The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is adversely affecting the marshes and coastlands used by shorebirds, waterfowl and other birds that will soon be traveling through the area on their annual migration south.

Under a new Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI), Wildlife Mississippi (WM), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will work with landowners to manage portions of their land to enhance habitat for migrating birds.

The MBHI will improve habitat conditions and food sources for migratory birds likely to be impacted by the conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. This initiative will be delivered through two components: one component will be available on private agricultural lands and the second on Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easement lands.

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Winter Wheat Available

Whether you are a photographer, a hunter or just like viewing wildlife on a sunny afternoon, anyone who has spent time overlooking a food plot will have a deep appreciation for wildlife plantings.

Food plots are very attractive to wildlife enthusiasts because they can supplement daily nutritional needs at a low cost. These plots can be designed to serve as a source of food and cover. Well-managed food plots have the potential to not only increase the wildlife population and their quality of health, but can also increase our opportunities for wildlife viewing.

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Conservation Corner
(For the week of July 26, 2010)
Ambrosia Beetle
by James L. Cummins

A tree-killing Asian beetle smaller than a grain of rice has begun eating its way through Mississippi’s coastal forests and is likely headed for Alabama.

The ambrosia beetle targets the ubiquitous red bay and close relatives in the laurel family, such as sassafras. Scientists say it has the potential to completely wipe out some of the most common trees in the swamps and wetlands along the Gulf coast. By some estimates, hundreds of trees have already died along the Pascagoula River.

The beetles bore pinhead-sized holes into the trees, and then munch on the soft wood just under the bark. But that is not what kills the trees.

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