Activities: Waterbird Lead Poisoning in Yakutia
Social Studies: Raising Awareness
In this week's field update Masha describes the continuing threat of lead poisoning to Siberian Cranes in Yakutia. In the United States, the use of lead shot in wetlands was phased out in the 1980s, and in 1991 lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting. However, the threat of lead poisoning in birds is still present to some degree in the US. For example, recent research on the California Condor concludes that high lead levels in this species in central California is caused by the birds eating lead shot in the remains of deer and other game animals (for more information, click here). Lead sinkers and other fishing gear also introduce lead into waterways, and in some areas these are banned to protect waterfowl such as loons and trumpeter swans (click here for more information).
An important step in reducing the threat of lead poisoning in birds in Russia or the United States is public awareness of the problem. As a class, or individually, ask your students to design a poster to hang in your classroom or school to raise awareness of a threat to local wildlife. In the Upper Midwest, you may choose to design a poster on the threat of lead fishing gear to loons or swans. If you live near the coast in the southeastern United States, discuss the threat of garbage to wildife along beaches and in the ocean. For example, discarded fishing lines can entagle birds, and plastic bags that make their way to the ocean can be swallowed by sea turtles (the bags look like one of their favorite foods - jellyfish). Encourage students to think of ways to solve these problems - using non-lead fishing sinkers and picking up and responsibly disposing of garbage are two ways to reduce the threats that we just mentioned - and include these action points on the posters.