Fish & Wildlife Museum & Archives

Fish in Milk Jugs, black-footed ferret, Rachel Carson's Library

The black-footed ferret is considered to be the rarest mammal in North America. In 1988, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service developed the "Black-footed Ferret Recovery Plan" which emphasized species preservation through natural breeding, development of assisted reproductive technology, and establishment of multiple reintroduction sites.

Thanks to EP who presented about this museum.¹

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Museum/Archives is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA,

It began with fish in milk jugs on trains; Saved the Black Footed Ferret

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior is the nation’s oldest conservation agency. Its origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Fish Commission to study why the nation’s food fishes were decreasing and recommend ways to reverse that decline.²

Each railroad car, which could carry about 150 10-gallon cans containing some 15,000 3-inch fish, was like a little self-contained world on wheels. The five-man crew included a fish car "captain," several "messengers," and a cook. Fish delivery service was free of charge. A shipment would be picked up by recipients at the rail station nearest to where the fish were being stocked. If no rail terminus was nearby, a fish car messenger would unload 25 or 30 pails of fish and transport the shipment to a more convenient pickup point. ³

The Black-footed ferret species declined throughout the 20th century. It was declared extinct in 1979, but a residual wild population was discovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming in 1981.^] A captive-breeding program launched by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service resulted in its reintroduction into eight western US states, Canada, and Mexico from 1991 to 2009.⁴

For everyone who wants to know more, there is a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Museum and Library.

Library Collections | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center, (NCTC) leads the nation with training and education for natural resource managers to meet the goal of conserving fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the benefit of the American public.

The National Conservation Training Center Museum and Archives is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

The Museum and Archives houses films, photos, and documents chronicling the rich heritage of wildlife conservation.  A changing museum and state-of-the-art research archive help the public, researchers and professional conservationists better understand the rich history of American wildlife conservation.⁵

SEARCH WILDLIFE IMAGES ONLINE

You can search the Library’s Images online! Here are some images I liked:

Biologists examining salamanders.

Young ducking on an oar

California Condor Chick

Rachel Carson and Silent Spring

Rachel Louise Carson (1907 – 1964) was an American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring (1962) is credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Rachel Carson Exhibit and her library are at the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Museum/Archives Shepherdstown, West Virginia, USA.

Video about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Archives and Museum in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

1. I teach a course on cultural heritage institutions and this morning’s substack is based on a wonderful presentation by EP in spring 2024. Thanks for teaching me.

2. History of U.S. Fish and Wildlife. 1872-The U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries begins fish culture development, leading to the creation of the National Fish Hatchery System. Today, the National Fish Hatchery System operates a network of 70 hatcheries, one historic hatchery, seven fish technology centers, and six fish health centers nationwide – all dedicated to improving, conserving, restoring, and enhancing fish and other aquatic resources.

3. The Fish Car Era of the National Fish Hatchery System

4. The black-footed ferret was declared extinct in 1979, two years before a small band of survivors turned up in Wyoming. And now, after 30 years of rehab, the species is one of America's top conservation success stories. Rare U.S. ferret marks 30-year comeback | MNN - Mother Nature Network (archive.org)

5. National Conservation Training Center