healthy ground water available to the people in Pakistan. Before the wells, people were dying for lack of safe drinking water and lack of irrigation. Now, because the technology was so successful there is a huge problem with depletion of the ground water. The people will not give up their tube wells and the rivers will not have water forever.

Q&A

What about the melting of glaciers in the Asian water system .. are they reducing due to warming and what are the problems? DW... Yes, they are melting. When the planet warms there will be a huge increase in the water levels coming off the mountains and it will be a years long problem in excess. But when that is done there will be a huge drought as a result: no snowmelt.
What about invasive species in international waterways? DW ...Yes, must be but no his specialty.
International Organizations working to find solutions? DW ... Yes, the UN and CGIAR.ORG World Economic Forum: Water Initiative

Overall a very interesting day. A very good day for the first state-wide conference on rivers, ever held in the state of Indiana. We just hope this will not be the last. We also hope this will become and annual event... at least someplace in the state.

O'fieldstream

Indiana Rivers Rally

West Lafayette, IN 7 June 2007

Today is the first day of the 3 day conference which many in the water and resource community has been awaiting for years. The Indiana Rivers Rally conference being held at Purdue University today - 7 June - through Saturday 9 June, is a gathering of the most interested and motivated of people working for the conservation, preservation, restoration and facilitation of Indiana's Hoosier Waterways.

Scientists, municipalities, non-profits and commercial enterprises all, will meet to discuss, debate and plan for the better use of the water and resources supportive to water in Indiana, for now and into the future. Many in the water community have great hope for the promises this meeting should bring about.

We at O'fieldstream are actively involved in the conference and will be reporting on the daily activities. If possible, we will blog directly from the conference. If not we will bring you daily updates. We are, unfortunately, only able to attend the first two (2) days of the conference, but we will obtain a 'stringer' to record the main events of Saturday 9 June in our absense.

Read about the objectives, mission and participants of the Indiana Rivers Rally on their official website. Also, you can read about the various organizations that are pushing this years meeting on the TippeFlyFisher; one of our satellite blogs.

Please... take the time to read about the conference. This will be your only way to find out what is happening at this conference as it is not open to the public. Again, remember this is the first year for the conference. We are sure there will be changes - very good ones at that - coming for the use and conservation of Hoosier waterways. As well, we hope to see next years' conference open up to a broader audience. At least that will be the O'fieldstream input.

Stay tuned ....

O'fieldstream

McCritter - Red Salamander (Endangered) 02: Not!!

----- UPDATE ----- Well, I had to come back to this post and make the corrections that I made on the original photographs. I had erroneously identified this little critter last year when I first posted it - as the rare and endangered Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber). However, I recently received an email from Dean Alessandrini, VP of The Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society, correcting me on the identification. Therefore, I now have the salamander properly labled, as the Cave Salamander, (Eurycea lucifuga). It is found in the limestone cave regions of the midwest and south (shown in map above). A beautiful little amphibian. As Dean stated, its identifying features of wide head, slender body, and large, bulging eyes are obvious. At least part of my comment below was correct. This salamander and all amphibians are truly the 'canaries in the birdcage' detectors of a clean, healthy environment. We are loosing them in ever increasing - and alarming - rates each year. This is something we should all be very concerned about. They may be first .... but we're not that far behind them. O'fieldstream --- original erroneous entry --- This little a rare item in the Hoosierland and well worth preserving. Besides being cute - they are environmental indicators. Even more than humans the skin of amphibians allow the outside environment to pass through their respiratory as well as their skin-air-interface. McCritter - Red Salamander (Endangered) 02 They are our "canary-in-the-birdcage". Let's not kill the our protective alarms.