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Our Thriving Ecosystem

By Jim Morris

There’s always wildlife in and around rice fields. My favorite wildlife moments usually happen In late winter at the peak of the Pacific Flyway migration and early summer, when the next generation of wildlife is raised in newly-planted rice fields.

It’s definitely a quieter time right now, but for those who look a little deeper, there are clear signs of animals on rice farms.

Canals are where a lot of birds and animals congregate because there’s food and water around. Check out these deer tracks at a canal in Richvale, Butte County.

dry Rice Canal

This next track was just a few steps away and could be raccoon or mink.

dry Rice Canal bed

This next photo shows plenty of tracks left by birds.

dry Rice Canal bed

There are also times when you don’t need to be Sherlock Holmes to see evidence of wildlife. One example is this canal In Yuba County that I visited two years ago.

Farmers and wildlife living and working in harmony in our valley. It’s a beautiful thing!

 


Jim MorrisJim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathons.