U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Salmon migrations have marked time like clockwork, since the last glaciation. All salmon return to freshwater only once, putting everything they��ve got into their homecoming. Spawning is their final act before death. Their death is life-affirming: salmon bodies bring marine nutrients to the aquatic bugs their young will eat. Salmon remnants also feed stream-side trees. These trees create cooling habitat even in their own obsolescence when they fall in the water. Photo: Sockeye salmon in Alaska by Lisa Hupp/USFWS

The McCormick Place in Chicago recently undertook steps to help prevent bird collisions by installing bird safe windows. Since birds cannot see glass the way we do, they do not treat it as a barrier to avoid. Actions like this will help save the lives of our feathered friends. Every year nearly one billion birds collide with glass in the United States. While most fatal collisions happen at homes and buildings shorter than four stories tall, smaller structures like glass walkways and bus stop shelters also pose a threat. These collisions are preventable, and there are many ways we can make our homes and buildings safer for birds. Check out the comments to find additional steps you can take to make YOUR windows and glass safe for birds. Photos of installation at the McCormick Place by Brian W. Smith/USFWS

Good morning from the coneflower-covered prairie! ☀️ Narrow-leaved coneflower is native to much of the middle of North America. It thrives in medium to dry soils with full sun, typically blooming in June and July. Have you seen any coneflowers lately? 📷 Mike Budd/USFWS

Celeb spotting: THE Very Hungry Caterpillar! The endangered Behren's silverspot butterfly is found in a very limited range within Mendocino County, California. As a caterpillar, they survive solely on early blue violets aka their larval host plant! Video of a Behren's silverspot caterpillar chowing down on a violet by Clint Pogue/USFWS

It's time to learn about MEEEEEEEE. This week is all about MEEEEEEEEEE!!! Drop what you're doing and listen to the words coming out of my [small] mouth. I am: a Smallmouth Buffalo (native sucker). I am not: an invasive carp or a "buffalo carp" SMH. Catch our latest episode of Fish of the Week at https://lnkd.in/eMa_GYrn or wherever you get your podcasts (yes, we have a super nerdy fish #podcast with tons of episodes). Smallmouth buffalo enthusiasts/guests Levi Solomon and Kris Maxson join from the the Illinois River Biological Station. On deck: Blacktip Reef Shark. New episodes every single Monday. 📷 Sam Stukel/USFWS

Winner, winner turkey dinner? It can be if you participate in the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge mentored hunt program. This spring, the National Deer Association and Cherry Valley partnered up to develop the refuge's first mentored turkey hunt. This pilot program was geared towards new or novice hunters. One of the major goals of the program, is to not only break down barriers within the hunting community but to also leave participants with more knowledge and confidence about hunting wild turkey. Photo of the Cherry Valley NWR mentored hunt participants by USFWS

Could the same drug used to treat lung cancer in humans be the key to preventing or treating deadly white-nose syndrome in bats? 🦇 Considered one of the deadliest wildlife diseases in North America, white-nose syndrome is caused by the fugus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans(Pd). This fungus often presents itself as white fuzz on the faces of hibernating bats. Over the last 18 years this disease has killed millions of bats across North America. In a recent breakthrough, Bruce Klein, a professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and PhD candidate Marcos Isidoro-Ayza, were the first to study in detail how this fungus gains entry and infects cells. We are proud to join a whole host of partners in funding this exciting research that may be the key to saving not just bats but all wildlife effected by fungal disease. Check out the comments to learn more about this exciting news. #UnleashTheScience Photo of a little brown bat with white-nose syndrome by Marvin Moriarty/USFWS

There are no rain delays during seabird flight training. Thousands of young Laysan albatross, or mōlī, simulated flying earlier this month by flapping their wings during a rain shower at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Some even practiced their takeoff steps and an initial hop in preparation for fledging. Each year millions of albatrosses return to the refuge in the northern Pacific Ocean to nest and raise their young. Once fledged, mōlī can travel for great distances and will likely move towards Japan or Alaska, but their known range extends to Mexico, too. USFWS volunteer video: Dan Rapp Video description: thousands of young, black and white seabirds flap their wings during rainfall in preparation for fledging; stationary shot is from a tree-lined path with a rainbow in the distance.

Our native freshwater mussels are a shell of a friend. The "livers of our rivers" are vital to healthy ecosystems. Strong mussel populations generally indicates a healthy aquatic system which often means good fishing, good water quality for waterfowl and other wildlife species. Conversely, when mussel populations are at risk, it indicates problems for other fish and wildlife species, and people too. Recently, Smithsonian Collections Digitization announced its exciting collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to digitize over 45,000 specimens in their historic collection of freshwater mussels. Over 120,000 images total will be added to the Smithsonian's digital collections, which will help researchers better understand the distribution of species over time and support these at-risk animals thriving into the future. Watch the full video at the link in the comments. Video by Smithsonian's Digitization Program Office Video description: Various shots of different species of freshwater mussels are shown. The mussels are fixed on the bottom of rocky streams. Tiny fish swim by as the mussels wave their fleshy mantles.

The newest episode of our Nature's Infrastructure podcast is now out! On this episode we're focusing on the incredible partnerships that are catalyzing the future of salmon conservation in Alaska through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments and projects that are healing the broader ecosystem and serving Alaska’s people and wildlife. We chat with Amber Vaska, the executive director of the Tanana Chiefs Conference and Kevin Whitworth, from the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, to talk about ways the Gravel to Gravel Keystone Initiative is helping promote critical conservation for people, salmon and the land. Check out the latest episode here: https://ow.ly/oV5z50SFsol