“Creating a natural wonder at a former dump site”

October 3, 2010 at 6:31 am (Saving endangered animals + plants, working together)
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Come out a lend a hand

Rio Salado Habitat Restoration
Sunday, October 24

Like to be out enjoying Mother Nature’s beauty? Want to make a difference?

Join in the monthly weed-and-clean project at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area,

It stretches for five miles along the Salt River just south of downtown Phoenix. Once a dump site, the area is now a lush riparian corridor that supports a variety of wildlife and recreation opportunities.

Snacks, drinks, gloves, and some tools provided. Join us for this fun, rewarding work!

For more information and to get involved, contact Steve Pawlowski at (602) 254-9330 or steve.pawlowski@sierraclub.org.

The Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Area stretches along five miles of the Salt River just south of downtown Phoenix. The river itself once was subdued when dams were built upriver, and then languished as an industrial dumping ground.
We can right our wrongs to Mother Nature
Restoration included the removal of tons of garbage. Murals have replaced graffiti under the bridges, and visitors at the 2009 International Migratory Bird Day had the opportunity to contribute to painting one of the murals featuring native wildlife.
Now the area is a lush riparian corridor with five miles of paved and dirt trails dotted with unique design and user features along the river’s bank. 

Over 250 species of birds have been seen in Rio Salado’s varied habitats from wetland ponds to mesquite bosque to cottonwood/willow forest.

The area is accessible to everyone whether they choose to hike, bike, use a wheelchair, jog, horseback

Volunteer Opportunities at Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project
If you or your groups are interested in volunteering at the Rio Salado Habitat Restoration Project, please e-mail rio.salado@phoenix.gov or call (602) 262-6863 or (602) 262-6713 (tty) with the following information: name, phone number, and days and times available.
Mailing List
If you would like to be on the “Friends of Rio Salado” mailing list, please call (602) 262-6863 or (602) 262-6713 (tty) with the following information: Last name, first name, mailing address, city, state, and zip code.  If you would prefer to receive information via e-mail, please contact us at rio.salado@phoenix.gov.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/b1ISkZ

Excerpts courtesy of   http://exm.nr/aRdtof

Image courtesy of   http://bit.ly/ckPqrC

Image courtesy of  http://bit.ly/bOoffo

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“Mother Nature creating new oil eating microbes in Gulf”

August 25, 2010 at 12:42 am (adaptation, Environmental crisis, good news, new animals)
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A new breed  of oil eating microbes is thriving around the Deep Water Horizon site in the Gulf of Mexico.  Seems these blessed little critters are reproducing and loving the oil filled seas they are living in.

Mother Nature's allies to clean up Gulf oil

Microbes from the sea bed vent community are enjoying eating oil droplets and happily reproducing faster then others of their kind. Temperatures are quite toasty in their zone hover around 5 degrees Celsius, the pressure is enormous, and there is normally little carbon present. They are even living on reduced oxygen so the waters of the Gulf are not turning into a dead zone.
“Two research ships were sent to collect data to determine the physical, chemical and microbiological properties of the Deepwater oil plume. The oil escaping from the damaged wellhead represented an enormous carbon and toxins being put into the water column ecosystem.
The lead scientist was Dr. Terry Hazen, a microbial ecologist with Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division and principal investigator with the Energy Biosciences Institute, who has studied numerous oil-spill sites in the past, is the leader of the Ecology Department and Center for Environmental Biotechnology at Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division. He conducted this research under an existing grant he holds with the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI) to study microbial enhanced hydrocarbon recovery. EBI is a partnership led by the University of California (UC) Berkeley and including Berkeley Lab and the University of Illinois that is funded by a $500 million, 10-year grant from BP.

phylochip=microbe detector

After careful analysis of more than 200 samples collected from 17 deepwater sites between May 25 and June 2, 2010. Sample analysis was boosted by the use of the latest edition of the award-winning Berkeley Lab PhyloChip is a unique credit card-sized DNA-based microarray that can be used to quickly, accurately and comprehensively detect the presence of up to 50,000 different species of bacteria and archaea in a single sample from any environmental source, without the need of culturing. Use of the Phylochip, enabled Hazen and his colleagues to determine that the dominant microbe in the oil plume is a new species, closely related to members of Oceanospirillales family, particularly Oleispirea antarctica and Oceaniserpentilla haliotis.

These oil-degrading microbial populations and their associated microbial communities play a significant role in controlling the ultimate fates and consequences of deep-sea oil plumes in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mother Nature Rules!!

Resources

Excerpts and Image 1, courtesy of  http://bit.ly/9gNAUg

Image 2. http://bit.ly/bmYAaP

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“The Solar Knight is saving endangered animals”

July 12, 2010 at 7:27 am (good news, mammals, working together)
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Stephen Gold of  San Francisco never dreamed of becoming the solar energy knight in shining armor for struggling nonprofits, but one conference he attended changed his life forever.

Making a difference one person or group at a time.

Learning that cheetah conservationist Rebecca Klein’s needed cheap sustainable energy to conduct her research in Botswana, Stephen decided to help.After all he had designed his own solar home.

Gold contacted Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) director Charles Knowles and volunteered to help.

After interviewing WCN-supported conservationists, Gold found six who were in great need of electricity.  They were using either diesel generators or antiquated solar electric systems, inadequate for their needs.

After three years,  his nonstop fund raising efforts from corporations and individuals, Gold amassed about $450,000 of solar equipment.
To date there are 8 different systems on-line in Kenya, Ethiopia and Botswana. As of June 2009, 6 new systems are being put together for others in Mozambique, Tanzania, Mongolia and another for Kenya.

Now dubbed, the Solar Knight by Mother Nature  of NC,  his latest efforts will bring much needed solar power to help conserve another endangered species the Snow Leopard. The project will light up the Base camp Mongolia will continue to buzz with activity throughout the summer, including the assembly of a donated solar power unit that will provide more than 2,300 watts of power to the current and future work of the Long-term Ecological Study.

Special thanks to Stephen Gold and the Wildlife Conservation Network’s Solar Program.

Please help Stephen and the Wildlife Conservation Network continue this vital sustainable solar projects around the world.

Click here for solar support. or wildlifeconservationnetwork.org

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  www.wcnsolarproject.org

Excerpts courtesy of wildlifeconservationnetwork.org

Excerpts courtesy of  wildlifeconservationnetwork.org/snowleopard

Image 1. courtesy of   ethiopianwolf.org/solar%20panels.jpg

Image 2. courtesy of  blog.snowleopard.org

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“Fly solar around the clock”

July 7, 2010 at 1:59 am (good news, working together)
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The Solar Impulse HB-SIA is a new ultralight glider plane a first to use  solar cells to power its four electric engines and to recharge lithium batteries to fly day or night.  The 12,000 battery’s’ total weight equals about one fourth of the plane’s weight and are housed in pods under its wings.

In a specially designed plane with a 63.4-meter wingspan about the size of a Boeing 747 jumbo jetIt will fly at speeds around 44 mph and  soaring up to an altitude of  possibly 26,000 feet.

The mission, weather permitting, will mark the world’s first manned 24-hour solar flight.

Is the maiden voyage the first possible giant step in the direction of perpetual flight ?

Helping to decrease our dependence on oil – one new invention at a time.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of

Excerpts courtesy of http://bit.ly/9C5lkp

Image courtesy of    http://bit.ly/9C5lkp

Video courtesy of  YOUTUBE.com and y2mzuw.blu.livefilestore.com

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“Historic pact to save Canadian boreal forest lands”

May 25, 2010 at 6:44 am (animals, global warming, mammals)
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A truce of possibly historic nature for nature.
Two unlikely bed fellows have come together and laid down their prejudices to help save a two thirds of the all the certified boreal forest lands in Canada. This area of old growth forest that forms the border between Canada and the tundra is critically

Ancient Canadian forest and migratory Woodland caribou saved

important to carbon sequestering for the earth and home to the migratory Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou).

The Forest Products Association of Canada and nine leading environmental groups collectively have agreed to the boreal forest and the woodland caribou while allowing sustainable forestry practices to continue. The agreement was signed on May 18, 2010 with the world watching.

Through the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement 72 million hectares (277,993.554 square miles) of forest licensed to FPAC members. Under the agreement, new logging will be suspended on nearly 29 million hectares (111,969.626 square miles) of boreal forest, and in return Canopy, ForestEthics and Greenpeace will suspend their “Do Not Buy” campaigns while the agreement is being implemented.

Area of Suspended Timber Harvest in Boreal Caribou Range

endangered migrating Woodland caribou

This is our best chance to save the endangered “Woodland caribou, permanently protect vast areas of the boreal forest and put in place sustainable forestry practices,” said Richard Brooks, spokesperson for participating environmental organizations and Forest Campaign Co-ordinator of Greenpeace Canada.

Another Canadian company that supports sustainable lumber practices is RONA’s Wood Products, the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, will by the end of 2010, buy and sell only 100% of the softwood lumber – spruce, pine and fir – sold in corporate and franchised stores will be from forests certified under three programs recognized by RONA: the Forest Products Marking Program (CSA), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The policy gives preference to lumber certified to the FSC standard, which the Company considers best responds to its requirements with regards to biodiversity and relations with local communities.

Go Canada -Mother Nature thanks you.

Will Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe’s follow suit in the US? Buy sustainable or recycled or pressed wood products.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  canadianborealforestagreement

Excerpts courtesy of absoluteastronomy.com/Migratory_Woodland_Caribou

Image 1. courtesy of  resurrectionfern.typepad.jpg

Image 2. courtesy of  cpawsmb.org/woodland-caribou.jpg

Map of protected boreal forest canadianborealforestagreement.com

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“Hope on Day 22 after Gulf disaster”

May 13, 2010 at 12:27 am (Uncategorized)
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Day 22 – Hope

Seems there is less oil coming out of the gusher in the gulf. Through pressure monitoring the amount of gas escaping from the vent seems to be increasing. BP is not certain what to make of the change is cautious.

Now BP wants to shoot junk into the opening of the well.

Satellite  images from May 1 through today seems to show the oil leak is smaller. No thanks to BP, but everyone’s prayers, visualization and Mother Nature  is taking her own steps to save the Gulf.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  ABC News.go.com

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Endangered world saved by our children”

April 3, 2010 at 5:20 am (working together)
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Permanent positive change in environmental protection

Begins with our children

Over the last few months, we have been asking for your help in advancing the No Child Left Inside Act, the response is overwhelmingly positive. thus there is now

unprecedented support for environmental and outdoor education within the U.S. Department of Education and the White House environmental literacy in the President’s budget and Secretary Duncan’s blueprint for the reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

image001.jpg

By bringing environmental education into the mainstream curriculum through the NCLI Act systemic and lasting change for the environment and for preK-12 education in America can happen for the first time. This  great opportunity is short lived and may not come again.

Needed now is a full time team of  paid advisors and political consultants.

Will you help become a donor or corporate sponsor?ediately to our federal advocacy campaign.

More good news: the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), a founding member of the Coalition, has undergone the same kind of fiscal tightening that most of you have, and has stretched its limited resources in support of NCLI. CBF recognizes the unprecedented and fleeting nature of this opportunity to embed NCLI in the reauthorized ESEA, and the tremendous positive impact that the Coalition’s success will have on its own mission of saving the Bay. CBF’s leadership team will match up to $25,000 in funds contributed by Coalition members toward this federal advocacy campaign.

Help us double, triple or quadruple this investment

with an organizational contribution of your own.

Every donation—no matter the size—will bring us closer to success. 

Timing is critical and funds must be raised by April 15th.

Checks should be made out to: CBF for No Child Left Inside

No Child Left Inside Coalition

6 Herndon Ave

Annapolis, MD 21403

Thank you so much for all that you do.

Sincerely,

Don Baugh, Director

No Child Left Inside Coalition

www.nclicoalition.org

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“Walmart bows to the California Environmental Quality Act”

March 12, 2010 at 8:26 am (Environmental crisis, global warming, working together)
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Walmart forced to cut Greenhouse Gas Pollution
California Environmental Quality Act {CEQA) makes environmental protection a mandatory part of every California state and local agency’s decision making process, it has become a model for environmental protection laws in other states, but it has also become the basis for numerous lawsuits concerning public and private projects.
Settling lawsuits filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, late last week Walmart agreed to install three 250-kilowatt rooftop solar facilities and incorporate cutting-edge efficiency measures in constructing two new Supercenters stores in Perris and Yucca Valley, as well as to start a refrigerant audit and improvement program to reduce emissions at certain existing California Walmart stores. Walmart will also contribute $120,000 to the Mojave Desert Land Trust for land-conservation purposes. The big-box chain agreed to employ similar CO2-reduction measures for a proposed Supercenter in Riverside.
The California Environmental Quality Act’s goal is to improve new development, reduce greenhouse gas pollution, save energy, save money, and promote a vibrant green economy.

This type of environmental protection act needs to be enacted in every state.

You have a choice.

Congratulations to the the Center for Biological Diversity and its partners for all your hard work and dedication. Please donate today to help them keep up the good fight.

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of   Center for Biological Diversity.org

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/cruPKf

Image courtesy of   http://bit.ly/aI5bgA

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“The Canadian seals are safe at home for 2010”

March 1, 2010 at 3:22 am (Environmental crisis, good news, working together)
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Maybe  there is a grey seal angel after all. The annual grey seal hunt on Hay Island, off eastern Cape Breton, will not go ahead this year. This clubbing fest annually took place on a “protected” nature reserve in spite of the fact that the government had authorize the “fishermen” to blugeon 2,500 grey seals  to death on Hay Island, a part of the protected Scaterie Island Wilderness Area off Cape Breton te gods have intervened.

saved from the club

All of you that have signed petitions or spoken out about protecting these seals around the world have helped save this baby. Thank you – Mother Nature

Seals are off limits to commercial seal hunters this year. Why?
The trucking companies that traditional hauled the slaughtered baby and adult seals  to market refused to do it this year. Alleluia!! Also bad weather prevented the clubbers from taking off.

The Humane Society International said markets are shrinking as more countries boycott seal products.
Resources
Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/dwxy0E
Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/bfTpiU

Excerpts courtesy of   http://bit.ly/9MZOwR

Image courtesy of   http://www.fisherycrisis.com/seals/grey_seals_newborn2.jpg

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“First time environmental education santioned by Feds”

February 4, 2010 at 2:30 am (Uncategorized)
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Environmental literacy in the U.S. Department of Education budget for the very first time.

President Obama and Secretary Duncan have made innovation and student achievement a major platform of the Obama Administration and as a result have included environmental literacy in a new program. The proposed budget includes a new       $1.0 billion for Effective Teaching and Learning for a Complete Education program designed to improve instruction to support college- and career readiness standards, in part through the use of technology to deliver high-quality content. The new program includes 3 components:

  • Literacy: $450 million, an increase of $36.7 million, to consolidate 7 existing Elementary and Secondary Education Act programs into a new program that would help States and local education authorities improve literacy skills by supporting professional development and improved instructional materials.
  • Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM): $300 million, an increase of $119.5 million, or 66 percent, to expand the Federal investment in improved teaching and learning of STEM disciplines, especially in high-need schools and school systems, and prepare the next generation of scientists and engineers.
  • A Well-Rounded Education: $265 million, an increase of $38.9 million, or 17 percent, to consolidate 7 current authorities and expand support for the subjects important to a complete curriculum, including: history, the arts, foreign languages, environmental literacy, and economic and financial literacy.

What does it mean?  In the short term, it means that we can expect President Obama’s education bill (Elementary and Secondary Education Act, formerly known as No Child Left Behind) to include language from the No Child Left Inside Act, which will help force the hand of Congress, where we already have 87 House cosponsors and 17 Senate cosponsors.

We still have a great deal of work to do, and we will continue to count on you to take action and stay involved. In the meantime, congratulations to all of you—you made this happen!

“Advancing the environmental literacy of our students is key to addressing today’s increasingly complex environmental and related economic, social, natural resource, and energy issues,” said Don Baugh, Director of the No Child Left Inside Coalition. “It will not only better prepare students for college and the 21st Century workforce, but help to combat childhood obesity and related health problems by getting kids outside to learn about the natural world.  On behalf of our entire 1,500 member Coalition, I commend the President and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for recognizing the critical role that environmental education plays in preparing our students for the green economy.”

One giant step for environmental betterment at a time.  Thank You!

Resources

Excerpts courtesy of  http://www.cbf.org

Image courtesy of  http://www.psychologytoday.com/Outdoor_adventure.jpg

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