Wildlife

A paddlefish swims above a rocky riverbed, side-on to the camera.

Fish passage project ‘dammed up’ in approval process

A pile of empty oyster shell halves.

Pearls of wisdom
From gardens to genomes, state and conservation groups continue trying new approaches to oyster restoration

An abandoned brick building sits on a small bend in a river, lifted at least 10 feet above the water line.

Elba dam removal offers possibilities for fish migration, community-building

Two men in a small motorboat, one sitting and one standing, fish on a still lake with the forested shoreline visible behind them.

SHOR Act on the rocks
Fishing advisory bill stalls two years in a row

A meeting room is ringed with easels holding posterboards that describe various aspects of the fish passage project. People mill about the room to look at the boards and discuss with Army Corps of Engineers staff.

Fish migration project keeps swimming upstream
Army Corps of Engineers presents proposed designs to public

A gopher tortoise stares directly at the camera. It is sitting in sandy soil surrounded by small grasses, with some larger green plants visible in the background.

The tale of the tortoise and the pine
For two vanishing species, interdependence is crucial

The ghosts of grasslands past
Alabama prairie restoration protects disappearing ecosystems

A woman's hands cup a pile of mussel shells, the top one is open facing the camera to show purple insides. In the background, a man in a blue shirt bends down to the water of Paint Rock River.

Mussel mass
Research team aims to discover why freshwater mussels are disappearing

Image shows Millers Ferry Dam's hydroelectric turbines and water flowing from the upper reservoir to the lower river.

River, interrupted
Study could restore fish migration path from Gulf to Cahaba River

White-tailed buck on a hillside

When CWD moves in
Appearance of chronic wasting disease means changes to deer hunting, management

A sea turtle, seen from behind, in shallow waters with its shell above the water.

For sea turtles, a new opportunity out of tragedy
Alabama using Deepwater Horizon settlement to reduce threats to sea turtles

Several species of blue and brown corals can be seen on the reef, including soft and hard species.

Global reach
Birmingham Zoo staff pursue conservation projects around the world, close to home

The search for a ‘silver bullet’ against White Nose Syndrome
Ruffner study one of many seeking solutions for fatal bat disease

The turtles next door
Urban Turtle Project studies health, habitats of turtles that call Birmingham home