Sunday, April 25, 2010

Snow cones and slurpees in Yosemite! But do we need more winter tourists too?

Another cool video in the Yosemite Nature Notes series, highlighting an interesting wintertime phenomenon. As the rangers note in the video, not many people know about this interesting business of - and perhaps this video will encourage more people to go check it out, especially in cold wet springs like this one. While I laud (and share) the rangers' and this film's creator's desire to share more of these natural wonders with people - and they sure do want me to go check these things out - I am also conflicted about whether more tourists is what Yosemite needs! Winter is perhaps one time of year when this most heavily visited of parks gets a chance to catch a breath and recover a bit from the summer crush of touring humanity! Do we want to reduce that period of rest too? But, if we don't share these natural wonders with the people, will the people support protecting fragile places where frazil ice can still form such beautiful icy lava flows? Therein lie both the genius and the dilemma of National Parks, don't they?

Hat-tip: YosemiteSteve

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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Saturday, April 24, 2010

How's this for 3 animals in one pic? Sea lions @FresnoZoo #wildfresno

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Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Earth Day Celebration at Fresno State

Earth Day Celebration April 22

Earth Day Celebration April 22

Event Date:

April 22nd

Earth Day Celebration April 22

40th Anniversary
Fresno State Earth Day 2010 Celebration
April 22, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sustainability Fair and Panel Discussions

Sustainability Fair: Fresno State Peace Garden
What: Exhibits with information, resources, demonstrations related to sustainability and green living
Where: Fresno State’s Peace Garden adjacent to Henry Madden Library
When: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Panel Discussions: Madden Library Auditorium #2206
What: discussion, debates, Q&A about important sustainability topics to our region and planet

11 a.m. – 12 noon   
Jesse Morrow Mountain: Which Priorities Should Prevail?
Moderator: Peter McDonald Dean, Henry Madden Library.
Panelists: Audrey Osborne, Traditional Choinumni Tribal Council, and Robert Takacs, Friends of Jesse Morrow Mine.

12-1 p.m.     
Urban Planning & Transportation: Managing Change
Moderator: Andrew Jones Fresno State Sociology Dept & Sustainability Subcommittee.
Panelists: Kristine Cai, Fresno COG; Derya Ozgoc-Caglar, Fresno State Geography Dept.; Eric Fredericks, California High Speed Rail Authority; John Dugan, Director of Planning and Development Department, City of Fresno; and Rollie Smith, Sustainable Communities, Housing and Urban Development.

1-2 p.m. 
Climate Change: Mitigation & Adaptation for Fresno
Moderator: Peter Van de Water Fresno State Earth & Environmental Science Dept.
Panelists: Donald Hunsaker, Director Fresno State Institute of Climate, Change Oceans, & Atmosphere; Tom Cotter, Co-founder Fresno Green; Joseph Oldham, City of Fresno Sustainability Manager.

2-3 p.m. 
Water – The Lifeblood of the Community
Moderator: Lanny Larson, Fresno State University Communications
Panelists:Nora Laikam, City of Fresno Water Conservation Supervisor, and Calliope Correia, Fresno State Horticulture Nursery Technician.

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Yes, Fresno State is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with its second Sustainability Fair! As you can see above, panel discussions will hit several hot-button environmental issues both local and global in scope. There will also be several exhibits/tables (download a flyer for more information) where campus and off campus groups will share information relevant to local and global environmental issues - and I'll be there sharing info about the Fresno Bird Count and Fresno Audubon. So come by if you are on campus around the middle of the day tomorrow. We'll be at the Peace Garden - unless the wet weather continues, in which case the fair moves indoors to within the library.

(And don't ask why none of the panels mention a certain urban ecologist on this campus who happens to be studying urban water use...)

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Whoa!! Cool video of meteorite seen over Midwestern US skies last night

That bright, eh?! Brilliant - but probably not big enough to cause much damage, nor be detected for any kind of advance warning. Must've been pretty cool for those who saw it!

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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Friday, April 9, 2010

Robert Full: Learning from the gecko's tail

And that is but a taste of what we will get this afternoon in our department colloquium here at Fresno State, for Dr. Full is on campus and will be speaking shortly. I will try to record audio for potential podcast.

Here's the flyer for the event:

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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Sunday, April 4, 2010

Science vs Pseudoscience at Valley Cafe Sci tomorrow night

Folks in the Fresno area: join us tomorrow night at Lucy's Lair (see our website for details) for the April meeting of the Central Valley Cafe Scientifique when Physicist Ray Hall will guide is through the philosophical conundrum of telling good (but fringe) science apart from crackpot pseudoscience! Promises to be a fun evening, no?

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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Friday, April 2, 2010

Spring Break enthusiasm by career stage

Glad to be in that last category! But it's Friday and I'm wondering: where did spring break go?!

[Hat-tip: Drug Monkey]

Posted via web from a leaf warbler's gleanings

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