tagged w/ boreal
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Scientists long puzzled by the rapid decline in millions of Canadian boreal ducks since the 1970s think they may finally have the cause: global warming.
"Because of climate change, the ducks don't have the food that they need when they need it," Stuart Slattery, a research scientist with Ducks Unlimited Canada, told CBC News on Friday.
Slattery and a team of scientists from the University of British Columbia, the University of Saskatchewan and Environment Canada have long been trying to solve a mystery in Canada's boreal forests: why have two duck species, the scaup and scoter, dropped so dramatically in numbers — by 40 per cent and 60 per cent, respectively — in just three decades?
The scaup population, for instance, plunged from six million to 3½ million.
Spring starting earlier
The team suspected the ducks' boreal wetland habitats were changing, so they examined snow cover data. That was when they made a startling discovery.
A map of snow cover data, illustrated in green, where earlier spring melts have resulted in declining boreal duck populations. (Stuart Slattery)"We found that over a 35-year period, that spring comes on average about 11 days earlier," Slattery said.
Slattery said that is a massive change. Low snow cover is directly linked with the drop in the ducks' survival.
Slattery said the world's warming trend interferes with a delicate timing in nature.
Migratory birds fly south in the fall and return just in time in the spring to feed on an abundance of insects. The duck mothers especially need this food while nesting in June.
But now that the spring is arriving nearly two weeks sooner, the ducks fly in too late for the feast.
"As this mismatch gets worse, the ducklings are impacted the most," said Slattery. "The food just simply isn't there in the amounts that it was historically."
Other duck species adapting
Curiously, other duck species, such as the mallard, are adapting since they can migrate to nesting areas earlier in the year.
But Slattery suspects the scaup and scoter have not developed that ability.
"They just get here late, and so they don't have a chance to re-nest like some of the other earlier nesting species do," he said.
Slattery said society's continued use of fossil fuels is causing all these problems.
"We are experiencing climate change in a very real way. [Duck] populations are getting smaller and smaller," he said.
A recent Stanford and University of Toronto study found that 98 per cent of 1,300 scientists who publish papers on climate change agree that the world is warming, and humans are the cause.
More at the linkScientists long puzzled by the rapid decline in millions of Canadian boreal ducks... more
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Opening weekend at Boreal 9/10/09. The earliest opening on record! Team CouchBoys captured the Jpi5 event in every sort of medium from mixing thier soundtrack at home to creative pov jibbing and crispy HD. First crew on the scene and the last to leave... "Live 4/tha Funk"
Please leave comments and tell us what you think we had a lot of fun filming and making this video.Opening weekend at Boreal 9/10/09. The earliest opening on record! Team CouchBoys... more
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mizL
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added this
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2 years ago
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Donner Summit, CA, (October 7, 2009) - Boreal’s snowmaking efforts are about to break yet another record. Boreal is scheduled to turn on the Castle Peak Quad lift for the earliest season opener in the resorts history this Friday, October 9th. First record was set at Boreal on October 11, 2000. Boreal’s opening will also mark the first and only resort to open in California for the 2009/10 winter season.Donner Summit, CA, (October 7, 2009) - Boreal’s snowmaking efforts are about to... more
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During 2008 a solar fountain will flow - and wild flowers will bloom - in a native plants garden that has replaced the lawn at the Lutheran Campus Ministry "Lothlorien" house for students at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.
An interfaith "Blessing of the Garden" ceremony included chanting, incense and other religious traditions from several faith communities.
Earth Keeper Initiative volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson has the story.
The producers thank Lutheran Campus Ministry student leader Sarah Swanson, NMU sophomore from Rapid River, MI for her videography and photography talents that helped make this video possible
(Marquette, Michigan) - In the spring of 2008 a solar fountain will flow and flowers will bloom in a northern Michigan native plants garden nurtured by university students that was blessed by a Buddhist head priest and a Lutheran pastor
A "Blessing of the Garden" ceremony was held in October 2007 at Lothlorien - the Northern Michigan University Lutheran Campus Ministry house near Lake Superior.
A heavy rain poured the entire day almost causing the ceremony to be moved inside, but the sun came out for 20 minutes and the rain resumed just as the blessing and a tour were completed.
Performing the blessing was Rev. Jon Magnuson, director of Lutheran Campus Ministry (LCM) at Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, MI; and Rev. Tesshin Paul Lehmberg, head priest of Lake Superior Zendo, a Zen Buddhist temple.
The Lothlorien lawn has been turned into a native plants garden that includes rocks from three of the Great Lakes.
The LCM house name, Lothlorien, comes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The garden includes Michigan plants and others from the Boreal border regions of the northern United States including Black Eye Susan, aster, dogbane, bluestem, and Sensitive fern.
Prayers, incense, bells, and chants were part of the ceremony that included a tour of the garden by NMU Student Michael Joko Rotter, a member of Lake Superior Zendo.
"Lothlorien is a magical kingdom part of what Tolkien called Middle-earth - where time passes differently," said Rev. Jon Magnuson, a Lutheran pastor, who founded the NMU EarthKeeper Student Team. Many of the campus ministry students belong to the interfaith NMU EK Student Team.
"Our natural native plants landscaping - our Lothlorien garden - is a sign of a new way of living with the world," Magnuson said. "It honors the indigenous and native plants of our region."
"Lothlorien came into being first as a song," Rev. Magnuson said. "The garden will be a haven for birds and other small creatures."
"The fountain represents the water of Lake Superior and the waters of our baptism," Magnuson said.
The Central Upper Peninsula Chapter of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans donated $1,600.
"Students are involved - and we like to support things that young people are going to be enthusiastically involved in like this native plants garden," said Judy Quirk, president of the Thrivent central U.P. chapter.
A fountain in the garden is going to be converted to solar power in the spring of 2008 and the sun will charge a battery allowing the water to flow in cloudy weather.
"We hope this will inspire people to learn the benefits that native plants have, such as requiring a third less water, and no pesticides or fertilizers," said Rotter.
Rotter said the "garden represents the hope of the future."
Cedar Tree Institute:
http://www.cedartreeinstitute.org
Lake Superior Interfaith Communication Network:
http://www.lakesuperiorinterfaith.com
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans:
http://www.thrivent.comDuring 2008 a solar fountain will flow - and wild flowers will bloom - in a native... more
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The Michigan Earth Keepers are protecting the environment with hands-on projects that prove one person can make a difference.
During 2007, the Earth Keepers:
Continued annual Earth Day clean sweeps that have removed 370 tons of hazardous waste from the environment aross a 400-mile area.
Held the the fourth planting of a wild rice restoration project that teams at-risk teens with American Indian guides teaching respect for nature and battling racism.
Sponsored an energy summit that convinced 500 businesses, churches/temples and homeowners to reduce power consumption.
Helped midwest musicians form the Boreal Chamber Symphony for a classical music concert that raised money for the Lake Superior Defense Fund.
The Earth Keepers include members and bishops/leaders of nine faith traditions with 140 participating churches/temples, American Indian tribes, several environment non-profits, university students, teenagers, a 20-member core team plus a 400 person volunteer army.
The Earth Keepers have been funded by grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans plus donations from the public.
The Earth Keepers have broken federal hazardous waste collection records for three years in a row and the EPA says the group is an example for others on how to form an effective coalition that accomplishes its goals.
Earth Keeper volunteer media advisor Greg Peterson looks back at 2007 and four years of environment protection.
The Michigan Earth Keepers are protecting the environment with hands-on projects that... more
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