Wordless Wednesday: Scientific Americam Special Cities Issues

Go out and get the September 2011 issue of Scientific American.  This special issue is all about Cities! Yes, the urban environment!  It's one big grand issue and the Scientific American website and Blog Network will off additional remarks, insights as responses to articles in the hard copy magazine.

Great American Backyard Campout Blends Outdoors, Family Fun and Science

Memorial Day is the kickoff to the summer and where is the best place to spend the summer? Outside, of course, and family camping is one of the most popular summer time actitivites. On Saturday, June 25, 2011, the National Wildlife Federation is asking everyone to go camping! The Great American Backyard Campout is a grassroots initiative to Leave No Child Indoors! The National Wildlife Federation is raising awareness and also trying to raise funds for more outdoor youth programs. They are also encouraging families and communities spending time together outside camping. And while you're spending time outside - in the fresh air - why not explore nature (and science)!

So get your family and neighbors together and go camping - at a local campground, state or national park, or in your backyard. Being outdoors is a perfect time to connect to science. You can explore biology, conservation, ecology, astronomy, geology, geography, environmental science, and more.

I wrote a piece for COPUS - the Coalition of Public Understanding of Science encouraging its readers to participate in the Great American Backyard Campout and use that time to not only connect with family/neighbors but hace fun exploring science, too.  Check out the blog post (link here) and read the whole list of recommended Citizen Science and Arts and Science activities recommended.  Plus here's one I overlooked: Waving at the International Space Station as it orbits over your night time sky! The International Space Station is visible in the sky, assuming the weather agrees, so you could actually keep an eye out for it while you tell campfire stories and eat s'mores. Visit the website http://www.isswave.org/ for details on how to plan your wave. You can also follow them on Twitter @twisst for a tweet when it's visible from your skies.

Or if you're ready to sign up right now, then go for it.  You can register your 'camp site' - your family, church or community event with the National Wildlife Federation Great American Backyard Campout website (link here).  And visit my friend, Rue at Outdoor Afro for camping recommendations.  If camping is still new to you it might prove helpful to get some tips to make the night stress-free adn enjoyable.
 
In the meantime, let me know if you plan on participating and how.  And be sure to do a little exploration, too.  Can't wait to hear all about your Urban Camping Science Adventures! ©

Citizen Science Spring & Summer Field Season opens

The warmer weather calls us outside to run, jump and play.  And if you take a close look or listen, you'll notice that the nature is all-abuzz, too.  All of that new life sprouting and peeping around is waiting on someone just like you make very important scientific observations and report them.  There are alot of projects out there and scientists like myself who could use a hand and your eyes!

Why get involved in a citizen science project?

It's a perfect way to spend time with your family. You're always wondering what you can do that's different, will make for a great adventure and doesn't cost alot of money.
Start a fun learning project. If you're a home schooling parent, after-school teacher or camp counselor and you want the kids to have a meaning experience that will go with them forever. This is it. Just a little time once a week or once a day yields the perfect opportunity to do a big end-of-camp presentation and capstone experience.

It is so easy! Seriously, simply visit a website, sign-up for a project (and sometimes you don't have to do that), and email the results back (or fill out an online form).  If you find a local project, then you show up and lend a scientist a hand and get a chance to get up close and personal with some exciting plants and animals.
Here are some Citizen Science projects you can do right now!

1. Nature Notebook with The USA National Phenology Network.

Basically, you adopt a special place, like your backyard, special area of your neighborhood park, your school yard, or even the empty lot along your street.  You visit your special place at least once a week. Make notes in your nature journal (are you journaling? if, not it is so much fun and you should do so right now) and share your results with the online data base. The data from you and others all over the nation will be used to track any changes our natural world is making to climate changes and human influences. Go to their website to learn more and  sign up. Also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

2. Firefly Watch.  As a child I loved catching lightning bugs and putting them in a jar.  I didn't know it then, but the little fluorescent bug was a scientific wonder - producing this yellow-green glow to communicate with other fireflies to mate or catch prey.  How neat! Now, you can take that simple pastime and make a difference.  Scientists using that information to track any changes in firefly distribution, habits, and population growth. You can sign up to be an observer and submit your weekly observations at the website sponsored by the Museum of Science.

3. If you live in my neck of the woods, you can participate in BioBlitz in Creve Coeur Park! The Academy of Science of St. Louis is leading an expedition of citizens and scientists on a 6-hour exploration and cataloging of urban wildlife biodiversity of this St. Louis Metro area park on Saturday, April 16, from 6 am - 12 noon. This is Creve Coeur Park’s first BioBlitz. Teams of public volunteers led by biologists, naturalists and environmental enthusiasts search natural areas within the park, listing as many different species as they can find. You can follow the Academy @AcademyofSciSTL on Twitter.

4. Shark tagging. My friend David Shiffman needs volunteers to help him with his research for school.  Do you like Shark Week?  Then, you're going to love being a citizen science with David.  He tags (small) sharks for his research in sharking feeding behavior and ecology; and his research also helps to measure the size and health of the shark populations in the Coastal South Caroline sea.  Over 30 different species of sharks call that coast home. It's very interesting work and definitely will give you something to talk about at parties forever.  You can learn more about his research here and follow his blog about sharks, marine biology and conversation of the ocean and its creatures at Southern Fried Science and on Twitter @WhySharksMatter.

5. Interested in more citizen science ideas? Then check out Science for Citizens. You can look up upcoming projects or submit your own ideas.  I bet you find something perfect.  Be sure to come back and let me know what you've been up to.

DNLee
demystifying nature letting everyone experience

First Bird Friday! A Survey & New Nature Blogging Meme

I wish I could say this was my idea. It isn't. (But to my knowledge the title is my idea).  Audubon California has a weekly survey. Each Friday they ask online readers to tell them the identity of of the first bird they see each Friday Morning and let them know your city.  You can submit your answers until 12 noon (PST) and then they share the results on their blog - The Audublog.  That's it.  It's quick, easy, and fun.  Click here.

Me & a fledgling baby goldfinch. Fell out of the tree and one to one of my campers (Summer 2010).  I had to take take some pictures with it...it's like a local urban wildlife celebrity. J

But other than fun, another reason to do is to get you to start to deliberately taking notice of the wildlife around you.  And that's what I inspire you to do everyday.  We can't begin to make our communities safer and cleaner and greener until we take stock in what we have - the good and the bad. And Urban wildlife is all good.

All all bird life counts, as they say:

And if you don't see a Bald Eagle or a California Condor, don't worry. That's not what this is all about. This is about celebrating the common right alongside the rare and unusual.

Don't worry if you don't know the name of the bird you saw. Make note of the bird's characteristics -- size, color, general shape. You can use that info to look up the bird's identity on the Audubon's online bird guide. Then complete the survey.
If you want to follow all of the First Bird Friday! excitement, then check out the Audubon California on Facebook, their blog, or Twitter @AudubonCA hashtag #firstbird.

And yes, I've submitted my answer....American Robin.  I spotted it on a little patch of ground (cause it's snow all over the place here in St. Louis, MO) at Hazelwood East Middle School by a Paper birch tree.

Fellow nature bloggers, help spread the word.  Readers, tell me in comments what you saw and visit their site to submit your answer.

Wordless Wednesday: Water Quality

This Saturday, September 25, 2010, many communities around the world will celebrate World Water Monitoring Day.  Citizens - young and old, will come together to test the quality of the water they live near and depend on for sustenance.  The quality and cleanliness of our local waters matter because we need water to survive: drinking, cooking, bathing, for our animals (both pets and livestock), for our food (the vegetables that eventually make it on our dinner plates.  Water is so vitally important for our personal healt and the health of our planet.


I'll be at Spring Valley Park in Kansas City, Mo leading water quality monitoring activities with the families that come to the Kids Fishing Derby for Urban Outdoor Day presented by Urban American Outdoors and Kansas City Missouri Parks & Rec.  I hope people see the obvious connection between the activity - fishing - and the importance of maintaining healthy waters for wildlife and future outdoor recreational activities.  I also hope they make the next obvious connecton to their own daily habits and how that might relate to water quality.

Water Quality can be monitored in two different ways: abiotic monitoring and biotic monitoring.

Abiotic monitoring involves measuring the important physical parts of the water environment such as

• the pH of the water: how acid or basic it is
• the amount of dissovled oxygen in the water
• turbidity: how clear or cloudy the water is
• temperature: how warm or cool the water is

Each of these physical parts are indicators the health of the water.  Biotic monitoring quantifies the type of living organisms in a water way and then deduces the health of the water because we know that certain organisms can only survive within a certain range of each of those measures.

Macroinvertebrates are very good indicators as to the health of a stream, lake, or pond

The presence of many different species and other predatory invertebrates is a good sign that the water habitat can support many food chain levels.

Healthy fish species are also a good sign. Remember, vertebrate species like fish and birds ultimately depend on invertebrate, microbe, and plant species for their survival, too.

Are you celebrating World Water Monitoring Day?  If so, how? Tell me about your adventures.

Summer activity recap - having adventures all summer long.

I have been busy.  As I am sure you all have noticed by my blogging frequency. (And let me say I am very thankful that you all have still been with me through all of this).  2010 is definitely becoming a breakthrough year professionally: defending the dissertation, graduation, working, presenting.

The truth is, the busy-ness I am experiencing in real life is the result of my online science blogging activities.  How paradoxal, huh? If you follow the blog on Facebook, you might have noticed the tick in professional activities. I've been trying to convert the blogging audience into an online community and so far so good.  I've been posted pictures and updates directly to the Facebook Fan page. (And if you're so inclined, please join, too.)

Quick recap of this summer achievements:

1. Submitted a video to the Oprah Winfrey Network contest to have my own televison show.  I didn't place, but I'm still proud that I finallyput my vision to words, pictures, audio and video.  Many thanks to my sister for editing and creating this audition video.  So, if anyon out there knows of a media outlet that would be interested in such a program (produced/hosted by me of course), please feel free to get at me.

2. Blogging While Brown Conference in Washington, DC.  Attending and speaking at this conference has spurred many other social media engagement opportunities.  I met some amazing bloggers (The Cubicle Chick and Glamazini) from St. Louis and we hosted a tweetup - a real life meetup of local area Twitter & facebook users and bloggers.  We plan to have more tweetups in the future. Plus, one of my co-hosts is hosting her own blogging conference: Show Me the Blog on Saturday, October 23rd.

3. Forest Park Summer Youth Program job.  Oh, I had a blast working with the kids this year, and the staff.  I worked as a counselor last year and got a chance to use alot of the lessons learned in Experiential Education - that I also promote here on the blog - in real life.  Plus, I was proud of my professional growth.  I was the program supervisor this year and the staff seemed to enjoy themselves and no kids were injured....so I'd say I did alright.

4. St. Louis Magazine.  Earler this summer I was recommended by the St. Louis Academy of Science to answer the "Big Question: If you had $10 million dollars, what idea would you fund to transform St. Louis".  If you're able to secure a copy of the September 2010 edition of the magazine, you'll see I'm one of 45 people who answered the question.  I'm really honored because I share some print space with some local heavy hitters like Economic Developer John Edwards and Beer Hier Adolphus Busch IV.

5. Featured in the Science & Tech Section of the Charlotte Observer.  Each Monday, a new science blogger is interviewed and featured in the newspaper.  Here is the link to my interview in the August 23, 2010 paper:  City dwellers can see science all around town by TD Beeland.


6. I got a job! Perhaps this is the single biggest accomplishment over the summer.   I believe in the Law of Attraction  I asked for an opportunity to do science outreach for pay and it happened.  I'm presently sharing science and consulting on matters related to STEM diversity and outreach for a fabulous St. Louis-based non-profit - SCOPE (Science & Citizens Organized for Purpose & Exploration).

7. Upcoming speaking engagements.  Actually the presenting started in the summer when I was invited to Miami University in Ohio.  I presented part of my dissertation to the Biology Department for their Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.  Also, I'll be presenting at the Urban Outdoor Summit in Kansas City on September 24 & 25th.  It's a great meeting to discuss the recreational and career opportunities in outdoors and nature for diverse audiences.  It is a free meeting which culminates in a Kids Fishing Derby at Spring Valley Park.  Plus, I've been invited to present at The Missouri History Museum as apart of the Perspectives on Science and History Lecture Series for the Exhibit: Home Lands: How Women Made the West.  If you're in St. Louis, Missouri on the evening of Tuesday, October 19, then feel free to check out the lecture on Homestead Earth: An Evening with Women Environmentalists.


See, I told you I've been busy.

Diversity in Science Carnival # 9: All Shades of Green is up

Yes, it's a party!  Celebrating the people of Science and Engineering!
With April being the month we celebrate Earth Day, Arbor Day, and Environmental Education what better way to celebrate these Green activities than to celebrate the people who make Green happen.
Diversity in Science Carnival #9 - All Shades of Green.

Dianne Glave of Rooted in the Earth - a blog about Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage, hosted her very first carnival.  And I love her take on the theme - A 'Scratch-n-Sniff' Blog Carnival: "What does April (spring) smell like to you?"  Each submitter shares his/her story and blog post.

It's great.  Check it out and please leave a comment at each author's page.

Plus, be sure to join us for Diversity in Science Carnival #10: Shattering Stereotypes in STEM, hosted at Quiche Moraine. We are inviting all posts that challege pre-conceptions and mis-conceptions of who scientists/engineers are, what they look like, how they behave, what they do, etc. A cross-disciplinary examination of this issue is encourged and posts about everything from the merging of art and science or science and faith, to posts that highlight social life to how people from well-represented groups are strong advocates of diversity initiatives.


Submission deadline May 25. Carnival will post May 27.
Submit via this link.

It's April no fooling

Wow! It's April already. The last couple of weeks have been like a whirlwind. I was completely preoccupied with defending my dissertation, but things didn't slow down after that. It picked up speed. Let me recap the last couple of weeks.

I defended March 10. That's my celebration cake featuring, yes, buttercream prairie voles - a whole family, including mama vole with attached pinky pups.

Visited San Francisco for the first time in my life. It was grand. I love it. Saw all of the sights. Took one of those double-decker tour buses and saw all of the sights.

Really, really great science museum. It's a Planetarium, Aquarium, Natural History Museum, and Terrarium all in one. Plus, it has a living roof. I checked out the Sharks & Rays swimming.

Chinatown

I serendipitously discovered that the American Chemical Society was in San Francisco a the same time for the Spring 2010 National Meeting & Exposition. This scientific society is so large they host spring and summer meetings. Insane. I tried to stop through and check out the exhibit hall, perhaps meet some chemists to interview; but I couldn't get through security. No kidding.

Then I took the BART over to Berkeley, homeland of my academic parents. I was lured to the Bay for a focus group meeting with COPUS, or the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science. It's a grassroots community of researchers, scientists, engineers, teachers, and everyday people who want to share science with everyone.

Here's just a sample of some of the grand people I met with. I'm super excited about the future direction of COPUS and I'm looking to engage every single of one you. Look out.

I also got to catch up with some friends and fellow bloggers who live in The Bay area.
My friend Alex is an awesome science photographer.

And I finally got to meet my newest blogging BFF, Rue of Outdoor Afro. We had a blast. If I land a job out here, I already having a running buddy. She's the best.

Wow! Which brings me to today. It's a beautiful spring day in my part of the country. How's the weather in your neighborhood?The sunny days, warmer weather, the need to move and exercise more fills me with such energy. Everything is sprouting and growing, almost overnight. Have your cameras ready and take lots of photos. The trees and lawns will be blooming in no time.

And April is the perfect time to celebrate Green. Through the many earth-centered initiatives you're bound to find a way to connect to the mother of us all - Mother Earth. Join me and others in these initiatives.

National Environmental Education Week: April 11-17, 2010

Earth Day: April 22, 2010

National Arbor Day: April 30, 2010

All this Greeness has inspired the upcoming edition of the Diversity in Science Carnival. The April carnival will be hosted at Rooted in the Earth (no the pun did not escape me). Since April is the month we celebrate earth day, arbor day, environmental awareness and all other earthy-eco-related things, the the theme for Diversity in Science Carnival will be “All Shades of Green” Diversity in Outdoor and Environmental Awareness. If you are blogger interested in participating, please submit your posts via the carnival submission form.
But also be sure to check out the super-fab March Diversity in Science Carnival. Wild About Ants did a superb job with the Women's History Month theme.

Planting seeds of science interests in kids of all ages

Let’s say you’re the parent/mentor/teacher/tutor/friend of a kid super-excited about some aspect of science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). You want to nurture that interest and keep that child engaged, especially during the dull times of school breaks, after-school and perhaps even for school-related projects. Whether you’re an educator or not, sometimes an adult needs reinforcements to help a child or teen find his/her own interest path.

Fostering science, math, and engineering interests in young people is the goal of several organizations, including many of our nation’s publicly funded agencies like NASA and NSF. Informal science education programs and institutions run the range. Some supplement traditional K-12 education lessons. Some provide opportunities for families to spend time together, learning, exploring, and having fun. And still there are some that specifically target under-served audiences to introduce them to pioneers and exciting career opportunities.

STEM Outreach Programs that rock!

2009 was definitely the year science initiatives! It was hailed as
* The Year of Science – with each month focusing on a different science topic;
* The Year of the Gorilla – to raise awareness of the threat of extinction to this beautiful primate;
* The Year of Darwin – to celebrate the 200th year of Charles Darwin’s birth and 150th anniversary of the publication of his book; and
* The Year of Astronomy – to celebrate one of the oldest fields of science

To help spread the word of these science initiatives, Science Cafes really took off, especially here in the United States. Often hosted at fun meeting places like restaurants where pizza and beverages are served, people can meet local scientists and learn about interesting topics. Since local communities organize these events, the topics might be related to science initiatives or any other hot topic in the news like sports, herbal medicine, love or health.

But my absolute favorite science outreach efforts are the hands-on organically-grown science and nature outreach programs in individual communities. Here in St. Louis, Missouri, I’ve been involved in a few. My most recent experience was this past summer in the Forest Park Summer Youth Program with Boys & Girls Club kids.

Ocean Discovery Institute of San Diego, California, (formerly Aquatic Adventures) is an awesome program! Diverse young people from this very urban community are engaged in science exploration marine research, and environmental conservation education. This happens to be one of my dream jobs.

Plus, the 2010 San Diego Science Festival sounds like it will be the most anticipated science showcase of greater San Diego. Offering a wide variety of programs and events inspire all ages, “with a special focus on building a pipeline of future scientists and STEM thought-leaders” – festivities include supplemental K-12 Programs, Scientist Speakers series at local schools, a science Exposition, and Scientists in Residence Program. College student scientists represented from disciplines such as Biomedicine, Pharmacology, Engineering, Green Technology, Oceanography, and Astrophysics will work in partnership with San Diego county schools for 6 weeks and create joint project that will be showcased in the 2010 Festival.

Science Chicago hosted the world’s largest science celebration. Being the home of several private businesses like Alberto Culver and institutions like the Shedd Aquarium, all of Chicago had a chance to get a closer look into how science impacts our lives and our health.

I recently discovered ME4E – Multidisciplinary Education for the Environment – also out of the Chicago, Illinois. This organization provides outdoor hands-on activities for schools, scouts, and public groups to learn more about ecology and local wildlife. They seem to have a full calendar of events such as bird counts, wildlife watching, making cast of animal tracks, wetlands and woodlands lesson plans, and urban gardening programs.

The Harris Foundation Summer Science Camp is a free, academic program offered in over 20 different cities in the United Sates. Middle school students participate in a variety of recreational, social, and STEM educational activities at local college campuses. Founded by Dr. Bernard Harris, it is designed to support historically underserved and underrepresented students with limited opportunities.
Finally, no matter where you live, here is a program for any student in 3rd- 6th grade. Pulse of the Planet Kid’s Science Challenge is a nationwide competition for kids to submit experiments and problems for REAL scientists and engineers to solve. The website is also a fun place to play science games, watch videos, and enter to win awesome prizes and trips! Plus, the site also offers educator resources for teachers and parents, such as pod casts and downloadable curricula.

Stimulate your Brain: STEM Scholarships & Internships

Middle school and High School are the preparation grounds for your future. But what happens after you receive your diploma? Graduating from high school signals the end of your childhood and the beginning of your adult life. This means the start of your journey to independence, bills and responsibilities. Most adults don’t expect you to leave home and be self-sufficient immediately; but you do need to be ready to accept the challenge. It’s never too early to prepare for post-graduation (or too late).

A post-high school education is your best plan for securing a stable future for yourself (Vo-Tech, Community college or university). For those of you interested in a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM), a college education will be order. However, funding a college education is no simple matter. Getting accepted in the school of your dreams is not the end of the story. Financing your education takes planning – the sooner the better. When parents ask me about how to fund their children’s college education I tell them to start right now, even as early as middle school. The Federal Financial Aid form (FAFSA) is a perfect place to t start, but with the cost of education rising faster than inflation and the cost of living, Pell Grants and Students Loans will not be enough. Apply for competitive scholarships throughout middle and high school. If you’re in college, apply for additional scholarships as well as internship and mentoring programs.

Here are some announcements:

1. The Society of Wetland Scientists Diversity Program Undergraduate Mentoring Awards
This professional science society offers full travel awards to undergraduate students to attend its annual meeting. The 2010 meeting will be held June 27 – July 2, 2010 meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Thanks to generous funding by the NSF, undergraduate students from underrepresented groups can receive wetland sciences career mentoring for at the annual meeting. Students must complete an application. In order to maximize the opportunity for interested students to apply, the deadline has been extended to January 30. Visit the website for details and the application.

Students from the 2009 SWS Conference. (This could be you!)

2. The 2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Anita Borg (1949-2003) devoted her life to revolutionizing the way we think about technology and dismantling the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields.
Google is proud to announce the 2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, awarding a group of female students each a scholarship for the 2010-2011academic year. All finalists and scholarship recipients will also be invited to attend a 3-day Scholars' Retreat at the Googleplex in 2010. The Google Anita Borg Scholarship program is available to undergraduate or graduate female students studying computer science (or closely related field) at a university in Africa, Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand and the United States. The candidate must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale or 4.5 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent. Deadline to apply is February 1, 2010. For complete details for this and more scholarships for diverse students, please visit Google Scholarships
h/t Blacks Gone Geek

Additional Scholarships and Fellowships in various disciplines can be found at these sites.
a. The Multicultural Advantage - lists of scholarships and fellowships with upcoming deadlines.
b. Planning and Preparing for College – updates of Scholarships, Internships, and the college application process.

George Melendez Wright- Father of Natural Resource Management with the National Parks Service

A couple of weeks ago,while watching the PBS special by Ken Burns, America's Best Idea, I learned about the history of the National Park Service including the political challenges facing the lands,monuments, and people involved with perseving these special places for all Americans. I also learned about George Melendez Wright.

George Melendez Wright was the son of a ship captain from San Franciso and El Salvadoran mother. As a youth he enjoyed the northern California outdoors. He earned degrees in Forestry and Zoology from the University of California - Berkeley. It seems only right that he would work for the National Parks Service as a naturalist at Yosemite Park.

However, Mr. Wright, with his scientific background did more than blaze park trails - he blazed a new direction for the Park Service. In 1930, with the help of two colleagues he documented all of the plants and animals in the park. The effort took four years, and he funded much of the work out of his own pockets. Visitors were coming in droves, which is a good thing. But Wright also recognized that the amount and degree of human interaction and impact on this wild place could not be good for the local wildlife. It wasn't. Many species were becoming acclimated to people and would come in very close contact. At the time it was perfectly fine to touch animals, feed bears, systematically kill predators and encroach on wild habitats.

He helped forge new the policies that benefited preserving the wildlife for future generations and protect people from their own curiosity. This formative work led to recommendations that were published in 1932 as Fauna of the National Parks of the United States, a Preliminary Survey of Faunal Relations in National Parks. Eventually, all other parks would conduct and publish a survey of the local fauna and flora. While completing a related work along the US-Mexico border he was killed in an automobile acccident. He was 31 years old.

His legacy continues today. The tradition of environmental stewardship has birthed the works of natural resource managers, scientists, and volunteers on national parks areas. Learn more about George Wright and his leagacy at these links:

George Melendez Wright Biography on the PBS National Parks Website.

George Melendez Wright Biology at the National Park Service Website.

The George Wright Society

This post is my submission to the Diversity in Science Carnival #3: Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month hosted at Drug Monkey's page.

National Parks - America's Best Idea

Tonight, Sunday, September 27, the first show in documentary series the National Parks - America's Best Idea airs at 8 pm EST/PST 7pm CST on PBS stations in the United States.

I'm quite excited about the documentary. It is a fabulous way to learn about our nation's natural resource heritage and to inspire awe in each of us. I also hope it encourages us all to appreciate these wonderful beautiful places and visit National Parks, as well as other public heritage lands like State Parks, National Forests and other heritage lands.

The series will air six episodes nightly (7pm CST) until October 9th. Full episodes are available on the PBS National Parks website.

This documentary also promises to be a celebration of diversity, too. It series captures the stories of the people who created, protected, and lived on/near these precious lands. Many of these stories have been lost to our collective memories. Yet thanks to people like Burns, as well as National Park supporters like Audrey & Frank Peterman founders of the Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great American Outdoors Conference, and James Mills an outdoor enthusiast and blogger, can once again know these stories and [re]discover our heritage. Be sure to check out Mills NPR/PRI To the Best of Our Knowledge interview with Burns and his interview about the important part the Buffalo Soliders played in American History and National Parks like Yosemite, Yellow Stone, and Sequoia.

I have visited:
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site - Little Rock, Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park - Hot Springs, Arkansas
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (& Gateway Arch) - St. Louis, Missouri
Ozark National Scenic Riverways - Float trip near St. James, Missouri
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site - St. Louis, Missouri
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - I'vedriven through it along Interstate 40 in Tennessee and North Carolina

waiting in line to enter Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Park and inside the Museum (under the Arch)

________________________

Now, it's your turn.
This land is you land, this land is my land....A meme of sorts....
I'm calling out my blog friends to join in the fun.
The Oyster's Garter

The Joy Trip Project http://joytripproject.org/
Outdoor Afro
Everyday Adventurer
Nature Blog Network Blog

How many National Parks have you visited?
Visit the site National Park Service map see which parks you may have visited or parks near you that you can visit soon.

Tell me in the comments and share on your blog (if you have one).

National Public Lands Day & Environmental Education

Tomorrow, September 26, 2009 is 16th Annual celebration of National Public Lands Day. Public lands are all of those lands that belong to the public such as parks, forests, grasslands, scenic by-ways and waterways. These public lands include state parks, nature reserves, national forests and parks and other public monuments. Each of these public lands have 5 things in common
1. They are owned by everyone and no one. Each citizen has a stake in its health but no one person can claim it for his or her own.
2. They are managed by our civil servants, such as local, state or federal employees
3. They are home to many wild creatures including threatened and endangered plant, animal, and bug species.
4. We are all responsible, individually and collectively for taking care of this land and its wildlife by not littering or removing necessary items from it.
5. These are special places that should be around for generations of ALL Americans and visitors to enjoy.

National Public Lands day is celebrated in nearly every community with a large public service event. The event keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the "tree army" that worked from 1933-1942 to preserve and protect America's natural heritage.
This annual event:

Educates Americans about critical environmental and natural resources issues and the need for shared stewardship of these valued, irreplaceable lands;

Builds partnerships between the public sector and the local community based upon mutual interests in the enhancement and restoration of America's public lands;

Improves public lands for outdoor recreation, with volunteers assisting land managers in hands-on work.

This year's theme is Water and Public Lands...and it's not too late to Get Involved. Events are happening this weekend and throughout the autumn months. Visit the link discover what's happening in your town. (And be sure to check out the video featuring Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association who is attending the Breaking Color Barriers in the Great American Outdoors conference in Atlanta, Georgia this week).


Then Sunday evening be sure to tune into PBS' debut of Ken Burns Film The National Parks: America's Best Idea

___________________________

Now, it's your turn. Highlight your own Urban Science Adventure while participating in a National Public Lands Day activity. It's a perfect way to earn community service credit, high school and college students who are encouraged to do so or earn badges for scouts. It is also presents an opporuntity earn extra credit for your life science and environmental science classes.

Enter the NPLD Photo and Video Contest 2009 or the Robert Bateman Get to Know Contest. It is a contest to encourage young people, ages 18 and younger to get venture outdoors and get o know their wild neighbors. Sound familiar?

Use these opportunites to win prizes and have your work published - which is a great way to beef up college and scholarship applictions.

Write me and tell me all about your Urban Science Adventures! ©. Share pictures, too.

Additional online sources:
Association of Partners for Public Lands: Engaging the public in caring for our nation's natural and cultural resources

Land Trust Alliance: Together, conserving the places you love

Making Breakthroughs and Breaking the Color Barriers in the Great Outdoors

The Breakthrough.

I’m busy, busy, busy like a bee. I have been busy writing. Writing is a necessary part of science. I know my dissertation meter has moved in a while. It doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing. It’s just that I am reluctant to count a word until I feel that what I have written is perfect. Perfectly worded and perfectly placed.

But I’ve been feeling like I need to claim my words, all of them – even the imperfectly worded and placed ones. So my word meter reflects those words. I expect that I will lose many of those words – to revisions, and re-drafts. I also think that my final dissertation word count might actually be less than 40,000 words (10,000 words per chapter).
I now claim 28, 981 words!

I feel gravid – productive, full of promise and excitement.


Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great American Outdoors
My spirits have been quite high lately. I’ve made new online friends and discovered new websites and blogs. I feel excited to be apart of a community, a movement of people who care about increasing diversity in outdoor experiences.



Not long ago I learned about a fantastic upcoming conference - Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great Outdoors. It meets next week - September 23-26 in Atlanta, Georgia, and will feature a host of great speakers including some people I am big fan of: Majora Carter
Dudley Edmundson
Dr. Carolyn Finney

It's a conference of educators, environmental activists, outdoor recreationists, and nature enthusiasts that focuses on how members of diverse communities (people of color) participate in these activities and examines reasons/strategies for getting more people of color outdoors enjoying nature. Isn’t that right up my alley? See the CNN interview with conference organizer, Audrey Peterman: Aiming to add more diversity under America's blue skies - CNN.com

I've met some people online who are also involved in this barrier breaking, too.
Wayne Hubbard, host and producer of Urban American Outdoors (Kansas City, Kansas)
Kellen Marshall-Gillespie, fellow Ecology Ph.D. Student at the University of Illinois-Chicago and owner of Roots and Shoots Organic Gardening
Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro (Albany, California)

Even though I won’t be attending the conference (and I am so tempted to just go anyway), I really need to stay close to home and finish writing. I’ll catch up with all of those great people sooner or later.

In the meantime, I’ll be sporting my swag (thanks Rue, cause I sport the the Afro outdoors all of the time. hahaha) and breaking down color barriers in the great outdoors my own way….By trying to win this contest to Antarctica!!! So, please continue to support me. Please vote and pelase spread the word.

Adventures on the High Seas with SEAPLEX

In search of……treasure, glorious plastic rubbish that is scientific treasure. Aaarrgh!

Seriously though, my BBFF (blogging best friend forever), Miriam G is headed out into the great vastness of the Pacific Ocean and leading her crew aboard the SEAPLEX - Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition. Their mission… “Seeking the Science of the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch”.

“From August 2-21, a group of doctoral students and research volunteers from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego will embark on an expedition aboard the Scripps research vessel New Horizon to explore the problem of plastic in the North Pacific Gyre. The Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX) is the first of its kind and will focus on a suite of critical questions. How much plastic is accumulating, how is it distributed, and how is it affecting ocean life? The researchers hope to provide critical, timely data to policy makers and combine Scripps' long tradition of Pacific exploration with focus on a new and pressing environmental problem.”

[Emphasis mine]

Photo: Scripps Institution of Oceanography research vessel New Horizon off San Diego on May 6, 2009.

Doesn’t this sound like the most exciting research ever? I think so. This type of research is not only interested in whole communities –t he plants, animals, and microbes of the sea – but also the entire ecosystem – marine – and how we humans and our activities influence the marine ecosystem and its communities. Have you ever thought about what happens with all of our plastic trash we discard? What about those plastic bags from the grocery store? There always seems to be bags floating in the air, sailing across the ground…and where does it end? What about plastic containers from water bottles, laundry detergent, juice or other food items? Unlike paper or fiber containers, plastic doesn’t obey the ‘rules of decomposition’. It doesn’t easily break down, so it just sits there – or floats – forever and ever. Okay, not forever, but for a time much longer than we live, and we and discard plastic like running water, so we must begin to think about managing it when we’re done with it.

Photo: NOAA Marine Debris Program

Each day, the crew will post updates and let us all know how the weather is treating them, how the sampling goes, and what they are finding. I love how we are able to follow their progress and get a chance to observe a ‘real-life scientific expedition’ in progress. I’m looking forward to it all.

Join me in following SEAPLEX on its High Seas Adventures!

Visit and subscribe to the Blog: http://seaplexscience.com
Follow their every move and discovery at Twitter: @seaplexscience

Blogging my way to the Antarctica…and beyond

There is an online contest sponsored by Quark Expeditions to become the Official Quark Expeditions Blogger. The winner gets an all-expense paid excursion to Antarctica February 20 – March 3, 2010. And you could help send me to the South Pole - a dream of mine!

What does it take to be the Official Quark Blogger? They’re looking for someone with a commitment to the environment; a passion for the polar regions, and an ability to write in English with wit, style and imagination. That is SO me, don’t you agree? Oh, and someone popular enough for people to tune into. So that’s why I need you and everyone else you know to vote for me. The person with the most votes wins.

With each post, I share the exciting and wonderful world of science, conservation, environmental education and urban nature appreciation through my blog Urban Science Adventures! ©

I routinely posted about the polar biomes, including posts celebrating International Polar Year. I love sharing science; and I especially enjoy bringing the beauty and excitement of nature to someone’s attention who thought there was nothing there.

Just like I share my everyday backyard adventures with you, I will share accounts of the beauty and stories of adventure of life at the South Pole! You know I will. So, please send Urban Science Adventures! © on a Polar Adventure next spring.

The competition closes at noon, September 30, 2009, EDT. In order to vote you will need to register with the website (bots can’t vote) and one vote per email.

Visit my very own voting page and vote for me.

Thanks
Danielle

P.S.: If you’re feeling very generous (and still procrastinating with work/school), I’d love you this blog for the 2009 Black Weblog Awards Best Science and Technology Blog. Thanks to your generous support last year, this blog was a finalist for the award.
Nominations end July 25.
Please click on the image below and name Urban Science Adventures! © as your favorite Science Blog!