We are thrilled to see the Kirtland’s warbler, one of northern Michigan’s most cherished mascots, rebound enough in population to perhaps make it off of the endangered species list.

As reporter Julie Riddle told us last week, the number of singing males has bounced from just 216 counted in 1973 to 1,023 today, marking the third year in a row that more than the 1,000-bird target has been recorded.

What wonderful news.

Making the news even more remarkable is the important role Michiganders played in bringing the beautiful bird back from the brink.

Michiganders like Phil Huber, a forest biologist with the Huron-Manistee National Forest, who recently received the U.S. Forest Service 2018 Lloyd W. Swift Sr. Award for Wildlife Management for his role in collaborative recovery efforts.

Huber was modest, saying the bird’s comeback was “the result of hundreds of dedicated individuals over the past five decades” and that he hoped his award would “bring attention to the strong and innovative partnerships that made Kirtland’s warbler recovery efforts so successful.”

Congratulations to all involved — including the warbler itself — in bringing this beloved animal back.

(THE ALPENA NEWS)