Agreement for More Controlled Burning Established

Agreement for More Controlled Burning Established

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and The Nature Conservancy (Conservancy) announce a new partnership that will for the first time increase and better coordinate controlled burn activities, also known as prescribed fire, on their respective lands to enhance wildlife values. The agreement will encourage more efficient use of personnel and equipment while treating lands that might otherwise not get the benefit of controlled burning.

"The wildlife habitats we manage need more prescribed fire to survive and thrive, and we can get more done on the ground by working together," said Jim Kurth, Chief, National Wildlife Refuge System.

Today, controlled burns are used by land managers to safely mimic the natural fire cycle and maintain fire-resilient landscapes for the benefit of people, water, and wildlife. Planned, controlled burns are also a critical tool to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, often termed mega-fires, which have become more common in the past decade.

"The use of managed, controlled burns is essential to the health of our lands and waters, and the critical life-giving benefits they provide us," said Blane Heumann, Director of Fire Management for the Conservancy. "We can also reduce the overgrowth of fuels that feeds the mega-fires of summer. We are very pleased and proud to be working more closely with the Service through this agreement."

Collectively, the two entities manage more than 78 million fire-adapted acres across theUnited States. Last year, the Conservancy led controlled burns on nearly 105,000 acres of land it owns. Annually, the organization assists the Service in burns on approximately 22,000 acres of the Refuge System.

Historically, natural fires were a common occurrence in the United States. They cleared overgrowth, restored nutrients to the soil, and "rebooted" the cycle of life across a patchwork of habitats. All told, around two-thirds of America's forests and grasslands evolved to need the restorative power of fire at least once every 30 years.

The Service manages a network of fire-adapted lands in all 50 states and every U.S.territory, and needs to use prescribed fire on 400,000-800,000 acres per year. Fire is a critical habitat management tool, along with mechanical thinning, herbicides and other methods. More than 2,000 Service staff also cooperates with their federal, state and local partners to respond to wildfires.

The Nature Conservancy is a private, global, not-for-profit organization that works to protect the lands and waters on which all life depends. In the United States, the Conservancy leads the national Fire Learning Network, along with multiple federal partners, including the Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service.

Over the past 11 years, working under less formal local agreements, the Service and the Conservancy have worked in 39 states with 1,150 community partners to advance collaborative conservation and train more than 2,400 fire workers. It is believed that this national partnership will expand the positive impact these two organizations have on conservation and the protection of our national treasures.

SFRED invites students to receive an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C.

SFRED invites students to receive an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C.

Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development (SFRED) is a coalition led by the National Wildlife Federation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited, and is dedicated to balancing energy development with conservation on public lands.   

The SFRED coalition wants to encourage the next generation of conservation leaders and would like to invite students ages 15-18 to tell us what public lands have meant in their lives in the first ever SFRED Youth Essay Contest. We are soliciting essays/blogs on the theme “The importance of public lands to me.”

The five winners selected by a panel of representatives from the three SFRED partner organizations will receive a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of each winner’s congressional delegation as well as leaders from the administration and national conservation groups.

The deadline is approaching soon and essays must be submitted to Brad Powell, Senior Policy Director of the Sportsmen's Conservation Project at Trout Unlimited, bpowell@tu.org, no later than 11:59 PM EDT on Jan. 15, 2014.

            For details about the contest and rules go to the website link below:

http://sfred.org/media-center/news/sfred-invites-students-to-submit-essays-on-public-lands

Will Congress be Naughty or Nice to Grassland Wildlife?

Will Congress be Naughty or Nice to Grassland Wildlife?

By Lara Bryant

NWF Blog

This Upland Sandpiper wants to know, why won’t

Congress put a national Sodsaver provision in the

Farm Bill? Photo: David Seibel BirdsInFocus.com

After two long years of trying to pass a new Farm Bill—a giant, 5 year piece of legislation that funds everything from food stamps to agriculture subsidies to conservation programs—members of the Farm Bill Conference Committee have assured us that negotiations are going well and that a shiny new five-year Farm Bill is coming our way in January of 2014. The last farm bill, which was passed in 2008, expired this past September, and it is crucial that a new farm bill is passed soon. While we don’t know yet exactly what the final bill will look like, we are optimistic that the new legislation will require that farmers take basic conservation measures to protect soil and wetlands in exchange for receiving crop insurance premium subsidies, and this is good news. However,another important habitat protection provision called Sodsaver is falling through the cracks, largely due to heavy opposition from House Agriculture Committee Chair Frank Lucas (R-OK). This is bad news for grassland birds, which are declining at alarming rates.

Sodsaver will limit subsidies on native grassland converted to crop production. This means that if a farmer chooses to convert native grassland cropland, he/she can’t get the same kinds of subsidies that other farmers would get. Sodsaver is not regulatory; it does not take away a landowner’s choice to plow up native grasslands. It merely ensures that landowners who do so pay for it themselves. When billions of dollars are being cut from the food stamp program in the name of fiscal responsibility, it does not seem right that landowners can still plow up risky marginal land and still receive a full plate of entitlements.

Farm bill negotiators are considering  limiting Sodsaver to the Prairie Pothole Region(PPR). That would be short-sighted and unfair. Though the prairie potholes are a very important ecosystem, other native grasslands are in danger. Pollinators and grassland birds depend on grasslands across the USA , and tend to migrate from Canada to Mexico in search of habitat and breeding ground.

According to USDA data, more than 398,000 acres of grasslands and other valuable wildlife habitat were converted to cropland between 2011 and 2012 . That is about the size of 300,000 football fields. If laid end to end, they would stretch from San Francisco to Washington DC. Analysis of Farm Service Agency (FSA) data shows that 89% of recent conversions occurred outside of the PPR. Particularly, Texas and Florida had a very high number of acres put to the plow (26,395 and 24,961, respectively).

NWF and many other conservation groups have supported a new five-year farm billbecause it provides funding for voluntary conservation programs, but it becomes harder to justify doing so when the farm bill also subsidizes conversion of wildlife habitat. Several of my friends, conservationists and fiscal conservatives, have questioned me closely on why our taxpayer dollars fund any kind of agricultural subsidies. I am a strong supporter of farmers, and I think it is important that we provide them a strong safety net; but not at the expense of our natural resources. In the 1930s, massive conversion of grassland to cropland, along with farming of vulnerable lands without conservation practices contributed to the first Dust Bowl. If we lose our grasslands to the plow, we put ourselves at greater risk of incurring Dust Bowl II.

            It is not too late to let Congress know that you want a strong, national Sodsaver provision in the final farm bill.  Follow this link to send an email or use this handy Twitter tool to tweet members of Congress about Sodsaver.  Representative Frank Lucas (R-OK) especially needs to hear that you are not okay with his strong-arm tactics that pander to landowners and disregard the public good. So be sure to send him a note, especially if you are from his home state of Oklahoma!  So does Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas.

A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy With Wildlife

A Struggle to Balance Wind Energy With Wildlife

By Dan Frosch

New York Times

As the Obama administration seeks to clear a path for more renewable energy projects, it has increasingly found itself caught between two staunch allies: the wind energy industry and environmental organizations.

            Tensions between both groups and the administration have risen since a new federal rule was announced this month allowing wind farms to lawfully kill bald and golden eagles under 30-year permits.

Conservation groups reacted with anger to the rule, saying it gives wind farms too much leeway to operate without sufficient environmental safeguards and does not consider the long-term impact on eagle populations.

“A 30-year permit is like a blank check,” said David Yarnold, president and chief executive of the National Audubon Society, which was involved in months of negotiations on the rule. “It basically says you can go operate these wind turbines and kill as many eagles as happen to die.”

            To read the rest of this story, go to:http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/17/science/earth/a-struggle-to-balance-wind-energy-with-wildlife.html?hp

Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission to Conduct Public Meeting in Winfield

Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission to Conduct Public Meeting in Winfield

Public encouraged to attend Commission’s first meeting of 2014

The Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commission will conduct a public meeting and hearing on Thursday, Jan. 9, at Southwestern College in Winfield. The afternoon session will begin at 1:30 p.m. and recess at 5 p.m., and the evening session will begin at 7 p.m.

The afternoon session will begin with time for public comments on non-agenda items, followed by a general discussion period on the following topics: Secretary’s remarks about agency and state fiscal status, the upcoming 2014 legislative session, a National Wild Turkey Federation presentation, Commissioner Big Game Permit update and drawing, Tourism Division briefing, Public Lands regulations, the Five-year Review of the Kansas Threatened and Endangered Species lists, and an update on the potential federal threatened listing of the lesser prairie chicken.

The afternoon will also include a workshop session, in preparation for potential regulatory action, covering preliminary recommendations on the following regulations: antelope, elk and deer.

The commission will recess at 5 p.m., then reconvene at 7 p.m. at the same location for a public hearing and commission action on the following regulations: KAR 115-4-15 – Restitution scoring system for white-tailed deer, mule deer, elk and antelope; KAR 115-2-3 – Camping and utility fees; KAR 115-25-5 – Turkey, fall season, bag limit and permits.

Time will be available in both the afternoon and evening sessions for public comment on topics that are not on the agenda. If necessary, the commission will reconvene at the same location at 9 a.m., Jan. 10, to complete unfinished business.

Live video and audio streaming of this meeting will be broadcast through the KDWPT website,ksoutdoors.com.

The next commission meeting is scheduled for March 20, 2014 at the Kansas HistoricalMuseum in Topeka.

Beneath the Virgin Prairie

Beneath the Virgin Prairie

By the Editorial Board
The New York Times

Even if you have stood on a remnant of virgin prairie, it is hard to imagine what was lost when the tallgrass prairie was plowed. Settlers were staggered by the scope of the prairies, and they were more amazed by the richness of the soil. The biomass of roots beneath the ground was as dense and tangled as the biomass on top. And when the prairies were plowed, everything changed - the ecosystem, the structure of the soil, and, as it turns out, the microorganisms living in the soil.

A team of scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has begun to use genomic techniques to analyze the subsoil microbial communities present in virgin prairie using samples taken from the few places it survives - cemeteries, mostly. What they found is abundant bacteria from the phylum called Verrucomicrobia, which is not present in the tilled fields that were once prairie.

These bacteria are not well understood, in part because they are hard to reproduce in the laboratory. Finding these bacteria is like finding a piece of a lost continent. We have almost no sense of what the prairie soils once looked like or what biotic realms they contained before they were turned under by the plow. These bacteria are a reminder of what was lost and gained
when the virgin sod was broken.

It is hard to understand the variation in biological communities that extended over hundreds of millions of acres. No one who rode across the prairie in the 19th century through grasses up to their stirrups ever stopped to admire the subsoil bacteria. Yet they were as distinctive as the bison grazing in great herds above. 

Burn School Set for February 5th in Minneapolis, Kansas

Burn School Set for February 5th in Minneapolis, Kansas

Kansas Prescribe Fire Council

Fire is a key part of the ecosystem in Central Kansas District. On Wednesday February 5th, 2014 at theMinneapolis courthouse basement prescribed fire experts from Kansas State University and K-State Research and Extension will present on fire weather, laws, smoke management, techniques, and burn crew safety beginning at 10 am. This is a tremendous opportunity to learn the most current fire strategies and stay up to date on Kansas fire law.

Cost is $15 per person which includes a delicious meal and prescribed burning notebook. Participants are asked to RSVP to the Minneapolis (785-392-2147) or Salina (785-309-5850) offices prior to Thursday January 30th. Whether you are an old pro or never struck a match, this program will be beneficial.

If you have questions or wish to share this information with your group, please contact Anthony N. Ruiz at 785-392-2147 or anruiz@ksu.edu

2014 Youth Essay Contest

 2014 Youth Essay Contest

Gun Giveaway & Guided Hunt

ATTENTION YOUNG HUNTERS: Write a story and win a guided spring turkey hunt, a new turkey shotgun and a turkey hunting vest loaded with turkey hunting supplies! This is the 12th year of this contest and past winners have all been successful at harvesting a gobbler! 

To commemorate the 12th year of this contest, the Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation will be providing a new shotgun to the author of the winning essay. The contest is co-sponsored by the Flint Hills Gobblers Chapter, Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply of Emporia and the Conrad Carlson Charitable Foundation of Osage City. Youth 16 years and younger from Chase, Coffey, Greenwood,Lyon, Morris, Osage, and Wabaunsee counties are eligible to participate.

JAKES stands for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics, and Sportsmanship. Many of the National Wild Turkey Federation programs are also aimed at creating safe, knowledgeable, and responsible hunters. The 2014 Topic: In 500 words or less, “Why is hunting important for conservation?

            Participants must be available to hunt during the 2014 spring turkey season, and if chosen, must purchase a Kansas spring turkey hunting permit. The lucky winner will receive a guided spring turkey hunt during the 2014 spring turkey hunting season. The winner also will receive a turkey hunting vest and other turkey hunting items donated by Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply of Emporia. Please submit your essay, including your name, age, address and phone number to Gib Rhodes, 1643 360^th St., Madison, KS 66860 or Shelley Sparks, 1789 Road B5, Emporia, KS 66801 by March 4th, 2014.

The winner of the contest will be notified by March 14th, 2014. Lodging will be provided if the winner is not from Emporia or the surrounding area. A parent or guardian is welcome and encouraged to accompany the youth on this hunt. If you have any questions regarding the essay contest or hunt, please feel free to contact Gib Rhodes at (620) 437-2012.

Ken Salazar teams up with billionaire Louis Bacon to form PAC

Ken Salazar teams up with billionaire Louis Bacon to form PAC

By Kurtis Lee
The Denver Post

Congressional candidates willing to work on land conservation efforts could benefit from a new political action committee announced December 19th.

The bipartisan America's Conservation PAC is spearheaded by former U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and billionaire philanthropist Louis Bacon.

At a moment when partisanship and polarization run rampant in Washington, work that focuses on land conservation and the preservation of cultural resources has not received ample attention, said Salazar.

"Voices for conservation need to be lifted," said Salazar, who left the Obama administration earlier this year. "This will be an opportunity to help engage lawmakers in dialogue around conservation and preservation as the country continues to grow."

For example, candidates committed to fighting to replenish the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund could benefit from the PAC.

Will Shafroth, founder of Colorado Conservation Trust and the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, will serve as the PAC's executive director.

"Conserving land and cultural resources for our children and our children's children is neither a liberal nor a conservative value. It's not Republican or Democratic, neither an urban nor a rural idea," Bacon said in a statement. "It is so important to protect and preserve those physical places that truly define a region — however tough the fight — that we are coming together to help elected officials who support the future over the immediate."

Salazar and Bacon worked in the past to create the Sangre de Cristo Conservation Area in Colorado'sSan Luis Valley, where Bacon owns the sprawling Trinchera Ranch.

In coming months, Salazar said the PAC will begin to pinpoint candidates to support in 2014.

"As the country grows, we need to be smarter and focused on conservation," Salazar said.

Read more: Ken Salazar teams up with billionaire Louis Bacon to form PAC - The Denver Posthttp://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24714759/ken-salazar-teams-up-billionaire-louis-bacon-form#ixzz2o2iB2eHU 

Things I Remember About November

                                    Things I Remember About November
                                         A Short Blog by Ted Beringer

We groan to see the colors of summer and fall gradually fade but there are many visual sights to appreciate with the oncoming chill. Looking back over my photos from hiking in November in Kansas parks, things that were once camouflaged by leaves now become visible like the nests of the red wasp that resemble pan flutes. 

Nest of Red Wasp

Bird nests that were brazenly constructed in the spring two feet off the ground near hiking trails become revealed after the leaves have fallen from the bush. 

Flowers, once in bloom, bequeath their elegant dried versions that are beautiful themselves. Wild grapes become more apparent as well as the golden yellow fruits of Horse Nettle. 

                                                Horse Nettle fruits

      Birds can be seen feasting on the small wild fruits of crabapple and pear trees. 

                                           Mocking bird on a pear tree.

Oak leaves that remain on the tree long after other trees have lost all theirs create complex patterns with each leaf forming a piece in a puzzle. It’s all there for the discerning eye to discover.

                                         

Celebrate Bald Eagle Day at Tuttle Creek Lake

Celebrate Bald Eagle Day at Tuttle Creek Lake

Eagle days provide excellent opportunities to view majestic bald eagles

On Saturday, Jan. 4, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at Tuttle Creek Lake will sponsor a free Eagle Day for the public to learn about and view bald eagles. This will mark the 26th year for this popular event at Tuttle CreekLake.

The bald eagle was adopted as our national symbol in 1782. At that time, there were as many as 50,000 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. However, in 1967 they were declared an endangered species because only about 2,000 birds remained with an estimated 417 nesting pairs. Since then, the population in the lower 48 states has rebounded remarkably to more than 35,000 birds and more than 10,000 nesting pairs. In fact, the bald eagle was removed from the Endangered Species List in 2007. A record 54 bald eagle nests were documented in Kansas last year.

The day will start at 9:00 a.m. at the Manhattan Fire station at Kimball and Denison with an overview of eagle nesting in Kansas. The program will include live hawks and owls and a mounted bald eagle.

The highlight of the morning will be a free bus tour to areas near Tuttle Creek Lake where knowledgeable bird watchers from the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society will share information about eagles and help people view them. The Corps will furnish binoculars and spotting scopes. At one of the bus tour stops, watchers can view a large nest on an island in River Pond State Park.

This has been a popular program with an average attendance of 160 people the past several years, many of them youngsters fascinated by the birds.

Viewers should dress appropriately for the weather and bring binoculars and spotting scopes if they have them. The program is free and open to the public.

Additional sponsors include the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) and Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau. Refreshments for the program are sponsored by the Tuttle Creek Lake Association. Bus service is sponsored by the Tuttle Creek Lake Association and the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society.

For more information, contact Steve Prockish at (785) 539-8511. Other similar eagle programs will be conducted at Milford and Perry reservoirs in January. Contact your nearest USACE or KDWPT office for details.

Make a Reservation for State Park Fun in 2014

Make a Reservation for State Park Fun in 2014

Online reservation system allows reservations up to a year in advance

If you’re dreaming of warmer weather and making plans for next year’s state park fun, you can reserve your favorite campsite, beginning noon on Dec. 20. In addition, many Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) 2014 permits and licenses went on sale Monday, Dec. 16, 2013, and they are valid through the rest of 2013 and all of 2014.

Camping and cabin reservations guarantee the holder their spot will be open and ready when they arrive at the park. All of KDWPT’s 121 cabins can be reserved year-round, up to 364 days in advance. About half of each individual park’s sites are reservable for the camping season, which is April 1-Sept. 30, 2014.

Payment in full is required at the time a reservation is made. Reserving a cabin requires a non-refundable $14 reservation fee. Reserving a campsite requires a non-refundable $3 reservation fee per stay.

Remember that when you renew your vehicle tags and registration, you can purchase Kansas State Parks Passports for $15. State Parks Passports will get you into any state park for a year and represent significant savings over traditional annual vehicle permits, which are still available at KDWPT offices for $25. Daily vehicle entrance permits are $5. Annual vehicle permits for seniors and persons with disabilities are available through department offices for $13.75.

Start 2014 with a State Park First Day Hike

Start 2014 with a State Park First Day Hike

Here’s a New Year’s resolution that’s easy to keep and lots of fun

This year, how about a New Year’s resolution that is not only easy to keep, but one that’s also fun and good for you? The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) would like to announce its schedule of Kansas State Park First Day Hikes. At select state parks across the state, guided First Day Hikes will be offered on Jan. 1, 2014. Individuals and families are encouraged to get out of the house, connect with nature and walk off some of the holiday dinner calories.

"First Day Hikes are a great way to start a new tradition that promotes a healthy beginning to a the New Year," said Linda Lanterman, KDWPT Parks Division Director. “While all of our state parks and trails are open on New Year’s Day, staff at select parks have guided hikes and special programs scheduled.”

Kansas state parks with First Day Hike events planned for Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014 include:

Clinton State Park, near Lawrence, will host a nature walk on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. Hikers will meet at theClinton State Park office at noon before embarking on a 1.5- to 2-mile hike on moderate trails. The hike is open to all ages and pets are welcome as long as they are under owner control at all times. For more information, contact theClinton State Park office, 785-842-8562, clintonsp@ksoutdoors.com.

Elk City State Park, near Independence, will host a hike, nature walk and 5K run/walk beginning at 1 p.m. Participants should meet at the park’s day-use area near the beach sign and parking lot. Trails are easy to moderate and open to all ages. Pets are not allowed. For more information contact the Elk City State Park office, 620-331-6295,elkcitysp@ksoutdoors.com.

Kaw River State Park in Topeka will be the site of a nature walk scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Participants should meet at the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Region 2 Office, 300 SW Wanamaker Road. The walk is open to all ages and trails are rated as easy to moderate. Contact jeff.bender@ksoutdoors.com for more information.

Perry State Park near Topeka will host a Fitness Tour, beginning at 9 a.m. at the park office. The trail is open to all ages and the trail is rated as easy to moderate. Pets are welcome but must be on a leash less than 10 feet long. Coffee, hot chocolate and cookies will be provided after the hike. For more information, contact park ranger Michelle Campbell, 785-246-3449, michelle.campbell@ksoutdoors.com.

Tuttle Creek State Park, near Manhattan, will host a walk-through 3-D archery shoot starting at 1 p.m. on Jan. 1, 2014. The shooting event will be conducted at the River Pond Area near the Luke Nihart Family Archery Range, which is located just south of the park office at the east end of the park. The archery shoot is open to all ages able to draw and shoot a bow. The trail is about one-third of a mile long and rated as easy. Participants may bring their own archery equipment, but adult and youth bows will be available to check out. For more information, contact the park office, 785-539-7941, tuttlecreeksp@ksoutdoors.com.

A nature walk/run will be conducted at the Green Recreational Trail at 702 Country Club Rd., Pratt. The event will begin at 2 p.m. and is open to all ages. Trail is rated as easy to moderate. Pets must be on a leash. Participants will get t-shirts and be treated to hot chocolate after the hike. For more information, contact Cherie Riffey,cherie.riffey@ksoutdoors.com.

Participants in all events should dress in layers appropriate for the weather and bring their own water. Daily or annual state park vehicle permits are required to enter state parks.

Ring in the New Year outdoors and experience a winter version of your favorite state park that many park patrons never see. There are actually hundreds of First Day Hikes scheduled across the nation, sponsored by the America’s State Parks and the American Hiking Society, www.americasstateparks.org.

Scorpions in Kansas Blog

                                                 Scorpions in Kansas
                                             A Blog by Elby Adamson

                  From file by Ester Inbar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstalker

A few years ago I received an email that had gone out to people with an interest in the natural world. The email asked if there was an instance where a species that had become extinct was later discovered to have some property that was of tremendous value to mankind.

 

Some people argue there’s no such thing as a dumb question. I disagree and believe the question just posed is a dumb question. It is meaningless. How would I know later if an extinct species was of great value since it would no longer be around so I could answer the question? 

 

For example, it makes no sense to ask if the passenger pigeon had some gene or other factor that would be of great use in human medicine. There are birds with similar genetic characteristics to passenger pigeons and there have been discussions of using their genes along with genetic “material” recovered from preserved specimens of passenger pigeons to recreate a passenger pigeon.  However, the bird created will not be a real passenger pigeon, just something a lot like a passenger pigeon.  Once a species is extinct, it is forever extinct.

 

Of course we might think we want some creatures to become extinct.

 

Scorpions may be one of those creatures.  One has never stung me, but I’m told that if you camp by Milford Lake you should either keep your shoes on or be sure nothing crawls in them.  A friend told me a scorpion got in one of his shoes and stung him on a toe. It hurt more than a little, he said.   

 

There are many people who don’t even know we have scorpions in this area, but around Milford Lake and Fort Riley, they are actually fairly common. Perhaps this is a good thing as science continues to find new ways that scorpions can benefit humans.

 

Scientists believe certain scorpion toxins can be useful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. One particularly powerful toxin found in the venom of the death stalker scorpion has shown promise for the treatment and diagnosis of various cancers.

 

Another scorpion’s venom contains elements that kill one malaria parasite and attack another without harming surrounding cells.  Researchers have also reported apparent anti-inflammatory properties in the venom of still another scorpion’s venom that may be useful in the treatment of arthritis.

 

Recently news has been released about a molecule from scorpion venom that “paints” tumors allowing surgeons to see if they have left any cancerous tissue behind when they are removing tumors. 

A molecule that illuminates cancer cells—developed from scorpion venom—may someday help surgeons navigate tricky brain surgeries.  There is hope the molecule will make difficult surgeries easier and may help develop ways of treating colon, skin, prostate breast and other kinds of cancer.

The goal is to help surgeons navigate difficult tumor-removing operations in real-time, as well as to guide new therapies for brain, breast, prostate, skin, colon, and other cancers.

“We’re hoping with this Tumor Paint tool that they’ll be able to see tumors that the surgeon wasn’t able to get,” he said. “My goal is that surgeons will be able to remove the tumor and give patients a better outcome,” Dr. James Olson told reporter Brian Krans.

Use of scorpions in medicine is not entirely new.

In traditional Chinese medicine scorpions and some snakes are used to make wines that are held to have analgesic properties and are also used as antidotes for poisoning.

 

For something really weird consider that in some cultures people eat scorpions.  In parts of China, a traditional dish is fried scorpion.

It seems highly likely that many other species of animals or plants have properties that we have not yet discovered. It would be a great shame if answers to human needs were pushed out of existence by our indifference and lack of stewardship.  Sound stewardship of our natural resources including plants and animals is a hallmark of the Kansas Wildlife Federation.