Urban Wildlife Watch: House Sparrows

photo credit: http://wc.pima.edu/~bfiero/tucsonecology/animals/birds_hosp.htm

The House Sparrow is perhaps the most common bird in the world. This little brown bird is everywhere – no kidding. The bird was actually brought to the United States from Europe in the 1840’s. Originally released in Central Park New York , these little birds are spread all over the U.S. map. And they seem to thrive in cities!

I met Dr. Peter Pap at the 12th Annual ISBE conference at Cornell University and found his research about the House Sparrow so great. He looked at the size and colors of the feathers on the chest, called a bib, and at the feathers on the underside of the wing. The bib of the male House Sparrow is actually very distinct and stands out like a big black patch. If you were to pluck one of these feathers you’d find that it is actually both black and white, with black being the dominant color. Also, not all bibs are the same size. Some bibs are larger than others. Why is that? That’s what Dr. Peter Pap set out to discover.

He hypothesized that birds with larger black bibs were in better condition and better fed than birds with smaller black bibs. He fed birds different types of diets – high and low quality diets – and later measured the size of their bibs. Better fed birds, the ones in better condition did have larger black bibs.
In nature this can be a very important difference. Birds in better condition are able to secure better territories and mates so that they can have more babies. Considering how much some people like to feed birds and put out bird feeders, we may actually be contributing to the overall better quality of birds in our neighborhoods.

Look out for House Sparrows and take a closer look at that black bib on its chest.
Are the bibs of different birds the same size or do they differ?
Are the bibs of birds who frequently visit bird feeders nearly all the same or do you see of differences?

Community Organizing in Action - School Supply Drive for KidSmart (St. Louis)

The new school year has begun and the public education issues in St. Louis and throughout our nation are major issues that need to be addressed. Last week, my friends and I hosted a School Supply Drive.

We collected over $400 worth of much needed school supplies for needy St. Louis area classrooms for KidSmart. This organization allows teachers from needy public schools to shop for school and class room supplies for free. Needy is defined as a school that has 70% or more of its students receiving free lunch. So this means there are quite a few inner-city/urban schools that greatly benefit from this organization and contributors' philanthropy.

I'm no community organizer in the most romantic sense, but I beleive in doing what I can to help others. And I am especially interested in giving under-resourced urban children every leg-up possible. Plus, I dedicated to Service to All Mankind. Assisting those whose life is dedicated to service - e.g. teachers makes me feel good. Did you know most teachers spend $400 or more of their own money to purchase school and classroom supplies? They are neither reimbursed by their school districts nor receive tax credits beyond a $250 cap. And the poorer the school or district, the more the teacher tends to spend.

I encourage those of you who care about education and equalizing life's opportunities for all people to find a way to help others. Volunteer your time or use your talents to benefit a worthy cause to help others.

I challenge other Bloggers who work with young people to host a Community Event to benefit youth and education issues in your areas. Please let me know about it.

DNLee

Wordless Wednesday: Bunny Rabbit

On the Campus of Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Let me get very close.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Voles

Voles are also called field mice, but there are several different types of field mice; it is a catch all phrase for mice that live out in nature. Voles are most common in undisturbed or not-so-much disturbed land areas - like field, woods, overgrown lots, and especially rural areas. But they can do okay in urban areas as long as there is some great lawns for them to occupy. A great sign of a vole in your yard is if you have sunken trails, usually along the fence line. Voles use tunnels or runways and they love tall grass. For those of you have have cats that do some hunting, you may have seen an unlucky vole in your pet cat's mouth. Unlike house mice, they have stouter bodies, are more uniformly brown and are distinct because of their small ears and short tail.

NPR has been busy lately - sharing many interesting stories about animal behavior. And of course my great (and nerdy) friends call me up and say "Oooh, did you hear that story on NPR about X animal? Do you know about that? Do you know the researcher?" Earlier this week NPR did a feature on faithfulness and genes that looks at the Mighty, Mighty Microtus ochrogaster - the Prairie vole: Marriage Woes? Husband's Genes May Be At Fault

Aren't they just cute and adorable? [photo credit: flynnroad.net/pix/vole/images/babies%207.JPG] And they are also monogamous, So researcher Dr. Larry Young from Emory (and yes, I do know of him. I haven't met him personally, but I gave him -his lab) many of my prairie voles last year when my studies were complete --- so there's a fewer than 6 degrees of separation, here....just go with me). Back to the Story. Dr. Young studies psychology and using animal models to duplicate some aspects of human behavior. This research looks at the biological underpinnings of monogamy and perhaps fidelity. Read the story, it's quick and easy so interesting.

My research with voles looks at how the family dynamics of this species influence how the young ones grow up and behave later in life. I am analyzing the results as at this moment (literally, no kidding), so I'll be quite happy to share it with you all in a few short weeks when I defend. Yeah!

In the meantime here are some pictures of me at work with the voles. Though I catch wild voles in the field, I raise them in lab and study them there.

Wordless Wednesday: Snug as a Bug

The Wild Life of Hamsters - Interview from ISBE Conference 2008

Though this site is dedicated to introducing you to Wildlife Outside of your Window, I realize that for the average urban/suburban child, there are plenty of “wild animals” you may already know. We call them pets. Our pets are merely the domesticated descendents of wild fore-parents from many, many generations ago.

Domestication of animals – whether for pets or for agriculture – has a very long history. In fact, one the oldest domesticated animals is the honey bee!! No kidding. Domesticated animals carry many of the same biological tendencies, genes, and behaviors of their wild cousins. After all, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. But many “unique’ traits of domesticated animals is due to deliberate preferences of people – artificial selection.

While at the 2008 ISBE Conference I interviewed a friend and colleague who studies Golden Hamsters. They are also referred to as Syrian hamsters and yes, the same species of hamster that I and so many other youngsters had/have as children.
There are still wild hamsters left, but they are endangered.
This is an actual picture of a wild Golden Hamster in its native habitat in Turkey.

Check out this interview with Misty McPhee, Biologist and Post-doc, at Cornell University and learn more about the Golden Hamsters and the research she does with the wild version of the hamster in its native country of Turkey. By the way, the countries of Turley and Syria are neighbors. Below is a picture of her next to a poster about her research.
You’ll get to hear my voice!


Finally don't forget to cast your vote for my blog as the Best Science/Tech Blog in the 2008 Black Weblog Awards. Voting ending this Sunday, Aug 31st.

iNaturalist! I am down with this

Sometimes I complain about the over use of technology. But today I am applauding this great new tool iNaturalist. It's like Google Maps, but focuses on wildlife sitings. I'm telling everybody -- starting with you. This is a perfect way to document your Urban Wildlife sitings.

iNaturalist.org encourages the participation of all nature enthusiasts, including, but not exclusive to, hikers, hunters, birders, beach combers, mushroom foragers, park rangers, ecologists, and fishermen. Through these different perceptions and expertise of the natural world, we hope to create extensive community awareness of local biodiversity. This site combines common web technologies to provide a fun and efficient way to record, find, and share nature observations.

I love this site. One, it is so colorful. I feel like I’m watching HDTV. The site is arranged in 4 major pages.
Observations: this section allows you to post your observations and search for other observations from around the world.
Species: this section is a Biological Encyclopedia; everything is listed and defined according to its nomenclature, each Kingdom, phylum, order, and genus.
People: The members of this e-community and the number of observations they have shared.
ID Please!: Do you have a photo of something you don’t know? Then go to iNaturalist and post the picture in the Forum. Other members will lend their expertise to help you identify it. How great is that?

This is a perfect way to record your Urban Science Adventures! ©

Hat tip to Bora for posting about this. I love it!

PolarTREC - Bringing Teachers and Researchers Together

Today, I learned about an organization called PolarTREC, which stands for Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating.

It is an educational research experience, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and managed by the Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S., in which K-12 teachers participate in polar research, working closely with scientists as a pathway to improving science education.

In celebration of the International Polar Year (2007-2009), a global scientific campaign to advance our understanding of the polar regions, thirty-six U.S. teachers will spend two to six weeks working with a research team in the Arctic or Antarctic, exploring the environments, cultures, history, and science. PolarTREC teachers will learn about cutting-edge scientific research on topics ranging from atmospheric chemistry to seabird ecology and will share their experiences with scientists, educators, communities, and hundreds of students of all ages across the globe.

PolarTREC builds on the past TREC program (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating in the Arctic) to encompass learning experiences in both the Arctic and Antarctic. Visit the TREC website for more information about the 2004-2006 TREC expeditions.

I encourage all of the teachers out there to seriously consider participating in this program, especially if you come from an inner-city school district. This is be a wonderful opportunity to bring some exciting positive press to your districts and students. We need to get the word out that there are great educators and students in oft-overlooked districts. Research Scientists are asked to apply to host a teacher. The deadline to apply is September 8, 2008. The Arctic Adventure will take place during the 2009/2010 school year.

I'm really excited about the International Polar Year Commemoration so stay tuned for more news. I still have news to share from ISBE that's about Polar regions and International Polar Day is coming up - Sept 24, 2008. Be sure to celebrate it.

Arctic Researcher wanted

Could you work here?

Beautiful, serene, cold, windy, and sometimes rugged. But always rewarding.

photo courtesy of Vanderbilt University

Seriously, here is a Job/Research Opportunity announcement from the Ecological Society of America

Research Assistant in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems

The Ecosystems Center is seeking a full-time, year-round Research Assistant I or II to participate in a new research project on CO2 exchange and vegetation canopy structure of arctic tundra ecosystems. Exact position will depend upon previous education and experience. In the field, the principal tasks of the assistant will be to participate
in measurements of whole-system CO2 exchange using an infrared gas analyzer system, to measure canopy reflectance using a scanning spectroradiometer, and to make ancillary measurements of soil and canopy microclimate, leaf area, and biomass. In the laboratory, the assistant will participate in data analysis and comparison, in drying and weighing plant and soil samples, and in chemical analysis of plant tissues and soils. Experience with any or all of these techniques is desired.

The expected starting date is flexible but should be sometime between
January and May, 2009.
Applicants should be college graduates with BS or MS degrees, with significant course work and/or field experience in ecology.

Candidates must be able to spend most or all of the summer months in a field camp, Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska; travel to other arctic sites is also planned. During the fall, winter, and spring months the assistant will work at the Ecosystems Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts.
Familiarity with spreadsheets and data analysis and with laboratory chemical analysis of ecological samples is desired.

Physical Requirements
Applicants should be in good health, capable of rigorous outdoor activity (often in foul weather), and prepared to live in a field camp where cooperation with others is essential, personal privacy is limited, and living accommodations are spare and simple.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Unofficial Transcripts are required documents, but may be uploaded with your application via this web-site or faxed to the Human Resources Office, 508-289-7931. If faxing, please reference this posting.

Apply online at mbl.simplehire.com
An Equal Opportunity Employer

If you're too young, just catalog it for future references. This might be your job one day and I'd love to hear about your Arctic Science Adventures!

Links to other 'Urban Science' posts

I was Google Hiking (like Blog Safari a la Electronic Village) and came across some GREAT discoveries out there! Please visit the links and enjoy reading more about urban nature and other urban environmental issues.
Enjoy!


Nighttime Wildlife in Central Park New York - from NPR
More evidence that there is a host of interesting wildlife that call cities - even large a large metropolitan area - home. Also, parks are great examples of "refuges" for urban wildlife. Get to know your 'other' neighbors.


Science/Nature things to do with the kids in the Triangle, NC - from Blog Around the Clock
Hey, No Child Left Inside! I know in some places, school has started, but it still feels so good outside. So keep up the momentum and get those busy-bodies outside to play and learn. And trust me, you'll love it too. Lots of great ideas of things to do. But even if you don't live in the Raliegh-Durham area, these are some great starter ideas. And I love this picture of this little girl. She could SO be my little girl...She looks just like me, chubby cheeks and all. That was me at her age.

Trees for Grannies, a Thermoregulating Project by World of Warmth - from Treehugger
This is a neat project. First, it's about researchers who use thermo-imaging to study biological phenomena - everything from how a fever works to how your home's energy efficiency. And with that they found that areas near nursing homes and elder-care centers have some serious thermoregulation issues. So they are promoting eco-community service - Plant trees near nursing homes! It improves the landscape for the centers and provides affordable thermoregulation for these homes. This is a GREAT Service project idea for high school and college students.


California Set to Adopt Nation's First Anti-Sprawl Law - from Treehugger
This is an urban sustainability issues. Living in cities are great, but when cities grow too large, too fast it really stresses our resources - natural resources and municipal capacity.



No Bottled Water in London, Ontario - from Treehugger
What could be so wrong with bottled water? Remember my landfill posts? Well, this city is taking a stand against all of the unnecessary accumulation of these plastic bottles in their landfill. Plus, bottle water isn't always safer water. In this city, the water is clean and safe. Why buy what's already free and safe.

Until later,
DNLee

Wordless Wednesday: Gorges of Ithaca, NY (from ISBE conference)

The campus of Cornell University has several beautiful gorges nestled within its campus.

2008 Black Weblog Award Finalist in the Science/Tech Category

Thank you so very much for nominating this blog for the 2008 Black Weblog Awards. Urban Science Adventures! © is a finalist in the Science/Tech Category. The competition seems very stiff, so I would really appreciate your continued support. Help me spread my message of environmental education and science outreach to young people and educators.

Over 9,000 nomination votes were cast! Can you believe that?

Initially created to celebrate black blogs and bloggers, the awards platform has evolved from 11 categories (in 2005) to 30 for this year, with each genre awarding both a popular vote, chosen by the general public, and a judges’ pick. Thus, the anticipation for this highly sought-after accolade has reached an all-time high within the black blogosphere and now beyond, garnering the attention of major corporations all vying for cross-promotion and collaborations with the Black Weblog Awards. For more information about the awards and to see the Finalists list visit: http://www.blackweblogawards.com/blog/

The final round of voting ends on August 31st and the 2008 Black Weblog Award winners will be announced on Thursday, September 4, 2008.

One thing to keep in mind, the voting process requires you to vote in every category.

Now, I need you - AND all of your email friends - to vote for me. Voting ends Aug 31.

Competition is VERY stiff.


Thanks so much again,

DNLee

Scientist as a Science Outreach Professional

I admit it is a pleasant challenge trying to figure out HOW to present science on this blog for general audiences. Albeit my limited training in Interpretation has certainly made me more cognizant of how hard it can be for a traditionally-trained science professional to present science to lay people. It really is interpretation or translation in the literal sense -- finding examples or words to explain things (about science) that are more relevant and real and practical to everyday people.

While at conference or at departmental seminars I hear talks or read dense scientific papers and I am in awe. In the information is so real and interesting to me, but I imagine if any one of my friends were with me, he/she would fall asleep after all the snazzy pictures and videos. The method and format and delivery and presentation of the information for science audiences is its own beast. The framing or Theme Selection as I have learned is different, too. I definitely have my work cut out for me as I try to navigate in both worlds – Science and Science Interpretation/Outreach. But I know it is important work, and not just because it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Interpreting current and relevant science research and discoveries and sharing it with the public is an essential professional duty of scientists. For one, the discoveries we make are designed to inform the entire world and contribute to the world catalog of knowledge. We do it to learn more so that our societies can make wiser decisions about our lives, our communities, and our future. It’s not “our” information to keep. Second, most science is publicly financed. Tax payers and general citizens contribute to government agencies like the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control, and many more. These agencies distribute money to teams of researchers and institutions to go out and discover and learn. And your state tax dollars fund science research, too. Distributions to colleges and universities include the salaries, equipment, and supply costs for professors and graduate students who are the researchers who do this work.

Because of the need to share the science with the public, agencies like the NSF are requiring research teams to outline how they will share science with general audiences. Whenever a researcher submits a grant request, he/she must explain how they will not only make a scientific impact but also a broader impact on society. In other words, how will they share their work or opportunities with under-represented groups of society? Will they share or disseminate the results of the study to people beyond other scientists? Will they establish and maintain relationships with other educational professionals, such as K-12 teachers, or instructors from junior colleges or rural or inner-city areas that seldom have the opportunity to interact with researchers or university faculty?

And if I can figure out a way to present science and research in a way that is engaging and relatively quick to produce, then I plan to establish a professional niche for myself. So look out for more.

ISBE Conference was great, but now I'm headed home.

The conference was everything I needed -- stimulating, great networking, reuniting with old friends, learning about future opportunities and having fun.

I know Scientists catch a bad rap at times, but really, we are human beings. We simply love what we do, it's just that not alot people can relate to a job where you ask questions all of the time, do lots of reading, writing and researching, and talking to other "egg-heads" as my mother calls it.

Behavioral Ecology as a lot of great things going on. I attended the most exicting and best plenary talk of my life my Ken Catania of Vanderbilt University.

I visited lots of poster presentations and will in turn share what I learned with you, so please be on the lookout for posting about:

• Least terns that nest on the rooftops of warehouse buildings in Dallas
• Rockhopper Pigeons of the Faulkland Islands
• Mexican Jays that discriminate between larger and smaller food items
• Great nature photos of Ithaca, NY -- there are Gorges on the campus!

In the meantime, if you have a facebook account Photos from Conference on my Facebook page. And please sign up to be my friend. I'd like that.

Rest up for the first day of school. It should be coming soon for most of you.

Urban Science Adventures gives a Shout Out to the Big Doc - Dentist from the Hood

Big Doc is the rap name of Dentist Marrio Thomas. Hailing from South Memphis, TN (a.k.a. Funky Town or 1-Town), Dr. Thomas is ra ole model to inner-city kids and promotes dental hygience with hip-hop. I'm also from South Memphis and went to college with Marrio and I am so proud of his success and outreach.

Dentristry in the Hood....That is an Urban Science Adventure!
Check out the full story: 'Big Doc' on the case: East Memphis dentist produces album of child-oriented rap
Check out his video Call Big Doc.

I Cast my Black Weblog Nominations today - Updates from ISBE

I just posted my nominations for the Black Weblog Awards!

According to a note by the Black Weblog Award Founder/Administrator - Markus Robinson - on Facebook, over 1000 entries have been submitted as of last Thursday (Aug 7).

A big fat THANK YOU to all who have nominated this blog!


ISBE Conference updates

1. Cornell is impossibly hilly - and huge, but beautiful. This campus is so wide. I had hope to come across the famous founding location of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. No such luck as yet.

2. I'm having a great time. Catching up with conference friends and former lab mates, even getting some work done on one of my manuscripts. And hearing the best talks about urban wildlife and related issues. I heard the best talk ever about moles, shrews and earthworms. I can't wait to write an Urban Wildlife Watch posts about these animals. And I have been granted some great interviews. I can't wait to share some really great science research news with you.

3. It is confirmed, Jerry Wolff is with the Great Spirit in the Sky. I haven't been provided sordid details, but a former student of his confirms that he indeed returned his body and spirit to a VERY remote wilderness. It is what he wanted. But I prefer to think that he's living fat and happy on a Mormon Compound enjoying the pleasure of young blonde naive girls. Ahh!

The Urban Whale

That is the title of a new text book published by Harvard University Press. There is an entire chapter on Urban Oceans and Marine Life. It gives accounts of the impact of commercial fishing and boating on marine communities that live near commercial fishing towns,

An Urban Whale – the thought had never crossed my mind. In fact an urban aquatic anything had completely escaped me. How is that possible? I’ve lived near the Mighty Mississippi River my entire life. How could I have completely slept on the fact that was indeed Urban Aquatic communities? I have an obvious terrestrial bias. I’ll work to remedy that. I’ll feature more aquatic organisms in my Urban Wildlife Watch Series.
And so as not to leave you hanging here is a list of common aquatic organisms.

• Catfish
• Buffalo fish
• Trout
• Minnows
• Sturgeons
• Asian Carp (invasive species)
• Crawfish
• Beaver
• Muskrat
• Waterfowl like geese, ducks, herons, egrets
• Mosquito, worms and other invertebrates

Update: Related to this post I am linking to a new marine ecology blog I discovered - Right Whale of Fundy Blog, operated by the New England Aquarium. I'm adding it to the Blogroll, too.

Enjoy!

Greetings from ISBE - Cornell University

I'm attending a scientific conference this week at Cornell University - the 12th Bienneal Congress of the the Internationail Society for Behavioral Ecology. Behavioral Ecology is the scientific study of animal behavior that evaluates animal behavior in the context of an animal's relationship to the environment, its social group, its predators, its prey -- everything. It evaluates the costs and benefits of behavior as it relates to a species ability to survive and thrive (reproduce).

This is one of the largest science conferences I've ever attended. There are over 1000 behavioral ecologists attending this meeting, most presenting their research to peers. I'm not presenting a paper, but I am making some great connections with some people. In fact, I'll be sharing some latest and greatest behavior research findings with you. Already, I've met some great researchers doing some interesting work with a variety of animals. Conference is great - There are hundreds of people talking about all of these neat and exciting findings in the Animal Kingdom. It's like a whole series of trailers for an upcoming Animal Planet/National Geographic?Discovery Channel special.

Be sure to tune back in.

Book Review: Pre-K Books

Today, I am recommending two lovely read-a-long picture books about flying animals. Both books are perfect for your toddlers through grade 1 children.


Hello, Bumblebee Bat by Darrin Lunde, Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne

This is the story of the tiniest bat in the world– the Bumblebee Bat of Thailand. The bat is actually the size of a bumblebee! Using a simple Q&A style, the author introduces readers to this amazing creature of conservation concern. He describes how they hunt for moths to eat, avoid predators like owls, and how the bat lives in large colonies in caves. The illustrations are very eye-popping as well. The prose is simple and easy to read. Soon, your youngsters may be reciting the line to you.





Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre, Illustrated by Steve Jenkins.

This is the story of North America’s most common vulture – the Turkey Vulture. During Spring, Summer, and Autumn months in Missouri, you can see soaring black silhouettes circling in the warm sky above. The story of the Turkey Vulture is presented with several short poems on each page, along with bold illustrations of vultures at work. And they do important work for the environment – they eat meat from dead animals! The details in the back of the book provide more in-depth information about the species, its habits, and way of life. This is a perfect book to read before a nature outing with your young ones.

Book Review - Ecology and World Biomes

As a member of the Animal Behavior Society's Children Book Award Committee I get to review dozens of children's books each year. This year I had the pleasure of reviewin a phenonmenal series about Biomes. It is a perfect primer to ecology. Each book describes physical environment, features the plant, animal, and bug life of each biome, and introduces young readers, grades 1-3, to key vocabulary terms. Each book is very easy to read, 25 pages, and the photographs of animals and landscapes are breath taking.

The Series is produced by Scholastic News Nonfiction Readers.

A Home on the Tundra by Katie Marsico

A Home on the Savanna by Susan Labella

A Home in the Swamp by David C. Lion

A Home on the Prairie by David C. Lion

A Home in the Rain Forest by Christine Taylor-Butler

A Home in the Coral Reef by Christine Taylor-Butler

Polar Bears and Climate Change

International Polar Year is scientific celebration and research program that celebrates the unique ecosystems and habitats of the North and South Poles. It is also an educational campaign to document these biomes before they are no more. Climate change and global warming are threatening EVERYTHING we know to be real in the world. Losing a biome is a travesty -- it would mean loss of innocent life, the compromised ability for people and animals to feed and shelter ourselves, and the complete altering our our weather and season patterns which impacts our agriculuture and ways of living.

Right now, polar bears, the top predator of the northern polar region is seriously threatened with extinction. The World Wildlife Federation has a new TV campaign to make people aware of how climate change is affecting polar bears and other animals. Polar bears are at risk of extinction due to melting and thinning arctic ice, and could disappear by the end of this century if we don't take action. Can you imagine how awful that would be.
Actor and WWF supporter Noah Wyle generously donated his time to record this important message about polar bears at risk. Watch this two-minute video right now.

Help me in sharing this message and working to make our world a place were NO animal dies from the face of the earth in our or our children's lifetimes.

Nominate this Blog for the 2008 Black Weblog Award!

The 2008 Black Weblog Award Nomination Process is now open until August 16, 2008. There are 30 categories and one is The Best Science/Technology Blog! I would REALLY appreciate it if you would nominate my Blog - Urban Science Adventures! © for the best science/tech category. I can't nominate myself, so it's all up to you and your friends.

If you are not an avid blog reader, I would certainly encourage you to check out some blogs. Check out this Black blog aggregator: http://rsspect.org/ to discover some great blogs. But I warn you it’s like going down a rabbit hole.
Be sure to nominate this blog for:

• Best Science/Technology Blog - Urban Science Adventures! © http://urban-science.blogspot.com/


• Best Post Series: Urban Wildlife Watch Series http://urban-science.blogspot.com/search/label/urban%20wildlife%20watch

The Rules: http://www.blackweblogawards.com/rules/

The Categories: http://www.blackweblogawards.com/categories/

Nomination Form: http://www.blackweblogawards.com/database/step1.phpyou can get started right from there.

Other Blogs I like and I will nominate are:
Best Culture Blog
This category is for blogs which talk about Black culture and/or the African diaspora in a multifaceted and dynamic way.
http://electronicvillage.blogspot.com/

Best Group Blog
This category is for a single blog which is updated by a group of people (two or more people). This blog can be about any topic. Posts must indicate who the author is for each one; it cannot be one person masquerading as different people (for judging purposes).
Young Black Professional Guide http://ybpguide.com/

Best Humor Blog
This category is for humor blogs or blogs which feature humorous content.
Writeback.com http://writeblack.com/

Best International Blog
This category is for blogs of any topic that are based in countries other than the United States. The country of origin for the blog must be clearly identified (for judging purposes).
David McQueen http://davespeaks.wordpress.com/

Best Photo Blog
This category is for blogs which feature the blog author’s photographs. A majority of the content (over 90%) must be photos taken by the author. No Getty Images snatching, please.
The People Could Fly http://thepeoplecouldfly.blogspot.com/

Best Podcast
This category highlights podcasts—serialized audio files available to download—on any topic. Podcasts must be available for download (mp3 format); no strict Flash audio sites unless there’s an option for downloading the shows (for judging purposes).
Delta SEE Radio http://www.deltasee.org/radio/index.htm

Best Video Blog
This category highlights blogs which feature original video content by the blog’s author on any topic. Blog content must be primarily video content (at least 90% of posts, for judging purposes). We are not looking for blogs with Youtube clips of music videos -- this must all be original content by the author.
People Could Fly http://thepeoplecouldfly.blogspot.com/

Best Writing in a Blog
This category is for blogs which have exceptional writing. This category is judged not on a single post basis, but on the overall posts of the blog.
The Black Snob http://blacksnob.com/

Blog to Watch
This category highlights the best “undiscovered” blog in the blogosphere; keep your eye on this one! This is for that great blog that not everyone knows about…but should!
Science To Life http://scienceblogs.com/sciencetolife/

Chicago Wilderness - Urban Ecology on a Grand Scale

I was wishing I could attend the annual Ecological Society of America conference this morning. I felt really bad when I learned there would be a special session on Studying Chicago Wilderness: An Urban Conservation Model as a Regional Interdisciplinary Laboratory.

Come to find out Chicago Wilderness is an organization - a 12-year-old consortium of 225 member organizations working together with the common mission of conserving the biodiversity of the Chicago metropolitan region. Chicago Wilderness is a regional nature reserve that includes more than 225,000 acres of protected natural lands. It stretches from southeastern Wisconsin, through northeastern Illinois and into northwestern Indiana.

The protected lands in Chicago Wilderness are forest preserves, state parks, federal lands, county preserves, and privately owned lands. There are also many unprotected natural areas that offer refuge to native wildlife. This is an urban ecology and conservation group – a large one. The coalition works together to develop and implement a comprehensive regional plan for biodiversity conservation which connects multiple landowners, as well as scientific and educational institutions, and engages the region's citizens in ecological restoration and biological monitoring. Wow! Isn’t that exciting?

The session at the conference will cover topics such as historical overview, key projects in conservation planning, education, and progress on developing research agendas in natural and social sciences. I wish I was there.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Winged Ants

The other day, I was swatting away in the kitchen at flies. For some reason, flies have been getting into my house - big flies...and some small ones. But one fly looked a little different. After I swatted in dead and it landed in the tub, I realized, this is no fly...It's an ant.

Yes, some ants are winged, but only the reproductively active ones - in other words Queens and males. This isn't my picture. Regrettably, I don't have a macro lens on the digital camera (bummer). But this is what it looked like. What distinguishes a winged ant from a fly is its body shape. The ant's body is overall much thinner than a fly. And unlike most flies, the ant doesn't have any of that iridescent coloring on its head. And it you look very closely, the ant has that characteristic thin waste and fat abdomen with a stinger. It looks a lot like a tiny wasp. That's because Wasps and Ants are in the same insect family - Hymenoptera.

Keep your eyes open very wide and look closely and you too might be able to spot a rare Winged Ant.

Urban Wildlife Watch: Fireflies

About a week ago, the backyard was newly cut and it was filled with fireflies. I mean, lots of them. My friend and I sat and recollected our adventures catching fireflies as children. I would catch them and hold them in my hand. He would collect them in mason jars stuffed with lots of grass. He would place the jar next to his bed and use the fireflies as a night light.

My years of studying animal behavior have introduced me to lots of interesting things about fireflies. Did you know that there several different species of fireflies? And that the lighting frequency and pattern is indicative of the species? The lighting frequency helps males find females for mating. Now, that I think back, I was interfering with the love life of many fireflies in my youth. Oh, well. Chasing and catching fireflies is a summer time ritual. I encourage kids (of all ages) to look out for fireflies in the early nightfall hours. It's relaxing and a perfect way to spend time with your family.

There is a species of predatory fireflies, the Photuris firefly that feed on other, smaller firefly species. Female Photuris flies actually mimic the light pattern of other species and attract males who think she is available for mating. Then, womp! She pounces on the deceived males and eat them. Crazy, huh?

I also joined an online Firefly Watch Project sponsored by the Museum of Science in Boston. It's a Citizen Science Project that asks volunteers to catalog their nature observations and submit them to a database. It's fun. It's easy. Sign-up now. And for high school students, I recommend keeping notes on your contributions and let your science teacher know. You might be able to earn community service/service learning credit from your school.

Fill me in on your Urban Science Adventures!

Youth Exploring Science - YES!

Fostering a young person's interest is very important for their personal growth and development. I believe it is especially true for young people in interested in science. More often than not, urban kids don't like science and don't usually wax poetic about science lessons.

So, when I came across the story of a Miss Lakisa McPike - a teenager from inner-city St. Louis, who loved science as a kid and how it shaped her career choices brought a smile to my face. Her mother helped cultivate her interest in science since she was young by buying her science books and kits beyond that of her school curriculum. Later she participated in an after-school program called Youth Exploring Science or YES! The program provides lots of great hands-on learning activities that allow youth to explore science topics and careers in depth.

When it was time for deciding on whatmajor in college Lakisa chose biology...and graduated magna cum laude. She will be atttending graduate school this fall and majoring in medical sciences. Read more about Lakisa here.

Recycling for Cash - Earning Money this Summer

Recycling aluminum cans is a great way for kids to make money in the summer time. So many people are enjoying cold beverages so this is perfect time to collect heaps of cans. Ask your neighbors and family members if you can have their cans. Visit local parks and collect discarded cans. You’ll score heaps of can following BBQ and other get-togethers.

Collecting aluminum cans is a good deed all around – for the environment and for you. You’re helping to clean up your neighborhood and parks. You can log a number community service hours for school and/or clubs. And you can earn a lot of money. Plus, it looks great on college applications. This is a perfect way for younger kids to make money this summer. In fact, I did it myself when I was nine years old. It felt great earning my own money!

The amount of money you earn depends on the weight of cans and the price varies. The more you bring in at a time the more you earn per pound. One web site lists offer prices up to .55 cents per pound for recycled aluminum cans.

Here’s what to do:
1. Let your family know you would like to collect cans this summer for money. Ask your parents for permission to store cans some place out of the way.
2. As you collect cans empty them of all liquids and rinse them out first if you can. This makes for a cleaner collection site and fewer ants and flies hovering around.
3. Crush the cans. This helps you get a higher volume of cans in your bag. Plus it gives you a more accurate idea of how heavy your bag of aluminum cans is.
4. When poking in the trash, be careful. Wear gloves or get a grabber.
5. Ask friends, neighbors, and family members to set aluminum cans to the side for you. Arrange for a time to pick them up.
6. Visit public areas during and after major events. You’re sure to collect lots of cans then.
7. Finally, recycling the whole can. The pull tabs have no special extra value; that’s an urban legend. So don’t bother pulling them off and collecting them separately. The recycler treats it all the same.

And depending on where you live, you may be able to collect other recyclables for money, such as glass and other metal containers.

Urban Environmental Science Program - Green Works of Kansas City

I was web-surfing (read procrastinating big time - not working on my dissertation like I was supposed to) and came across this gem -- Green Works for Kansas City.

Assuming I am comprehending what I am reading right, then this organization is all about exploring urban environmental science issues in Kansas City and promoting Green Collar job opportunities for inner-city youth. Ya'll know how much I love that!

A flagship program of Green Works KC is ECOS - Environmental Stewardship and Workforce Development. Students, excuse me for my school jargon, or rather participants explore environmental science topics like water filtration, public sewage and waste management, urban deforestation, recycling, and other environmental matters that impact their city.

Wow, I'm on the other side of the state, but if and when I get out that way, I will definitely look them up. I think it is a great model for agencies interested in Green Collar Job development.

Movie Recommendation: Hoot - an adventure in urban ecology & conservation

I watched the movie Hoot the other day. I loved it, as I suspected I would.
The movie involves 3 main characters – teens who are trying to save a protected species of Burrowing Owls from an impending construction projects.

What I really like about the movie:
1. It features teens being involved and caring and taking action – not being passive. They are civically engaged.
2. It showcases the beauty of nature right in front of us and encourages people to pay attention and enjoy it.
3. It introduces young people to the concept of conservation.

But it also include some of the typical (read corny) story line of the smart kid being bullied, the bully being some overweight and unintelligent heel, the cool but rebellious troublemaker, and the smart but very mean girl. Also, one of the main characters is a serious rule breaker, despite having the best intentions and passion to care – he’s an eco-vandal or eco-avenger. For the sake of the natural resources he disrupts the building site, vandalizes the builders equipment, etc. I so relate to this kid. Who doesn’t want to undermine evil corporations who exploit land, water, plant and animal resources? But I digress.

It’s a great DVD to own for kids to watch over and over again. Plus, the bonus features include educational and service projects related to conservation and environmental education presented by the National Wildlife Federation. NWF is the educational partner for the film. I've updated my blog roll to include links to this amazing organization. Be sure to browse their site - lots of great ideas for community service projects and learning activities!

So 2 big thumbs up for this movie and the service learning projects they encourage.

PhD Position in Urban Ecology

Okay, this is way down the line for my target audience, but hey I believe in dangling carrots to inspire and motivate learners. Plus, it offers some detail about what real urban ecology research is all about.

The candidate will investigate the effect of fragmentation on spatial patterns of selected species and invertebrate communities in urban environments; radio-track hedgehogs; sample and identify flying and ground-dwelling invertebrates such as bees, carabid beetles or snails; analyze their functional assemblage with uni- and multivariate techniques and publish the results in international journals.

Detailed project information is available at: http://www.cces.ethz.ch/projects/sulu/ENHANCE
(project module 2, task 4).

Details about the application are available from:
http://www.telejob.ch/telejob/offer.xml?offer=11376

specifically:
http://www.wsl.ch/info/stellen/547e.pdf
(Do not send applications by email!)

Dr. Martin K. Obrist
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology
CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland

Keep E-Waste Out of Landfills

Some things just don’t belong in a landfill, no matter what. Disposed electronics and batteries that operate them are classic examples – some people call it e-waste. These materials just don’t degrade – they are not BIOdegradable. I other words, they aren’t made of organic or once living materials. Electronics are made of plastics, glass, and wires made from heavy metails . Leaving them exposed to wind, sun and water won’t deteriorate them like wood, and batteries are the worse. They leak materials in the soil that literally poisons the earth. Electronic waste accounts for 70 percent of the overall toxic waste that you currently find in landfills. In addition to valuable metals like aluminum, electronics often contain hazardous materials like lead and mercury. The best thing to do is recycle the materials, but I know that’s not easy to do. Our “easy” lifestyles actually make it hard to do the right thing.

Don’t throw away
· Old TVs, radios
· Telephones, cellular phones, answering machines, fax machines
· Computers, computer screens, scanners
· Cameras, digital recorders, camcorders, tape recorders
· Compact fluorescent light bulbs
· Batteries – no matter what size from watch batteries to car batteries
· Paint
What to do instead
· Consider fixing it, upgrading it and keep using it
· Donate it
· Recycle it
· Drop it off at a proper facility, often a municipally managed program


Visit Earth911 and you can tell them where you live what you have to throw away and it will list nearby recycling facilities.
Call your city waste office and they can tell you proper ways to dispose of these items. Some cities have special drop-off centers and pick up days for “special trash”.
Visit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to learn more about e-waste and how to properly dispose of it.

Happy World Environment Day!

photo credit responsiblechina.com

Prolonging Landfill Life

Landfills only have a finite amount of space to hold trash and that means they can only last so long. One thing cities are trying to do is prolong the life of landfills.

Traditional landfills compact the trash to get more trash in a limited amount of space. The downside is that this reduces the oxygen in the ground which reduces the decomposition rate of the trash. This means it takes even longer for the trash to decompose. One answer to this problem is the Bioreactor Landfill. The bioreactor speeds up the decomposition rate so that the trash breaks down faster and makes room for more trash in the landfill.

But there are many efforts to keep things out of the landfill in the first place. And that starts with each of us.

#1: Precycling. Become more conscious of waste before we make it. Better than disposable, use re-usable supplies. For example, instead of paper towels and napkins use cloth napkins and towels. Use real dishes and utensils instead of paper plates and plastic cutlery. Basically, think how our grandparents may have done it, before there were disposable items readily available. Bring your own bags to the store.

#2: Recycling or Relifing. Put things back in the supply line, not the landfill. Most everything is recyclable now – plastic (#1-7), aluminum cans, food cans, food boxes, even glass. Or donate these items to an Education Recycling center. Items like 2 –liter bottles and potato chip canisters get a new life in arts & crafts and education projects. This is especially great for businesses that have lots of stuff they can’t use – like old letter head or file folders or containers. Don’t dump them, donate them.

#3: Composting. This is definitely Environmentalism 400. There’s no use putting organic waste in the landfill. Compost it in your kitchen, yard or garden and return those nutrients to the soil. Food scraps, leftovers, egg shells, fruit peelings, bones, fat and grease are all organic food waste. With the help of earthworms, they’ll help you get rid of all of that mess.

Alright, do what you can to help us sustain our urban communities now and for the the future.

Filling up Landfills

Days ago, I introduced you to Landfills – what they are and how they work. Landfills are essentially big holes in the ground that are filled with our daily trash. But think about it. Americans generate millions of tons of trash every year. Wouldn’t we just run out of space? Yes, that is a risk. That’s why reduce-reuse-recycling and composting are encouraged, especially in big cities. If we are thoughtless about our trash, where it goes – then we aren’t thinking about the big picture. How much land are we using up for garbage dumps, which mean we can’t use it for housing, recreation, business or farming.

Landfills only last so long. An aging landfill is one that is reaching its Full Capacity. Once the landfill is full, it is closed. Today many cities are filling up their landfills faster than they expected. This is a big problem. Where do you find the space and place to put a new landfill? Would you want to live near a garbage dump, filled daily with fresh decomposing trash? No, I doubt if anyone would. That’s why they are often set on the outskirts of towns, away from people. But we’ve got to get rid of this trash. It is a big complicated problem.

This means the city stops delivering trash and covers up the landfill often with a layer of concrete or asphalt (to cap off the landfill) and then with layers of dirt. But the city is still responsible for monitoring the landfill for leachate, methane gas and other types of pollution. This means that even when it is closed, the landfill fill can’t be use to build anything on it for many years to come. It just sits there until we are sure (as we can be) that is safe for people and animals.

Here are photos of a closed landfill. It looks like a simple span of ground. It is, but there are no residences nearby and the most that can be done with this land is natural habitat restoration -- planting grasses, plants, and flowers.