Conservation

Montana WILD has opened a new 3,600-square-foot Avian Walkway featuring raptors including eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls. The facility, funded by donations and grants including support from the Outdoor Legacy Foundation, provides enrichment for permanently injured ambassador birds while educating over 10,000 visitors and 8,000 students annually about conservation and the ecological importance of birds of prey.

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission sank approximately 150 cedar and Russian olive trees at Bridgeport State Recreation Area lakes using its new Aquatic Habitat Barge. The brush piles enhance fish habitat, improve angler success, and increase bank access by removing shoreline vegetation.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Hunt 2 Conserve committed $125,000 to support Amendment 83, a Colorado ballot measure that constitutionally protects hunting and fishing. The amendment declares hunting and fishing as the primary means for sustainable wildlife management, with over 300,000 hunters and 950,000 anglers expected to recreate in Colorado in 2026.

Michigan communities, utilities, educational campuses, and healthcare facilities can apply for Tree City USA, Tree Line USA, or Tree Campus recognition through the Arbor Day Foundation by December 31. Last year, 133 Michigan communities and 16 campuses were recognized, with applications submitted through the online portal at recognition.arborday.org.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife encourages residents to help conserve the state's nine native bat species during Bat Week (October 24-31). The department offers free bat houses to properties with endangered little brown bat colonies and provides guidance on safely evicting bats and maintaining bat houses year-round.

Dorsey Pictures has launched an advertising campaign supporting Colorado's Amendment 83, which would establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish. The campaign includes four commercials designed to help non-hunters and non-anglers understand why protecting these activities matters to their communities and wildlife conservation.

Outdoor Edge has partnered with Wild Giants Conservation Fund to support wildlife restoration efforts in the Caucasus region. Wild Giants is acquiring a 305-acre property in Georgia to establish a breeding and restoration program for species including Bezoar Ibex, Caucasian Tur, Armenian Mouflon, Caspian Red Deer, and Persian Leopard.

Wild Giants Conservation Fund announced Stealth Cam as an equipment sponsor of the Georgia Wildlife Monitoring Program, providing DS4K Ultimate 32MP 4K Video trail cameras to document wildlife including Persian leopard, lynx, and brown bear across the High Caucasus mountains.

The Jackson Hole Land Trust announced that the Looney family placed a permanent conservation easement on Wild Horse Ranch near Boulder, Wyoming. The 233-acre property protects critical pronghorn migration habitat and was made possible through partnerships including the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, The WYldlife Fund, and North American Pronghorn Foundation.

Defend is supporting Bear Wise Wyoming training events by providing inert training spray, allowing participants to practice deploying bear spray during simulated encounters. The partnership with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department helps outdoor enthusiasts feel prepared and confident using bear spray in real bear country situations.

Wild Giants Conservation Fund is supporting the Georgia Wildlife Monitoring Program with an eight-person field team monitoring wildlife across the Caucasus landscape. The team will document wildlife activity, predators, poaching threats, and other challenges to inform future conservation and rewilding efforts in the region.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and The Peregrine Fund are operating an October check station in the Zion hunting unit where hunters can enter to win an $800 gift card by using lead-free ammunition or removing animal remains. The Hunters Helping Condors program aims to protect California condors and other scavenging wildlife from lead poisoning.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks opened the Avian Walkway and new flight barn at Montana WILD in Helena, with Director Christy Clark, Montana's Outdoor Legacy Foundation Executive Director Mitch King, and Gov. Greg Gianforte in attendance. The $1,065,000 project provides public viewing of eagles, hawks, falcons, and owls while supporting bird rehabilitation and education for over 10,000 annual visitors.

Sixty-six volunteers helped the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission maintain seven wildlife management areas on September 12, clearing boat lanes, removing litter, and improving accessibility trails. The volunteer workday initiative, which has grown over three years, coordinates efforts toward specific maintenance tasks needed across AGFC-owned WMAs.

Dallas Safari Club President Rick Warren and Life Member J.D. Yates participated in Angola's first sanctioned safari hunt in 18 years, marking a significant milestone in the country's wildlife management recovery. The hunt, initiated through a DSC auction that benefited the Angola Hunters Association, demonstrates how legal, regulated hunting can support sustainable wildlife management and local communities.

The Mule Deer Foundation announced a $2.5 million Stewardship Agreement with the USDA Forest Service to improve forest health and wildlife habitat across three Forest Service districts in southern Utah. Activities include fuels treatments, reforestation, and recovery efforts in areas affected by wildfire, supporting both ecological restoration and rural communities.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife is seeking volunteers for its annual spiny softshell turtle beach cleanup on October 17 at North Hero State Park and Swanton. Biologist Toni Mikula will discuss turtle recovery efforts and the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain's captive-rearing program for hatchlings.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is working with Lyme Great Lakes Timberlands on a 152,000-acre working forest conservation easement in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Public tours are scheduled for October 8 and 15 to showcase the project's diverse habitats and recreational opportunities.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will remove approximately 31 acres of floating tussock from Lake Weir in Marion County beginning September 25, 2026. The project will improve aquatic habitat, support native plant growth, and enhance navigation near the Weir Canal, with completion expected by December 18, 2026.

Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir has passed the three-year mark of its five-year renovation, with major milestones including a completed bridge over the auxiliary spillway and delivery of a footbridge. The AGFC's largest lake renovation features a labyrinth weir spillway design and work by Mobley Construction, with drought conditions enabling significant progress on boat lane clearing and habitat improvements.