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Patch Work: Endangered Species Get a Boost from Boy Scouts of America

January 8, 2014

Last summer, the Boy Scouts of America (Scouts) helped raise awareness for America’s endangered species. The Mid-America Council of the Scouts created a patch to identify Scout Troops that participated in the 2013 National Scout Jamboree. By creating and wearing the patches, the Scouts helped raise awareness about some of the species the Service works to conserve.

The center patch includes the Columbine Dusky Wing Butterfly (Erynnis lucilius), the American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), and the Colorado Butterfly Plant (Gaura neomexicana var. coloradenis). Surrounding the octagon-shaped patch are six smaller patches of fish and wildlife: Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), Whooping Crane (Grus americana), and Gray Wolf (Canis lupus).

Click here or on the slideshow image to view a collection of photographs of the fish and wildlife featured on the patches

• 

  Columbine Dusky Wing Butterfly (Erynnis lucilius):
  
  Columbine Dusky Wing Butterflies can be found from May to mid-June from southern Manitoba, Canada, to the northeastern U.S.
  
  Photo Credit: Aaron Carlson / Creative Commons

• 

  American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus):
  
  First listed as endangered in 1989, the American Burying Beetle was once found east of the Appalachians, but population disappeared from that region by 1923. The beetle’s range now includes parts of Canada, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Oklahoma and Arkansas, Kansas, and South Dakota. In order to survive, these carrion insects lay their eggs in the carcass of small animals and then bury the corpse in a shallow grave several inches below the surface. The larvae receive parental care during their growth, which is an extremely rare behavior in insects.
  
  Photo Credit: FWS

• 

  Colorado Butterfly Plant (Gaura neomexicana var. coloradenis):
  
  The Colorado Butterfly Plant is endangered wherever found. It is believed to occur in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. Of the known populations of the Colorado butterfly plant, the vast majority occur on private lands managed primarily for agriculture and livestock.
  
  Photo Credit: Erin Madson / FWS

• 

  Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes):
  
  The Black-footed ferret is one of the most endangered mammal species in North America. However, an aggressive captive breeding program and reintroduction efforts have helped these charismatic carnivores return to the American. For more info on black-footed ferret recovery, visit: www.blackfootedferret.org.
  
  Photo Credit: FWS

• 

  Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis):
  
  The largest hibernation caves for Indiana bats can contain 20,000 to 50,000 individuals. Because the bats hibernate in only a small number of caves, however, they are vulnerable to outside disturbance. The bats have also suffered from White-nose syndrome (WNS) like many other American bat species. WNS is a fungus that grows on the wings and noses of bats. Learn more about WNS: http://whitenosesyndrome.org/.
  
  Photo Credit: FWS

• 

  Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus):
  
  Swimming since the days of the Dinosaurs, these living fossils are some of the least understood fish species in the Mississippi and Missouri River drainages. While little is known about these fish, Service biologists know that river channeling and construction projects altered the life habits of the species, including their spawning areas and feeding sources. Recovery efforts are underway to preserve these living fossils.
  
  Photo Credit: Rob Holm / FWS

• 

  Gray Wolf (Canis lupus):
  
  Wolf restoration in the Northern Rocky Mountains has been an amazing success thanks to both the resiliency of wolves and the cooperative efforts of Federal, State, and Tribal agencies, conservation groups, and private citizens—including ranchers, sportsmen, and outfitters.
  
  Photo Credit: FWS

• 

  Whooping Crane (Grus americana):
  
  Male Whooping Cranes stand 5 feet tall when fully erect, making them North America’s tallest bird. The species gets its name from the unique vocalization made by the birds when startled.
  
  Photo Credit: Ryan Hagerty / FWS

• 

  Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus):
  
  A North American species with a historic range from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico, the count of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 once plummeted to 480. Many feared extinction was imminent. Bald eagles have staged a remarkable population rebound, however, with thousands of breeding pairs soaring today across America’s skies. Our nation’s symbol is one of the Endangered Species Act’s greatest success stories.
  
  Photo Credit: Don Freiday / FWS

• 

  Conclusion:
  
  The Service is grateful for the Boy Scouts of America’s support of our endangered species recovery work. For more photographs of endangered species and all things wild, please visit our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/.
  
  Photo Credit: Seth Beres / FWS

• 

  The center patch includes the Columbine Dusky Wing Butterfly (Erynnis lucilius), the American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), and the Colorado Butterfly Plant (Gaura neomexicana var. coloradenis). Surrounding the octagon-shaped patch are six smaller patches of fish and wildlife: Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis), Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus), Whooping Crane (Grus americana), and Gray Wolf (Canis lupus).
  
  Credit: Boy Scouts of America.