U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)

Meet Robert, the “heart and soul of Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge.” Robert Luna started working at the central Washington wildlife refuge when he was a teenager, and about three decades later the engineering equipment operator was recently named Refuge Employee of the Year by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. "Robert has been the heart and soul of Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge for more than three decades, and his contributions are beyond measure,” said Trevor Sheffels, the acting deputy project leader at Toppenish, an important stop for migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. “I never do anything for praise,” Luna said. “I let my work speak for itself. I’m proud of what I do and I’m always happy to show anybody the kind of work I do. I see the vision of the Fish and Wildlife Service, and you know, I enjoy it.” Read the full story on Luna, who moved with his family from Los Angeles in the 1980s to Toppenish: https://lnkd.in/erkGVy2Z

Once again we ask, are you urgin' for sturgeon? The Genoa National Fish Hatchery in Wisconsin raises thousands of lake sturgeon every year for restoration efforts across the country. These fish were decimated by overharvest and killing because they were thought to be a nuisance fish. Since it takes so long for lake sturgeon to reach adulthood (around 20 years), we are finally seeing how passage of the Clean Water Act and collective conservation efforts that began decades ago are leading to growing lake sturgeon populations. Recently, with the help of federal, state, and Tribal partners, Genoa National Fish Hatchery staff participated in a lake sturgeon collection that occurred near the Prickett Dam on the Sturgeon River in Michigan. The eggs were collected and fertilized and then transported to the hatchery. These fish will be raised at Genoa for approximately 4 months. Once they grow to 7-8 inches, they will then be tagged and released into the wild. We love conserving species and look forward to continued restoration of this amazing prehistoric fish. Photo by Erica Rasmussen/USFWS.

Biotechnicians are hard at work all across the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge! A day as a biotech might include: • Checking nests and burrows to monitor chick growth • Counting cliffside nests from afar • Banding seabirds for long-term monitoring Despite busy schedules and tight weather windows, biotechnicians find moments to pause and appreciate the beauty of the islands around them! 🥾Where have your boots been? 📷 Photos from Chowiet, St. Lazaria, Aiktak, St. George, and St. Paul Islands respectively. S. Koike, E. Parsons, S. Darmstadt, and J. Cleaves/USFWS

When you picture fish sampling, you might think of nets or electrofishing. Light traps are less familiar gear. Light traps are deployed by our biologists in backwater areas and small tributaries that could serve as nursery habitats for larval fish. Each trap is outfitted with a green LED light. Like insects at your porch light, plankton, small fishes, and aquatic invertebrates will be attracted and enter the trap overnight. The Oklahoma Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office is currently using light trapping to determine whether bighead and silver carp are successfully spawning in the Red River system in TX and OK. Thank goodness for good microscopes and genetics tests to help us identify these little eyelash-sized fishes! Photos: USFWS

Get to know three West Coast pikeminnows: Sacramento, Umpqua, and Northern! Our latest podcast episode of "Fish of the Week!" compliments our Colorado Pikeminnow episode from season 3. Our guest, Stewart Reid, specializes in the biology and stewardship of Western fishes. Tune in at https://lnkd.in/eMa_GYrn, Apple podcasts, or wherever else you listen (just search "Fish of the Week!"). 🎧 A Northern Pikeminnow. 📷 Nicholas Bott #AllTheFish 🐟

Exciting news! We are thrilled to announce $48.4 million in grants through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. This will be matched by more than $27.75 million in partner funds. This critical funding will aid in the conservation and permanent protection of over 23,000 acres of habitat, providing a safe haven for 80 listed and at-risk species across 19 states and Guam. Get the full story here: https://ow.ly/KJsV50SuxSC Photo of Indiana bats by Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

Mama wood duck and her twelve ducklings. That's it. That's the post. Have a great weekend! 🎆 Video of wood ducks swimming at Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS

WATCH: Gopher snake emerges from the tall grasses, probing the air with its tongue before silently slithering away. The gopher snake, as the name suggests, is known for hunting small mammals like rats and rabbits. They will also eat birds, bird eggs, lizards and insects. When threatened, gopher snakes are known to coil up and do their best to mimic a rattlesnake; but there is no rattle and they are nonvenomous. This snake was spotted at McNary National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Washington, near the confluence of the mighty Columbia and Snake rivers. USFWS video: Lamont Glass Video description: Camera at ground level sees long, tan snake head emerge from tall grasses; it pauses, taking some air samples, then moves away to the right showing its pattern of dark blotches.

We believe it was the great poet Rihanna who once sang, "Beautiful like fireworks in the sky," or something like that. Was she singing about fireflies? Probably. Ok, where were we? Ah yes, happy 4th of July everyone! We're nature nerds, so fireworks for us is the show put on by the synchronous fireflies. Also called lightning bugs, these glowing wonders are a type of beetle. There are only a few species of firefly in North America whose individuals are known to synchronize their flashing light patterns. Photinus carolinus is a variety of synchronous firefly that will sync up their bioluminescence to put on a dazzling display in early summer. Primarily found in Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and Pennsylvania, this species of firefly will produce a flash pattern that is a series of 5-8 flashes, followed by a pause of about 8 seconds. This pattern is then repeated. Initially, the flashing appears random, but the period of darkness is synchronized. Scientists studying the synchronous firefly have determined that the males flash in unison as a way for the female to be certain she is responding to one of her species. As more males start joining in, the flashing will also begin to synchronize, and entire sections of the forest will pulsate with light! Photo at Great Smoky Mountain National Park by David Caldwell (sharetheexperience)

Hope your day is filled with plenty of red, white and blue. Happy 4th of July! Photos of northern cardinal, snow bunting and mountain bluebird by USFWS.