National Wildlife articles from October 1997

National Wildlife archives from October 1997

Celebrating a generation of progress. (the 1977 Clean Water Act has been instrumental in cleaning up the nation's waterways)(Brief Article)
October 1, 1997... Twenty-five years ago this month the Clean Water Act became law, with the goal of making America's waters fishable, swimmable and drinkable. While many challenges remain, the act has been a remarkable success in cleaning up many of the nation's...

Gobblers galore: turkeys continue comeback. (wild turkeys)
October 1, 1997... The wild turkey, America's largest game bird, has a reputation as an elusive and wary animal. But not in my town. In this well-forested corner of coastal Massachusetts, turkeys have lately been seen pecking for seeds and berries along the sides...

Using an agricultural relic to create a wildlife haven. (hedgerows)(Backyard Habitat)
October 1, 1997... American farm fields were once delineated by hedgerows--thick tangles of vegetation that cloaked, and often replaced, the fences designed to confine livestock. Farming practices have changed dramatically in recent decades, and the hedgerow has...

Hunting for their future: Alaska's Gwich'in Indians fear that proposed oil drilling on caribou calving grounds could end their ancient culture.
October 1, 1997... Alaska's Gwich'in Indians fear that proposed oil drilling on caribou calving grounds could end their ancient culture Standing on a knoll in the foothills of the Brooks Range, 120 miles above the Arctic Circle, Kenneth and Caroline Frank point...

In helping save endangered species, he also saved himself. (Arthur Bonner)(American Heroes)
October 1, 1997... Butterflies taught Arthur Bonner how to be free. For years, the 27-year-old Los Angeles native was, by his own admission, just "rippin' and runnin' the streets" of the city's notorious South Central neighborhood. In and out of trouble with the...

Forests rise, woodcocks fall? (American woodcocks flourish in young forests)
October 1, 1997... The return of mature forests in the East, good news for most wildlife, may be bad news for this scrub-loving bird Daniel Dessecker has a cutting-edge proposal for nature lovers in the eastern United States. Stop hugging all those trees, he...

Is this a bad deal for taxpayers? (mining law)(Land Giveaways)
October 1, 1997... Under current law, a mining company may demand payment for protecting publicly owned natural resources--at your expense The story begins on Henderson Mountain, which rises more than 10,000 feet above southern Montana, hard against the Wyoming...

The wanderer: what drives the wolverine's seemingly insatiable need to stay on the go?(Cover Story)
October 1, 1997... From the window of a low-flying Cessna, Jeff Copeland spied a set of wolverine tracks leading over a 10,000-foot pass in the high peaks of the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. A gentle grin creased his face as he looked over at the...

Eating on the run. (songbirds)
October 1, 1997... For songbirds, migration not only means getting where they're going, it also means finding the right food and lodging along the way On ocean beach with its buggy, wave-cast seaweed is a place where you would expect to find brown and gray...

Scene stealer. (wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen)
October 1, 1997... Tom Mangelsen goes to remarkable lengths to capture wildlife on film I really don't like blue-sky days," says Tom Mangelsen. "I like lousy weather." Standing in his Jackson, Wyoming, gallery, the veteran photographer points to some large...

Their mating strategies are a beautiful success. (male Atlantic toadfish and plainfin midshipman both emit loud mating calls; they are members of the Batrachoididae family)(Brief Article)
October 1, 1997... A Beautiful Success Beauty is, of course, in the eye of the beholder. And in the case of one family of fishes, the Batrachoididae, the real beauty of the creatures may be in the remarkable methods the males have evolved for attracting mates....

Tuning in to the world of birds and birders. (Donald and Lillian Stokes have written 21 books about birds and they will star in an upcoming 13-week PBS series about birds)(Brief Article)
October 1, 1997... When it comes to having devoted followers, birds are the unsurpassed superstars of the wildlife kingdom. In the United States alone, nearly 70 million people actively engage in birdwatching and feeding, and millions more make a living in...