Among shorebirds, the red knot has a distinct migratory talent: annually, in both spring and fall, at least 97 percent of migrating red knots gather at the same coastal migratory sites. An estimated 80 percent of migrating red knots use Mispillion Harbor as a feeding and resting area during the bird’s annual migration from South America to its Arctic breeding ground. When a critical beachfront property became available, the necessary funds and conservation expertise were needed to protect it.
Working with the state of Delaware and a private landowner, we protected approximately one mile of critical shoreline, a vital stopover point for numerous migratory shorebird species including the red knot. This location is ideal for the small, grey-winged shorebirds because it includes habitat for thousands of spawning horseshoe crabs. The red knot feeds on crab eggs, getting the fuel needed during its only stop on the long journey north for the summer. After purchasing the property from a willing landowner, we transferred it to the state of Delaware.
Now this one-mile of critical habitat for imperiled wildlife is permanently protected, ensuring generations of outdoor enthusiasts will get to watch and enjoy this unusual bird.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the few acres of beach in Mispillion are critical to the survival of the American red knot. There is no other site of similar size anywhere in the world on which a whole bird population depends. When the weather is bad the protected beaches in the harbor allow the crabs to continue to spawn and provide a lifeline to the knot."
— Nigel Clark, ornithologist.
Caribou Photo by Wendi Lyn/Flickr
Nearly half a million Western Arctic Caribou—the second-largest caribou herd in North America—migrate through Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska. According to the National Park Service, caribou typically migrate across the Kobuk River from late August through October and then again in March. The caribou have adapted to living on the tundra and are capable of navigating both the soft, thawed ground in summer and the frozen snow surface in winter. They migrate in search of food, mainly shrubs and berries, twigs and a variety of grasses that grow on the tundra.
The Rocky Mountain Front in Montana is home to one of the last grizzly populations in the lower 48 states and the last plains grizzlies in the world. For hibernation, grizzlies prefer a high mountain slope surrounded by deep snow that serves as insulation. When spring arrives, the grizzly heads down to lower elevations to forage for food. The Front’s landscape—high mountains next to low prairies—decreases the time between ending hibernation and finding sustenance. Learn more about our efforts to save habitat in the Rocky Mountain Front.
Millions of birds travel each year along the migration route known as the Mississippi Flyway, which runs the length of the United States, generally mirroring the path of the Mississippi River. The route narrows as it winds down to the Gulf Coast, making habitat in states like Louisiana critical. During the fall and winter, these habitats flood, setting the table for wintering waterfowl looking to plump up. In late summer, the water recedes within open-water wetland pools, creating mudflats for migrating shorebirds. But here's the thing: Louisiana’s once lush forests and waterways have been cleared, dammed, and leveed leaving less habitat for our partners in flight. Our Go Zero program is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore forests on key tracks of land.
Endangered Florida manatees migrate to warm waters and often return to the same wintering areas year after year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that there are only about 3,800 manatees in Florida. Each winter, more than 150 manatees congregate in the waters of Three Sisters Springs, a location we helped protect.
Path Of The Pronghorn Photo by Mark Gocke/www.markgocke.com
The pronghorn has the longest land migration in the lower 48 states—traversing a 150-mile route across Wyoming. Known as the “Path of the Pronghorn," in 2008, this became the first designated wildlife migration corridor in the nation. The pronghorn is also one of the fastest animals, with a top running speed of about 55 miles per hour—surpassed on land only by the cheetah. However, speed doesn't help the pronghorn if its migration route isn't clear: Today, pronghorn must cross subdivisions and highways as well as private ranchland. Since 2008, the Fund, with our partners, has protected more than 8,000 acres of private land and enhanced more than 90,000 acres of public land.
The red knot makes one of the longest migrations of any bird, traveling 15,000 miles from its breeding grounds in the Arctic to South America and back each year. An estimated 80% of migrating red knots use Mispillion Harbor in Delaware as a feeding and resting area during their annual migration, making this coastal habitat critical to the red knot’s survival. Given threats to coastal lands and declining populations, the red knot is recognized as a "Species of High Concern" by the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. That's why when a mile of beachfront property went on the market in Mispillion Harbor, we agreed to help protect it.
Salmon have one of the most dramatic and arduous migrations of any animal. In Southwest Alaska —perhaps the world's greatest stronghold of wild salmon, with all five Pacific salmon species abundant and widespread—salmon drive the region's ecology, economy and culture. Today, geographic remoteness no longer protects the region and forces that have devastated wild salmon elsewhere are now at work here. In order to safeguard this fragile ecosystem, we launched, with our partners, the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Initiative.
Conservation Acquisition
