Thank You USEE

I’d like to first say thank you to USEE who welcomed me and provided me a great experience as a volunteer for them the past year. At the end of this month I will be leaving USEE to start my new full time job this summer at Energy West Controls.

I came to USEE last August fresh out of summer and ready to begin my senior year in high school. For my last year in school I wanted to volunteer at an organization that pursued an issue important to me and provide an environment for me to learn and grow. I discovered USEE while perusing the Internet for possible environmental agencies and am thankful for the time I have been with them.

For the past year I have worked on USEE’s monthly newsletter. I have written pieces for the blog and designed their 2012 calendar. Recently I began coordinating our spring and summer events, and although I will not be able to continue with them I hope everything will go well.

During my time at USEE, I have learned a variety of new things. First and foremost I learned the first step in helping our environment, is educating others (just as USEE’s mission statement says) on not what to think about the environment but how. My goal when joining USEE was to learn more about the inner workings of a non-profit and I like to think I have. Through my work with both the newsletter and coordinating events I discovered the importance of communication, organization, and commitment. It is integral for a non-profit to be in contact and outgoing towards its’ members and other people in the community. You need to be organized to keep everything running smoothly. And lastly you have to be committed to not only your work but also the idea your organization upholds.

Once again thank you!! After this summer I will be starting as an Honors student at the University of Utah studying Environmental Engineering and am extremely excited. Lastly I would like to thank Charice Bourdeaux, who has been my mentor and teacher here at USEE. She guided me through the year, was continually supportive, and always available to talk to about anything.


-Anthony Fratto Oyler

A final hats off to rancher Doc Hatfield

Check out this inspiring tribute that was featured in the latest issue of High Country News. 


This is a wonderful example of people coming together from many different, and often opposing, backgrounds for the greater good!

A final hats off to rancher Doc Hatfield by Ed Marston

Spring is the season for Sage Grouse to strut!!

Photo courtesy of:  Montana Audubon

Early May is the ideal time to view the mystical and spectacular dawn displays of male Greater Sage-Grouse at their breeding leks. 

The Greater Sage-Grouse is North America's largest native grouse species and is a candidate for federal listing as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

Leks are open clearings in the surrounding sagebrush, often on a ridge or knoll. It is believed that many of these courtship grounds have been used for centuries, hence the appropriateness of the strange but often-used term"ancestral lek" to describe these sites.

The Greater Sage-Grouse is about the size of a turkey and has a very noticeable black belly and long, pointy tail feathers. The male also has a ruffed, almost flabby-looking white breast, which puffs up to two enormous yellowish sacs during the courtship ritual. It is the quick inflating and deflating of these air sacs that produces a unique drumming sound that fills the air as males gather to strut. 

Photo courtesy of:  Montana Audubon

 The noise, which sounds like a drawn-out burbling as if someone is gulping underwater, is often the first thing to be noticed in the predawn darkness. Well before the morning light breaks the eastern horizon, as many as fifty Sage Grouse males will have left their night roosts to begin their loud mating ritual.  

Battles ensue, like most such contests in the wild, a battle between dominant male or males earning breeding rights.  The dominant males generally take their places at the center of the lek, with weaker ones farther from the center-a means, it is thought, of ensuring that the most precious genes will not be snared by an opportunistic coyote.

Morning after morning the males will return to the same site where, with territory staked out, they can go about the pressing business of attracting hens. In groups ranging from a half-dozen to well over fifty, males will raise their tail feathers into spiky fans, ruffle their wings, strut and bob and then, with chest puffed up beyond what would seem to be the bursting point, begin a quick series of pops-a display that is no doubt alluded to in many Native American dances where a costume is worn that replicates the fanned out tail feathers of the Greater Sage Grouse. 

Hens, clearly impressed, descend on the lek, allowing the male into whose territory they enter to breed them; they almost invariably move to the most dominant male. It is estimated, in fact, that this central male will mate with about three-fourths of the hens that enter the lek. 

If you know where to locate a Sage Grouse lek before sun-up, and if the wind isn't too fierce, and if cold weather and the prospect of sitting still for hours does not discourage you, then it is possible to witness one of the most bizarre and captivating displays of nature that exists.

More Ways to Reuse Old Junk

It’s spring!

The warmer weather has finally come to stay, which means we finally get out of the house and start working in the yard, remodeling the house, organizing our garages, storage sheds and throwing away what has accumulated during the past year.

However, not everything is trash!

You can actually use your old crown molding, gutters, spice racks etc as organizational tools!

A friend of mine posted this website link of pictures of “Simple Ideas That Are Borderline Crafty (35 pics)”

After looking through them, I realized, they aren’t just crafty, but they are environmentally friendly! They show you neat simple ideas that anyone can do to reuse old objects you may have lying around to help organize or redecorate your house.

Some ideas include:

• Old gutters used as planters
• Empty Tic Tac containers used as string/ribbon dispensers
• Empty Kleenex boxes decorated and used as costume dress up shoes for kids
• Crown molding nailed lower on the wall used as a shoe rack
• An old metal rake head used to display wine glasses
• Glass jars hung with wire on the patio with tea light candles inside
• Old scrub brush used as a pencil and pen holder
• Window shutter used as a letter holder/organizer

I encourage you to go to follow the link and see the ideas for yourself. Perhaps they aren’t all for you, but they could inspire you to reuse some junk you have in your house instead of throwing it away!

-Holly

Walking is still an option!

Growing up in a Michigan suburb, it wasn’t a crazy idea to get a ride to my friend’s house even though she lived less than a mile away. Frequently I would drive up to the corner store, even though on my bike it would take me only 5 minutes. I even remember getting a ride to the bus stop every morning my junior year of high school, although I did walk home in the afternoon.

Why didn’t I walk??

I walked a lot more during my time at Eastern Michigan University(EMU). The campus there is made for walking and it was just a lot easier to park your car and walk the rest of the day then move your car to each building. When I lived near campus, I walked the 15 minutes to class rather than drive because I would only save 5 minutes of walking time otherwise.

The same is true of Ann Arbor, MI, where I frequently spent my free time. The downtown of the city is made for walking. You park in one area, and you spend the day walking to where you need to go.

Parking availability in both EMU and Ann Arbor is so bad, having to only walk 2 blocks to get where you need to go is considered very close parking. In order to avoid paying for parking, I would walk an extra 2-3 blocks and park at a friend’s house.

During this time, I was fine with walking, but why?

Now, here I am, in Salt Lake City. Do I walk? Not really.

Smith’s is only 2 blocks away. If I were to really time it, I bet it takes less time walking there then taking the car. I also live pretty close to the Jordan River parkway, a beautiful path. I have driven a couple times to one of its parks, to walk the dog.

Mostly my excuses are about time. I don’t have the time to walk, I’m always in a hurry and any way that I can shave off a couple of minutes off my trip by driving is worth it.

I’m also lazy, I admit it! I don’t want to carry bags of groceries for 2 blocks!

According to the NPR’s article "Americans Do Not Walk The Walk, And That's A Growing Problem” I’m not alone on the no walking attitude: “Americans now walk the least of any industrialized nation in the world.”

Is it that we are lazy? Too much in a hurry? Don’t have access to safe walkways?

In Tom Vanderbilt’s article, he explores these ideas, and the idea that we may have just forgotten that it is an option.

A student in Raleigh, N.C seems to think that we have forgotten that walking is an option and started a campaign in his city to try and remind folks that things are closer then they think.

Matt Tomasulo decided to post signs around his city advertising how far it is to walk to popular locations. “The signs were so well-made that city officials assumed someone had authorized them”, according to the article in the Huffington Post.

"It's an 18 minute walk to Glenwood South," read one sign in purple, the color Tomasulo chose for commercial interests. "It's a 7 minute walk to Raleigh City Cemetery," read another in green, designated for public spaces.

If I were to see these signs around the Salt Lake Area, I’m sure I would rethink my choice of driving instead of walking.

Being inspired by these articles, I decided to use Google maps to track about how far a walk places are from each other. I even mapped for public transportation, since using that instead of driving is still better for the environment.

My findings are:

If you start at Temple Square it is:

• 17 min walk and 11 min by bus to Gateway Mall
• 16 min walk and 10 min by bus to the Salt Lake City Library
• 9 min walk or bus ride to the Capitol Theater
• 9 min walk or 6 min bus ride to the Off Broadway Theater in downtown
• 11 min walk or 7 min bus ride to Energy Solutions Stadium

If you start at the Gateway Mall it is:

• 21 min walk or 14 min by bus to Red Iguana (my favorite Mexican restaurant)
• 17 min walk or 8 min by us to Main Street/Downtown area
• 14 min walk or 9 min by bus to Capitol Theater
• 5 min walk or bus ride to Energy Solutions Stadium
• 2 min walk to the Clark Planetarium and IMAX Theater

And if you start at the Salt Lake City Library it is:

• 10 min walk or bus ride to downtown Salt Lake
• 20 min walk or 12 min bus ride to Sunflower Farmer's Market

I know that if I had mapped driving routes, places would only take about 2-10 minutes to drive, however factoring in traffic, finding a parking space, and walking from that parking space to the venue, I would say time wise is about the same as walking or the bus.

I encourage everyone to get out their GPS or Google Maps and really look at where things are located.

Can you walk, bike or take a bus?

If it only takes you 20 minutes or less to use those options, I would do it. It’s a much healthier and relaxing trade to walk where I need to go.

-Holly

Gardening advice: How to prepare seedlings for the garden

For me, this time of year is busy with caring for seedlings (see my Zinnia's and Basil above). I don't want them too moist, too dry, too much light, too little light. There are always risks when trying to acclimate them before planting outside. It can be a bit stressful! I'm sure a lot of you are busy with your plant starts as well and thought you might enjoy this article from the Washington Post.

- Andree'

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By Barbara Damrosch, Published: April 11

Spring is always a fickle season, but this year’s temperature spikes have been radical, and I am hearing the phrase “global weirding” much more often than ones like “A bit chilly,” or “Nice day.” One of the many spring jobs for gardeners is hardening off seedlings to get them used to outdoor life gradually. Weather that blows hot and cold has not made the job easier. Here are three steps to giving your seedlings a safe, comfortable transition.

Setting out, bringing in

For a seedling, going from a warm living room to the outdoors is like arriving at Dulles Airport from Honduras, in spring, without even a sweater — especially for tender seedlings like those of tomatoes. Even hardy ones like broccoli are uncomfortable below 45 degrees when first set out, because life on the inside has not prepared them for it.

So it helps to set seedling flats outside for an hour or so per day at first, gradually increasing the time over a week or two. Put them in a spot where it’s easy to bring them in and out. Better yet, use a cold frame with an automatic temperature-activated arm that will open and close the top as needed — a great timesaver! If you have lots of seedlings, the indoor-outdoor game is like housebreaking a puppy.

Acclimating to sun

An even greater risk is the strong spring sun. Unless your plants have been in a greenhouse, they will not be ready for outdoor light, which is much more intense than that of a sunny window or a plant light. It would be like flying back to that beach in Honduras without sunscreen, and it might permanently weaken or even destroy your precious crops.

If you have a tree that’s leafing out, set your flats in its dappled shade. Or drape that cold frame with a few layers of translucent row cover, and remove one each day. I use an outdoor metal table with an open lattice pattern that lets in partial light. I can throw a blanket over it on scary cold nights.

Preparing for wind and rain

Other big shocks for those young plants are the stress of wind, which can dry out their tissues, and the moisturizing but potentially bruising effect of pelting rain. Outdoors, in reaction to these forces, they’d develop thicker cell walls and thicker, stronger stems. It’s the same principle (called thigmomorphogenesis) that makes young trees, allowed to sway in the breeze without rigid staking, form sturdy trunks.

You can help seedlings prepare for wind even before they go outside. Use a small fan, placed at a distance, or just sweep your hand gently along their tops whenever you walk by. If they are in a greenhouse or some other spot where you can use a hose, watering from above with a wand is a good rain simulation.

If you buy your seedlings from a garden center, all the same cautions apply. Have they been indoors there, or under shade cloth or lattice? If so, you may need to harden them off just as you would if they were home-grown.

If, on the other hand, all these little plantlets have been sharing the house with you for weeks on end, you may be delighted to give them, and you, some breathing room.

Damrosch is a freelance writer and the author of “The Garden Primer.”

Good Intentions, Bad Recycling

image source

I recycle everything I can.

In fact at our house we recycle so much, that we fill the bin and more before they come to collect it every two weeks.

However, could my good intentions actually be harming the recycling process and making things more difficult and costly?

Well, the answer is yes, after discovering this article: The Pizza Box Recycling Mystery.

A lot of the cardboard that we recycle are pizza boxes, but the grease inside the box makes them non-recyclable, and can actually contaminate and ruin a batch of recycled paper.

According to the article, “when paper products, like cardboard, are recycled, they are mixed with water and turned into a slurry. Since we all know water and oil don't mix, the issue is clear." “The oil causes great problems for the quality of the paper,especially the binding of the fibers. It puts in contaminants, so when they do squeeze the water out, it has spots and holes."

Contamination isn’t just an issue in the paper recycling process; it’s also an issue for all types of recycling. “Some estimates put the costs of irresponsible contamination in the neighborhood of $700 million per year industry-wide.”

After reading that article, I found Murray City’s recycling webpage and read up on what I can, and can’t recycle. I encourage everyone to do the same for the city they live in.

It’s easy to hinder the recycling process when you don’t know exactly what to throw in your recycling bin, even when you have the best intentions.

Here are general Recycling Paper Do’s and Don’ts (BUT, be sure to check your local recycling webpage as the local options may be different).

DO Recycle:

• Office paper (e.g. letterhead, copy paper, business forms) and photocopies
• Color paper
  
• Newspapers
• Index Cards
• Computer Printouts
• Envelopes and folders (remove adhesive flaps and plastic windows)
• Standard business cards
• Brochures,magazines, newsletters, unclassified reports, books and telephone directories(remove plastic covers, plastic-coated paper and ring binders)
• Corrugated cardboard and toilet roll cartridges
• Packaging paperboard (if not on plastic-coated paper)

DON'T recycle:

• Adhesive removable notes
• Overhead transparencies
• Carbon paper
• Blueprint paper
• Cellophane
• Lunch boxes,paper cups or plates
• Napkins, tissue, paper towel
• Film
• Self adhesive stickers or those with glue or tape
• Foil gift wraps
• Paper or cardboard that is contaminated with paint, chemicals, food, etc.
• Thermal fax paper
• Stickers
• Plastic laminated paper
• Sanitary products

If you live in the Salt Lake Area, go to the Recycling in Salt Lake County page, click on your city and read the Do’s and Don’ts for your city.

If you are not in the Salt Lake area, click the links below for more general information about what can and can’t be recycled.

• Facts About Recycling Paper & Plastic eHow.com
• Do’s Don’ts and How To’s of Recycling
• Recycling for Residents

-Holly

Freeze or no freeze?

Spring is here, but it snowed last week! This is the time of year that gardeners are itching to get dirt under their fingernails. But, do we just need to be patient?

If you haven't already planted your seeds indoors, now is the time. The usual time to start your seeds indoors is 4-12 weeks before the last spring frost. I averaged locations across the Salt Lake Valley and determined April 21st to be the last spring frost, but with our weather who knows! For detailed information about the last spring frost date in your area visit Utah State University's Utah Freeze Dates.

If you are wondering when you can get your plants into the ground, check out this great publication by USU Extension - Vegetable Planting Times.

Do you have any tried and true tips for when to start seeds/when to plant? Leave a comment!

Water Cycle Add On Activities

photo credit

Spring is always a great time to teach about nature and natural sciences. It provides the best backdrop for first hand observation of weather changes, animal habits etc.

For those of you teaching the Water Cycle (usually 4^thgrade according to Utah’s Core Curriculum Standards) I have found some great hands on activities to add into your curriculum unit from the Project WET activity guide.

Not teaching the water cycle? No problem! These activities can be stand alone and are fun for any age and in any setting.

A-maze-ingWater

(Elementary and Middle school)

Summary: “Students guide a drop of water through a maze of “drainage pipes” to learn how actions in the home and yard affect water”

Option 1:Set up a maze with chairs inside the classroom, or use chalk etc to mark a maze outside on the blacktop. The maze should have one start and two exits, a river and a treatment plant. After a discussion about what happens to run off water, assign students to represent water and storm drains. Storm drain students stand on the outside walls of the maze.Water students run through the maze. As the water students pass by the storm drain students, the water students are tagged with pieces of paper, stickers etc that represent polluted runoff. The students who exit through the treatment plant exit get cleaned, whereas the others do not. What happens to the water? Does it always make it to the treatment plant?

Option 2: Prepare ahead of time, or have the students make mazes using wax covered cardboard and clay for walls. Make sure all mazes have one start and two exits,the river and the treatment plant. Let drops of salt, pepper, sugar and fooddye solution dry on the mazes in a few spots (representing sewage drains). Have students navigate a clean drop of water through their maze. What happens to the water? Does it always make it to the treatment plant?

photo credit

Common Water

(Elementary and Middle School)

Summary: “Students analyze the results of a simulation to understand that water is a sharedresource and is managed”

This is an outdoor activity

Fill a largebucket to the brim with water, this bucket represents water stored in a reservoir, pond, lake etc. Students will simulate changes in a water shed over several time periods, each 30 second round represents a different time period (past topresent). In each round, students representing different water users will use sponges to squeeze water into their smaller buckets. This represents water consumption. At the end of each round half of each smaller bucket will bepoured back into the main bucket, representing water that makes it back throughthe soil, rain, run off etc. Discuss the amount of water used for each round, by each player and the color (pollution) and record data after each round. Refill the main bucket with clean water to represent how nature eventually cleans and replenishes itself before each round.

Round scenarios:

1. 200 years ago: 3 students (homesteaders) with 1/4 of a sponge each
2. early 1900's: 6 students (small town) 1/4 sponge each, 1 student (large farm) 1/2 sponge
3. After WWII: 10 students (town residents) 1/3 sponge each, 4 students (factory, hospital, school, store) 1/2 sponge each, 3 students ( 2 large farms, power company) 1 sponge each.
4. Present day: same as above, plus 1 or 2 more services/stores (1/2 sponge) and the rest of class as residents (1/4 or 1/3 sponges)

Need more info?

You can find more information on these activities, with the complete directions, material list, learning objectives and adaptations in theProject WET curriculum and activity guide.

Project WET, an environmental education curriculum and activity guide, has some great lessons that you can easily slide into any curriculum unit for any subject. The great part is, they are made to be hands on and use higher level thinking skills!

To learn more and see upcoming workshops, visit USEE’s Project WET page.

-Holly

National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education - Webinar

Are you looking for resources that will help you design and implement effective environmental education programs?

Join Bora Simmons of the National Project for Excellence in EE and Andree' Walker Bravo, USEE Executive Director on Tuesday, March 27^th at 4:00pm Eastern Time for a webinar introduction to NAAEE’s National Project for Excellence in Environmental Education.

Learn about the Guidelines for Excellence, how they were developed, how they are being used, and how you can access them for free. No need to pre-register. Follow these simple directions to join the meeting:

1) Go to http://breeze.cce.cornell.edu/guidelinesintro

2) Click on “enter as a guest” and type in your name

3) Enter the Room Passcode: guidelines

If you have never attended an Adobe Connect meeting before:

Test your connection: http://breeze.cce.cornell.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

Get a quick overview: http://www.adobe.com/go/connectpro_overview

Questions? Email borasimmons@gmail.com