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Urban Wildlife

Beekeeping Symposium set for February

Submitted by Donna Wallace-King, Community Web Producer
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012, 2:44pm
Beekeeping Symposium set for February

The 17th Annual Beekeeping Symposium will be Saturday, February 4th at Auburn University’s Lowder Building. Sponsored by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the Alabama Beekeepers’ Association and Auburn University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, the day will feature classroom presentations and hands-on demonstrations.

 Dr. Jim Tew, Extension beekeeping specialist, will give the keynote address on the honey bee’s evolving role in the green movement.

In addition to sessions on bee management and equipment, participants will learn about the new Alabama Master Beekeeper Program as well the role bees play in the sustainable backyard.

Participants should bring their personal protective equipment for outdoor hands-on demonstrations.

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Urban Chicken Aficionados Unite With New Club

Submitted by JoBeth Davis, Community Web Producer
Friday, October 21st, 2011, 3:50pm
Urban Chicken Aficionados Unite With New Club

Founding members of “Auburn Cluckers,” a new club promoting the keeping of chickens in urban Auburn, met recently to compare notes and learn more about the hobby which was recently approved by the Auburn City Council.  The keeping of chickens in urban settings is a popular nationwide movement, spurred by such things as the desire for fresh eggs and garden fertilizer, the wish to promote a better understanding of food sources among children, a need for alternative pets for those with allergies, and a desire to facilitate 4-H projects in an urban setting. 

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City To Host Information Session on Urban Coyotes

Submitted by JoBeth Davis, Community Web Producer
Friday, October 14th, 2011, 10:55pm
City To Host Information Session on Urban Coyotes

Auburn, Ala. - Environmental Services will host an information session on Saturday, October 22 at Town Creek Park beginning at 9:00 a.m. Urban coyotes will be the focus of the session. Representatives from the Alabama Department of Conservation, the USDA Alabama Wildlife Services, and tentatively, our local conservation officer will be present to educate the public about the coyote population in Auburn. This will be an informative discussion about coyotes, their habits, and what can be expected by their increased presence. The meeting is expected to last an hour and feature brief presentations by each speaker followed by a question and answer session.

For more information, please contact Environmental Services at 501-3080.

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Auburn's eagle survives collision with skybox window

Submitted by John Shryock
Monday, September 12th, 2011, 12:14pm

AUBURN, AL (AP) - Auburn's eagle apparently wanted a pricier view.

The eagle Spirit flew into the glass window of a luxury box during his pre-kickoff flyaround before Saturday's game between Auburn and No. 16 Mississippi State.

Seemingly unharmed, the bird then flew over the stands behind an end zone as fans ducked. Spirit then landed near midfield like always.

Auburn fans tried to keep the traditional "War Eagle" chant going during the longer-than-usual flight.

Auburn says Spirit is the only bald eagle to make such a pre-game flight, which he did for the first time a decade ago.

Spirit was discovered in 1995 as an injured fledgling in Florida, according to Auburn's College of Veterinary Medicine. He came to Auburn in 1998 and joined the educational collection at the Raptor Center.

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Close encounters with coyotes in Alabama are on the rise

Submitted by Marianne Hudson, Naturalist & Wildlife Educator
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011, 1:18pm
Close encounters with coyotes in Alabama are on the rise

If you see a coyote on or near your property or in a location where you have never seen one before – don’t be surprised! Such a sighting does not require reporting and should not be cause for concern or panic. In fact, coyotes are found all over Alabama – including in urban areas - and frequent neighborhoods more often than you may realize. Just as humans tend to congregate, settle and reproduce in areas where our needs for resources are met, coyotes can become abundant in areas where they find their survival requirements satisfied.

Since the coyote’s insulating coat protects it from the harshest of Alabama winters, food procurement is its primary hardship. Our state’s coyotes usually have little problem gleaning provisions from the healthy populations of its prey items. Its diet is exceptionally varied and includes furred items such as rats, mice and voles in addition to larger mammals such as rabbits and fawns.

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