Tomatoes: To Plant or not to Plant

When to plant your tomatoes (and other similar plants) is always a big topic of discussion among Utah gardeners. Planting them too soon will probably lead to dead, frost-bitten plants. Waiting too long can lead to a shorter growing time, which means less delicious, juicy red fruits for salads, sandwiches, and sauces.

I have often heard that after Mother's Day is the general guideline for planting tomatoes, but it seems like Mom's day is coming a little early this year. This spring has also been so wet and cold, I'm a little nervous to put those plants out there just yet. We came across some info that we wanted to share. According to the locals, the time to plant tomatoes is:

"When the snow is off the Oquirrh Mountains."

That makes sense. Regardless of the snowfall, rainy season, or dryness of the year, the snow on the mountains will reflect what is going on in the rest of the valley. I'm going to take this bit of advice and plant my 'maters when I can't see any more snow on those western mountains.

What advice do you live by in your own gardens? Any tips for a beginning gardener like myself?

Photo Credit

Garbology

Recently, USEE had the pleasure of helping out with the Squatter's Brew Pub Recycled Materials Sculpture Contest. We had over 15 entries, all of which were wonderfully creative sculptures made completely from recycled materials. Grab a meal at Squatters this week and you'll be able to see them all on display. Congrats to everyone who participated!

All the recycling info inspired me to give you all a little quiz about recycling. The quiz comes from the Municipal Solid Waste Activity Guide published by Project Learning Tree. If you are interested in getting a copy, please email me at andree@usee.org and I'll give you the details (you have to participate in a 2 hour workshop that we can set up).

Here we go (answers below)...

1. If you live in a populated area, you're probably used to having someone come by and pick up your trash. When do you think regular trash collection began in the United States?
a. early 1900's
b. late 1700's
c. middle 1800's

2. Can you guess how much trash Americans threw away in 1994?
a. 1.43 thousand tons
b. 625.9 thousand tons
c. 209 million tons
d. 6.8 billion tons

3. Between 1980 and 1994, our rate of recycling and composting did what?
a. more than doubled
b. more than quadrupled
c. increased 5 percent
d. increased 100 percent

4. Below are some ways we deal with garbage. EPA (the Environmental Protection Agency) has a preferred order of use for these methods in a waste management system. What do you think the order is?
___ recycling and composting
___ landfilling
___ waste combustion
___ source reduction

5. Who developed the first trash dumps?
a. Anasazi
b. ancient Greeks
c. Babylonians
d. English barons

6. Compost can be a squirmy, hot mass of rotting garbage. Which organisms might you find that are turning this stuff into good soil?
a. bacteria
b. earthworms
c. fungi
d. meadow mice
e. mites
f. snakes

ANSWERS:

1. By the early 1900's most major cities has some type of collection system. 2. 209 million tons were produced in 1994. 3. More than doubled. It went from 10 percent to 24 percent. 4. EPA prefers this order: source reduction, recycling and composting, waste combustion, and landfilling. 5. The ancient Greeks developed the first garbage dumps in 500 B.C. 6. Bacteria, earthworms, fungi and mites along with other microorganisms and insects all help to break down organic material in compost.

National EE Week Photo Blog Contest

Do you have a positive story of how you and your organization are bringing environmental education to students? EE Week would like to hear about it! Upload your photos and stories on the EE Week Photo Blog at www.eeweek.org/photoblog, and enter the 2009 Photo Blog Contest.

The contest has two parts: submit a photo of an environmental education activity and a write brief narrative describing the activity in the photograph. The submission period is from April 20 to May 22, 2009. The top three entries will win gift certificates to Acorn Naturalists (first place: $150 gift certificate, second place: $100 gift certificate, and third place: $50 gift certificate.)

When submitting your photos to the contest, be sure to have all individuals in the photographs sign their release form. This form is required in order for your photo to be eligible for the Photo Blog Contest. Parent signatures are required for minors.

No purchase necessary. All contest participants must be at least 18 years old, residents of the U.S., affiliated with an organization which provides K-12 educational programs and meet all eligibility requirements. Void where prohibited. For complete Photo Blog Contest rules, visit www.eeweek.org/rules.

Plant Anatomy 101: Sunflowers

This summer I am participating in the Great Sunflower Project and my sunflower seeds finally came this weekend! I am going to plant them tonight when I get home from work. Let the fun begin! Since I will be spending so much time growing, cultivating, and watching my sunflowers I thought I would be a good idea to learn about them a little more:

Sunflowers are annual plants that can grow up to 9 feet tall! They are native to the Americas and were first cultivated in what is now Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona around 3000 B.C.E. (Some archaeologists suggest that sunflowers were even cultivated before corn by Native Americans.) Sunflowers were used by many indigenous American peoples as a symbol for sun deities.

Sunflowers exhibit heliotropsim, meaning that the flowers and/or leaves follow the sun throughout the day starting in the East in the morning, moving toward the West throughout the day, and then returning to the East at night. Domesticated sunflowers exhibit heliotropism in both the flower buds and the leaves, however they will only do this during the bud stage. This motion is performed by motor cells in the pulvinus, a flexible segment of the stem just below the bud. As the bud stage ends, the stem stiffens as the blooming stage is reached. Sunflowers in the blooming stage no longer exhibit heliotropism as the stems are "frozen," usually in an Eastward direction. Typically, wild sunflowers do not exhibit heliotropism in their bud heads, but their leaves often do to some degree. During the blooming stage, wild sunflowers will face any direction when mature.

Sunflowers are pseudanthiums. A pseudanthium (Greek for false flower), or flower head, is a kind of plant in which several florets (small flowers) are grouped together to form a large flower-like structure on top of a stem. A sunflower's ray florets on the outside of the flower head are sterile and come in yellow, maroon, orange, or other colors ("petals"). The disc florets (the florets on the inside of the head) are traditionally called sunflower seeds when mature. These sunflower "seeds" however are acutally the whole fruits of each floret (akenes, similar to the fruits on a strawberry). The inedible husk is the wall of the fruit and the seed is inside the kernel.

Photo Credits

Environmental Education Legislation Introduced to House and Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2009

For More Information Contact:

John Surrick—CBF

443-482-2045

NCLI COALITION CELEBRATES

HISTORIC LEGISLATION INTRODUCED ON EARTH DAY

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) -- Citing the critical need to improve environmental education across the country, The No Child Left Inside Coalition today applauded Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) for introducing the Senate and House versions of the historic No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI) on Earth Day 2009. The bi-partisan legislation, if passed, would mark the first environmental education legislation to pass Congress in more than 25 years.

“Passing the No Child Left Inside Act is a key step in improving the quality of our children’s education and preparing them for the complex challenges of the future workforce,” Senator Reed said.

Research shows that when environmental education is integrated into the curriculum, student achievement increases in core academic areas including science, math, and reading. Additional research finds that schools that teach the core subjects using the environment as an integrating context also demonstrate reduced discipline and classroom management problems; increased engagement and enthusiasm for learning; and greater student pride and ownership in accomplishments.

The bill authorizes new funding for states to provide high-quality, environmental instruction. Funds would support outdoor learning activities both at school and in non-formal environmental education centers, teacher professional development, and the creation of state environmental literacy plans.

“Environmental education must be a part of the formal pre-K-12 education system if we are to fully prepare students to become lifelong stewards of our natural resources and compete in a green economy,” Congressman Sarbanes said.

The No Child Left Inside Coalition includes 1,300 organizational members—representing more than 50 million individuals.

“That this legislation is introduced on Earth Day, with critical environmental issues looming on the horizon, should be a reminder to us not to take environmental education for granted,” said Don Baugh, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Vice President for Education and Director of the No Child Left Inside Coalition. “There is nothing like hands-on environmental education to engage children and pique their curiosity. We are grateful to Senator Reed and Congressman Sarbanes for their leadership in championing an issue that is so fundamental to our long-term success in educating the next generation of environmental stewards.”

Co-sponsors in the Senate include BenCardin (D-Md.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York), John Kerry(D- Massachusetts), Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey), Blanche Lincoln (D- Arkansas), Patty Murray (D-Washington), Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island).

Co-Sponsors in the House include Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU), Lois Capps (D-CA), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Bob Filner (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Phil Hare (D-IL), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Michael Honda (D-CA), Ron Kind (D-WI), Barbara Lee (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Michael Michaud (D-ME), James Moran (D-VA), John Olver (D-MA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Robert Scott (D-VA), Jose Serrano (D-NY), Joe Sestak (D-PA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH), Pete Fortney Stark (D-CA), John Tierney (D-MA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), David Wu (D-OR), and John Yarmuth (D-KY).

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day, celebrated every April 22, was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin. Senator Nelson called for an "environmental teach-in" and envisioned a grass-roots movement to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth. We, here at USEE, have been running around all week attending different events and getting ready for various festivities in celebration of Earth Day. What are you doing to celebrate Earth Day?

Taken from the Wilderness Society's website:

Note:Earth Day Founder Gaylord Nelson passed away July 2005 at the age of 89. He believed strongly that education is the key to changing people's attitudes about the environment and he devoted much of his energy to that challenge. In the section below, which he prepared not long before his death, he answered some of the questions he was most often asked about the how he conceived the first Earth Day, why and what his hopes for the observance were.

By Senator Gaylord Nelson, Founder of Earth Day

What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked.

Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day.

I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not.

After President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment?

I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try.

At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, I announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance. For the next four months, two members of my Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of my Senate office.

Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events:

"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam…a national day of observance of environmental problems…is being planned for next spring…when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'…coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned…."

It was obvious that we were headed for a spectacular success on Earth Day. It was also obvious that grassroots activities had ballooned beyond the capacity of my U.S. Senate office staff to keep up with the telephone calls, paper work, inquiries, etc. In mid-January, three months before Earth Day, John Gardner, Founder of Common Cause, provided temporary space for a Washington, D.C. headquarters. I staffed the office with college students and selected Denis Hayes as coordinator of activities.

Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.

Teaching Green Building

The US EPA for region 8 has released an 'e-packet' that focuses on education opportunities for the Green Building movement. USEE staff and volunteers are exploring ways to implement a green schools program in Utah. Any Suggestions?

From the EPA Website:

The buildings in which we live, work, and play protect us from Nature's extremes, yet they also affect our health and environment in countless ways. The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal of buildings takes enormous amounts of energy, water, and materials, and generates large quantities of waste, air and water pollution, as well as creating stormwater runoff and heat islands. Buildings also develop their own indoor environments, which present an array of health challenges. Where and how they are built affects wildlife habitat and corridors and the hydrologic cycle, while influencing the overall quality of human life.

As the environmental impact of buildings becomes more apparent, a field called green building is gaining momentum. Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. Research and experience increasingly demonstrate that when buildings are designed and operated with their lifecycle impacts in mind, they can provide great environmental, economic, and social benefits. Elements of green building include:

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Water Stewardship
• Environmentally Preferable Building Materials and Specifications
• Waste Reduction
• Toxics
• Indoor Environment
• Smart Growth and Sustainable Development

Wild About Utah: May Swenson, A Utah Poet and Observer of Nature

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

In Logan Cemetery a granite bench marks the grave of May Swenson, a native Utahan and eminent poet. She was born in Logan in 1913 and attended Utah State University where she published her first poem. She moved east in 1936, and eventually, she became one of America's most inventive and recognized poets. She won many awards including Guggenheim and Rockefeller grants, the Yale Bollingen Prize, and the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Utah State University conferred an honorary doctorate on Swenson in 1987. Despite her many achievements and her years living away from Utah, Swenson never forgot her Mormon heritage or her identity as a Westerner.

Nature played a prominent role in Swenson’s work. In fact, she published a collection of poetry called Nature: Poems Old and New which is brimming with imagery that evokes the beauty and complexity of the natural world.

Here’s an example: a poem called April Light:

April light

Lined with light
the twigs are stubby arrows.
A gilded trunk writhes
Upward from the roots,
from the pit of the black tentacles.

In the book spring
a bare-limbed torso
is the first illustration.

Light reaches the tree
to beget leaves,
to embroider itself all over
with green reality,
until summer becomes
its steady portrait
and birds bring their lifetime
to the boughs.

Then even the corpse
light copies from below
may shimmer, dreaming it feels
the cheeks of blossom.

Another of Swenson’s poems describes a well-known natural feature in Utah.
Listen to this excerpt of Above Bear Lake:

A breeze, and the filtered light makes shine
A million bristling quills of spruce and fir
Downslope, where slashes of sky and lake
Hang blue—windows of intense stain. We take
The rim trail, crushing bloom of sage,
Sniffing resinous wind, our boots in the wild,
Small, everycolored Rocky Mountain flowers.
Suddenly, a steep drop-off: below we see the whole,
the whale of it—deep, enormous blue—
that widens, while the sky slants back to pale
behind a watercolored mountain.

Reading this makes me feel like I’m standing on the scenic outlook at the summit of Logan Canyon. That is, of course, where Swenson wrote it.

For more on the Utah poet May Swenson, see Wild About Utah's website. Thanks to Paul Crumbley and Maria Melendez of the English Dept. at Utah State University. And thanks to the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation for supporting the research and development for today’s program.

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

Credits:

Readings: Paul Crumbley and Maria Melendez of the English Dept, Utah State University
Text: Stokes Nature Center: Holly Strand
Photo Credit: Logan Canyon River

Celebrate EE Week

Don't forget that this years Environmental Education week is focusing on water. Here's a Water Tip of the Day from the National Environmental Education Foundation

Pick up litter in your neighborhood and on your school grounds - everything eventually ends up in a water body.
Source: The Groundwater Foundation

For a list of water facts in English and Spanish, visit our Be Water Wise! Facts page.

Wild About Utah: Xeri Garden with Native Plants

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

As the days lengthen and gardeners dream of the planting season to come, I urge you to consider plants adapted to our desert climate. Perhaps there are dry corners where your irrigation does not reach. Or you tire of watching the rivulets of water that run down the gutter from trying to grow grass in the strip between sidewalk and road. These are ideal areas to experiment with drought tolerant plants.

As more of us have become aware of the need to conserve water, the availability of gardening resources has increased. Many local and mail order nurseries now have a good selection of drought tolerant or xeriscape plants. The Intermountain Plant Growers Association labels nursery plants with a special tag as Utah’s Choice. Utah’s Choice plants are well adapted to the climate of the intermountain west and are a good starting point for choosing plants.

One of my favorite Utah’s Choice plants is Fire Chalice or Zauschneria latifolia. It is a spreading perennial plant that is covered in fiery red tubular flowers from midsummer til frost. Hummingbirds avidly visit this carefree, drought-tolerant plant.

Maple Mallow or Illiamna rivularis is another favorite perennial. This bushy, waist-high resident of the higher mountains does well in my garden here in Logan. It is in partial sun and gets weekly watering. It is covered in large, pale pink flowers through much of the summer.

Globe mallows, genus Sphaeralcea, are another useful xeric perennial. They require bright sunshine and tolerate heavy soils. Among our natives, they are unusual for their profusion of orange-colored flowers.

These are just a few examples of the wealth of possibilities. By choosing plants adapted to your environment, you take the garden path of less resistance. When you consider the rainfall, soil and sun exposure of your yard and choose plants adapted for those conditions, you struggle less and enjoy your garden more.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Fire Chalice or Zauschneria latifolia

Courtesy: Intermountain Native Plant Growers Association

Maple Mallow, Illiamna_rivularis
Courtesy & Copyright 2008 Jim Cane

Globe mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua

Courtesy & Copyright 2006-2008 Jim Cane

Xeriscape Bloom
Courtesy & Copyright 2008 Jim Cane

Study Finds Environmental Education Programs Lead to Cleaner Air

As part of Environmental Education Week, the US Environmental Protection Agency released this interesting study:

A first of its kind study funded by EPA shows that environmental education programs are an effective tool in helping to improve air quality in North America. "This study shows a valuable connection between better environmental education and cleaner air in our communities," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "With the right information, people can make a real difference in the places where they live, work, play and learn." Nearly half of the surveyed institutions hosting education programs reported an improvement in air quality at their facilities due to actions taken by students, including doing service-learning projects and fostering community partnerships. Examples include decreased levels of carbon monoxide and mold, and enactment of a policy that decreased car or bus idling. An additional 43 percent of the surveyed programs reported some kind of action was taken to improve the environment. Some examples include: · East Valley Middle School (Wash.) where students monitored school indoor air quality and worked with school administrators to implement structural cha nges resulting in improved carbon dioxide, air flow, particulate levels, odors and mold. · Exeter High School (N.H.) where students studied air quality issues and monitored car pooling and bus idling in the school drop-off area, leading to a no-idling policy and installation of no-idling signs. · Greater Egleston Community High (Mass.) where student actions helped lead to the installation of a local air quality monitoring station, a change in fuels by city buses, and city-wide bus idling restrictions. EPA worked with the National Park Service Conservation Study Institute, Shelburne Farms, and a group of environmental researchers, educators and psychologists to complete the study. Information on the study: http://www.epa.gov/education/ R082

USEE has received funding from the USEPA to conduct the Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education 

Governor's Medal for Science and Technology

Congratulations to USEE Member and environmental education enthusiast Bonnie Bourgeous for receiving the Governor's Medal for Science and Technology in Education!

Bonnie was one of eight Utahans to receive the Governor's Medal for Science and Teachnology. Bonnie is an AP Biology Teacher at Clearfield High School and received the award for her innovative approach to teaching science by using hands-on activities and by incorporating technology into her lesson plans whenever possible. Bonnie has been using Guitar Hero and heart rate monitors, as well as bringing in cow hearts and lungs for the students to dissect, to teach them about the respiratory system. Congrats Bonnie and keep up the good work!

You can view the whole article here: www.standard.net

Not Buying It - Final update

Well, I made it. I met my goal of not purchasing anything "new" from January 1 until March 31 (and actually a bit beyond). It was a wonderful experience, and I learned many new things. I'll break some of it out for you below...

Was it difficult not to buy new things?
To be honest, at first it was a bit tricky. Not because I felt entitled to new things, but just that it was a habit. I would see a cute shirt for a good price and think to myself "well, I need a new shirt for work, so I'll get it". I definitely had to retrain myself to realize I didn't need it, and if I really did, I'm sure I could find something similar used.

As I got used to the rules, the hard thing became not scrutinizing EVERYTHING I was buying (even things that were on the ok list). I've referred to some of these in my previous posts, but products like the stuff I put in my hair to make it shiny, or even food that was a good deal, but might sit on the pantry shelf for a long while until it actually got used, made me wonder if they were really needed. I did end up cutting down on somethings on the ok list, but the best part was it really made me conscious of my purchases.

I think one of the hardest things was not buying for my poor old dog who loves stuffed animals. The new puppy destroyed all of his favorites (including the beloved hedgehog) and even with multiple "stitches" they were finally discarded. I felt really bad that I couldn't get him another, but really, it would have been a waste as I'm sure it would have gone the same way as the others....

What were my alternatives to buying?
In my family (my immediate little family, but learned by my parents), we are scroungers. I'm proud to admit this. My father is very talented in the "see something on the side of the road and fix it up like new" catagory. My mother then takes over and makes it look like new with a new coat of paint or refinishing. The skills they passed on to me helped out with the "not buying it" project quite a bit. My husband and I have aquired many beautiful pieces of furniture, cloths, etc because people were throwing them out. Just because someone is getting rid of soemthing doesn't mean it is junk. Some unwanted items just take a little love, vision, and elbow grease, but then become amazing possessions. I have to say, the large mirror I was given for free, and my husband made a frame for out of old fence boards, is much better than anything I could have bought, and I'm more proud of it. Keep an eye out for things people put out on the curb, but be sure to ask if you can take it before loading it in your car!

The DI was also a savior for me with this project. I've always loved the thrift stores, but used to be looking for the funky hippie cloths I wore in high school. Now I was amazed at the quality clothing you can find if you just take the time out to really look. My husband really is the DI pro, but I'm learning the tricks of the trade. I was able to up my wardrobe with many nice work cloths for a whole lot cheaper than I would have found anywhere esle. And, I wasn't creating demand for new items. Also, if you have kids, scour the DIs. It surprises me the great name brand stuff we find for our kids. Chacos, Keen Shoes, The Childrens Place Clothing, name brand skater stlyes, etc. Even if I had been buying new, I'm sure I wouldn't shell out the money for these kind of cloths when they only last the kids a couple months.

What are my overall ending impressions?
Consiousness is key. Just the awareness of what I was buying, how much I was spending, and that I was creating a demand for items I really didn't need has made a huge impact on my life. I'm sure my family will forever be plagued with the question "Do you REALLY need it?", but I feel that in these current times (environmental and economic), this is the right question to be asking. "Is it worth it?" (environmenally and economically) is another great question. Even though the project is over, I'm still hesitant to buy (and I really NEED new running shoes!). I'm really glad about this and hope that it sticks with me and I can instill this ethic into my children as well.

Wild About Utah: The Stokes Legacy

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

Upon reading the biographies of Allen and Alice Stokes, I’ve started thinking about the word “community.” The Stokes were adopted Utahns. They moved here in 1952 so that Allen Stokes could take a teaching position at Utah State Agricultural College in the Dept. of Wildlife Management. They remained here until they died, Allen in 1996 and Alice just a couple of weeks ago at the age of 93. They both loved nature and took full advantage of their beautiful surroundings here in northern Utah. And they became deeply involved in the community in all senses of the word. As a result, the Nature Center where I work was named after them.

Alice and Allen met in 1944 . Alice was working for Dr. Aldo Leopold-- the father of wildlife ecology-- at the University of Wisconsin. Allen Stokes had taken a summer research job on nesting behavior and was helped along professionally by Dr. Leopold.

Perhaps it was partly due to Leopold’s influence that the Stokes were forever mindful of the natural community. Allen became a specialist in wildlife behavior within the context of natural communities. The Logan Herald Journal quoted Alice as saying: “I believe that we should consider ourselves a part of the environment, the land, the communities of rivers, the animals, birds and the plants.”

The Stokes also had a strong sense of community in the social sense of the word. In Logan, Allen organized and led field trips for Bridgerland Audubon Society and eventually became a board member of the National Audubon Society. Utah State University presented Allen with the Bridger Award for Outstanding Contribution to Protecting and Appreciating the Environment of Logan and Cache Valley. They worked with the American Field Service to get Logan families to host foreign students. Alice helped establish classes for deaf children here in Cache Valley. She worked with a local organization, CAPSA, to build a Safe House for victims of Physical and Sexual Abuse. She helped expand the collection of the local library.

They both participated in peace marches and rallies and vigils against the death penalty. Allen was a lifelong Quaker and Alice gradually converted. The couple helped establish a Quaker community in Logan in the 1970s which still meets today.

In 1996 the community who founded the nature center in Logan Canyon asked Allen and Alice for their name. Reluctantly, they gave permission, but Allen said “Only if you put Alice’s name first.” He died before the Center opened, and Alice switched the names so that his was first. Now, after 12 years, we remain the Allen and Alice Stokes Nature Center.

I never knew Allen, and I didn’t know Alice long enough. But through my work at the Center that bears their name I often come in contact with people that they influenced. It became obvious to me that the Stokes had a gift for inspiring people to do good things for both natural and social communities. Now, even though the Stokes are gone, that legacy endures. And what could be a better legacy than to instill concern for your community?

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

Alice Stokes
Courtesy & © Stokes Nature Center

Credits:

Photos: Courtesy & © 2007 Kim Barker and Stokes Nature Center
Text: Stokes Nature Center: Holly Strand

Learn More:

Allen & Alice Stokes Nature Center, www.logannature.org

Bridgerland Audubon Society, www.bridgerlandaudubon.org

Alice Stokes' Obituary, The Herald Journal

A memorial service for Alice Stokes will be held at the Sunburst Lounge of the Taggart Student Center, Utah State University, on Saturday, May 9, at 3 p.m. A reception will immediately follow at the College of Natural Resources,USU.

Urban Wildlife

For the first time, I am starting a garden. I live in a small apartment without a lot of yard space. Most of the places I've lived have been like this and in the past I've tried container gardens, but have never been all that successful. One of my good friends lives a few blocks from me and has a large yard full of grass. So, I am starting a garden in her backyard. I am very excited. Yesterday we got to work and after a couple of hours finished digging up all of the grass.

As I was leaving her house, I heard what sounded like an owl hooting not far off. I listened for a bit and every 5-10 seconds another series of hoots would come. I ran inside to get my friend and we listened for a while. We tried to find it, and we might have, though I'm not sure. There was a small spot in a neighbor's tree two or three houses down that could have easily been the little owl, or it could have just as easily been a bird's nest.

We wanted to find out what kind of owl it was. I had a few resources up my sleeve, and after about five minutes of searching through the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Conservation Data Center to discover what owls live in the region, and also through the Western Soundscape Archive to identify its call, we found out that the owl was a Western Screech Owl.

To hear the Western Screech Owl's call, click here!

Photo Credit: Courtesy and Copyright of Tim Avery

“DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD” TO HELP OUT THE UTAH SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION!

Mark Miller Subaru has partnered with six local small non-profits to give back to the community. During the month of April, during their “DO GOOD FEEL GOOD” event, Mark Miller Subaru will be donating $150 per car sold to local small non-profits including USEE!

Go down to Mark Miller Subaru and select USEE as your designated non-profit when you purchase any new or pre-owned vehicle. Check out their website for more details at www.markmillersubaru.com. In addition, they will be offering special pricing when you mention their “DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD” event. Feel good when you purchase your car knowing you are buying from one of the most ethical dealerships in the nation.

This will be a huge fundraiser for USEE during these tough economic times. At the very least stop in for some complimentary fair trade coffee served daily to all Mark Miller Subaru customers.

Al Gore Visits LDS Church Leaders

The Salt Lake Tribune reported today that Al Gore visited with LDS church leaders for 30 minutes on Thursday to discus climate change and answer questions.  

Byron Daynes, a political scientist at church-owned Brigham Young University, called it "a good sign." A scholar of the American presidency and the environment, he said it is valuable for leaders to discuss "a major problem we all have."

"It's a good time for any[one] to be hearing this message --- and certainly those in charge of 13 million people," Daynes added.

He had no comment on the likelihood that Gore's visit would shift the church's stance on climate change.

But he concluded, "We'll hear about it in [LDS General] Conference, if it makes any difference or not." 

More about Bees!

Following our Bumblebee theme from yesterday, Utah State University Extension has many excellent resources. One of them is whole website dedicated to the native bees of Utah. Find out about bee anatomy, species that live in Utah and how to identify them, and take a quiz to discover your bee knowledge. You can even submit your own names for bees! Many native species do not have common names yet. Check it out and see if your name wins!

Teachers! There are also plenty of classroom resources to try. Check out pollinator partnerships, very cool posters (I even have one hanging in my office they're so cool), and even a lesson plan on Native Bees. For more information, click here!