The month of July was met with exciting news concerning Attwater's prairie chicken (APC) recovery efforts.  At least 10 APC chicks were confirmed to have survived to six weeks of age on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (APC NWR).  Although these results may seem low, this is the most number of chicks confirmed surviving in any given year during the last decade.  Seven chicks survived in 2004.  These chicks were produced by hens that had been released from the captive breeding program in previous years and through some very labor intensive efforts by refuge staff and Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns.  An additional 3 chicks survived at the Texas City Prairie Preserve (owned by the Nature Conservancy), where a second population of APCs exists. 

At a meeting of all APC breeding facilities in mid-July, 188 Attwater's were slated for release this summer.  Although the number of birds actually released this summer will probably be somewhat less, this group will still probably mark the largest release of birds since the APC release program started in 1996.  Plans are to release these birds at the APC NWR and the Texas City Prairie Preserve by mid-September prior to the arrival of migrating hawks.  The first group should arrive during the first week in August.

This year's Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) program came to an end on July 28.  Although this year's program was marred with several resignations half way through the summer, the group was quite productive.