Microdocs: The Short Attention Span Science Theater on Ecological Sustainability

Stanford University has a new series of "Micro Docs," 2-3 minute documentaries focussing on sustainability.  There is even a section for teachers based on the National Science Education Standards.

The first documentary "Elements of Sustainability" takes a look at the interactions of productivity, diversity, resillience and disturbance with relation to ecological sustainability.

What do you do with all those green tomatos?

I just came across this recipe for Green Tomato Salsa on the Grist Newsletter (Environmental News and Commentary) and thought I would pass it along to all you garden growers.

Green Tomato Salsa Verde, Now and Later

This is a salsa verde recipe adapted to make use of the loads of green tomatoes left hanging on the vines, refusing to ripen this time of year. Of course, you can also use the traditional tomatillo. I like to can at least a dozen jars of this delicious green tomato salsa to last the whole year. To do the same, just multiply the recipe. (Makes 2 pints)

2 pounds green tomatoes
1 medium white onion
4-6 cloves raw garlic
10-14 fresh jalapeños or your favorite green chiles (if you prefer milder salsa, try poblanos or Anaheim chiles), stems removed
1 bunch cilantro
Juice of 2 limes
Salt to taste or about 2 teaspoons
Water, if thinner consistency is desired

In a cast iron skillet or under the broiler, cook the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chiles, turning frequently, until they begin to blacken all over and are soft. The garlic will likely be ready before everything else. Alternatively, you can boil the first four ingredients in salted water for 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and squishy. Next, transfer all to a food processor or blender and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add the cilantro, salt, and lime and process into a coarse purée.

Thin with several tablespoons of water if a thinner salsa is desired.

Use immediately, refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to six months. To can, ladle salsa into sterilized pint jars leaving 1/4 inch of head space; top with clean and sterilized two-piece lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place.

Where do Spiders go in the Winter?

Inspired by Andree's Tarantula siting, and as the weather is turning chilly, I wonder where do spiders go in the winter time? Do they hibernate?

Yes and No. Spiders, as well as all other arachnids, are cold blooded. Their body temperatures are the same as the environment around them and cannot regulate their body temperatures themselves as warm blooded animals do. This means that in the winter time, as the air begins to chill and the ground freezes, spiders' body temperature gets cold, too. This accounts for the influx of spiders found in our homes as they search for warmer environments to keep their bodies warm. But many spiders simply die in the winter, leaving behind their egg sacs to hatch when the weather gets warmer in the spring. This also means that most spiders only live for less than a year. But what about the spiders that live for longer?

Female tarantulas have been documented to live 30 or 40 years! It usually takes about 2 to 5 years for most tarantula species to reach sexual maturity, but in some species it can take up to 10 years! The males usually only live for about 1.5 years after reaching sexual maturity and then spend their lives finding a mate. This makes the more susceptible to predation as they search for potential mates while females generally stick to the safety of their burrows. If these spiders can live for so long, how do they survive the winter cold?

Tarantulas hibernate in the winter, as do many other spiders, by hiding beneath tree bark or under rocks, leaves, and other types of insulating debris. Some spiders will spin a winter nest around themselves under loose bark to insulate themselves in and keep warm. Most spiders however, including tarantulas, don't enter a true hibernation, but remain more in a sedate state where on warmer and sunnier days they emerge to hunt prey that is easy to catch in their dormant state. They will leave their hibernation when the weather warms up and the warm air unlocks their muscles from their dormant state.

Sources:

• http://www.spiderzrule.com/answers.htm
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula
  

USEE's 12th Annual Benefit Bash!

Buy your tickets now for USEE's 12th Annual Benefit Bash


Join us for food, drinks, live music, and fabulous live and silent auction items to celebrate Environmental Education. This year's Bash theme is "Get 'Em Outside" and tickets are on sale now!

The Bash will be held on Friday, Nov. 14, 2008 from 6:00pm - 10:00pm at Caputo's Market and Deli. (Located at 314 West 300 South in Salt Lake City.)

Tickets are:
$30 for USEE Members (must call for discount)
$50 for Non-Members

Click here to purchase tickets online or call 801-328-1549 to purchase them over the phone. For more information, visit our Bash Page. We hope to see you there!

Perfect for Halloween

This afternoon I took a quick hike on the Shoreline Trial across from the Hogle Zoo and came across a wonderful Halloween time treat. Coming down the center of the trail was a Tarantula! I've had never seen one in the wild and how fitting is it that I see one to kick off the Halloween week. Here are some cool facts about Tarantulas from kidszone....

• Tarantulas are part of the family of spiders called Hairy Mygalomorphs.
  
• These are the spiders that, scientists believe, have been around for millions of years and have not changed much in that time!
  
• There are around 700 kinds, or species, of Tarantulas.
• Tarantulas are nighttime hunters who will pounce on their prey. They eat insects, beetles and grasshoppers.
• Many Tarantulas live in burrows underground. They will either use their fangs to dig them or else take someone else’s burrow-home.
• All Tarantulas have an interesting way of defending themselves. They have hairs on their abdomen (stomachs) that have sharp little barbs, or pokey things, on them. When threatened, the spider will rub these hairs with their legs and shoot them at their predator.
• Not only are they caught as pets; in some countries they are eaten, as well. They are said to have a nutty taste kind of like peanut butter!
  

Autumn Snow Excursions

Two weekends ago I spent a couple of days up in a cabin on the North side of the Uintah mountains with two of my friends. I told of the wonderful weekend during my nature report and promised photos. I'll let them speak for themselves:









Photos compliments of Mallory Platt.

Sometimes it Takes a Little Validation

For the past couple of weeks I have been facilitating and participating in one of USEE's Community Discussion Groups, namely the Choices for Sustainability one. The group is small and consists of different people from various backgrounds and places with diverse efforts of making sustainable choices. Each person brings their own individual experiences and colorful discussion to the table.

The discussion groups are a great way to get to know your community a little better. Not only do you directly connect with the people in your community by talking with other group members every week, but you also learn the ins and outs of what services other people are using. For instance, in Choices for Sustainability we talk about the different resources that are available through out the Salt Lake Valley to help us all make more sustainable choices. After three weeks of discussion, I have already learned a lot about the different businesses around the valley that provide sustainable options for various products and lifestyle choices.

One of the best things about the discussion groups, however, is what we learn and the way that we are all influenced by reading the articles provided by the course and the discussion that we hold thereafter. Both my mom and my step-dad are in the Choices for Sustainability discussion group with me and it has been interesting to watch them learn about the issues presented and to see the choices they are making as a result. Being immersed in many of the issues for years through my job, school, and a lifelong general interest, my parents have heard much of this before. But as they read through these articles and discuss them with our community group, their language and behaviors are changing. This past week's discussion was about sustainable food choices. During that discussion, I watched my parents' language move from considering a garden (but more often than not deciding not to have one due to various factors) to "When we have a garden...."

What are some sustainable choices that you recently have made, or want to make?

Photo Credit

What are you going to tell them?

I've just returned from the North American Association for Environmental Education (for those acronym lovers amongst you that's NAAEE--N Double-A Double-E) Conference in Wichita, KS. I love going to this conference as it's a time to meet new people and re-connect with friends from across North America. Climate Change education was a big theme, as was the idea that children need experiences in the outdoors. While the topics at the meeting were mainly about structured environmental education, research continues to show that the simple act of getting children outside has profound effects on children's health, including attention deficit disorder. The final keynote speaker, Jerome Ringo from the Apollo Alliance, left the meeting attendees with one important question to ask themselves: "When your grandchildren ask what you did to ensure a healthy environment, what are you going to be able to tell them?" I'd love to hear answers to this question in the comment thread.

Wednesdays

Here at the USEE office we have our weekly staff meetings on Wednesdays. In some respects, they are your usual, standard, run-of-the-mill staff meetings where we update each other on what projects we are working on, what has been completed since the last staff meeting, what we are intending to do in the upcoming week, and all that staff meeting type jazz. But our staff meetings are also very unique. Part of the ritual of our staff meetings is that we begin (as dictated by the fluorescent pink agenda which must attend every meeting or the meeting just wont be the same) with "Nature Reports."

Every meeting each staff member reports on what we have seen or done out in nature in the past week. We find this to be a very important part of the staff meeting ritual, and no staff meeting is complete without it. Though we spend much of our days sitting at our desks in front of our computers, it is important to recognize and share the times that we are away from the fluorescent lights and out in the fresh air. So every Wednesday we share our nature reports. This Wednesday, however, we did not have a staff meeting because we are all out and about during this busy week. Jason, Andree', and Autumn are off to the NAAEE Conference in Wichita, Kansas. Nancy and I here today, but starting tomorrow I will be at the UEA Conference for the rest of the week and Nancy will be at the Bioneers Conference.

This Wednesday I am going to share my Nature Report with you, reader. Over the weekend I went up past Oakley, Utah, a small town at the base of the north western end of the Uintah Mountains, to my friend's cabin. It was a beautiful weekend where my friends and I sat by the fire, played our guitars, read books, took naps, and ate amazing food. The best part of all this was the hike we took on Sunday morning. It had been snowing all day Saturday and all day Sunday. We went up the road and into pines and aspens and explored the roller-coaster trails that follow the ridge line and down to the cabin. It was cold, and our clothes were soaking with muddy melting snow, but the fire was warm and the tea delicious when we got back.

Later that evening as we were just closing our books and thinking about making dinner, three young mule deer bucks had made their way through the snow and stood staring at us not more than ten feet away. We watched each other through the windows in the shadowy twilight. They kept a watchful eye, nibbled some branches, and bounded away a few moments later. These were the only animals, besides the neighbor's horses that roam the field out front, we saw in the wintry landscape that day. Even the birds were quiet as all creatures adjusted to the the mountain's first storm and the yellow aspen leaves ironically blazing through the evergreens capped in silvery dust.

Photo Credit

Unfortunately, all of the amazing photos I captured this weekend are not on my work computer yet. Photos from my outing will have to be posted another day!

Journey North

Journey North is an exciting program that engages students and examines wildlife migration and seasonal change on a global scale. There are projects available for all students K-12 where they have the opportunity to track the migration patterns of monarch butterflies, robins, whooping cranes, gray whales, hummingbirds, bald eagles and other birds and mammals. Other natural events like the budding of plants, the changing colors of leaves, and differing sunlight are also explored. Through Journey North students can share their own field observations with other students all throughout North America and can begin making local observations which can be integrated into a global context. For teachers there are migrations maps, pictures, activities, information, and even standards-based lesson plans that correlate with the projects and activities available through Journey North.

Projects that are happening in the Fall of 2008 include Whooping Cranes, Climate Connections, Habitat Projects, Hummingbirds, Monarch Butterflies, Phenology (the study of the seasonal timing of life cycle events), Sunlight (Mystery Class), Symbolic Migration, Tulip Gardens, and more. To know which projects are happening through Journey North year round, click here to access the Year-at-a-Glance time line. Check out their website to see how you can get involved! The general public is also welcome to participate in migration and seasonal studies through Journey North.

Plant Anatomy 101: Pumpkins

In light of the season and changing colors, I thought we could explore a Halloween staple: Pumpkins! Actually, in the office today we were talking about melons. Watermelons, cantaloupes, honeydew melons, winter melons, muskmelons. Andree' was cutting up a cantaloupe this morning and noticed that the stringy attachment pattern of the seeds, sticking to each other and to the fleshy area of the melon, quite resembled a pumpkin. We all went on to speculate that both cantaloupe and pumpkin seeds are similar in shape and color and when carving pumpkins, the seeds are most readily located in the center and attached with slimy strings to the "guts" inside. Which begs the question: Is there a relationship here? If so, what is that relationship?

Pumpkins, being a gourd, are typically defined as culinary vegetables. Cantaloupes, and other melons, are generally referred to as culinary fruits. But, we have already learned in other Plant Anatomy 101 installments that anything with seeds are, botanically, fruits. So cantaloupes, as well as all melons, and pumpkins, as well as all gourds, are fruits.

As it turns out, Andree' was dead on in her supposition about pumpkins and cantaloupes. Both of these fruits belong to the plant family Cucurbitaceae. This plant family includes melons and gourds. So all melons, cucumbers, and gourds (which includes pumpkins, squash, zucchini, etc.) are all related and in the same genetic family. This makes sense since these fruits all have similar structures with fleshy parts beneath the skin, or rind, and seeds that are centered in the middle. Even cucumbers have their seeds all in the very center, which is squishy and has the harder part of the fruit around it. Also, all of these fruits grow on vines, and their flowers are usually a white or bright yellow.

Another fascinating discovery that I made investigating pumpkins is a plant called the luffa. You know those scrubby spongy things that you can use in the shower? Originally, these come from the luffa plant, which is also in the Cucurbitaceae family. Luffas are cucumber-shaped fruits that are popular vegetables in Asia and Africa, but also can be turned into a luffa sponge by peeling the luffa, removing its seeds, and drying it out.

Since this is supposed to mostly be about pumpkins for the fall harvests, here are a few suggestions of what you can do with pumpkins this October, besides carving them up for Halloween.

Cocoa Pumpkin Brownies: I haven't tried this one yet, but I love brownies and it sounds good to me! If you give this one a try or have had it before, let us all know how it went.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds in 3 Ways: Don't throw out those seeds! Here are three new and different ways to spice up those toasted pumpkins seeds: Sweet & Spicy, Curry, or Black Tea & Butter. Yum!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie from a Real Pumpkin: What is October and November without a pumpkin pie? I have always used canned pumpkin to make my pumpkin pies, but this one looks really fun to try using a real pumpkin.

Photo Credit

Pumpkin photo credit

Sunshine is good for the Body

Here in the Environmental Education world, we focus a lot on getting kids outside. With the No Child Left Inside movement, and their slogan "Get 'Em Outside", it is constantly on our minds. However, while reading an article in the Salt Lake Trib this morning, I realized many adults (including myself) need to take some of that advice as well.

Based on recent studies, experts recommend that we get at least 1,000 units of vitamin D a day. Now, if we are taking vitamins and eating well, we may be able to get 600 units. Where would the other 400 come from? Luckily, we have a wonderful and accessible source - the SUN! 10 minutes in the sun at midday with our faces and arms exposed can give us the full 1,000 units in one shot. Also, don't worry about clouds; the rays that our bodies need for vitamin D will still get through.

For me, when I am tired and have no energy in the office, a walk outside in the sunshine does a lot of good. Not only for my mood, but my productivity as well. It's not just a little mental boost as I was amazed to learn that the vitamin D production in the skin (from the sun) can also decrease the risk of several cancers, and that it is very important for women. Study results "support the idea that sunlight exposure reduces the risk of advanced breast cancer among women with light skin pigmentation." But, we can't over do it. We still need to be sure to wear sunscreen for long exposures.

So with our busy schedules, how can we take some time to get our "vitamin D breaks" in?

• Take a walk at lunchtime
• Talk to your co-workers in the parking lot before leaving for lunch
• Eat outside or take your work outside (you can get things done on your blackberry)
  
• Work in the yard
• Hang your laundry outside
• Just sit and relax
• Take a walk in the park
• Help your neighbor pull up some weeds

There are many things we can do. If you are a busy person (as we all are), figure out how you can multi-task your needs and your "basking in the sun." As Mary Jane Butters (SL Trib writer) states, "It's simple: Sunshine is good for the body and good for the spirit. So go on outside and claim yours!"
And, take your kids while you are at it.

Brighton Lakes

Inspired by Andree's Donut Falls post, I have an Out and About in Utah of my own. The Brighton Lake Trail is located at the Brighton Ski Resort parking lot at the very top of Big Cottonwood Canyon where you take up a wide trail that winds for about a half mile up the main ski run at the Brighton Ski Resort. There is some meadow and trail restoration going on in that area, so the old trail is overgrown and covered with fallen trees, the hence winding up the ski run. After you trek up the first part with the ski run, the trail joins back up with the old and head back into the trees up to Lake Mary.

There are four lakes on the Brighton Lakes Trail. The first is Dog Lake where the trail comes to a fork and Dog Lake is 500 ft. to the right. After coming back from Dog Lake, you head back up the trail toward Lake Mary which is another half mile from the Dog Lake split-off. Just past Lake Mary is Lake Martha, and on beyond that Lake Katherine which is another mile past Lake Mary. The hike is four miles total, but has many opportunities to explore and hike around the perimeter of each lake or even climb another mile past Lake Catherine into Albion Basin.

As far as bringing kids on this hike, I say do it. It will be tough though. The first mile up to Lake Mary is pretty steep...a 760 vertical feet climb during that first mile. After that however, the hike is relatively easy and fun. There is a lot of plant life to experience as the trail goes through aspens, pines, and wildflower meadows. I have been doing this hike nearly every year of my life since I was about six. We whined the whole way up, but once my little sister and I got to Lake Mary we were bounding off the rocks and having a great old time. So use disgression, if you're up to taking it slow and encouraging your kids up that first mile, completely doable and well worth the smiles when you make it to Lake Mary, which is absolutely beautiful. But if you're not prepared to push your kids (and yourselves up the mountain), maybe wait another year or so.

A couple of weeks ago I went on this hike on one of my days off. Here are some pictures from my experience. If you would like to read more about my adventure, click here.

Sign at the split off for Dog Lake.

Dog Lake...in the marshy distance.

Eating Lunch on the Rock Island in Lake Mary

Lake Martha

And last but not least, my favorite, Lake Katherine

Where is your food from?

Have you ever wondered where the food you eat is actually from? How far has it traveled to reach you? Well, now thanks to the new COOL (Country of Orgin Labeling) Law, you will always be aware of where any non-processed foods (fruit, veggies, meat, etc) came from.

Here is an excerpt from the full article in the Salt Lake Tribune that will help answer some questions for you.

"Q: What does the new law require?

A: That retailers notify customers of the country of origin - including the U.S. - of raw beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken, goat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and whole ginseng. (The aim was big agricultural commodities; ginseng was added for fear of imports masquerading as U.S.-grown.)

Q: Where will I see the country of origin?

A: Anywhere it fits. The rubber band around asparagus; the plastic wrap on ground beef; the little sticker that says "Gala" on an apple. If a food isn't normally sold in any packaging - such as a bin of fresh green beans or mushrooms - then the store must post a sign.

Q: Aren't many foods already labeled?

A: Some fresh produce already uses origin labeling as advertising. "Fresh from Florida" or "Jersey Grown" or "Vidalia Onion" tags don't have to be changed under the new rules; the shopper should realize they're all U.S. products.

The COOL law mandating such labels first passed in 2002, but lobbying by grocery stores and large meatpackers led Congress to delay the U.S. Department of Agriculture from implementing it. Seafood labeling was phased in first, in 2005 - a key change given recurring safety problems with fish and shellfish from certain countries, including China.

Q: What's the biggest exception?

A: The labels aren't for processed foods, meaning no label if the food is cooked, or an ingredient in a bigger dish or otherwise substantially changed. So plain raw chicken must be labeled but not breaded chicken tenders. Raw pork chops are labeled, but not ham or bacon. Fresh or frozen peas get labeled, but not canned peas. Raw shelled pecans, but not a trail mix.

Q: What if the foods are merely mixed together?

A: They're exempt, too. So cantaloupe slices from Guatemala get labeled. Mix in some Florida watermelon chunks, and no label. Frozen peas, labeled. Frozen peas and carrots, no label. As for bagged salads, USDA considers iceberg and Romaine to be just lettuce, so that bag gets a label. Add some radicchio? No label.

Q: Must all stores comply?

A: No. Meat and seafood sold in butcher shops and fish markets are exempt.

Q: What if companies buy food from various places - beef from both U.S. and Mexican ranchers, for instance?

A: That's a bone of contention between large U.S. meat producers and smaller ranchers that produce exclusively U.S. animals. Tyson Fresh Meats, for instance, says it's too expensive to separate which of its cattle came from which country. So in a July letter to customers, Tyson said it would label all beef "Product of the U.S., Canada or Mexico." The National Farmers Union is protesting; USDA is considering the complaints.

Q: Aren't country labels on some processed foods?

A: Yes, tariff regulations have long required that a food put into consumer-ready packaging abroad be labeled as an import; that doesn't apply to bulk ingredients.

Q: When does the change take effect?

A: The law goes into effect Tuesday, although USDA won't begin fining laggards until spring. Violations can bring a $1,000 penalty."

This is a wonderful event for those of us trying to eat more local and reduce our impacts on the environment. If you are interested in more information about this topic, check out our Community Discussion Course - Menu for the Future. You can also email nancy@usee.org or visit the Community Discussion Website to get more information.

Teacher's Corner!

The Teacher's Corner at Green Fork is a new feature where tips, ideas, thoughts, and projects geared toward the classroom will be highlighted. This area is meant to serve all formal teachers, K-12, and is also intended to be an area not only where ideas can be shared, but also where questions can be asked. For instance, Plant Anatomy 101: Potatoes was originally inspired from a teacher whom Andree' and I met at an outreach event. She wanted to know if we knew if a potato was a vegetable or not. We didn't know an exact answer, as potatoes are a bit tricky, so Plant Anatomy 101 was born. The Teacher's Corner will feature all kinds of interactive project ideas to get your kids thinking and will have suggestions to help teachers integrate environmental education into their classrooms. Have a question about something, or even an idea for a project to tell other teachers about? Let us know and we will follow-up on the feedback you give us!

And don't worry, the Teacher's Corner isn't only for teachers. Even though this section is intended for teachers, many of the posts will be very applicable and interesting for anyone who is a mentor to children, and your input is also welcomed. Check back later this week for the first post for the Teacher's Corner.

Photo Credit

USEE in the News

Check out the Catalyst Magazine "Green Beat" article about USEE's Community Discussion Courses.
Or, find more information about the Community Discusssion Courses here.

Plant Anatomy 101: Strawberries

Have you ever wondered why strawberries have their seeds on the outside of their fruits? When I worked at Red Butte Garden, this was a point that we brought up frequently with the first graders. We mostly just pointed this fact out and never really talked about why, other than a quick suggestion of possible seed-distribution benefits. Well today I was thinking about strawberries for whatever reason, and now I want to share what I've discovered!

As we learned in the potato post, there is a big difference between what botanists classify as fruit and what we regular ol' plant eating people define as fruit. Here I will be talking about strawberries as defined by the botanists. Let's back up a second: a true fruit is a fruit from which all tissues are derived from a ripened ovary and its contents. Simple fruits, such as oranges, develop from a single pistil and are true fruits. True berries are also simple and true fruits in that they develop from one ovary. Blueberries, cranberries, grapes, tomatoes, and even bananas fall into this category. It seems that there are a lot of definitions for basically the same thing.

Strawberries, on the other hand, are not true fruits. They are called aggregate fruits which means that the strawberry is formed through many ovaries ripening. The "seeds" on the outside of the strawberry are actually individual little "fruits" that have ripened in their own separate ovaries. These little "seeds" are called achenes (ah-keens) and inside each achene is a little seed. Sunflower seeds are also achenes where the hard shell is the outside of the fruit and the seed is inside the hard shell. Since an aggregate fruit forms from many ovaries, it is also known as a complex fruit. Other complex fruits include blackberries, raspberries, and mulberries. These fruits however, because they lack achenes, are not aggregate fruits.

Photo Credit

But what about the bight fleshy part of the strawberry that we eat? Strawberries are not only aggregate, complex fruits with achenes, they are also accessory fruits. Accessory fruits are fruits that contain a significant amount of other tissue in addition to the ripened ovary and mature seeds. Apples and pineapples are accessory fruits. In the case of the strawberry, the extra tissue that we are consuming is the enlarged end of the flower's stamen. Because of this, strawberries must be picked at full ripeness, otherwise they wont ripen after they have been picked.

Random strawberry factoids:

• Until the mid-nineteenth century, strawberries were considered poisonous in Argentina.
• Native Americans had already been cultivating strawberries when European colonists arrived. They would crush the berries and bake them into cornmeal. Colonists adapted this practice and made it their own by making the first strawberry shortcakes.
• Medieval stone masons carved strawberry designs on altars and on the tops of columns to symbolize perfection and righteousness.
• In Ancient Rome, the strawberry was the symbol for Venus, the God of Love.

Who knew that strawberries were so complex and had such rich histories!

Strawberries Photo Credit