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| Wild Friends of New Mexico Spring 1998 | ||
| Second Summit a Whooping Success! Students Decide State Whooping Crane Day |
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| Contents
We took flight north in the spring Just two of us now. Do we fly because we must? Or do we miss our private Idaho? In a storm you are gone, Where are you, my friend? I am alone in world and storm Where is another like me? I am searching, can you find me? I have flown beneath the clouds I have sung farreaching songs I will keep searching on and on. I’ll go back to the Bear River In Idaho beauty I want those days again to be with other cranes like me We were few, but I was not alone. If I never see my own kind again When I am gone, we will all be gone And then you can dance on the flyway of our tears.
--Kathy G. |
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Albuquerque, NM — Students from
Bernalillo, Capital, Los Lunas and Rio Grande High Schools; Garfield, Jefferson, Moriarty
and Polk Middle Schools; Alameda Junior High; Alameda and Isleta Elementary Schools; and
Dance Alegre! cheered, petitioned, acted, danced, studied, presented an award, encountered
wildlife, and asked questions during the all-day Wild Friends Summit on April 22nd. Kent Clegg, our hero, came all the way from Idaho to receive a signed and framed copy of the student-initiated House Joint Memorial 12. HJM12 establishes the first state Whooping Crane Day and honors Mr. Clegg's achievement. Jodi Wood of Los Lunas High School presented an original drawing of a whooping crane to the honored guest. Mr. Clegg is the biologist who led endangered whooping cranes behind his ultralight aircraft from his ranch to the Bosque del Apache. For the entire year, Wild Friends has focused on whooping cranes, resulting in the passage of this historic legislation. Although no live cranes were present, students were thrilled to meet Phantom, the mountain lion; Raven, the black wolf; and a host of other animals including some rare, endangered species, such as a Solomon Island skink, a green tree boa, and a banded rattlesnake, that they may never have an opportunity to see again. Students participated in four workshops on the jaguar, the lobo, the whooping crane and old growth forests. A program to educate students about owning exotic animals, "Just Say Know," and a lobby exhibit of living creatures was brought to the Wild Friends by Jerry Tuttle, Elizabeth Perrigo, Sue Cramer, and Carolyn Mauro. Many of these animals were loaned by Fins-N-Critters, the International Rattlesnake Museum, and Exotics of the Rainforest. Student animal handlers Jason, David and Taylor Tuttle expertly handled critters and cages and answered questions throughout the day. Wild Friends students and mentor Jack Pickering did an excellent job of questioning an adult panel of media representatives. On the panel were KOB-TV’s Tom Joles, KOAT-TV’s Kate Snow, Associated Press’ Richard Benke, Albuquerque Tribune’s Jeff Everist and John Hill, and New Mexico Wildlife editor Martin Frentzel. This session was moderated by Bernalillo County Commission Chair (and former Wild Friends sponsor in the Senate) Tom Rutherford. Other VIPs present were Sen. Dede Feldman, Rep. Gail Beam, Dean of the UNM Law School Robert Desiderio, APS Board Member Al Rothanbarger, NM Game & Fish Commissioner Steve Padilla, Game & Fish Assistant Director Scott Brown, State Land Commissioner Ray Powell, Julie Hicks from the Mayor's office, and Zoo Director Ray Darnell. Everyone enjoyed the talents of tracker John Stokes who played the digeridoo and told animal stories. John and Louis Blue Cloud engaged the audience in animal movements from the martial arts. October 21 is official Whooping Crane Day Students voted at the Summit to select one day from among three choices (Oct 21, Nov 21, Jan 16). The winning date by three votes was October 21st. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Governor, and Mayor Jim Baca have been waiting for news of this date. This may be the first State and City day chosen by teens and pre-teens! Next October 21st we invite everyone to celebrate Whooping Cranes and publicize their endangered status. We’re counting on you next fall! Online Forum for Eco-Teens Check out the Global Teenager Online Forum. The forum is for young people around the world to share information about what they are doing in their schools and communities to help develop a sustainable civilization that does not deplete the resources needed for future generations. Visit the web site at www.global-vision.org/teenager for details. The online discussion will be led by members of Rescue Mission: Planet Earth, a network of 500 ecologically active student groups in 120 countries. Forum participants are being invited to help design a film/TV series called Sustainability, scheduled for international release in the year 2000. This electronic forum is endorsed by the United Nations. It is produced by Global Vision Corp. based in London, England. Student Productions Thanks a million to .... • Commissioner Eluid Martinez, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Ms. Mary Amelia Whited-Howell, President, The Frost Foundation, Ltd.; and Ms. Patti Tatman, Community Affairs Director, Public Service Company of New Mexico for their generous support of the 2nd Annual Wildlife Summit. • Sen. Pauline Eisenstadt for her special greeting to the Wild
Friends, relayed by Dean Desiderio. The Journey Continues Landing the cranes in the bosque was not the end of the story. The birds still had work to do—that is, getting back north come spring. The purpose of this experiment has been to figure out how to establish a second migratory whooping crane flock. Right now, the only migratory flock winters at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas and summers in Canada. Two birds remained to carry out the mission. It was an eventful flight. The birds got separated in a storm over Wyoming. One bird flew back to look for the other; the other collided with powerlines and had to be rescued by Kent Clegg. Then the missing bird was later captured. So the birds are back in their pens near the Clegg ranch, itching to be free again, according to Clegg. They may end up at a wildlife refuge in Idaho, if they decide to leave the ranch. Wild Friends
Petitions We welcome new groups of Wild Friends from all over the state. Call 505/277-5089 or e-mail us if you are interested! The University of New Mexico |