Latest news with #Judson
Indianapolis Star
04-08-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Scrub Hub: Meet the hunter and fisherman helping conserve Indiana's public lands and waters
Every weekend, Indianapolis local William Judson is asking himself the same question: How can I get outside? Turns out, in Indiana, there are quite a few options. Whether he's kayak fishing, hunting deer or wading through marshlands to install little homes for wood ducks, Judson is always finding ways to spend time in the outdoors. And preserving the Indiana landscape he calls home has become a sort of passion project. Judson serves on the board of the Indiana chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, a group of Hoosiers working to protect and preserve the state's public lands, waters and wildlife. We interrupted his solitude while he fished along the White River in July to learn what conservation looks like in Indiana — and some outdoorsmen think it's more important now than ever. His answers are edited for brevity and clarity. What makes you proud to work in your field? The mission of BHA in the simplest terms is to be an advocate for public lands, clean water and wildlife conservation. In Indiana, only three to four percent of the land is public, as opposed to out west, where you've got millions and millions of acres of public land. I guess I feel like it's a necessary duty to protect something that everyone can enjoy. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, or your race, creed or religion — anyone can enjoy it. You don't even have to be a citizen of the United States. You're free to be out there. Working with BHA is kind of setting up future generations to be able to enjoy doing these same things like we want to. I do conservation work on my own private land, and this year I planted a thousand trees. I'll be near death by the time I can sit under and enjoy the shade, right? But it's so that someone else can enjoy it. What is an issue in your field that kind of keeps you up at night? Obviously, we're always worried about those public lands being used as a bargaining tool by politicians. Like they can say, 'We've got all this land, we can just sell it to pay for deficits or all these things.' But once it's gone, it almost never comes back to public hands. Take a place like Texas, where it is primarily private — there's very little public land there. To get out and enjoy a lot of that stuff, you've got to pay to play. You either got to know somebody or you gotta have pockets lined with cash. What advice or encouragement would you give someone who might not be interested in the outdoors to start paying attention and become interested? No one from my family taught me to hunt, but it's like the University of YouTube, right? There's a ton of resources out there to figure it out on your own. Six years ago, I was telling my friends, I want to go hunt out west. And then I went out and did it one year by myself, and I killed an elk, and brought it home. It was one of those things where you're just like 'Wow, I can do this.' I can't count how many days that I've gone out and it's cold, it's miserable outside, you're freezing and you don't see anything. It's not a high point, but your skin gets a little thicker. If you can deal with that it helps you get through some other things that might be difficult to get through. For someone trying to appreciate the outside more, you know — just step outside. I think it makes life worth living more. Find what excites you. And figure out how to get out of your comfort zone. And what is your favorite environmental fun fact? Whitetail deer can sometimes grow fangs. SUGGEST A SUBJECT: Know someone doing good things for Indiana's environment and want to see them featured here? Email Karl and Sophie at: and to let us know. IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.
The Advertiser
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Third ACL heartbreak for luckless Richmond youngster
Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time. Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall. The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft. Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear. The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week. But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback. "Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said. "This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while. "He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all." Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery. He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days. Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time. Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall. The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft. Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear. The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week. But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback. "Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said. "This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while. "He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all." Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery. He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days. Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time. Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall. The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft. Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear. The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week. But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback. "Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said. "This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while. "He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all." Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery. He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days.
West Australian
08-06-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Third ACL heartbreak for luckless Richmond youngster
Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time. Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall. The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft. Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear. The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week. But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback. "Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said. "This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while. "He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all." Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery. He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days.
Perth Now
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Third ACL heartbreak for luckless Richmond youngster
Richmond youngster Judson Clarke has suffered more injury heartbreak after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the third time. Clarke suffered the latest setback playing in the VFL on Saturday - a cruel blow just as he was on the cusp of an AFL recall. The 21-year-old was playing his sixth game back after tearing his ACL for a second time in April last year He first tore the ACL in his right knee in 2019 - two years before he was snared by Richmond with pick No.30 in the 2021 national draft. Clarke kicked 11 goals for Richmond across 13 games in 2023, before his 2024 campaign was cruelled early by his second ACL tear. The skilful left-footer re-signed with Richmond until the end of 2026 just last month, and he impressed with two goals from 27 disposals in the VFL last week. But his AFL career now hangs in the balance following his latest setback. "Judson is a great character and has worked so hard behind the scenes to get himself back playing football and into fantastic form," Richmond's general manager of football Tim Livingstone said. "This is such an unfortunate setback for Judson, and we are all so disappointed that he will not be on the field for a little while. "He will have the support of everyone at Richmond to come back again from this, and we know he will give it his all." Fellow Tiger Campbell Gray, a mid-season draftee from last year who has been playing as a key back, has a posterolateral knee injury that does not require surgery. He is expected to miss some football, with a timeline for his injury to be clearer in the coming days.
CBC
05-05-2025
- General
- CBC
Busy weekend at downtown nest as 4 peregrine falcon chicks hatch
It's falcon season in Hamilton again. On Saturday, four peregrine chicks hatched in a nest on the 18th floor of the downtown Sheraton hotel. McKeever, the mother falcon nesting there since 2022, laid four eggs within about a week in late March. According to Falconwatch, the community group that monitors the nest, says this may be the first time they've recorded a mother's chicks all hatching within the same day. Peregrines have nested at the hotel in Hamilton since at least 1995, and throughout that time, Falconwatch has supervised them using webcams and volunteers who track the birds as they learn to fly, ready to help if a bird is injured or gets stuck somewhere. WATCH | Hamilton peregrine falcons are banded and weighed in 2024: Hamilton peregrine falcons are banded and weighed 12 months ago Duration 1:03 Pat Baker, a senior monitor with Falconwatch — formally the Hamilton Community Peregrine Project — said this year's chicks will be banded later this month. That's a process in which chicks are brought inside and have identifying markers attached to their legs for conservation purposes. Falconwatch has historically worked with the Toronto-based Canadian Peregrine Foundation to do that work. At last year's banding, foundation head Mark Nash said because of monitoring efforts, researchers know urban peregrines are out-producing their rural counterparts. "[Cities] can be and have been a very hospitable place for your peregrines … with a lot of support in-between," he said. Peregrine falcons, the world's fastest animal, were once endangered in Ontario, largely because of the pesticide DDT. The bird of prey is now considered a species of special concern, meaning they could still be at risk but are not endangered. Ontario's recovery strategy for the species includes promoting community monitoring by groups such as Hamilton's or one in Windsor. A Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks page cites a case in which an unnamed partner promoted a volunteer fledge watch and found those who participated "increased survival of young Peregrine Falcons from 47 to 79 per cent in one year." Last year, McKeever and her mate Judson, successfully fledged two sisters: Blakeley, and Stinson. They had a third chick, Westdale, who died from an illness in May before she could fly. Before that, they fledged eight more: Auchmar, Balfour, Dundurn, Wynnstay, Delta, Gibson, Kirkendall and Stipley. Born in Windsor, Ont., on the Ambassador Bridge in 2019, McKeever is named after Kay McKeever of the Owl Foundation. Based in Vineland, Ont., that charitable organization helps owls and other birds of prey who are injured or orphaned. Judson arrived in Hamilton in 2021. He fledged in Buffalo, New York, in 2018, and is the grandson of Madame X and Surge, who nested on the Sheraton for 13 and nine years, respectively.
