0-3 Comebacks

[Tisha]

Hehad five fourth-quarter comebacks against the Chiefs, and I vividly remember the angst and misery on the faces of my public relations counterparts from Kansas City before, during and after the Elway magic.

In December of 1993, Joe Montana threw two touchdown passes to put KC ahead as the game entered the fourth quarter. But that was before Elway threw his third of the day and kicker Jason Elam connected on a 53-yard field goal with two minutes left. Broncos win!

But my favorite comeback was the game when the fans left in huge numbers, then stormed the gates to get back in. Truly. But it happened before most of them could get back into the venerable old stadium.

The Broncos returned the punt 28 yards and took over in Kansas City territory. Fans were now storming the gates, and the great quarterback quickly directed another touchdown drive, this time to Vance Johnson for 12 yards and once again beating Lewis.

So nothing should be taken away from the recent Kansas City success, but we would do well to remember that there is an ebb and flow to every rivalry. That is truly what makes a rivalry, each team taking turns ripping the emotional fabric out of the other team and its fans.

"I think there's a sense of hope and energy and optimism that we feel in the building," Broncos President Damani Leech said. "I'm excited for our fans to actually start to feel that when we come out [to practice] today."

It took millions of years for the spectacular variety of life to evolve on the North American landscape, influenced by everything from geography to soils to climate and the stewardship of Indigenous Peoples. This complex and interconnected web of life is dwindling fast, but there is still hope.

In the early 1970s, a growing number of people from all walks of life saw the threats to nature, they saw hope and they spoke up. Along with their awareness and activism came a wave of policy actions aimed at safeguarding air, water, and the myriad of living things. Among those actions was the Endangered Species Act, which was signed into law on December 28, 1973.

As we celebrate its first 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has proven to be one important tool to help rare species recover. The act has played a role in the comebacks of many species you see below.

Conservation approach:

Like many raptors, peregrine falcon populations suffered steep declines due to the use of the pesticide DDT, which caused thinning of their eggshells. The population collapse was successfully reversed through captive breeding programs across the country. Peregrines had disappeared from Connecticut until 1997, when birds bred as part of a reintroduction project in New York relocated across state lines.

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

Peregrine falcons prey on small to medium birds and insects. They are noteworthy for having adapted especially well to living in cities, where they prey on pigeon populations.

Reviewed by Shelley Green, Director of Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut and Holly Drinkuth, Director of River and Estuary Conservation, The Nature Conservancy in Connecticut.

Where to see:

There are now a multitude of places to see migrating alewives along the coast of Maine, for example the Damariscotta Mills Fish Ladder Restoration in Nobleboro and Newcastle, usually from mid-May through early June. Also, check out the Maine Alewife Trail Map.

Conservation approach:

TNC, along with many partner organizations and state and federal agencies, have worked in recent decades to remove barriers to the migration of alewives and other native sea-run fish so that their populations can once again become self-sustaining. Alewives co-evolved with Atlantic salmon and have benefited from, and play an important role in efforts to restore federally endangered salmon in Maine. Removing dams and replacing under-sized culverts have allowed alewives to stage a spectacular comeback to rivers and streams throughout New England, especially in Maine. There are now rivers in Maine that support runs well over 2 million fish annually!

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

Restoring river connectivity has not only helped alewives return to their native waters, it has helped other sea-run fish, such as blueback herring, Atlantic salmon, American shad and American eel. Their collective comebacks also benefit predators, such as river otters, bald eagles, osprey, and striped bass, among others. Healthy alewife numbers in Maine rivers have allowed a revitalization of a long tradition of spring harvests for food and lobster bait.

Conservation approach:

TNC has documented the effects of reintroducing fire to the only population of Canby's dropwort in Maryland, found on TNC's Crescent Preserve, and monitored the resulting population increase. After cutting woody vegetation, 3.74 times more stems of dropwort per year were produced over the baseline of no intervention. Subsequently, after fire was reintroduced, 10.80 times more dropwort stems per year were produced in comparison to the time period after cutting woody vegetation. The prediction showed that in the absence of intervention with fire, dropwort stem production would likely have declined.

Historically, moose roamed the forests of Massachusetts, but by the mid-1800s, forest clearing and unregulated hunting led to their disappearance. Moose began to return to Massachusetts around the 1980s, expanding south from neighboring states. Thanks to the conservation of forested landscapes, there are now nearly 1,000 moose in western and central Massachusetts.

Range:

Moose are found across North America from the maritime provinces in eastern Canada to the western edge of Alaska, and south into the northern United States. They reach the southern edge of their range in Massachusetts.

Conservation approach:

Conserving large and intact landscapes across Western and Central Massachusetts is critical to ensuring resilient moose populations in Massachusetts. These diverse landscapes allow moose to find suitable habitat as the climate changes. Addressing climate change is critical, as moose at the southern edge of their range suffer from warmer temperatures in both summer and winter. Supporting the ability of moose to safely cross roads will enhance their viability and public safety as well.

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

Because moose in Massachusetts are at the southern edge of their range, moose adapted to this climate may be best suited to cope with the impacts of climate change. Moose browsing of trees and shrubs keeps wetland and upland habitats open for grasses, wildflowers and species that depend on these habitats.

This rare and delicate orchid is native to the Appalachian Mountains and the Great Lakes region. It has very specific habitat needs, living in very small populations (sometimes only a few dozen stems) in hardwood and conifer-hardwood forests.

Where to see:

Several TNC preserves in New Hampshire protect populations of small whorled pogonia and its habitat. As this species is an orchid and vulnerable to plant collectors, we do not cite its locations.

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

Among the main threats to this rare orchid are conversion of its forest habitat to development, forest canopy closure, and collectors who dig them up. Researchers are studying the relationships of small whorled pogonia with fungi and pollinators, an example of the many nuanced interconnectedness of species and ecosystems.

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

Ospreys maintain healthy fish populations and, because they are sensitive to contaminants, are environmental indicators for the condition of rivers, bays and estuaries relied upon by other wildlife and people.

Where to see:

Years of hard work and collaboration by a diverse coalition of fishers, scientists and environmental advocates, including The Nature Conservancy, helped to set harvest limits on menhaden. Since then, the menhaden population has rebounded along the East Coast.

Conservation approach:

The Atlantic menhaden fishery was basically unregulated until 2012, when harvest limits were first set in response to declines in the menhaden population. Since that regulation went into effect, the menhaden population has been rebounding and expanding back into their historic range. This was a huge step forward that came about after many years of collaboration and advocacy by many groups, including TNC staff in New York, Virginia, and other regions along the East Coast.

In New York, our team then worked to pass a state law in 2019, protecting menhaden and the animals, fisheries, and whale watching businesses that rely on menhaden being abundant, from purse seine fishing while they are in New York waters (all estuaries and out to 3 miles in the Atlantic).

New York now has thriving whale watching businesses, and dolphins chasing menhaden along New York and New Jersey beaches has almost become expected. In Maine, where menhaden used to arrive in refrigerated trucks from the Mid-Atlantic to be used as bait for the highly valued lobster fishery, they now arrive swimmingly by their own accord.

With whales returning to the busy waters off New York, the need has shifted to how to address important questions concerning vessel traffic and their safety, a dialogue that TNC is currently engaged in.

Conservation approach:

Over the years, TNC has implemented prescribed burns, cleared trees, returned grazing to the landscape with cattle and goats, and conducted annual surveys and a radio telemetry study that documented bog turtle locations, hibernation, travel patterns and habitat use within the preserve. A small group of turtles residing in the preserve have been tagged with small, computerized chips to help with tracking, monitoring and managing populations throughout their life cycle.

Significance for habitat/biodiversity:

The bog turtle has biological and cultural significance as one of the smallest turtles in the United States. The overall population also serves as a litmus test for the health of wetland areas generally, since the turtles are directly impacted by tall invasive plant species that block out adequate sunlight for basking. The turtles at the Acopian Preserve have been the subject of study since 1969. In the 2020 field season, two bog turtles were captured that were determined to be at least 62 years old. In the 2022 field season a 57-year-old bog turtle was captured. These are the oldest documented bog turtles anywhere in their range.

3a8082e126