Wild About Utah: Bonneville Cisco

In mid-January you can witness frenetic fishing along the south-eastern shore of Bear Lake. The Bonneville Cisco are spawning.

These small whitefish are numerically the most abundant fish species in Utah, even though, Cisco are endemic to Bear Lake. And although attempts have been made to transplant them to other waters, they continue to thrive only in Bear Lake. There are in fact, more endemic fish in Bear Lake than in any other north-American lake: the Bonneville Cisco, the Bear Lake Whitefish, the Bonneville Whitefish and the Bear Lake Sculpin. These deep water salmoniform fish also inhabited Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, the great freshwater sea that covered vast portions of Utah and surrounding states.

The Bonneville Cisco is differentiated from other whitefish by its pointed mouth and smaller size. Growing no larger than 9 inches, it is pale moss green on top with silver sides. Cisco don't have the spots found on other whitefish.

Cisco eat only small aquatic invertebrates or zooplankton. They are eaten by larger fish in the lake including cutthroat, lake trout, and whitefish. When caught, they are most often breaded whole and deep-fat fried or smoked. Sometimes they are frozen and used as bait to catch cutthroat and lake trout later in the year.

Cisco mature at 3 years and, for a two-week period, prefer spawning on the south-eastern, rocky beach known appropriately as Cisco Beach. The males move first to the area where they wait for the females to arrive. Low water levels in the lake sometimes keep Cisco from the beach; but using fish finders, anglers have found that Cisco spawn in other places throughout the lake. However, they still prefer rocky locations, even if they are in deeper water.

Schools swim parallel, but 3-8 feet from the shore. During ice-on conditions, fishermen drill up to 18-inch holes and fish with nets or lines through the holes. With ice-off, they wade into the water, using smelt nets. Out in the lake, Cisco are caught with lures such as spoons and jigs instead of nets. The current limit is 30. So if you are near Bear Lake in mid-January, dress warmly and enjoy this unique fishing phenomenon found nowhere else in the world.

Credits:

Photo: Bonneville Cisco: Female and Male, Courtesy & Copyright 1979, 2009 Ron Goede (The more colorful male is on the bottom. The size of these samples is not indicative of gender.)

Text: Lyle Bingham and Ron Goede, Bridgerland Audubon Society

What's Cooking?

I read a fascinating article on economist.com this morning about some research presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting on the evolutionary role of cookery.  Dr. Richard Wrangham from Harvard University argues that the act of cooking food is a human universal, which greatly helps in the digestive process:

Cooking alters food in three important ways. It breaks starch molecules into more digestible fragments. It “denatures” protein molecules, so that their amino-acid chains unfold and digestive enzymes can attack them more easily. And heat physically softens food. That makes it easier to digest, so even though the stuff is no more calorific, the body uses fewer calories dealing with it.

He argues that this ability to better digest food is directly related to the human evolution of a smaller gut, which was able to support a larger brain.  If this topic interests you, I also found an interview with Dr. Wrangham about how he came up with his theory at Scientific America.

Wild About Utah: Winter Song Birds

In the icy, short days of winter, you may think that Nature itself has curled up to hibernate. Our gardens are colorless. Deciduous trees are stripped down to bare limbs and twigs. Many songbirds bid us farewell before flying south. In truth, what remains to be seen and heard of nature here in winter is more subtle and less complex. Now is the time to learn calls and songs of birds that reside here year-round, to hear them in solo performances, before the confusing springtime symphonies of birdsong.

This first bird calls its own name.[sound: "Chick-a-dee-dee-dee" #9 Songbirds of the Rocky Mountain Foothills]. That would be a chickadee. Black-capped Chickadees take sunflower seeds one at a time from our feeders. When I’m out snowshoeing or skiing in our forests, inquisitive chickadees are my welcome companions. They put some joy in a wintry day.

Sometimes a winter chickadee flock has other birds. [Sound: "annk-annk" #48 Songbirds of Yellowstone]. This bird sounds like a child's squeak toy, but that nasal call belongs to the red breasted nuthatch. Look for this chunky small bird at your suet feeder, or cruising up and down tree trunks in its search for bugs.

We also have a minimalist in our winter bird repertoire. [Sound: "tew" #62 Songbirds of Yellowstone]. That single note belongs to the Townsend's solitaire, which looks like a lean robin, but the somber gray of an overcast sky. Solitaires get through our winters dining mostly on juniper berries. Their call stakes out their winter feeding territory. They are regulars at are heated birdbath, I suppose washing down all those puckery berries.-- Winter is the time to appreciate Townsend's solitaire, before their singular tune is drowned out by the chorus of returning migrants.

You often hear chickadees, nuthatches, and solitaires before you see them, as their plumage is neither colorful nor splashy. If you notice these calls on a winter's day, it is because you are quiet and focused on the nature around you, leaving civilization’s hubbub behind. Winter birds can do that for you. We will share more of Kevin Colver's bird recordings with you this winter on Wild About Utah.

Credits:

Text: Jim Cane and Linda Kervin, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Photo: A Black-capped Chickadee, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Sounds: This text was originally in broadcast radio format. Sounds are courtesy and copyright 2008 of Dr. Kevin Colver, Songbirds of the Rocky Mountain Foothills and Songbirds of Yellowstone and the High Rockies.

CFL Recycling

Image Source

The idea of saving energy by using Compact Florescent Light (CFL) bulbs rather than the regular old bulbs is old hat to most of us by now. But, did you know that you need to take special measures when disposing of CFLs? Read below to learn more (Source: http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html?MAINSECTION=cflrecycling)

What are CFL's?

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are energy efficient and cost effective lighting alternative to regular incandescent light bulbs. A compact fluorescent light bulb fits in a regular light bulb socket or can be plugged into a small lighting fixture. CFLs are typically used in homes and are increasingly used by businesses. They use 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs and last up to 10 times longer. Every CFL can keep more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.

Why do I need to be careful when I dispose of them?

CFL lamps (light bulbs) contain a small amount of mercury necessary for normal operation. The mercury contained in a CFL bulb is less then 4 mg, which is less then the cell batteries used in watches, hearing aids, some toys, calculators, thermometers and in dental fillings; however, the lamps should be handled responsibly and recycled to reduce the mercury from passing into the environment.

What do I do now?

Home Depot has the answer! At each The Home Depot store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, place them in a plastic bag and deposit them both into a bright orange collection unit. The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance. Customers will be able to locate the CFL receptacle on the front end of the store near the entrance, by the Returns desk or near the exit doors inside the store.

Information about cleanup by state can be found at the following EPA website: Visit http://www.epa.gov/mercury. You can also visit the Eco Options CFL Recycling Page to learn more about recycling CFL's at your local Home Depot store.
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Killer Bees in Utah!

Do you remember hearing about killer bees about 10 years ago? Well, they are finally here.
Check out this article posted on KSL about it.

By Whit Johnson

After years of warning, they're finally here. Africanized bees, known as killer bees, have been discovered in southern Utah.

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food is planning a news conference about the bees tomorrow, and won't provide any details. But we spoke to a Washington County commissioner who says he knows what the announcement is about.

Photo Credit

Commissioner Alan Gardner says officials from agriculture department told him in a meeting today that killer bees have been found in multiple locations in southern Utah.

From Central to North America, the killer bees have been inching closer and closer to Utah. In 1999, KSL traveled to Mesquite, Nev., to talk to Ron Moser, a city worker who had a dangerous encounter while trimming trees. "I've never been attacked like that, never," Moser told us.

Since then, experts believed it was only a matter of time before killer bees found a home in Utah. It appears the prediction is now an immediate concern. "These African bees are a little more aggressive than normal bees," Gardner said.

Gardner says the bees were discovered in seven traps: three near St. George, and four in the Kanab area. "The bees were promptly destroyed, so they're gone," he said.

Photo Credit

Africanized killer bees look the same as our European honeybees. The only real noticeable difference is their vicious behavior. When disturbed, their relentless attack can be deadly.

Experts say if you happen to come across a colony of killer bees, keep your distance and walk away quietly. Make sure your home is not bee-friendly by cleaning up your property and closing holes and hollow spaces.

"Be aware of the situation. I don't think it's trying to scare anybody but just make them aware so that if they do see something that looks suspicious with some bees, that they can call emergency preparedness so that they can come check out the situation," Gardner said.

Gardner says this is nothing to panic about. People just need to be aware that the bees are here in Utah.

Tomorrow's news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. in conference room D in the Gardner Center at Dixie State College. We'll know more after that.

E-mail: wjohnson@ksl.com

After reading this article, I wondered where these bees were already distributed in the US. I found this map on the StingShield website (bee sting protection equipment).

Interesting huh?

Experiment: Create your own Inversion

The Salt Lake Tribune ran a full page story yesterday on Air Quality. It has some great pictures of how inversions work (similar to the Winter Inversion Blues I posted a few days ago) and it also features some useful items. There's a section on what we can do to reduce inversions like reducing idling, slowing down when we drive, and reducing your traveling all together. There's a section on EPA standards, health effects, and comparisons of the different valleys that are affected by inversions in Utah. To view this story, click here.

One of the most interesting things about this article, however, was at the bottom where the article included directions on how to create your own inversion:

"Experiment: With a clear glass or jar, food coloring, water, salt, a funnel, measuring cup, and some rubber or plastic tubing, you can create an effect similar to a thermal inversion.

1. Pour Water into the glass or jar until it's about half full. Then pour about 1/2 cup of water into the measuring cup, adding about 1/8 cup salt. Stir mixture until well blended.

2. Run tubing from a funnel to the half-full glass, resting the tube's end on the bottom and securing tubing to the glass with a clamp (or have someone hold it.)

3. Without agitating the water in the glass, carefully pour the salt water from the measuring cup into the funnel so that it comes out at the bottom of the glass. Gently remove tube.

4. The salt water represents cold air, which is denser than the normal air (represented by plain water). The denser water is now trapped below the plain water.

5. To see the layers, gently squeeze three drops of food coloring near the surface of the glass of water. The coloring would stay in the upper layer above the dense salty water."

This experiment creates an effect that is similar to the effect that is caused by a thermal inversion.

Education in a Green Economy

I just came across a great letter from a number of environmental education leaders to Arne Duncan, the new US Education Secretary, about the importance of education in carrying out President Obama's environmental agenda.  

The authors make a case that it is imperative to incorporate education deep within the new  'green economy' and that if this endeavor is to succeed, the US needs an environmentally literate population of both workers and consumers.

"President-elect Obama has astutely perceived the linkages between climate change, economic stimulus, energy security, and job training by declaring that the transition to a green economy is his "top priority." The missing link in this system is the critical role that education can play in quickly making the green economy a reality. By working with him to include a major role for education in his green economy plans, you'll help advance his agenda - and yours."

There are also a number of concrete suggestions such as:

"The President should announce a sweeping initiative to support education as a cornerstone of our new clean energy future. This initiative should be part of an economic stimulus package with a focus on green jobs and green education to help Americans of all ages, all backgrounds, and all walks of life transition to the green economy."

If you care about how environmental education can be a part of the new 'green economy' then I recommend you read the whole  letter here.

Take a Break! -- Utah Scenery

This slide show was one of the first features on Green Fork. Photos from the slide show were submitted by USEE's institutional members as well as USEE staff. The slide show usually resides at the bottom of the blog, but in light of our new look we wanted to bring it to the top today as a highlight for all of our new readers. Enjoy!



If you have any pictures you would like to submit for the "Take a Break!" series, please send them to nicole@usee.org and we would be happy to put them in future slide shows.

Wild About Utah: A Utah Skier's Snow Lexicon

Hi, I’m Holly Strand from Stokes Nature Center in beautiful Logan Canyon.

Many linguists believe that the language we use both affects and reflects our experience of the world. A popular illustration is that Eskimos have an unusually large number of words to describe snow—32 or more depending on the source. This diverse snow vocabulary is said to be linked with the fact that Eskimos live in a snowy environment and therefore various conditions or forms of snow are more meaningful to them.

There’s a problem with this example: First of all, the term Eskimo is troublesome. A number of cultures are referred to under the umbrella term “Eskimo” and a number of different languages are in the Eskimo-Aleut family. Secondly, Eskimo-Aleut languages such as Inuit or Yupik tend to join noun roots and suffixes into one word while the same concept may exist in other languages as two words or a phrase.

Some experts believe that an American skier has just as many words for snow as the so-called Eskimo. There are terms defining different snow conditions in the air, on the ground or in certain formations. In the air, a single unit of snow is a flake. A lot of flakes blowing at least 35 mph is a blizzard. A whiteout is a blizzard with zero visibility. A flurry is swirling mass of snow moved by sudden gusts of wind. Graupel is snow that has been coated by frozen cloud droplets to form a somewhat spherical shape. Snain is a mix of snow and rain, known offslope as “wintry mix.”

Once it hits the ground, snow ideally exists as champagne powder. Untracked snow is delightful and bottomless powder can be fun but challenging. Snow boarders and backcountry skiers might refer to a fresh dump of powder as phat pow. (As in “Dude, it’s gonna be a phat pow day.”) On a clear cold night when surface hoar forms on top of powder, you can get loud powder which makes a beautiful tinkling sound when you ski over it.

Lightly packed powder is acceptable snow for most skiers. Beginner skiers often look for freshly groomed snow. Snow that has been repeatedly groomed by snow cats creates corduroy snow.

There seem to be a lot more words for snow that reflect less favorable ski conditions. Crud, boilerplate, bulletproof, breakable crust, slush and mashed potatoes to name a few. Corn means that large, loose snow crystals froze at night, melted loose during the day and now act like ball bearings under your feet or skis. Death cookies, or frozen chicken heads form when spring slush refreezes. Utah skiers venturing outside the state might encounter blue ice in the East or Sierra cement to the west.

While you are skiing, you might encounter snow in the form of a drift, cornice, avalanche, bank, pipe, roll or mogul. If children are around you might see a snowman, snowfort or snowcave.

I’ve really just touched the surface here. If you consider all the words for snow, ice and crystal structures and weather conditions, the number of snow words really soars. As snow specialists with a diverse vocabulary, you could say that Utah skiers could give the Eskimos a run for their money.

Thanks to the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation for supporting research and development of Wild About Utah topics.

For Wild About Utah and Stokes Nature Center, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Text: Stokes Nature Center: Holly Strand
Thanks to Jim Akers, Sara Goeking, and Phaedra Buddy with their assistance with snow terminology.

Photos: Skiing photo credit, Mountain Skiers photo credit

For more information please visit the Wild About Utah website.

USEE Event

USEE GREEN BAG ~ ENERGY: THE BIG PICTURE

The USEE Offices
466 East 500 South Suite 100
Tuesday, February 24, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Join Joe Andrade, Director of The Leonardo—Science as he presents this hands-on workshop all about energy! Topics covered will include: What IS Energy? How is it transformed? Making electricity; Energy Sources, CO2, and Climate Change; Questar and dekatherms; Utah Power and kilowatt-hours; Gasoline and diesel; coal and oil shale; nuclear; and new leapfrog technologies, including solar, wind, and geothermal. The workshop will be responsive to the questions and interests of those participating, including brief discussion of new careers in the energy arena. Nearly all topics involve hands on activities and demonstrations. Please RSVP by Wednesday February 18, to andree@usee.org. The cost is $5 for members, $10 for nonmembers and includes a light dinner.

Simplicity in the Time of Zombies

As some of you may know, the USEE staff is working toward simplifying our lives, not just at home and pertaining to the environment, but in the office as well. We discuss issues that come up in our lives on an almost daily basis, have been participating in the USEE Discussion Course - Voluntary Simplicity, and also have read the book Getting Things Done by David Allen to try and streamline our days in the office.

Simplification is on my mind always, and also seems to be more and more of a trend lately. Whether it is to relax a bit in your life, to save money, to free up time for other things, etc, simplification is a good idea to consider and has been popping up everywhere.

A most unexpected place I read about simplification was on the back of a book about Zombies called The Walking Dead (by Robert Kirkham and published by Imagecomics. Something you may not know is that the USEE office likes Zombie literature... well, Jason and I do, and we are trying to convert Nicole. Here is the quote.

"How many hours are in a day when you don't spend half of them watching television?

When is the last time any of us REALLY worked to get something that we wanted?

How long has it been since any of us really NEEDED something that we WANTED?

The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled, no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV.

In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living."

I know it may seem a little silly with the zombies and all, but simplification may not only be beneficial for us in the present time, but also for whatever the future has in store. Personally, I'm not going to wait until the Zombies come before I start living. :)

Change of Scenery? --100th Post

This is Green Fork's 100th post! You probably noticed that we changed things up a bit today. The previous format of Green Fork was no longer serving our needs, so what better way to bring in the new look than with our 100th post? Whether you've been with us from the beginning, or joined somewhere along the way, thank you for your continued readership and we hope you like the change of scenery.

Amazing Cake by TN Something Special Cakes
Photo Credit

A Useful Idea

Do you ever have those days when you have an amazing idea? Then you realize that the idea wasn't that great, but you're still really proud of it?

I have been trying to reduce my plastic consumption. It's nothing drastic, but I am trying to pay attention to what kinds of products I'm purchasing. Packaging is an issue, but so is buying so many of the products that are out there from toothbrushes to toasters. One thing that's easy to do is stop using plastic grocery bags, which I have done. The next logical step in that process is also to stop using the plastic bags that stores provide for putting produce in.

Deciding that it's okay for your tomatoes, apples, and oranges to roll around in your cart takes a little bit of getting used to. And what about things like broccoli? I got some little mesh bags that have a drawstring at the top for putting in produce. I find that I only need a couple and when they're full, I can let my apples roll around a little bit. So far this plan is working nicely. The only "problem" I've run into is what to do with the lettuce. That flimsy plastic bag seems to keep it so clean and fresh and keeps the rest of my groceries dry. (The misters always seem to go off right before or during my lettuce picking experience.)

Photo Credit

When I get home, I like to wash and chop up the lettuce first thing and mix it all back in the plastic bag so when it comes time to making salads to take the work the next day, I just have to reach in and pull out a handful. But I'm trying to use less plastic, so this plan is no longer viable. Solution? I had two half-full bags of tortilla chips. I dumped one into the other, rinsed out the bag and let it air dry. By the time I got back from the store and prepared all of the lettuce, the bag was clean, dry, and ready to go. It still smelled a bit salty, but what can you do?

Now I have a tortilla-chip bag full of chopped lettuce. When my friends open the fridge they laugh and think it's a little silly, but I'll tell you what, my lettuce has never stayed crispier!

Tip: Throw in a paper towel with the lettuce before wrapping it all up in the bag. This keeps the lettuce crispy and rust free by soaking up extra moisture in the bag. Then, clean something up with it when you're done with the lettuce, or save it for the next batch.

Tortilla Chips Photo