For information on a host of local events, visit the "Events" link in the above menu bar. For the most up to date illustrated news and even more clips, view recent snips at the TidewaterCurrent Snip.it collection.

Citizens' Wetlands Workshop

Saturday, September 22, 9 AM - 3 PM
Location: Westminister Canterbury on the Chesapeake
Penthouse Lounge (Top Floor), 3100 Shore Drive
Cost: $10 per person, includes lunch and all supplies

The day will include both classroom instruction and field activities.Afternnon field activities will be at the new Pleasure House Point Natural Area. Some walking will be involved.
Pre-registration is required. To register, contact LRNow at kris@LRNow.org or call 757-962-5398, Space is limited.

Pollinator Partnership

Free app - The Bee Smart™ Pollinator Gardener is your comprehensive guide to selecting plants for pollinators specific to your area. Never get caught wondering what plants to buy again

9.21.12 - Help create a foundation for a Virginia Marine Debris Plan - February 27 & 28, 2013 - Sponsored by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program - Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science CenterVirginia, Beach Virginia. Includes link to sign up.

9.20.12 - The Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City is Home to 360.000 Bees That Produce Honey for Their Guests (Photos) - treehugger.com. Six hive on the rooftop have produced 125 pounds of honey since April.

9.20.12 - American Carbon Registry Approves First Carbon Offset Methodology for Emission Reductions from Deltaic Wetland Restoration - The Sacramento Bee - Am I missing something here? At first glance, I like the plan as it will facilitate the restoration of wetlands. However, it seems like a robbing Peter to pay Paul scheme. While the folks in Louisiana benefit, which I appreciate, somewhere else carbon and potentially other greenhouse gas emission are being allowed to increase.

9.19.12- Bee boulevard: How to turn an urban corridor into a haven for native pollinators - grist.org. Seattle's Pollinator Pathway could serve as a model for other cities.

9.19.12 - Airports' newest groundskeepers: farm animals | SmartPlanet - The sheep keep airport landscapes clear of potential bird habitat without the use of polluting machinery. The animals are being tested at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and have been used at Seattle and San Francisco airports also. Chicago O'Hare is considering the use of goats.

9.18.12 - Hottest Ever Water Temperatures Off East Coast All the Way Down to the Bottom of the Ocean - motherjones.com. Temps in the Chesapeake Bay were 11 and 9 degrees above historical averages, respectively at the sea surface and the bay bottom. As a result of the warming, fish stock distributions are shifting.

9.15.12 - HeraldNet.com - Old farm in Arlington has new job: cleaning stormwater - Washington state community creates a public park/wetland area for recreation and to filter storm water before it enters the Stilllaguamish River.

9.14.12 - Seahorse inspires more searching in Lafayette River - hamptonroads.com. Restoration efforts in the Lafayette River, a Chesapeake Bay tributary, in Norfolk, VA look to be successful. Among recent finds of surprising critters found generally in a healthy environment was a seahorse.

9.14.12 - Bay Daily: With Farm Bill in Limbo, Bay Cleanup Funds Are at Risk - "Agriculture is the largest single source of nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake, and the Farm Bill has historically been the largest funding source to help farmers install stream buffers, build manure storage facilities, plant cover crops and take other actions that help keep nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment from reaching waterways." Last Wednesday farmer protested at the Capitol protesting the inability of Congress to renew the Farm Bill.

9.14.12 - To the bat cave! US conservationists hope bunker can halt deadly fungus - guardian.co.uk. The Nature Conservancy is building a first of its kind artificial cave in Tennessee with the hope that it will stem the toll taken by the destructive white nose fungus on the bat population. Bats are afflicted with the illness that has wiped out 90% of some populations when they hibernate. The artificial structure can accommodate some 200,000 bats and be cleaned yearly to remove the deadly fungus.

9.12.12 - Dirty Air Villains identified by NRDC analysis - whovotesdirty.com. "With millions of polluters' dollars in their campaign chests, these members voted against protecting clean air standards 100% of the time. " Included on the Virginia Villain list are Scott Riggell and Randy Forbes. Follow the link to check your representatives' records.

9.12.12 - Oysters for Life Campaign - $175 Introductory Offer Ends Soon - oystersforlife.com. Help the Bay and receive 2 dozen Virginia oysters a year for the rest of your life. When you buy a cage, which holds 2000 oysters, up to 100,000 gallons of nutrients are filtered from the water daily.

9.12.12- Stranded turtle released into wild - delmarvanowcom. 123 pound Loggerhead was found entangled in a crab pot July 5. "Last week, Trouble was released at Cape Charles beach after nine weeks of rehabilitation at the Aquarium's Marine Animal Care Center in Virginia Beach, Va."

9.11.12 - Living shorelines: Virginia landowners learning the value of manmade marshes and beaches - dailypress.com. The concept has been used for years to stabilize shorelines and maintain wetlands. At the site described coir logs made of coconut fiber will be installed to form a stabilizing perimeter in the river. "The space between the logs and the shore will be filled with sand and graded to provide the elevation needed for native plants to thrive. When the logs biodegrade in a few years, mature plants will hold the new shoreline in place."

9.10.12 - Study targets James River algae that can be harmful - newsadvance.com. "To better understand why the James is such an algae factory, and to get ideas on how to solve the problem, the state is putting up about $3 million for Bukaveckas and other scientists to conduct a three-year study. The research began this summer."

9.10.12 - Injured bald eagle gets new 3-D printed beak - grist.org. "Beauty's new beak isn't secure enough for her to return to the wild, ...But she's a lot more self-sufficient than she was — and her case may help pave the way for making better prosthetics for wildlife in the future."

9.7.12 - New Zealand Grants a River the Rights of Personhood - treehugger.com. If a corporation can be considered a person, why not a river. Under a settlement with the government, the Whanganui was granted legal personhood. This is the first such case, but probably not the last.

9.7.12 - Plants: Even Better Than You Thought - earthtechling.com. Research from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology indicates that "living walls, strategically placed in urban canyons, can improve the local air quality by as much as 30 percent.""

9.6.12 - Suffolk council OKs resolution against uranium mining- hamptonroads.com. Suffolk joins Norfolk and Virginia Beach in opposition to a Pittslyvania uranium mining operation that threatens the water supply to the region.

9.6.12 - Destroyed coastal habitats produce significant greenhouse gas - phys.org. "Destruction of coastal habitats may release as much as 1 billion tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere each year, 10 times higher than previously reported, according to a new Duke led study."

9.5.12 - Bay committee accepting applications - delmarvanow.com. "This year $371,841 grant monies will be awarded to eligible applicants who submit proposals emphasizing environmental education or restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay.The deadline for submitting a grant proposal for 2013 is Oct. 1."

9.4.12 - Falcon takes flight after 2nd Virginia Beach rescue - hamptonroads.com. Treated over the winter at the Wildlife Center of Virginia for a fractured wing, the bird was released and rescued again, this time on the balcony of an Oceanfront high rise. The bird likely aggravated the fracture, recovered quickly and was just released at First Landing State Park.

9.4.12 - After a Town Is Buried, Controversy Still Rages - baconsrebellion.com. A good review of uranium mining in Colorado and Virginia, as communities contemplate the economic benefits and environmental consequences associated therewith. Pictured is the sealed off site of a former CO mine, that underwent Superfund cleanup at a cost $120 million.

8.29.12 - Landfill Turned Urban Oasis�Wetland Now Home to Fish and Birds - noaa.gov. In the Jersey City restoration project, 42 acres of wetlands were created. The area once barren of wildlife now supports bird and fish populations.

8.28.12 - THE BATTLE OVER A NORTH CAROLINA BEACH CONTINUES - Audubon Magazine - Lawsuit filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of Audubon and Defenders of Wildlife, prompts the Park Service to limit motorized beach access, but it does not appear the battle is over.

8.28.12 - More than $9 million in funding will restore habitats, reduce runoff across Chesapeake watershed - Chesapeake Bay Program - 41 programs in the Bay Drainage system are receive funding to restore habitat and pollution in the Bay by reducing runoff. "In all, this year's projects will engage 9,000 volunteers; restore 176 miles of streamside forests and 158 acres of wetlands; and establish 170,000 square feet of green roofs and rain gardens"

8.26.12 - Changing Cities: A Wind Turbine That Creates Fresh Water Out of Thin Air - abcnews.go.com/. Eole Water created a wind turbine that pulls moisture from the air, collects it and treats it, producing a fresh sustainable water supply.

8.25.12 - New bike trails proposed along West Virginia national river - examiner.com. Parkersburg High school and middle school brothers work on restoring and building hiking and biking trails along the New River Gorge. The Outdoor Channel made a documentary about their efforts.

8.25.12 - 73 Kemp's ridley sea turtles make tracks in Va. Beach - hamptonroads.com. Normally nesting along the Gulf of Mexico, one of the rare turtles nested along on Navy property at Dam Neck. All of the 73 hatchlings made it into the Ocean.

8.23.12 - Seaweed may be grown commercially in Connecticut waters west of New Haven - middletownpress.com. "On Tuesday afternoon, a team drawn from UConn's business school, engineering department, and Stamford seaweed research lab heralded the potential benefits of commercial seaweed farming to absorb nutrients primarily nitrogen, in Long Island Sound and provide ecologically friendly fertilizers, biofuel and foods."

8.21.12 - Floating wetland moored ready for big launch - rotoruadailypost.co.nz. World's largest floating wetland sewn with 20,000 native plants will remove 4 tons of nitrogen and 1000 kg of phosphorus annually from Lake Rotorua in New Zealand.

8.21.12 - Marine Defenders App Helps Fight Ocean Pollution - treehugger.com. Free app developed by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation offers a way to report any signs of marine pollution (oil spill or debris).

8.20.12 -New oil spill dispersant made from ingredients in peanut butter, chocolate, ice cream - sciencedaily.com. It's unfortunate that there's a demand for this technology, but the edible and benign makeup of the dispersant described in this article would minimize the environmental impact in an oil spill. The dispersant prevents the accumulation of oil in feathers and is made of readily available ingredients.

8.19.12 - University of Maryland develops plant-based fish food, helping to reduce aquaculture concerns - baltimoresun.com. To reduce the environmental impact created by demand for forage fish to provide meal for the aquaculture industry, scientists looked at a plant based feed developed for fresh water species and adapted it for salt water species. The key was the inclusion of the amino acid taurine, which fish need but cannot produce for themselves. Cobia, striped bass and sea bream are thriving on the new diet in closed recirculating tanks

8.18.12 - Floating platforms support species that improve water, look good - onlineathens. Several of the floating wetlands, which filter pollutants and provide habitat, have been anchored around the Tidewater area including the Virginia Zoo, William and Mary, in the Elizabeth River and under the Coleman Bridge at VIMs. The mats pictured are at VIMs and are comprised of salt tolerant plants.

8.17.12 - E.U. policy helps air quality in harbors - ecoseed.org. Measurements of air pollutants before and after the adoption of the policy by scientists form the Universities of Genoa and Florence show that where the fuel sulfur content policy was enforced, sulfur content in the air decreased 66 percent.

8.17.12 - Eat them before they eat everything - eatocracy.cnn.com. A growing number of conservations and foodies, including Andrew Zimmerman, promote eating invasive species as food. Considering the high expense of meat, Zimmerman supports collecting invasive species and using that meat to feed people living below the poverty line.

8.16.12 - Program Turns to Nature to Manage Pollution, Stormwater Runoff - waterworld.com. Syracuse is building green infrastructure, like the parking lot island made from permeable pavers and lined with trees, that will capture and absorb storm water so it will not carry pollutants to impaired Lake Onondaga.

8.15.12 - Uranium mine study outlined - vancnews.com. Virginia Beach study on the proposed Pittsylvania mine finds that any release of radioactive material would put the City's water supply in jeopardy. Although such releases are uncommon, they are not unprecedented and the Pittsylvanis site is susceptible to extreme weather conditions.

8.15.12 - UN Chief Seeks to Strengthen Law of the Sea Treaty - ens-newswire.com. The well over 20 year old Treaty, with 162 signatories includes the European Union and 161 nations, but not the United States. With the opportunity to participate in international law and dispute settlement, the treaty is supported by the US Navy and oil and gas industry. The President supports our participation, but signing requires congressional approval. By not participating we are putting ourselves in disadvantageous position.

8.14.12 - Eagle nests could be relocated | WAVY.com | Norfolk, Va. - Several strikes in the region over the last several years have officials concerned. No word on how they plan to disperse the birds from the airport/botanical garden area.

8.11.12 - Crews to scoop tons of muck from Portsmouth bay - hamptonroads.com. The polluted river bottom removed will be replaced with clean sand and oyster reefs that will provide habitat and support wildlife. The clean up is one of several in the Elizabeth River and is being paid for by the company that now owns the gas manufacturing plant responsible for the pollution.

8.10.12 - Migrating geese avoid wind farms - bbc.co.uk. After monitoring Pink-footed geese for several years, UK researchers find that they are avoiding offshore wind farms in their travel route.

8.8.12 -Virginia teens learn, have fun in park program | Local News - nvdaily.com. Great program. Youth conservation corps benefits both the kids involved and the park.

8.6.12 - Fort Monroe Master Plan - ideas.fmauthority. View the plan and submit your comments. 25 days remaining.

8.6.12 - Drop Empty Oyster Shells at Starbucks - severnapark.patch.com. To rebuild oyster reefs, Chesapeake Bay Foundation partners with restaurants and groups to collect oyster shells. Starbucks in Maryland's support of the endeavor is noteworthy.

8.6.12 - Innovative School Restores Education and the New York Harbor 0A+A- - ecowatch.org. Great read about a passionate educational entrepreneur from Virginia creating a high school program that teaches environmental stewardship and restoration. The school has set an ambitious goal to restore the oyster free Hudson into a thriving estuary with one billion oysters in the next 20 years.

8.5.12 - Bald eagles soaring toward recovery in Virginia - timesdispatch.com. In the 1970s there were only 20 nesting pairs in Virginia and that number has now increased to 800. Territorial in nature, the birds are competing for space and the Virginia Wildlife center is now seeing more injuries consistent with a fight with another eagle. Juvenile release video included.

8.3.12 - Port of Los Angeles seeing benefits of pollution-reduction strategies - porttechnology.org. "Harmful emissions down 76 percent since introduction of Clean Air Action Plan in 2005." In another post, Port Technology reports that the Port of New York and New Jersey also plan to reward greener vessels.

8.3.12 - Navy sells land to Va. Beach for marine animal center - hamptonroads.com. $13 million center to be completed in 2018.

8.3.12 - Purple Martins Flock to Va. for Annual Summer Stay - abcnews.go.com. Flocks of these birds stop in a popular restaurant/nightlife section of downtown Richmond every year in preparation for their migration to South America.

8.1.12 - Consider Your Oysters: East Coast Edition - huffingtonpost.com. Chincoteague Bay oysters ranked 3rd in taste test. Includes a slide show of the best oysters and a great video by American University, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and more on sustainable oyster aquaculture operations in the Chesapeake Bay.

7.31.12 - Virginia - American Eels Return to Mountain Streams After Dam Removal - usgs.gov/newsroom. Rappahannock River dam removal allows great increase in eel numbers in headwater streams 100 miles away.

7.31.12 - Colorado activists took on uranium giant and won — for now at least - denverpost.com. By banding together people still can make a difference and protect our land and water.

7.29.12 - Photo gallery | Counting dolphins at the Oceanfront - Virginia Beach - hamptonroads.com. 301 were counted last year.

7.29.12 - Sea turtles nesting in big numbers on Ga. coast - news4jax.com. Double the average number of sea turtle nests in Georgia this year.

7.27.12 - Don't mine uranium in Virginia, member of study group warns - www.roanoke.com. Member of a research committee that looked at uranium mining in Virginia for the National Academy of Sciences, speaks out personally against the proposed project.

7.27.12 - Pesticides Detected in Long Island Sound Lobsters for the First Time - enewspf.com. Lobster harvests have been declining in Long Island Sound. Warmer waters could be contributing to their decline, but with this new evidence, it seems likely that pesticides are playing a role as well.

7.27.12 - Conscious Eating: Ocean Warming Sends Lobsters NorthwardGlobal warming threatens the world's supply of seafood - CSRwire Talkback. Southern lobster populations are declining while norther population are on the rise. Lobster is plentiful in Maine and in Massachusetts while points south are seeing lower harvests and a prevalence of disease. Author attributes this change to global warming and encourages personal action to limit GHG emissions.

7.27.12 - Researchers lower the alarm as more whales are snared - watoday.com.au. Link to Warning Whales Away Video - A whale alarm is being tested on a mooring off Sydney, Australia to determine if it deters entanglements in shark nets.

7.27.12 -Action plan to halt Welsh bee decline - .bbc.co.uk. Recognizing pollination is an economically important eco service, Wales will develop a plan to protect bees that will likely make development "pollinator" friendly.

7.26.12 - Pollinators: Virginia gardener and bee lover launches Protect Pollinator license plate - dailypress. For the plate to become available, Pollinator Plates must meet Virginia's requirement of collecting 450 completed applications and plate fees by this November. Drivers interested in the Pollinator Plates can visit the official website at www.pollinatorplates.com. The plates cost $10 annually. Once enough applications are collected, the plates will be introduced into the Virginia General Assembly.

7.25.12 - Robotic ray could end up flapping through an ocean near you - gizmag. UVA Mantabot is in development for undersea exploration or surveillance. Video included. While mimicking an actual Manta Ray I'm sure it moves well through the ocean, but I can't help but wonder if it might not be mistaken as a meal for a larger creature.

7.25.12 - Whale play on a miserable Manly day- heraldsun.com.au. Sydney, Australia - Swimming club enjoys freak whale encounter.

7.25.12 - Taking the Ick Factor Out of Recycled Water - nytimes.com. All water is used and reused. Where water resources are scarce, waste water reclamation for potable uses is becoming acceptable. One such reclamation plant will begin operating next year in Texas.

7.24.12 Whale shark freeing caught on camera- wanderlust.co.uk. Indonesia - Video shows Conservation International successful efforts to disentangle a whale shark.

7.22.12 - New wastewater discharge permit requires 'green infrastructure' - jsonline.com. Milwaukee waste water discharge permit is the first in the US to require rooftop plantings and installation of other "green infrastructure" to collect and absorb storm water. The cost of such an initiative is much less than digging more tunnels for traditional storm water diversion.

7.20.12 - University of Maryland purchases 16 foot underwater drone for coastal studie - TidewaterCurrent.

7.19.12 - America's big drought: Time to rethink water conservation - csmonitor.com. Virginia Farmer Joel Salatin maximizes rainwater retention on his farm. He sees farmers as stewards of land and water and works with nature so he's ready to deal with less than ideal conditions. Water is stored in ponds and he rotates his cattle regularly preserving the grassland.

7.19.12 - 10 crops that would disappear without bees - foxnews.com. Great review of Colony Collapse Disorder attributing the demise of bees to systemic pesticides. The implicated class of pesticide was banned in France as highlighted in a previous snip and although 1 million have supported an emergency petition to stop use of the pesticide here, the EPA declined to issue and emergency suspension but will open up a 60 day public docket next week to collect comments.Info at http://www.beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/?p=7723

7.18.12 - Scientists channel bird brains to prevent aircraft collisions - smartplanet.com. Installing lights that emit ultraviolet light, visible to birds but not humans, could reduce the high number of bird plane collisions. Perhaps this technology could be applied to wind turbines too.

7.18.12 - Whale born in Sydney Harbour - .smh.com.au. We tend to think that wildlife keeps a distance from populous areas, but clearly it's not the case. Take a look at the video of a mother and calf Southern Right Whale that ferry commuters in Sydney Harbor enjoyed yesterday.

7.17.12 - Virginia Beach welcomes new place to study wildlife - hamptonroads.com. Biology teachers toured the recently preserved waterfront parcel of Pleasure House Point on the Lynnhaven River. They are looking forward to bringing students to the site to learn about the unique coastal environment.

7.17.12 - Federal Funding in Green Infrastructure: Cleaning Waterways and Creating Jobs - switchboard.nrdc.org. Green infrastructure for storm water management reduces pollution in our waters and creates jobs. Numerous examples are cited in this article.

7.17.12 - 12-Year-Old Takes on 'Big Plastic' With Popular Petition - ens-newswire.com. Worth a read! Concerned about the impact of plastic bags on wildlife, an Illinois youth worked to create a local ban on single use shopping bags in her community. Big corporations got involved and got state legislation introduced that would prevent local communities from banning the bags. Petition at Change.org.

7.13.12 - San Francisco Bay Whales: Feds To Reroute Ships For Marine Protection- PHOTOS: Whales In The Bay! - huffingtonpost.com. A move in the right direction for marine mammal protection. In addition to rerouting shipping traffic, San Francisco will establish a whale monitoring network that is supported by industry. Trained sailors on commercial vessels will be on the look out for whales and report sitings to other ships in the vicinity so they can reroute or slow down.

7.12.12 - Virginia Beach OKs deal to preserve 122 acres - hamptonroads.com. City closes $13 million deal and is preserving the Pleasure House Point parcel.

7.10.12 -Texas judge rules that the atmosphere is protected under the public trust doctrine - grist.org. In a monumental decision, the Public Trust Doctrine is upheld in a petition seeking action on climate change filed by Our Children's Trust. The judge found that the atmosphere, like water resources, should be protected under the doctrine. The author notes that the decision is likely to be challenged.

7.7.12- Army rebuilds island with Baltimore mud - foxnews.com - Baltimore Harbor Dredge spoils used to rebuild eroding Chesapeake Bay Island that is now a wildlife sanctuary, providing nesting grounds for Diamondback Terrapins and sea birds including eagles. NASA satellite images show the transformation.

7.7.12 -Show Your Support for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna by July 15 « EcoWatch- NRDC encouraging comments to NOAA re major changes for managing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. NOAA link included as well as one to the Pew Environmental Group Infographic on the Bluefin Tuna.

7.6.12 - Navy Admits Whales and Dolphins in Harm's Way : Discovery News - July 10 is the deadline to submit comments regarding the Navy's request for exemption from the marine mammals protection act and endangered species act. The author notes that there is an online petition against the request with a link included and that the Navy has done extensive analysis in order to limit worse case scenarios.

7.6.12 - Whales to gain canal protection - bbc.co.uk/news - Whale watching has become increasingly popular in Panama and Humpbacks in and around the Panama Canal will likely be protected. There is a breeding ground in the vicinity of the canal and a proposal has been made to funnel ships into narrow lanes as well as slow them down.

7.5.12 - A 'Mussel Raft' Tackles Bronx River Pollution - green.blogs.nytimes.com. NOAA experiments with mussels to remove nitrogen from the water. The mussel are not edible and therefore unlikely to be poached. The mussels can be used for fish food.

7.3.12 - Loggerhead turtle picks Oceanfront beach for nest - hamptonroads.com - Virginia Beach - Every year there are usually a few sea turtle nests along Virginia shores, normally in less developed areas. This nest was unusual along the heavily developed North End. at 57th St. The eggs were collected by volunteers and will be relocated and watched.

7.3.12 - Celebrities Rally to Stop Fracking and Promote Renewable Energy - ecowatch.org - First Ever "Stop the Frack Attack" Rally in DC July 28. Since, congress has exempted the oil and gas industry from Clean Air and Water provisions, environmental leaders including celebrities are gathering to protest fracking and promote renewable energy.

7.3.12 - Water buffalo help rid Brandywine park of invasive plants - delawareonline.com - Delaware Park experiments using Water Buffalos to remove invasive plants. The Bull Calves eat and crush the invasives. The State Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will monitor the experiment. If successful, they will re-employ the Bulls next year.

7.2.12 - Los Angeles Joins Fight Against Climate Change - huffingtonpost.com - 12 million people represented by two dozen municipalities including Boone, NC and Los Angeles have approved resolutions calling for action on global warming. While her in Virginia, our Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, challenged EPA's authority to act regarding GHG emissions under the Clean Air Act. Fortunately, the Court just upheld EPA's authority to act.

6.29.12 - Debunking the "War On Coal" - switchboard.nrdc.org - Finally 20 years after the Clean Air Act mandated protecting human health, the EPA acted to limit mercury pollution from power plants. An effort to block the ruling was made in the Senate last week, but fortunately it was defeated. Even Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia stood up against the effort to risk our health, but not Virginia representatives.

6.28.12 - Delegate raising money to keep ban on uranium mining in place - YourGV.com - Virginia - Why is this mine needed? Japan and Germany are phasing out nuclear as have other European countries. And now France, once a staunch proponent of nuclear is changing its tune and has announced that it too will reduce nuclear capacity. Who will be buying what is mined???? Only one nuclear plant has been commissioned in the US in recent years and many are aging and should be shut down.

6.28.12 - Eight Solutions to Address Climate Change – in 3D… - newswatch.nationalgeographic.com - C40 info-graphic highlights problems and solutions developed in participating cities. C40 is a network of the world's megacities committed to addressing climate change Link to info-graphic included. More info at http://www.c40cities.org/

6.27.12 - Anglers' equipment spells trouble for wildlife | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com. Conservation groups are working together with the City of Virginia to educate the public and remove fishing line and angling debris from waterway. The first clean up is scheduled for July 14. More info here: http://www.recycleyourline.com/Pages/aboutus.aspx .

6.27.12 - Old Dominion University Researcher helps Team Produce TickID App - ODU News. Photos, descriptions, diseases carried and proper removal techniques are available in this new application for iphones and ipads at http://itunes.apple.com/app/tickid/id531348104?mt=8 .

6.27.12 -Turning Sea Trash into Boat Fuel - NBC Bay Area. Mining our landfills and oceans for plastic could make sense. Rendering plastic into its oil base via pyrolysis has been feasible for years, but expensive. Now that we are wasting so much landfill space on it and our oceans are full of it, the benefits attained by removing it from the ocean and reducing demand on increasingly expensive landfill space, could outweigh the costs.

6.25.12 - Study finds sea level rise accelerating along Atlantic coast - baltimoresun.com.
The largest rates in sea level rise in the study were found in Norfolk, VA where sea level has been rising 6 millimeters per year.

6.24.12 - Chesapeake Bay "smart buoys" give real-time wind and weather information - TidewaterCurrent.com. NOAA's system of smart buoys provide data on current conditions in 10 locations around the bay as well as interpretive data relating to the first water based national trail in the country. Smartphone apps are available to download.

6.22.12 - Endangered turtle ventures to Duck, N.C. (and VB), to lay eggs | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com. Normally Kemp's Ridley nest along the Gulf Coast. This one oddly laid her eggs during the day, allowing confirmation of the specie. Also this week a Kemp's Ridley nest was discovered at Dam Neck in Virginia Beach. Perhaps these turtles are more able to adapt than we thought. They may be attracted to the warmer waters this year on the East Coast or simply staying away from the Gulf Coast.

6.19.12 - World's largest man-made floating wetland for Rotorua | Voxy.co.nz - voxy.co.nz. New Zealand - 4,0000 sq. meter floating wetland with 20,0000 native plants being constructed at Lake Rotorua. The systems is expected to significantly reduce nutrients in the lake as the floating systems have been demonstrated to filter more water than land based wetlands.

6.18.12 - Floating wetlands to treat sewage - hawkesbaytoday.co.nz. New Zealand - Floating wetlands to pull pollutants from water treatment oxidation ponds. The final effluent quality is expected to comply with stringent standards.

6.5.12 - Virginia's dying marshes and climate change denial - bbc.co.uk. Very interesting read on the impact of rising sea level in Virginia from BBC news. A bipartisan effort is being made by the Lower House of Delegates to fund a comprehensive study on the economic impact of flooding, something that can be addressed by politicians as there is little political will to address global warming.

6.14.12 - Rehabbed Green SeaTurtle released today at First Landing State Park - The Virginia Aquarium Stranding Team released Makahiki steps from the Chesapeake Bay amidst a group of onlookers. The juvenile turtle was found in Sandbridge last January suffering from cold shock. Makahiki's movements will be tracked by satellite. You should be able to follow Makahiki at www.seaturtletracking.org. Under species click on turtle, then check Green and hone in the East Coast.

May 21, 2012 - June 17, 2012 - Largest SEAGRASS RESTORATION in the World! - Oyster, VA - The Nature Conservancy | Poster

6.14.12 -Bay Daily: The Return of Underwater Meadows Full of Life - cbf.typepad. Efforts to restore sea grasses in Virginia's Atlantic Coast Bays have been very successful. Through research and volunteer efforts and led by VIMS, the Nature Conservancy and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and more, 350 acres of eel grass provide home to all kinds of creatures including the once prolific Bay scallops, extinct for the last 80 years.

6.13.12 - Barnesville resident gives storm drains a bit of flair - gazette. Simple, cheap grate keeps trash out of storm water drains and watersheds. A chemical sponge can also be installed to trap pollutants.

6.11.12 - Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Shellfish aquaculture a bright spot in weak economy - vims.edu. Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences releases 2011 report on shellfish aquaculture in the State. The oyster industry is growing (up 38%from 2010) while the clam industry is holding steady and continues to be the the largest in the nation. A downloadable link is included.

6.10.12 - NEAQ Staff Plans 10-Hour Drive To Release 17 Endangered Sea Turtles - CBS Boston. Today New England Aquarium staff are making a 10 hour drive to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to release 15 Kemp's Ridley and 2 Loggerhead sea turtles that were rescued last winter suffering from hypothermia. The waters off the Massachusetts coast are still too cold.

6.8.12 - Oyster gardeners plant their first crop | The Suffolk News-Herald - suffolknewsherald. Suffolk, VA - While learning science, students help the environment. Elementary, middle and high school students in Suffolk raised oyster in floats, conducting analysis of water quality and monitoring growth. Now mature, some 33,000 oysters were submerged at 1 site in the Nansmond and 2,500 located on an intertidal reef in Chuckatuck Creek. The students will monitor how the oysters fare in the two different environments.

6.7.12 - Navy seeks exemption from the Marine Mammals Protection Act and Endangered Species Act to conduct sonar and explosives testing. Information is being provided and comments sought at a public open house in Virginia Beach on June 11 (more info below). The dates and times of other public meetings in Florida and North Carolina can be viewed here. View Project Fact Sheet. View the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Supporting Documents. Comments will be accepted at the public meeting or you can submit them electronically here. Comments will be accepted until July 10. 2012.

Navy Sonar Testing Program Open House - Virginia Beach, VA
Monday, June 11, 2012 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Virginia Beach Convention Center
1000 19th St., Virginia Beach, VA 23451

6.7.12 - Oyster Castle Reef constructed on Long Creek, Virginia Beach

Cape Henry Collegiate students with the support of Lynnhaven River Now, the City of Virginia Beach, the Nature Conservancy and more, built castle structures from concrete material containing oyster shells along the banks of Davis Island, across from Inlet Fitness near W. Great Neck Rd. See photos/info. As depicted below, the structures provide habitat for oysters and should be colonized in no time, as this is spawning season. Oysters are important because they filter water (up to 50 gallons/day per oyster) and remove potentially harmful pollutants.

6.7.12 - World Oceans Day: Don't mess with them or they'll mess with you - grist. Just in time for World Oceans Day, tomorrow, California established a series of marine sanctuaries (link provided in article). Other noteworthy ocean news includes a report from Climate Central naming Norfolk, VA as one of the top 5 most vulnerable cities to hurricanes (as sea level rise is particularly evident in the Chesapeake Bay region). Happy World Oceans Day!!!

6.6.12 - Wildlife Center of Va to release 3 patients - northjersey. A rehabbed VB Peregrin Falcon will be released this week in Hampton. In addition a Golden Eagle and a Bald Eagle are to be released in Nelson and Warsaw counties.

6.6.12 - Urban Fish Farming and Greenhouses as Cutting-Edge Educational Tools - cbf.typepad. Inspirational read - Inner City Baltimore public school focuses on sustainable farming and more. The Green Street Academy, founded at a former school site that closed in part because of high drop out rates, has a waiting list of kids that want to get in.

6.4.12 - N.C. group joins uranium watch - www2.godanriver.

Concern over the downstream impact of a Virginia uranium mine has compelled North Carolina citizens to ban together against the proposed project

6.4.12 - Home gardeners raise Chesapeake bay grasses - www2.timesdispatch. In the Chesapeake Bay grasses once covered 600,000 acres but now grown on just 64,000 acres. To replenish grasses, Chesapeake Bay Program scientists are recruiting citizen gardeners to grow bath tub grasses for planting in the Bay and it's tributaries.

6.3.12 - Sustainable Design- Giant Umbrellas Turn a Public Space into a Water Cleaning Art Garden - treehugger- Portland Oregon Stormwater is diverted into bioswale which filters pollutants.

6.1.12 - A rare sea turtle nests on Ossabaw - savannahnow. Kemps Ridley nests on Georgia Sea Island instead of the Western Gulf of Mexico. Another report from N.C. indicates that Loggerhead turtles have started nesting earlier than usual (http://www.witn.com/home/headlines/NC_Sea_Turtles_Nesting_Early__151972295.html). Maybe it has something to do with the warmer than usual winter or the Gulf Oil spill.

Check the Archive for Previous Posts

Top of Page