Share with Wildlife | BISON-M
The call for 2019 Share with Wildlife projects is open as of April 2nd, 2018. Please see the “Applications-Reports” tab for further information.
2018 is the Year of the Bird! See the Applications-Reports tab for further information.
Click on the tab headings to learn more about Share with Wildlife and the BISON-M database.
Share with Wildlife
Share with Wildlife is a New Mexico Department of Game and Fish program initiated in 1981 that depends on donations from the public. Its mission is to help those species that do not receive funding from any other source. The program funds four categories of wildlife projects: research, education, habitat enhancement, and rehabilitation. It receives much of its funding through the state income tax check-off program. It is also supported through Share with Wildlife license plate sales and direct donations. Matching federal funds maximize the program’s support of New Mexico’s wildlife. (Hummingbird photo above by Mark Watson.)
What kind of projects does Share with Wildlife support? The video below highlights raptor surveys by HawkWatch International which Share with Wildlife supported for many years.
BISON-M
Biota Information System of New Mexico (BISON-M) provides information on the legal status and biology of thousands of species found in New Mexico. Information can be obtained for individual species (Species Booklets), counties (County Lists), and via more advanced queries (Database Query and Power Search). BISON-M is a living database maintained by both Natural Heritage New Mexico and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Please contact the BISON-M/Share with Wildlife Coordinator, Ginny Seamster with any comments or recommendations for species account updates.
Ginny Seamster
BISON-M / Share with Wildlife Coordinator
Ecological and Environmental Planning
505-476-8111
virginia.seamster@state.nm.us
Project Highlights
It’s All About Listening
Mixed conifer habitat in Gila National Forest. (Ginny Seamster)
How do managers figure out how many species are in a particular forest? How does a wildlife biologist determine where a particular species of interest is found and is most abundant? Using funding from the Share with Wildlife program, Kirsten Cruz-McDonnell and Octavio Cruz-Carretero from Envirological Services, Inc. are helping biologists at New Mexico Department of Game and Fish answer some of these questions for birds found in mountain ranges around New Mexico, especially the red-faced and Grace’s warblers. Kirsten and Octavio have been performing point count surveys for birds for the past three summers, wrapping up in the Gila National Forest in 2017. Their surveys depend on good weather conditions that allow them to look and listen very carefully for birds. During these surveys, they carry out a thorough methodology for identifying species based on both visual and audio cues and recording data that can later be used to develop density estimates for the species they detect. Red-faced and Grace’s warblers are especially in need of more accurate population estimates.
Octavio Cruz-Carretero surveying for birds. (Ginny Seamster)
Ponderosa pine; preferred Grace’s warbler habitat. (Ginny Seamster)
Kirsten and Octavio face many potential challenges while in the field. The breeding season for the two focal warblers is a short window of time in May and June. Wildfires and prescribed fires have been burning in forests around the state and the Gila National Forest is no exception. There were multiple fires burning in the Gila while Kirsten and Octavio were doing their 2017 surveys; in some cases, intended survey points had to be shifted due to active fires. If it is too windy or raining, then surveys cannot be performed that day. Further, the Gila is a large, remote area. This means many days of camping in order to make the early morning starts for the surveys possible.
Burned forest stand in Gila National Forest. (Ginny Seamster)
The Gila is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the state and Kirsten and Octavio have developed a truly impressive list of species they have detected through their surveys. It is remarkable how much data can be gathered without having to catch a single bird! From hummingbirds to raptors to quail, 101 species were detected in 2017 alone!
Recent Highlights
2017 Highlights
2016 Highlights
2015 Highlights
Call for 2019 Projects
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s Share with Wildlife program announces the release of the Call For Project Information (CFPI) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 projects as of April 2nd, 2018. The call for project proposals is available here:
Call for Project Information.
Additional files for use by individuals submitting proposals to the Share with Wildlife program include:
Share with Wildlife Proposal Cover Sheet (.docx | .doc)
Timeline Template (.docx | .doc)
Budget Template (.docx | .doc)
A reference for the western massasauga project topic of interest is available here.
The Share with Wildlife program funds projects up to $50,000 that pertain to one of the following four categories: habitat enhancement, biological and ecological research studies, wildlife rehabilitation, and wildlife education. Project topics of particular interest to the Department for FY19 and details regarding proposal format are listed in the CFPI. All questions regarding the application process and final project proposals should be submitted to the Share with Wildlife Coordinator, Ginny Seamster (virginia.seamster@state.nm.us).
All proposals must be submitted electronically in a single .pdf or Microsoft Word file (.doc and .docx both acceptable) by 5PM Mountain Time on Friday, June 1st, 2018.
2018 Share with Wildlife Projects
| Category | Title |
| Education | Science interns: Increasing students’ knowledge of NM wildlife |
| Education/Rehabilitation | Connecting students to wildlife and habitats in New Mexico/Wildlife rehabilitation |
| Rehabilitation | Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation |
| Rehabilitation | Wildlife Rescue Incorporated of New Mexico |
| Research | Demographic and genetic status of a reintroduced river otter population in north-central New Mexico |
| Research | Distribution, abundance, and habitat selection by the Peñasco least chipmunk (Tamias minimus atristriatus) revealed by N-mixture models |
| Research | Surveys for western river cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) in the Pecos River drainage and its tributaries |
| Research | Early detection of Pd in New Mexico |
| Research | Distribution of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in New Mexico |
| Habitat | Bendire’s thrasher (Toxostoma bendirei) nest survival and juvenile condition and survival in relation to land management in New Mexico |
Forms for Share with Wildlife Contractors
These forms are provided for informational purposes to individuals and organizations submitting a proposal to the Share with Wildlife program in response to an active Call For Project Information. These forms should not be submitted to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish unless an employee of the Department directly contacts you and requests that you fill them out as part of the process of implementing a professional services contract for a new Share with Wildlife project.
Scientific Collection and Education Permit Application
Applicants for a Share with Wildlife project who intend to capture and handle animals or use live animals and/or animal parts for educational purposes for their project may need to obtain a scientific collection permit or educational program permit from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Please see the Special Use Permits page for more information and contact dgf.permits@state.nm.us with questions.
Highlighted Announcement
In 2018, we mark the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the most powerful and important bird-protection law ever passed. In honor of this milestone, nature lovers around the world are joining forces to celebrate 2018 as the “Year of the Bird.” The Year of the Bird will provide an opportunity for people everywhere to recommit themselves to protecting birds today and for the next hundred years. Through 12 months of storytelling, science, and conservation, Year of the Bird will examine how our changing environment is driving dramatic losses among bird species around the globe and highlight what we can do help reverse this negative trend. For May, participate in Global Big Day on May 5th. Look for birds and record your sightings at eBird.org in this exciting 24-hour quest to collectively record as many bird species as possible across the world. Let’s break a record!
Reports
To access other project reports, please visit the Share with Wildlife search on the BISON-M website:
http://bison-m.org/contractsearch.aspx.
Donations
New Mexico wildlife needs your help! Share with Wildlife funds numerous projects related to wildlife habitat enhancement, wildlife-related education, wildlife rehabilitation, and research on wildlife biology and ecology every year. All projects are made possible through donations made by members of the public.
To make a donation, you may donate part of the refund on your state tax return; purchase a Share with Wildlife license plate or make any dollar amount donation online (minimum $2; see more information below); or mail in a check using this donation form. All donated funds go to supporting wildlife; none are used for administrative costs.
If you want your dollars to go even further in supporting non-game wildlife, consider donating to Share with Wildlife and purchasing a Habitat Management Access Validation simultaneously. Click here for more information about donating and here for information on our State Game Commission Lands
Thank you for your support of New Mexico’s wildlife!
Share with Wildlife - Donation Form (Word)
Share with Wildlife - Donation Form (PDF)
New Mexico Wildlife License Plate
Download the PDF to support wildlife by ordering the Share with Wildlife license plate. PDF made available from MVD New Mexico. The Rio Grande cutthroat trout plate is only available through the mail starting October 23rd, 2017. It may take 6-10 weeks to receive your trout plate from MVD.
Donate Online
On the Online Licensing System website (shown below) please enter your Username (or Customer ID or Email) and Password, and then click the Login button:
Once you are logged in, if you only wish to donate to Share with Wildlife, click on the Share with Wildlife button on the home page:
Type any dollar amount (minimum $2.00) you wish to donate in the Enter Donation Amount box (shown below) and click Review Order:
Dismiss any pop-up windows (shown below) regarding purchasing other items by clicking the OK button:
Click the Add to Cart button (shown below) at the top of the Review Order page:
On the next screen, click Checkout and continue on to complete your purchase.
OR
Once you are logged in, if you are purchasing other items through the Online Licensing System, go to License Sales | General License Sales from the Main Menu (shown below):
After you read the Terms of Agreement on the next page and click the Continue button, you will see a list of Available Products. Locate the Share with Wildlife Donation product ($10 donation only) OR the Share with Wildlife Extra Donation product ($2.00 minimum donation; type dollar amount in Enter Donation Amount box) and click the check box next to (add to order). Click the Review Order button:
Dismiss any pop-up windows (shown above) regarding purchasing other items by clicking the OK button. Click the Add to Cart button (shown above) at the top of the Review Order page. On the next screen, click Checkout and continue on to complete your purchase.