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Friends of Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuges (FAMI) will work to support and assist the Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex in its goal of enhancing habitat and wildlife and encouraging compatible wildlife-dependant public uses of the refuges through educational, interpretive, scientific and other activities appropriate to the mission of these Refuges.

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Oil Spill Survivors Released at the Refuge

 

On  Sunday  June 28th thirty-eight brown pelicans and one Forester’s tern were released at the Refuge.  All of these birds were victims of the Gulf Oil Spill.  Cleaned and rehabilitated in Louisiana they were flown by the Coast Guard to Aransas County Airport.  Refuge staff picked up the birds and brought them back to the Refuge for release near the picnic area.  Click on the links below to see video footage and photographs of these birds.  Our next newsletter will have an article with information about this release.

http://www.youtube.com/deepwaterhorizonjic#p/a/u/0/Ff8sGPsSWlI
http://www.caller.com/photos/galleries/2010/jun/21/brown-pelican-release/
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7063565.html
http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/gulf_oil_spill/oiled-birds-released-back-to-the-wild
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Oil-Impacted-Birds-Sent-To-New-Life-In-Texas-96757904.html

One June 23rd there will be another release at the Refuge.  If you are interested in watching this release, plan on being at the Refuge by 11:30-12:30.  Don’t forget to sign in at the Visitor Center before going to the Picnic Area for the release.  The situation is very fluid as it is unclear at which airport the birds will arrive.  Plan on taking a lunch and be prepared for delays.

The Refuge has been told that there will be future releases.  Unfortunately, the plans for releases happen fairly quickly and with little advance notice.  We encourage you to check the Friends website regularly for information about releases as Refuge staff are only getting about 24 hours advance notice of a release.  We’ll try to keep the Events Calendar on the website updated with approximate dates and times of the releases.  Help the Refuge staff out by checking our website and the events calendar for information rather than calling them for information.  They’re going to be busy coordinating the logistics of moving the birds to the Refuge.
http://www.friendsofaransas.org/calendar.html

Information about volunteering to help during this environmental crisis can be found on the following websites.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/page/2931/46359/
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/30/impact.oil.spill/index.html

 

Whooper news

December 1 whooping crane census flight at Aransas tallies 237

Tom Stehn's report on Whooping Crane Recovery Activities - 12/01/2010

 

Nine chicks were banded and tagged with GPS tracking equipment at Woods Buffalo National Park. Jessica Rempel wrote an article about this project in our Spring issue of Amigo. To read more on the project click on this link: OMAHA World Herald Online. There are now eleven birds in the Aransas-Woods Buffalo flock wearing GPS tracking equipment.