Conservation Corner: October 29, 2001

Wildlife Mississippi Launches New Web Site
by James L. Cummins

Wildlife enthusiasts throughout the State of Mississippi will be surprised to find a wealth of information concerning fish, wildlife and plants in the Magnolia State available on the internet. The site, which is hosted by Wildlife Mississippi and designed by Tecinfo, has been receiving praise from numerous conservationists and environmental organizations, in addition to many anglers, hunters and viewers of wildlife.

The page, www.wildlifemiss.org, covers it all when it comes to Mississippi's vast fish, wildlife and plant resources. Once on the home page visitors can select an area of interest. The site is quick loading and easy to navigate, filled with useful information and stunning wildlife and nature photography by Michael Kelly. New information is constantly being added to the site, so visit often and watch it grow.

According to Leila Wynn, President of Wildlife Mississippi, "We are providing the public with a full service guide to protecting, restoring and enhancing fish, wildlife and plant habitat throughout the state. This is achieved through the site by offering a wide array of information designed to guide conservationists to the resources best suited to fulfill his or her needs, no matter what the conservation interest."

Wildlife Mississippi's internet site is filled with useful information on
the organization including a section describing it, all about Wildlife Mississippi magazine, its conservation initiatives, the Wildlife Habitat Seed Program, Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Expo, a staff profile, current news, how to join, all about charitable giving, the organization's gift shop and how to contact Wildlife Mississippi.

The site also includes information on how to obtain financial assistance for your conservation project, a Kid's Korner with worksheets that can be printed for use in classrooms, a birding checklist of Mississippi birds and one of the largest sections available on links to other conservation organizations and agencies. If you need to check the most current stages of the Mississippi River, any of the region's interior rivers or need to know the weather forecast, it has that too.

The site is available world-wide to the internet's 40 million users. We have already had inquiries from throughout the United States from Falls Church, Virginia, to Mountain View, California, and from Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Nicaragua, France, Pakistan and Denmark.

Tremendous potential exists for providing information on the protection, restoration and enhancement of Mississippi's fish, wildlife and plant resources through this medium.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.