This spring, there are many reasons for hope—including Hope, the pygmy rabbit!

Dr. Rod Saylor has been working since 1999 to reintroduce the threatened Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits into the Washington wilderness.

Rod is Associate Professor of Natural Resource Sciences at Washington State University in Pullman, where there are several active Roots & Shoots groups.  He and his colleagues breed the rabbits in captivity and then release them in the wild, in hopes of increasing the species' natural population.

The smallest rabbit in North America and one of only two on the continent that dig their own burrows, the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit has been on the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission's endangered list. In 2003, researchers believed there to be fewer than 30 Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits living in the wild.

Much of the rabbits' problem has to do with the disappearance of their food supply. Sagebrush, an essential part of the pygmy rabbits' winter food supply, is often cleared by farmers and ranchers in the area.

"Pygmy rabbits are an important component of our arid sagebrush ecosystems," wrote Rod in a university report. "As a prey item for many predators, and as an animal that affects the structure of plant communities and nutrient cycling within the ecosystem, they are an important cog in the wheel of life."

This past March, Rod and his colleagues released their first set of captive-born rabbits at Sagebrush Flat in central Washington, the only place where the rabbits are still known to survive. The release event drew a crowd of media and supporters, such as the Oregon Zoo and Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

Before being released into human-made burrows, the rabbits were held in carrying cases with the words "Going home" written on the side.

"Everyone got a chance to hold and release a rabbit into a burrow," Rod said. "It was a happy event, even though we don¿t know the eventual outcome yet."

The released pygmy rabbits are equipped with radio collars so that Rod and his gang can track their progress in the wild. While some of the rabbits are not able to survive in the wild, one rabbit, named Grasshopper, is going strong and keeping Rod's job exciting.

"Over the last few days, Grasshopper has led us on a merry chase through the sagebrush rangelands," Rod said. "He's dispersed almost four miles from where he was originally released!"

Grasshopper happens to be the rabbit with which Dr. Jane had her picture taken when she visited Washington State University shortly before the release.

As a surprise to Dr. Jane, Rod and his crew have decided to dedicate their pygmy rabbit reintroduction program at Washington State University this year to the Jane Goodall Institute and its message of peace and hope for the future of humanity and the natural world.

As part of their dedication, they've promised to name the first four of this spring's newborn kits "Roots," "Shoots," "Peace" and "Hope."

"In this way, we will send forth our own tiny messengers of peace and hope in the wild," Rod said. "With determination, we will persist in sending forth roots and shoots until the day comes when we have recovered this species in the wild."

Want to know more about the recovery of the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits? Read the whole story.