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May 19, 2017
What's Wild
 INDIAN PAINTBRUSH, SHOOTING STAR, PRAIRIE SMOKE
What do a paintbrush, shooting star and prairie smoke have in common? They are all types of wildflowers. If you love wildflowers you're in luck. If you know where to look, you can find some colorful blossoms almost anywhere in the United States. Some wildflowers are in their glory right now. Others are biding their time until summer or fall.
Where to look is easy. National wildlife refuges — because they conserve many native plants — often offer spectacular wildflower displays. Join us on a trip around the country to see some wildflower gems. While en route, we’ll share some tips about when to see your favorites and why to grow your own. Check out our wildflower journey.
Photo: Shooting stars at J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota
One dollar bid, now two, now two, will ya' give me two?
 50 YEARS OF ANTLER AUCTIONS
This Saturday, an auction with a long history will take place at the National Elk Refuge in Wyoming during ElkFest. This year marks 50 years since the Jackson District Boys Scouts of America launched the auction event in 1968. The Boy Scouts were originally recruited by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to gather antlers from the refuge and eventually formally partnered with the National Elk Refuge to collect antlers in the spring and auction them off. Elk and other ungulates, like deer, shed their antlers every year, usually in March and April. The shedding takes about two to three weeks and regeneration takes an entire summer before the cycle starts all over again. Last year the auction netted $175,397, and the collection totaled 11,512 pounds of antlers, a few thousand pounds short of the record high of 13,698 pounds in 2014. Seventy-five percent of the proceeds from the auction are retained by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and used for habitat enhancement projects, equipment purchases, and noxious weed management. The remaining twenty-five percent of the sale's proceeds are donated to the Jackson District Boy Scouts. Read the story here.
Did You Know?
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Today is Endangered Species Day!
Every year on the third Friday in May, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service celebrates Endangered Species Day to recognize national conservation efforts to protect our nation's endangered species and their habitats. Endangered Species Day is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and the everyday actions they can take to help protect them. Zoos, aquariums, parks, botanic gardens, national wildlife refuges, museums, schools, community centers and other organizations across the country hold events and activities to celebrate this day. In partnership with the Endangered Species Coalition and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, there are a number of events you can participate in to learn more and show your support for endangered species. Find an event near you.
Photo: One-year-old endangered pallid sturgeon
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