Show i i letter Beiler Living for Birds Beasts i Is Objective o f American Wildlife Institute By WALTER VALTER A. A snEAD Washington Correspondent BELIEVE RELIEVE it or not there Is an organization organization or- or D in Washington which has no propagandist no pow high ered publicity staff and is profit non and non politicaL It is the American Wildlife Institute institute Institute In In- formulated back in 1911 under under un un- un- un der the name of the American Game Protective association and incorporated In Incorporated in- in in 1035 1935 under Its present name but with the same backers and sponsors headed by former Senator Frederic C. C Walcott of Connecticut Connecticut Connecticut Con Con- daddy of much of the conservation legislation which has been enacted into law during the past quarter of 01 a century So the American Wildlife Institute is a profit nonprofit partisan non-partisan corporation corpo ration supported by the voluntary contributions of Industries organizations organizations and Individuals Interested Inthe inthe in inthe the preservation of ot American wildlife wildlife wildlife wild wild- life and conservation of natural resources resources re re- resources re- re sources in all its phases Its objectives are arc three fold 1 to o encourage operation co-operation and coordination coordination coordination co co- co- co ordination of effort of all groups and anil individuals Interested In conservation conservation conservation conserva conserva- tion of oC natural resources 2 to assist assist assist as as- In finding and presenting to the public facts about wildlife and these natural resources and 3 to provide provide pro pro- vide Ide facilities for Cor training young oun men in the latest scientific methods of game anse management manas-ement and conser- conser I ya tion In carrying out these objectives the American Wildlife Institute has become a central co coordinating agency in liaison and operation co-operation with and between such organizations as the Izaak Walton League the American Forest association the Audubon society Zoological and Biological Associations State De Do- of Conservation Land Grant Colleges and Universities the U. U S. S Fish and Wildlife service and the Conserva Conservation tion Division of the department department department de de- de- de of agriculture Work on Broad Front It spends its money to obtain these objectives by the thern publication of books and technical pamphlets at no profit for tor the benefit of 01 all phases of conservation by sponsoring sponsoring spon spon- and financing the annual North American Wildlife confer- confer L JI r S After an absence of or more than 50 years Atlantic j salmon have returned returned re re- returned re- re turned to spawning grounds in four lour Maine rivers after American Wildlife Wildlife Wild Wild- life me Institute had cleaned out tho the Maine rivers ruined as spawning grounds by the lumber Industry ence enee by the establishment of chairs and schools of wildlife conservation conservation conservation conserva conserva- tion in colleges and universities for training young men in irs every phase of natural resources for technical research and in methods of game management and conservation by conducting research itself itsell and in operation co-operation with other organizations organizations organizations in wildlife and land management management manage manage- ment and use stream pollution and by bringing about better coordination coordination ordina co tion and operation co-operation between groups and individuals engaged in inthe inthe inthe the production administration and use of natural resources For several years the American Wildlife Institute has financed the research Into migratory fowl at the Delta duck station in M Manitoba Canada in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin and Michigan Michigan Michigan Michi Michi- gan State college with James F F. F Bell famous authority on migratory fowl as superintendent of the In 1943 Ducks Unlimited became became be be- became came a co operator This scientific study of migratory ducks and geese has to do mostly with these wild fowl on their breeding grounds Other Other Oth Oth- er studies of the birds in their migration migration mi ml- gration across the United States has v l v ir irv v- v V L I t k I i Research training of oC young men for Cor administration in game management man man- a and conservation and scientific experiment for the conservation conserva tion of or all our natural resources are objectives of the American Wildlife Institute led to the undertaking of an ambitious ambitious ambi ambi- scientific research project of what happens to migratory birds when they reach Mexico and other Central American countries where they winter So for two years this study has been going on largely financed by American Wildlife Institute but conducted conducted con con- conducted ducted by the Pan American Union an international organization composed composed com corn posed of representatives of the Central Central Cen Cen- Central and South American Republics In Its zeal to train young men in scientific knowledge in all phases of conservation the Wildlife Institute Institute Institute tute has fostered and helped finance schools for this purpose at the land grant state universities in Alabama Iowa Maine Missouri Ohio Oregon Pennsylvania Texas Utah and Virginia Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia while through the Influence of the institute schools also have been established at Purdue university in Indiana and in New York Quarter Million to Schools The Tho institute has expended approximately ap approximately ap- ap proximately In the establishment establishment and maintenance of the these e schools In so doing it operates through the U. U S. S Fish and Wildlife Service the State Departments of Conservation of Wildlife and the universities Approximately trained men men are now engaged in various phases of wildlife conservation conservation conservation conser conser- and land use Many are holding holding holding hold hold- ing Important government and state jobs in forestry wildlife management management management manage manage- ment with zoological and biological cal gardens and organizations Another Instance of conservation conservation- fostered and largely financed by the institute was the restoration of the salmon fishing Industry on the Atlantic Atlantic At At- Atlantic lantic coast Fi Fifty ty years or so ago Atlantic Atlantie salmon disappeared from I Maine due clue to the thc destruction of spawning grounds in the Maine fresh water rivers by the lumber industry Sawdust coated the bottoms bottoms bot bot- toms of s streams reams and tannic acid from the sawdust polluted the water to such an extent the salmon were killed of off and a flourishing Industry died In 1940 a fellowship was established established In the University of Maine for the purpose of studying the possibilities possibilities possibilities pos pos- of restoring the Atlantic salmon to the the- important streams in the Northeast Through these studies and operation co-operation with the institute a a. a method so easy and inexpensIve in inexpensive inexpensive in- in expensive was devised that the thc sponsors a are ae e amazed at the results Huge egg beaters were attached to small boats sent into the Machias Machias Ma- Ma chias the Dennys the and the Penobscot rivers These egg beaters operating in the spring of the year at high water churned up the beds of these rivers so thoroughly thor thor- thoroughly that the sawdust caking was washed out out and into the sea Then millions of salmon eggs were brought do down from New Brunswick and install installed d in troughs for tor hatching hatching hatch hatch- ing in the rivers This spring saw the first return of the Atlantic salmon for spawning and they swarmed back Into these four Maine rivers by the millions The American Wildlife Institute is particularly Interested in land use on the theory that If Uland land and water arc are utilized properly we will automatically automatically auto auto- have wildlife Clinton R. R Gutermuth executive secretary of the institute who occupies a mod mod- est eat office In a downtown Washington i building declares we cant can't have hav S wildlife without the operation co-operation 0 of farmers Most l certainly the Hoosier Hoosier- trained secretary said we cant can't t take good farm land and by the tin same token farmers should not attempt attempt at at- tempt to farm land fit only for reforestation reforestation re re- forestation or as cover for wild wild- liCe ir Thousands of acres of land in this country have been stolen from Crom Its natural state and thousands upon thousands of dollars of public money has been spent in the vain attempt to make farm Carm land out oot of or S ginal and other land fit only for S Its natural state One such area It Is pointed out was the Kankakee marshes In northern Indiana and Illinois The two states and the federal government government govern govern- ment spent many thousands of dollars dollars dollars dol dol- S lars In the attempt to convert these thousands of acres of ot marshes into farmland When It was found the land would not raise crops after atter after aft att- S er decades of frustration the land landis is now being allowed ed to return to its natural state And during the past few years the financial return from the recreational and other features features fea fea- S tures of this natural wildlife habitat habItat S tat each year has been more than than was realized by farmers in all the years cultivation was attempted Another such area Is the so-called so grand flats in Wisconsin an area thousands of acres in extent where I a few years ago nothing but abandoned aban aban- abandoned homes were seen for miles and much of ot which is now being al allowed al al- lowed to return to Its natural state Grow Cover Where Possible Mr Gutermuth believe that 1 ery farmer can correi correlate t- t his his land I into the two schools natural and agricultural For instance along I the woods lot on almost every farm tarm there is 50 or more feet teet which will barely raise a crop This land could be permitted to grow into cover j The banks of ditches and streams would within a few tew years become I a natural habitat for wildlife if 11 permitted to grow into a a. a natural state And reforestation of some land suitable for that purpose will willI not only reap a rich harvest for I farmers In the way of lumber and j wood but will also provide natural natural nat nat- ural cover for lor wildlife The American Wildlife Institute Is also vitally Interested In proper land use of rolling land in erosion and in contour plowing plo and cultivation 10 LU O retain the me rich rica top soil and the natural wealth of farm land It has aided in much research in this phase of ot conservation The North Am American Wildlife conference staged each ench year by bv th the Institute is the forum where technical tech tech- men man In all aU branches of ot COnservation conservation con COn- meet and exchange in In- formation and where here results of the thc year years year's s research are made public to teachers prot professors Vr laboratory technicians administrators administrator S a and supervisors su su- and to the general public public Approximately 1000 delegates from on ev every ry state Mexico Canada England and France are to attend this years year's expected conference the Hotel at Pennsylvania in York The general New theme will be The Place of Wildlife in a Chang tag Ing World |