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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2006)
Page 22 The INDEPENDENT, July 6, 2006 Sunny skies greeted ribbon cuttings on June 30 The City of Vernonia held ribbon cutting ceremonies at Vernonia Lake and Spencer Park on June 30, to celebrate improve- ments that have occurred at both locations between 2002 and now. Above left; Marilyn Lippincott, Senior Grants Program Co- ordinator and Representative Brad Witt cut the ribbon at Vernonia Lake. Above right: Glen Purvee, former Vernonia city coun- cilor and strong supporter of Spencer Park improvements, was asked to cut the ribbon at Spencer Park. At Vernonia Lake, the improvements being celebrated included additional parking, an ADA-accessible restroom near the campground, and lighting on the path around the lake. Spencer Park improvements included grandstand seating, two full-sized backstops, paved parking and ADA accessible restrooms. Donated labor, equipment and materials at Spencer Park totaled $98,000 and were instrumental in the improvements there. Zoo gives pygmy rabbit breeding season update As the breeding season for Washington’s endangered Co- lumbia Basin pygmy rabbits nears its end, the Oregon Zoo is having its most successful breeding season ever. With 31 new rabbits, and the potential for several more before the end of summer, the zoo has taken a significant step toward saving the smallest rabbit in North America. Just a few years ago, there were only 16 pygmy rabbits left in the entire state of Washing- ton, near the small town of Ephrata. Washington Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists decided to remove the remaining rabbits from the wild and start an emer- gency captive-breeding pro- gram similar to the one used for California condors, which were removed from the wild in the 1980s. Today, the rare pygmy rabbit appears poised to make a comeback. This fall, the Ore- gon Zoo, in conjunction with its conservation partners will re- lease pygmy rabbits back into the wild for the first time. “This tiny rabbit is a big suc- cess story,” says Tony Vecchio, zoo director. “Collaborating with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State University and Northwest Trek, we’ve worked tirelessly to help save Washington’s endan- gered pygmy rabbits from cer- tain extinction. Releasing rab- bits back into eastern Washing- ton this fall is a monumental milestone.” The zoo has built a pygmy rabbit pre-release pen at its Jonsson Center for Wildlife •SavingsCoupon•SavingsCoupon•Saving L e o n e tt i ’s P i z z a & Gr i l l $2.00 Off Large or $1.00 Medium Pizza* 721 Madison Ave.,Vernonia • 503-429-5018 *Good through 6-19-06 Savings Coupon • Savings Coupon • Savings Coupon • Savings Coupon • Coupon•SavingsCoupon•SavingsCoupon s Coupon•SavingsCoupon•SavingsCoupon• SavingsCoupon•SavingsCoupon•Savings Conservation. “The rabbits are at the bot- tom of the food chain and must learn to avoid predators such as coyotes, red-tail hawks and owls,” says Michael Illig, assis- tant curator in charge of the zoo’s rabbit program. “By keep- ing the rabbits safe during their crucial first six months of life – a time when they are especial- ly vulnerable to predators – we can help their chances of sur- viving in the wild. At six months old, they are much better equipped to apprehend danger before it is too late.” WDFW will conduct test re- leases in Eastern Washington near where the original rabbits were removed from the wild. Initially, WDFW will provide pro- tection from predators. Eventu- ally releases will occur near un- occupied or artificial burrows. In order to track the progress of the pygmy rabbits, radio trans- mitters will be attached to some of the rabbits so that re- searchers can monitor their movements, survival and repro- duction over time. Idaho pygmy rabbits arrived at the Oregon Zoo in December 2000. Zoo staff constructed be- hind-the-scenes habitats full of loose soil, with tubes to serve as hiding places for the reclusive rabbits. They also constructed nest boxes fitted with infrared video cameras to monitor the rabbits’ behavior. Using video recorders, scientists studied their activity patterns exhaus- tively, learning the subtle behav- ioral nuances of the smallest rabbit in North America. In 2001, the research paid off, as the Oregon Zoo became the first zoo in the world to suc- cessfully breed Idaho pygmy rabbits. Thereafter, the zoo bred the rare Washington pygmy rabbit. With breeding protocols es- tablished, the zoo shared its re- search with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The protocols helped WDFW develop its pygmy rab- bit breeding facility at Washing- ton State University in Pullman. “In the past, zoos have spread their conservation ef- forts all over the world, particu- larly in tropical areas,” says Vecchio. “While these efforts have been extremely important, there has been a tendency to ignore our own backyards. At the Oregon Zoo, we feel that ef- forts in our own region will prove to be the most effective way to engage our visitors and constituents in conservation ac- tions.” Today the Oregon Zoo is home to two full-blooded Wash- ington pygmy rabbits: Lolo, a male, and Bryn, a female. In collaboration with WDFW, the zoo has crossbred Washington rabbits with Idaho rabbits to help strengthen genetic diversi- ty. The zoo hopes to maintain a bloodline of 75 percent Wash- ington and 25 percent Idaho.
