Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving

The year has turned its circle,
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in,
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasures,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway --
Thanksgiving comes again!

--Old Rhyme

Wild Turkeys
Photo Credit

Holiday Shopping

The Utah Society for Environmental Education (USEE) is now registered on GoodSearch.com and GoodShop.com! These two websites can help USEE earn some extra funding with your help. Here's how they work:

GoodSearch.com is a search engine with a unique social mission. It's powered by Yahoo! so you get great search results. Every time you search, GoodSearch makes a donation to the organization of your choice. To help out USEE, just type in USEE in the "Who do you GoodSearch for?" box.

GoodShop.com is the new online marketplace that donates a percentage of your purchase to the nonprofit or school of your choice. You can choose from hundreds of popular merchants and the experience of shopping through GoodShop is exactly the same as going to the retailer's websites directly. So, starting this holiday season, why not help USEE out by shopping and searching on our behalf? By typing in USEE in the "Who do you GoodShop for?" box, anywhere from 1% to 30% (in some cases depending on where you are shopping) of your purchase will be donated directly to USEE!

Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

Yam or sweet potato, which is which? This is something I've wondered for years. Many people use these terms interchangeably both in conversation and in cooking, but they are really two different vegetables. The information below is taken from Home Cooking, on the about.com website.

Sweet Potatoes

Popular in the American South, these yellow or orange tubers are elongated with ends that taper to a point and are of two dominant types. The paler-skinned sweet potato has a thin, light yellow skin with pale yellow flesh which is not sweet and has a dry, crumbly texture similar to a white baking potato. The darker-skinned variety (which is most often called "yam" in error) has a thicker, dark orange to reddish skin with a vivid orange, sweet flesh and a moist texture.

Current popular sweet potato varieties include Goldrush, Georgia Red, Centennial, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, and Velvet.

Yams

The true yam is the tuber of a tropical vine (Dioscorea batatas) and is not even distantly related to the sweet potato.

Slowly becoming more common in US markets, the yam is a popular vegetable in Latin American and Caribbean markets, with over 150 varieties available worldwide.

Generally sweeter than than the sweet potato, this tuber can grow over seven feet in length.

The word yam comes from African words njam, nyami, or djambi, meaning "to eat," and was first recorded in America in 1676.

The yam tuber has a brown or black skin which resembles the bark of a tree and off-white, purple or red flesh, depending on the variety. They are at home growing in tropical climates, primarily in South America, Africa, and the Caribbean.

Yams contain more natural sugar than sweet potatoes and have a higher moisture content. They are also marketed by their Spanish names, boniato and ñame.

So which will you be having for dinner? Yams or Sweet Potatoes?

Surprise Visit

These days it seems to get dark well before I get home from work. The sun starts setting before I leave the office and by the time I get home, it is usually just after dusk. So the other day I left work a little early so that I could go on a quick run before it got too dark outside. When I got back from my run, it was just about the time that I normally get home. There was still a little light out and as I was sitting on the porch cooling off before going inside, a bird that was larger than what I would usually expect to see at that time of day swooped up into some low branches of the Elm tree in front of my house.

The bird was obviously an owl. It was probably about eight inches tall, its body was wide, and its rounded head came straight up from its shoulders. It sat up on that branch for five minutes or so. I walked up underneath it and watched its silhouette as it attentively gazed back down at me. I could see the owl's head turning, going back and forth between watching me and my dog rummaging around out in the yard. Eventually, it quickly flew off into the ivy covering the tree's trunk and encompassing its major branches. I wondered if the owl was hunting something, hiding from my dog and me, or if it has a nest inside, maybe somewhere in the ivy leaves.

I did some research to see if I could pinpoint what kind of owl it was that visited me that day. From the size and shape of the owl and also from where I saw him, in the middle of suburbia, I think it was a Western Screech Owl. According to the Utah Division of Natural Resources, "the western screech-owl is commonly found in suburban and urban areas such as woodlots, orchards, oak woodlands, and riparian woodlands. It is fairly common in Utah, where it can be found along stream-side areas and occasionally in city trees."

I live in an area that, even though it has grown significantly in the past ten years or so, is still fairly rural. My street is an older street and harbors a pocket of farm life and it is common to help neighbors catch their escaped horses, cows, or goats. But even though the farm-life still exists, my street increasingly grows continually busy and every year more and more houses are built on the fields I grew up playing in. When these glimpses of nature surface in the everyday, it is a welcome rejuvenation. It is amazing how much animal and plant life is right in front of us if we only open our senses to see them.

Western Screech Owl
Photo Credit

Caputo's Maket and Deli: Sustainability and Community Support

A special thank you goes out to Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli for hosting USEE’s 12th Annual Benefit Bash. As part of our thanks, USEE would like to highlight this local business and comment on what a key component Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli plays in the community. In addition to the divine food, exquisite space, and fabulous atmosphere they provided for the USEE’s Benefit Bash this year, Tony Caputo’s Market and Deli is a cornerstone of community support. They support the local community by buying local first and purchasing from small businesses. The imported items that are sold at Caputo’s Market and Deli are purchased from small businesses in Southern Europe, rather than going through large distributors. Caputo’s Market and Deli also supports a strong commitment to sustainability by sorting all of their garbage and by using only 100% Blue Sky Energy. Thank you not only for your contributions to making the USEE Benefit Bash a successful and fun event, but also for your continuing commitment to building strong communities and encouraging sustainability.

Attention High School Students and Teachers!

Have you heard about planet-connect.org?

PLANET CONNECT is an online social network where high school students can learn about current environmental issues, opportunities, green colleges and careers. Also students can share and exchange ideas about how they are playing a critical role in solving today’s environmental issues.

Do you have an innovative solution to protect the environment? Would you like to make a difference now? Planet Connect is looking for your creative ideas to fix an environmental problem at your school or in your community and is offering grant winners $1,000 awards with $500 to support your idea and $500 for an environmental internship in your community.

The official Planet Connect website will be launched with the announcement of the Planet Connect grant winners in February 2009. But for now, until the grant winners are announced and the social network website is launched, it is time to start thinking about your own grant ideas and projects. The application deadline is January 20, 2009.

To download the application information or to find out how the program works and submit your ideas, please visit www.planet-connect.org.

Zebra Mussels in Utah

This text is from a Division of Wildlife Resources news release (dated 11/18/08).

Zebra Mussels Found in Electric Lake

A small, high-mountain lake in southeastern Utah is the first body of water in Utah to test positive for zebra mussels.

Electric Lake is in Emery County. The lake is the headwater of the Huntington River. It’s also the water source for Rocky Mountain Power’s Huntington electric generation plant and the primary source of water for the Huntington-Cleveland Irrigation Company.

“These mussels will harm the lake’s fishery,” says Larry Dalton, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the DWR. “They also have the potential to damage the electric generation plant and the irrigation systems by plugging up their pipes.”

Facts about zebra mussels.

– A single zebra or quagga mussel breeding pair can produce 1 million young in a single breeding season.

– Adults are about the size of your thumbnail (15-20 mm), surviving for 3-7 years.

– In the lower Colorado River, mussels can grow one millimeter each month. They’re capable of breeding when they reach four millimeters in size, which is about the size of a sunflower seed.

Impacts of zebra and quagga mussels.

Industry: Electric generation plants: Mussels can completely plug pipes in water circulation systems; cause headgates on dams to become too heavy to lift; and cause water control structures to malfunction by fouling the tracks the structures move on.

Irrigation systems: Mussels can completely plug irrigation pipes; reduce the flow in canals; and affect irrigation control structures so they won’t regulate water.

Recreation: Fishing: Mussels filter zooplankton out of the water. Zooplankton is an important food for fish.

Boating: Mussels can plug the water circulation systems in your boat, which can ruin the engine.

Decreased enjoyment: Millions of mussels can grow in an infested water. When mussels die, they smell bad. Their sharp shells can also line the beaches and make walking bare-foot difficult.

Early detection.

The DWR and its partners worked diligently to keep quagga and zebra mussels out of Utah during the 2008 boating season. Early-detection monitoring was part of that effort.

After sampling water in lakes and reservoirs statewide, the DWR sent 54 samples to an independent lab for microscopic analysis. Preliminary test results indicated several waters might contain microscopic veligers, which are the early-life stages of zebra and quagga mussels.

Electric Lake is the first Utah water where results from tests done under a microscope have also been confirmed by two different DNA tests. The labs are still performing DNA tests on the other suspicious waters.

“The DNA tests the labs are doing are on the cutting edge of science,” Dalton says. “In addition to providing the test results, we’ll do our best to keep people informed about how the science is changing.”

Efforts in 2008.

During the 2008 boating season, DWR biologists contacted more than 50,000 boat owners to learn if they had been boating on a water outside of Utah that had quagga or zebra mussels in it. If they had, the biologists then questioned them to learn whether their boat had been properly decontaminated.

DWR biologists and their partners decontaminated about 800 boats after learning the boats had not been decontaminated properly.

What you can do! Proper decontamination.

Typically, quagga and zebra mussels travel from one body of water to another on boats and equipment used by recreational boaters and anglers. They also travel through water distribution systems.

For boaters, there are two fairly simple decontamination options: do-it-yourself decontamination or professional decontamination. To protect Utah’s waters from quagga and zebra mussels, Utah boaters must make the following practices a routine part of their boating experience:

Do-it-yourself decontamination

Complete all three of the following steps to decontaminate your boat and equipment:

1. Clean all plants, fish, mussels and mud from your boat or equipment before leaving the water body area (discard unused bait in the trash where you fished).

2. Drain all water from your boat (equipment storage areas, ballast tanks, bilge, live wells and motor) before leaving the water body area.

3. Dry your boat and equipment at home or in a suitable storage area before you launch it again. (Drying times are a minimum of 7 days in the summer, 18 days in the spring and fall, and 30 days in the winter. Temperatures that stay below 32 degrees for at least 3 consecutive days will also kill the mussels on your boat or equipment.)

Professional decontamination

Contact a professional to apply scalding water (140 degrees Fahrenheit) to your equipment, boat and trailer. Make sure the professional flushes your boat’s equipment storage areas, ballast tanks, bilge, live wells and motor or other raw-water circulation systems.

Either of the above decontamination methods will kill both quagga and zebra mussels. They will also kill other aquatic invasive species that pose a serious threat to Utah’s ecosystems.

Be conscious of these invasive species, and do your part to keep them in check!

USEE Bash!

Today is the big day. Here at USEE, we've been getting ready for this day for a long time. From 6:00 to 10:00 pm tonight is the 12th Annual USEE Benefit Bash, held at Caputo's Market and Deli. There will be food, drinks, live music, live and silent auctions, and of course, fun! Tickets are:

$30 for Members (must call to get discount)
$50 for Non-members

You can purchase tickets online, over the phone, or at the door. Either way you choose, please RSVP to andree@usee.org. Come celebrate with us and help raise funds for Environmental Education in Utah!

Caputo's Market and Deli
314 West 300 South
Salt Lake City, UT

www.usee.org
801-328-1549

New Fun from Google

Here are two programs developed by Google that have some great potential for use as educational opportunities, or to just check out during your own online explorations.

The first is a new feature on Google Earth. The newest download of Google Earth features a 3-dimensional look at what Ancient Rome probably looked like in about the year 320 C.E. during the rule of Constantine. After downloading the new Google Earth, find the "Gallery" under the Layers section. Check off Ancient Rome in 3D and download the different ways to check it all out. There are a lot of buildings to look at in 3D and some of the famous ones you can even browse the interiors of. There are also plenty of opportunities to learn about how the Romans lived.

The other cool feature from Google is an interactive map of the United States that reports flu trends across the country. Currently, the flu activity in Utah is LOW. The data is complied from Google searches from people across the nation.

Photo Credit

Vegetarian Tacos!

Recently we received some feed back that a lot of you enjoy the few recipes that we have put up on here, and since I haven't contributed any recipes yet, here is one of my favorites. I never measure any of the ingredients, so some pretty good estimating will have to do. This meal usually takes less than a half and hour to prepare.

Saute one chopped small to medium onion in olive oil and garlic
Add one chopped bell pepper (all of the colors are good, so you can pick this one!)
When the onion and pepper are cooked, add
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of frozen corn
and chili powder and cumin to taste (Like I said, I don't use the recipe anymore, but I'd say about a tablespoon of chili powder and maybe a teaspoon of cumin. I love these two spices, so I tend to be pretty generous with them.)
and maybe some salt and pepper

These are good topped with chopped lettuce and tomatoes, or even some avocados, but the original recipe doesn't call for them. I think they are good either way and I usually decide just depending on what I have around. Cheese is a must as far as I'm concerned and sour cream is good too. I usually substitute the sour cream with plain yogurt to keep the meal a little more healthy.

Oh and don't forget to wrap them up in your favorite tortillas!

I hope you love these babies as much as I do! They're perfect when you need something simple, healthy, and really delicious! Enjoy!

Winterizing Your Home

The snow has already flown here in Salt Lake City and as the weather keeps getting chilly no matter where you live, it's time to make sure your home is ready for the winter. If you haven't already done so, here are some tips of ways you can reduce the price of your gas bill as well as your ecological impact.

1. Find the leaks. Places such as windows, doors and piping entering the building are hot spots for leaks. Seal leaks around doors and windows with weather stripping or caulk, and check around piping and other entries into the building for other leaks to seal.

2. Update your windows! If you can, invest in a new set of insulating windows. If you have older
windows, a good way to insulate them during the colder months is to cover them with clear plastic sheets (inexpensive kits can be found at most hardware stores) or even blankets.

3. Get in the zone. Are there some areas of your home that are not used as much during specific times of the day? If you have multiple thermostats in your house, turn the heat down when you leave an area, or when you leave for work in the morning. Or even better, install setback thermostats. These are thermostats that contain a timer. You can set your heat to turn down when you go to work or are snug in your bed at night.

4. Check if your insulation is adequate. Attics that are not properly insulated are responsible for a large amount of energy loss. Check it out: if you can see your ceiling joists, you need more insulation in your attic.

5. Inspect your heating system. Have your heating system inspected. This should also include vacuuming your vents/ducts and replacing the furnace filter if needed.

6. Walk around. Check the foundation of your house and your roof (use binoculars) for cracks and gaps.

7. Keep it hot. Insulate your hot water heater by wrapping a blanket around it. Also, you can wrap your water pipes in foam pipe covers.

8. Keep it clean. If you have a chimney, have it swept annually and inspected for leaks. Make sure that damper or wood stove doors seal tightly and are closed (except when you have a fire!).

But don't forget that while you are keeping all of the warm air in and the cold air out, it is important to keep the air inside your homes clean and free of harmful particles and toxins. For some tips on how to keep the air inside your house fresh during the winter, click here.

Photo Credit

What is USEE?

Have you been checking out our blog, but are still a bit unsure about what USEE (The Utah Society for Environmental Education) is all about?

Well, here are some tidbits to give you a better idea...

• Established in 1981, USEE is a 501 (c) 3 Environmental Education (EE) nonprofit membership organization with a mission to provide state-wide leadership expanding the quality, scope and effectiveness of environmental education in Utah.
  
  
• USEE's members include individuals and diverse institutions and organizations such as the Department of Environmental Quality, Momentum Recycling, and the Ogden Nature Center.
  
  
• USEE’s vision is to ensure economic, social, and environmental sustainability for Utah as a result of environmental consciousness built upon sound ecological knowledge.
  
  
• USEE teaches people “how to think, not what to think,” about the environment based on science-based knowledge while also trying to help teachers integrate EE into their regular classrooms.
  
  
• As an affiliate of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE.org), USEE serves as an umbrella organization that links state and national EE efforts by guiding, informing, and serving as a voice for those who provide EE in Utah (including: teachers and non-formal educators).
  
  
• USEE establishes standards of knowledge, skills, experience and conduct for EE and promotes them to educators via professional development opportunities, training and support services, community events, and an Annual Environmental Education conference.
  
  
• USEE helps cultivate leaders in the field of EE by providing professional development and networking opportunities and disseminating high-quality programs and resources.
  
  
• USEE’s programs, often supported by state and federal grants, teach non-biased information that works within the Utah state core science curriculum.
  
  
• Rather than working directly with students in their classrooms, USEE trains and offers curriculum and activity ideas to more than 200 teachers each year who are then able to teach EE to kids in the classroom.
  
  
• USEE also offers EE programs in the form of community-based discussion courses developed by the Northwest Earth Institute in 1993, including Menu for the Future, Choices for Sustainable Living, Global Warming: Changing CO2urse, Exploring Deep Ecology, Voluntary Simplicity, Healthy Children-Healthy Planet, and Discovering a Sense of Place. As a partner with the Institute, USEE helps small groups in homes, workplaces, churches and community centers explore important environmental and sustainability issues and create discussion around personal values and habits that affect our environment.
  
  
• USEE is currently conducting the Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, which will strengthen the quality and effectiveness of environmental education throughout the state through partnerships with non-formal environmental education providers and teachers.
  
  
• USEE has been recognized with numerous awards for its efforts at both state and federal levels including: the National Environmental Education Achievement Award, the Environmental Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Conservation Education Outstanding Achievement Award from the US Forest Service.

If you have any questions or want to get involved, feel free to give us a call at (801) 328-1549 or check out www.usee.org for more info.

Upcoming USEE events

Green Bag Lecture Series ~ Falcons and Talons
Tuesday November 11 ~ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
The USEE Office, 466 E 500 S in Salt Lake City
Come learn about birds with Kathy Donnell, the Park Naturalist at Jordanelle State Park.  This will be an informative event filled with bird facts, curriculum ideas and even a live bird.  Don't miss out!  RSVP to andree@usee.org by Monday November 10 to reserve your spot.  The cost is $5 for members, $10 for non-members and includes a light dinner. 

USEE's 12th Annual Benefit Bash
November 14th ~ 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Caputo's Market and Deli, Salt Lake City
Join us for a fun evening filled with socializing, great food, drinks and music, a silent auction and prize drawing to celebrate environmental education.
Click here to purchase a ticket online or get more information.  You may purchase tickets at the door, but MUST RSVP by November 10th to andree@usee.org.

Project Learning Tree Workshop
December 8th ~ 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Stokes Nature Center in Logan Utah
Come participate in a Project Learning Tree workshop at the beautiful Stokes Nature Center in Logan Canyon!  This workshop is geared toward non-formal and pre K-8 educators interested in incorporating more forestry and environment related activities into their programs and classrooms.  You will learn interactive activities that meet core requirements; reading strategies with connections to relevant fiction and non-fiction books are spread throughout the activities; technology connections expose students to software applications, imaging tools, and Internet resources; differentiated instruction helps you reach students with varying needs and talents; improved and expanded assessment opportunities are closely aligned with clear objectives.
The cost is free!  You actually make money!  Each participant will receive a $25 stipend.  The catch?  One person from each organization or school will be asked to attend a further training (and make another $50) to become a PLT facilitator and get paid to teach future workshops for others (only one workshop a year required).  Email andree@usee.org or call (801)328-1549 to register.  Space is limited so please register by December 1.

USEE Award Winners in the News

The 2008 Utah Society for Environmental Education award winners were highlighted in the Salt Lake Tribune today.  The paper had their facts slightly off--the winners were announced at USEE's Annual Conference in September but will again be recognized at our Annual Bash November 14th at Tony Caputo's Deli.  Click here for more information on the bash and to buy tickets.