Burnt Fork Watershed Alliance

Please make comments to stop the land exchange

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Yes - the National Park Service has a public comment period open through November 2 on its bicycle & e-bike rules….an issue that the agency has struggled to resolve for YEARS.

The agency’s proposed rule could have serious implications for Cumberland Island National Seashore. While the beach (and birds!) may be what immediately comes to mind — there’s more to consider.

Our Wilderness is now bisected by a private vehicular road - presenting serious risks to one of the largest remaining maritime forests on the East Coast.

The NPS *just* issued a warning (October 2), entitled “Lithium-ion batteries have started fires in national parks” and disclosed numerous recent lithium-ion battery fires in national parks.

If you feel strongly about the agency’s proposed rule, particularly in light of its recent decision to allow more than 1,000 visitors daily — or are concerned about safety, wildlife, invasive species, and fire risks — we urge you to submit your comment via the Federal Register before Nov. 2. You can find a link in our bio.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Manning / Birds Georgia

Time change is hard on owls. Pease keep an eye out during morning commute

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1131244809464230&id=100077361647071

On November 1, Georgia ‘falls back’ an hour to standard time. We know it’s coming. We adjust our clocks, schedules, and routines. Wildlife is uninformed.

Birds of prey are especially vulnerable to this change. Hawks and other raptors hunt around dawn and dusk, and after the time change, dusk arrives during Georgia’s evening commuter rush hour. That means they are hunting near roads at exactly the time more cars are traveling.

Raptors perch along roadsides and medians, watching for prey. Add fading light and busy traffic, and the risk of a collision goes up.

When you're driving around dawn and dusk:

- Keep an eye on road shoulders, medians, and roadside trees.
- Never throw food out your car window. It attracts animals to the road, which can also attract the raptors hunting them.

If you hit a bird of prey, don’t assume it’s dead. It may be stunned or unconscious. If it’s safe to do so, contain the bird in a well-ventilated box and get it to a licensed rehabber or vet ASAP. Don’t offer food or water and do not handle more than necessary. Raptors are easily stressed and may be in shock or have a concussion.

They do not want to snuggle, and they’ll let you know that pretty quickly when they come around. Please do not "place them in your floorboard” as a form of containment. If that bird wakes up, people are going to wonder why feathers are flying inside your car. Ask me how I know. 😅

Thank you for helping us help wildlife. ❤️

📸 by GWN

Girl Scout troop 20613 did a Rivers Alive trash pick up today 

BOLO https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1113296807925697&id=100077361647071

We’re back with another creature that makes you wonder what in the world is going on. Meet the Argentine black-and-white tegu!

This giant lizard is native to South America, but it has made its way to Georgia. They can grow up to FOUR FEET LONG. That's not a lizard. That's a small dinosaur with a gym membership.

They're black and white, covered in speckles and bands, with sharp claws, powerful jaws, and a tail that can pack a serious punch if they feel threatened.

And they're not exactly picky eaters. Tegus eat eggs from quail and turkeys, along with the eggs of other reptiles, including alligators and gopher tortoises. That's a problem for our native wildlife, through no fault of their own. These lizards didn't ask to be here. They were introduced to an environment where they don't belong, and now they're just trying to survive.

Georgia's known wild population is in Toombs and Tattnall counties in South Georgia, where DNR is working to control their numbers. Sightings have also been reported elsewhere in the state.

If you spot one, DO NOT try to catch it! Take a photo from a safe distance, note where you saw it, and report it to Georgia DNR at 478-994-1438 or [email protected]. Include a photo if possible.

It's not that we don't trust you… but we'll just quickly reference the pigeon story. 👀

PLEASE don't release exotic pets, or ANY pets, into the wild! Releasing non-native species into an environment where they don't belong can have serious consequences for our native wildlife.

Stay wild, Georgia. But maybe a little LESS wild.
Because these things look like there's been a breach in Jurassic Park. 🦖

ICYMI our own Bill Witherspoon!!!

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Exploring Georgia's Native Plants: Native Plants Still Rock in the Piedmont Georgia’s ecoregions, including the Piedmont, are shaped by underly...

Move the turtle to the road they are headed to

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🐢 DEAR GEORGIA DRIVERS, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TURTLES.

If you see a turtle in the road, please understand something:

He has absolutely no idea what he's doing. 🤷‍♀️

He has a destination.
He has a plan.
He has no map.

And he has chosen the middle of a busy road as the best route to get there…probably during rush hour.

So if you see a turtle trying to cross:

* Slow down and give him space.
* If it's safe to do so, you can help him cross in the direction he was already heading. Don't turn him around just because you think the other side looks safer. He knows where he's going…probably.
* Never take a turtle home. A turtle in the road doesn't need a new address. He needs to get where he was already going.
* And please don't assume he needs to be near water. Seeing a turtle on the road doesn't mean he's headed to the nearest pond. Don't pick him up and relocate him to what you think is a better habitat. He’ll find his favorite watering hole when he's ready.

That turtle may move at approximately 0.0007 miles per hour, but he's still got somewhere to be.

If you see the car in front of you stop and some crazy person jump out, grab a turtle, run it to the side of the road, sprint back to the car and take off like it's a pit stop… Well, it was probably me. 😂

And if you're wondering where the turtle is going…
It's none of your business. And stalking is illegal. 😉

Open season on this invasive species https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1494208582749488&set=a.632082605628761&type=3

Meet the tegu lizard (or hopefully, not).

For a while, tegu sightings in Georgia dwindled as people fought back against the unwanted lizards, until now. “They have come back with a vengeance,” said Jim Gillis, a supervisor for Georgia's Department of Natural Resources.

In Georgia, Gwinnett leads the metro area with five sightings. DeKalb and Cobb are tied with two. At least one tegu managed to get as far as Walker County, hard on the border with Tennessee.

Here's why in South Georgia, with the blessing of DNR, it’s open season on tegus. 👇