Wild About Utah: The Lizard and His Tail

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

One of the most beautiful lizards I’ve ever seen lives right here in Utah. The collared lizard has a gold head, a green body and 2 black collar stripes. I stumbled upon one last week during a hike in Professor Valley north of Moab. It was just shy of a foot long from tip to tail, with most of that length in the tail. It bravely stood its ground as I crept closer to admire it. Instinctively, I wanted to reach down and catch it!

The urge to catch lizards seems to be innate. Maybe our ancient ancestors used to eat them and the desire to catch them is a relict evolutionary trait.

When you catch a lizard, you might just cause him to drop his tail. Tail dropping is a defense mechanism. In many species of lizard the tail has weak fracture planes between the vertebra, allowing the tail to detach easily. After breaking off, the thrashing tail attracts the would-be predator, enabling the lizard to escape. Some lizard tails are brightly colored, which enhances the decoy effect.

Unfortunately, there are serious consequences to losing one’s tail. A long tail acts as a counterbalance, enabling a lizard to lift its forelegs when running. This is important because a lizard can move more quickly on two legs than on four. A large lizard running on two legs can sprint up to 12 miles an hour!

Male lizards need their long tails for social status. Low status males have much more difficulty mating. Tail loss also might mean that a juvenile will have trouble acquiring a home range due to low social standing. Finally, fat stored in a tail provides a food source during periods of starvation and reproduction. With this in mind, I hope you can join me in my effort not to catch lizards. Let’s admire these wonderful creatures from a distance.

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

This Wild About Utah topic was adapted from A Naturalist’s Guide to Canyon Country by David B. Williams, courtesy of the Canyonlands Natural History Association.

Thanks to the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa for supporting the development of this Wild About Utah topic. The Ranch offers deluxe lodging and services on a scenic bend of the Colorado River, 20 minutes from Moab in the spectacular Professor Valley.

Credits:

Images: Photo Copyright © 2005 & courtesy of Jerry Shue, Canyonlands Natural History Association

Text: Stokes Nature Center: Holly Strand

Wild About Utah is a weekly nature series produced by Utah Public Radio (link to www.upr.org) in cooperation with Stokes Nature Center (link to www.logannature.org) and Bridgerland Audubon Society (link to www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/index.htm ) . Archives of the program can be found at www.wildaboututah.org.

Teaching Climate Change Law & Policy

A new blog has been launched, Teaching Climate Change Law & Policy, www.teachingclimatelaw.org.

The blog focuses on providing information on issues that may be important to those teaching climate change law and policy courses, including pedagogy, review of new textbooks, suggested readings for students, and focused resources, such as new climate change negotiation simulations.

This looks to be a great resource for teachers who want an easy way to stay connected. For instance, one post links to an article that summarizes the scientific research on climate change in 2008.

Utah "Blueberries" Discovered on Mars

-by T.J. Adamson

I recently went hiking in Snow Canyon State Park near St. George, Utah. Surrounded by sandstone rocks, the park is perfect for a great hike or scenic drive. My favorite part of hiking the area is finding what I like to call “sand-marbles.” Ranging from the size of a pea to that of a golf ball, these rocks are known as hematite concretions and are formed when underground minerals are precipitated from flowing groundwater. These little rocks are pretty much native to Utah and can be found in many of Southern Utah’s state and national parks including Zion, Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and in the Moab area.

So why am I telling you this? Well, in 2004, NASA’s Opportunity Rover discovered the same rocks on Mars. They call them “blueberries” because it reminded one of the scientists of blueberries in a muffin. Since their discovery, many geologists and NASA researchers have tested the sediments and formation conditions of the rocks found in Utah and compared them with the rocks found on Mars. Many believe that the discovery of hematite rocks on Mars suggests signs of water and thus possible life on Mars. “On Earth, whenever we find water, we find life — in surface or underground water, hot water or cold water — any place there is water on Earth there are microbes, there is life,” said Bill Parry of the University of Utah emeritus geologist to the UCR-News. “That’s the bottom line: hematite is linked to life.”

Take a look at these pictures. Check out how similar Utah’s hematite concretions, or sand-marbles, are compared to the pictures of “blueberries” on Mars taken by NASA’s Opportunity rover on Mars.

Hematite concretions or “earth Blueberries”,
from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah.
Photo Credit: Brenda Beitler

Marble like rocks, or “Blueberries, taken by the Opportunity rover on Mars
Photo Credit: NASA

Hematite concretions, or “earth Blueberries”, on the surface of

Navajo sandstone at Grand Staircase-Escalante
Photo Credit: Brenda Beitler

Formed millions of years ago, the Utah rocks (left) are similar to “blueberries”
discovered on Mars (right), hinting clues about the history of water on Mars.
Photo Credit: NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Cornell University

My pictures of Snow Canyon hematite concretions, or “Earth Blueberries:”













In this picture, you can see the rocks forming on the surface of the sandstone.

Photo Credits: T.J. Adamson

Please Welcome USEE's New Interns!

USEE hired 4 new interns about a month ago to help out with some of the many things we do here at USEE. Two are from the Environmental Studies program at the University of Utah and two are Graphic Design students from Westminster College. Instead of listening to me go on about them, let's have them introduce themselves:

Alaina Caudillo:

My name is Alaina Caudillo, I am originally from California, though I now consider myself a local, having lived here in Salt Lake City for over six years. I enjoy spending time in the Wasatch range, hiking and snowboarding in the winter. I teach a few yoga classes each week around the valley, and am excited to have the opportunity to work with the nice people here at USEE as an intern this summer. I am currently attending the University of Utah working toward my Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Studies. Over the course of this internship with USEE, I hope to learn more about Environmental Education and how it can assist educators and ordinary citizens to be informed in their decisions concerning our environment. Healthy Children, Healthy Planet is a community discussion group over the course of seven weeks, that I will be facilitating addressing concerns parents face while raising children in our consumer driven culture. If you would like to join this discussion, please contact me at alaina@usee.org.


Brittany Marsden:

My name is Brittany Marsden. I'm a new graphic design/marketing intern for the Utah Society for Environmental Education. I am a senior at Westminster College and I'm majoring in communication with an emphasis in graphic and web design. I am excited for the opportunity I have to be an intern here at USEE. While at USEE I hope to be able to enhance my design skills, as well as be able to provide my best service to USEE. This will be a great change to learn how to explain the design process and to justify design decisions. The team here at USEE is great and I'm looking forward to working with them this summer!



Mat Wennergren:

Mat Wennergren is a graphic design intern at USEE. He is a senior at Westminster College and will be graduating this December with a degree in communications. Mat also owns and operates "The Studio" a guitar teaching studio in sugarhouse.


T.J. Adamson:

My name is T.J. Adamson, a new environmental education intern here at the Utah Society of Environmental Education! I am a senior at the University of Utah majoring in environmental studies and communications. Working with USEE I hope to gain experience in the field and learn more about environmental education in the state of Utah. Hopefully during my time here I will be able to make a positive impact and improve environmental education. The past couple weeks working with USEE has been a great networking opportunity and I am looking forward to meeting more contacts over the summer. At the end of June I will be leading a discussion group on Voluntary Simplicity. If you are interested in joining or have any questions for me please feel free to contact me anytime at tj@usee.org.

Wild About Utah: Starlings

I’ll bet you’ve always wanted to know about starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), whose Latin name speaks volumes. They’re noisy, gregarious, messy and are blamed for forcing many hole-nesting birds, bluebirds and flickers, even an occasional kestrel, out of their nests for fun and profit. For this the starlings plead “no contest.” They spread across the United States and Canada like the plague after their introduction into New York City’s Central Park in the late1800’s, just so we unwashed Americans could have the joy of being able to associate, up close and personal, with all the birds mentioned by Shakespeare. I think Pay Back by the Brits sums it up nicely, kind of like the Russians and cheat grass, halogeton, tamarisk and Russian thistle (tumbleweed).

So what can be said that could possibly redeem this rapid breeding invader whose short intestinal tract means they have to consume beaucoup amounts of food to survive? This is great during the summer when insects and creepy-crawlies are their favorite cuisine; it’s during the winter when man-produced food pellets meant for our livestock are like Quaker’s puffed rice or wheat, the digesta are “shot from guns”, another not so an endearing image of the starling. They cost feedlot owners and berry farmers hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Imagine 100,000 and up to two million starlings descending on your holly orchard or your feedlot. Imagine them staying around for the winter. It’s not hard to imagine spreading Starlicide-treated pellets around your livestock.

Not to defend this image, especially after working with the little rounders for 14 years (six years with the Feds, eight years as a graduate research topic), but they showed me that I was working with quite an intelligent species. Observing these birds in the field, in large pens in Green Canyon and in Skinner boxes in the Experimental Psychology laboratory on USU’s campus, these birds made reasoned judgments concerning the food they ate, spatially and temporally learning to avoid poisoned food, teaching another the avoidance pattern they had learned, making decisions just like we do, thinking, learning from mistakes. We tried to eliminate them without success. We could try convincing them that eating at feedlots or orchards is a dangerous game and repel the little rounders. Whatever the case they are here to stay, but it would be nice if there weren't quite so many.

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:
Photo: Dr.Thomas G. Barnes, US Fish & Wildlife Service,
Text: C. Val Grant, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Wild About Utah is a weekly nature series produced by Utah Public Radio (link to www.upr.org) in cooperation with Stokes Nature Center (link to www.logannature.org) and Bridgerland Audubon Society (link to www.bridgerlandaudubon.org/index.htm ) . Archives of the program can be found at www.wildaboututah.org.

All in a Day's Work (or so...)

I have been spending the last couple of weeks revamping USEE's Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education web page. I'm happy to say that instead of a webpage, USEE now hosts an entire section dedicated to the project. All of the reports, documents, and presentations are up!

I just finished putting the final touches and posted it all this afternoon. Please have a look and let us know what you think:

Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education

We are still in the process of compiling the final report and the executive summary for the Utah Project for Excellence in Environmental Education. Until then, we hope that you can find the information (and there's a lot of it) that is already posted.

Hand Feed Birds: Update from Tracy Aviary

Nose-to-Beak Encounter - Now Open at the Tracy Aviary!

Tracy Aviary announces the public re-opening of Amazon Adventure, the Aviary's interactive feeding exhibit featuring one of the Amazon Basin's most adventurous and engaging birds, the Sun Conure. A delightful, intimate experience, the Sun Conure feeding is sure to be a sell-out summer hit.

Sun Conures are native to savannas and coastal forests and the Amazon Basin in South America. Social and active, Sun Conures regularly flock in groups of up to 30. In Tracy Aviary's Amazon Adventure enclosure, these medium-size (up to 12 inches) members of the parrot family flock right to hand to feed on chunks of apple and squawk at each other, entertaining and delighting children and adults alike.

Tracy Aviary is currently pursuing a strategic initiative and a newly completed master plan will change the Aviary as the community has known it. With support from Salt Lake County voters last year in the form of a $20 million bond to remodel and expand their facilities, Tracy Aviary's theme of migration will trace the migratory path of birds from the southern tip of Argentina to Alaska and back, highlighting the importance Utah plays in that journey. All areas of the Aviary will take on an educational focus and bring your visit to the Aviary to a new level of fun and interest.

An exemplary exhibit of the "Aviary of the Americas," Amazon Adventure offers daily interactions for eight persons at each of the five feedings: 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Angela Rumel at 801-596-8500 x 108

Grow your own Shiitake Mushrooms

I heard about purchasing a "mushroom log" and growing your own mushrooms, right in your house, from my parents a couple of weeks ago and thought it might be a good blog post.

According to the owners of shiitakemushroomlog.com, the Japanese starting cultivating shiitake mushrooms in the 1930's by taking logs and using saw cuts to inoculate the log with mushroom spawn. Now, instead of using saw cuts, holes are drilled throughout the log. Then the grower waits for the fungus to colonize the log. Commercial growers usually grow the mushrooms on blocks of sterilized sawdust. Holes are drilled in the sterilized blocks, just like the logs. With the sawdust blocks, commercial growers can grow many times the amount of mushrooms than logs can and can increase their profits by as much as 10-fold.

Apparently the mushrooms grown in sawdust blocks are not as meaty and tasty as the mushrooms grown on a log. In Asia, sawdust block-grown mushrooms sell for about $2-$3 a pound while log-grown mushrooms sell for $40-$60 a pound.

So how does growing your own mushrooms work? Well, you first have to purchase a mushroom log from a supplier (there are many to choose from online.) After that, you have to "fruit" the log, or force it into thinking that it's the spring or fall rainy season, which is when the shiitake fungus usually produces mushrooms. This is done by soaking the log in ice water for 24 hours. This is called "shocking." Growers recommend that logs shouldn't be fruited more than every two months, and in the mean time the log needs periodic "soaking" times and rest times. The log should be soaked every two weeks, anywhere from 12-16 hours, depending on the humidity level of your area.

Shiitake mushroom logs can be kept in your house, anywhere that you would place a low-light house plant. There are definitely different ways to nuture your mushrooms, and some people even say that they produce better when in positive environments and less when there in tension or arguing in a household. I couldn't say either way, since I've personally never seen a mushroom log, but this definitely sounds like an easy pet to have that even feeds you, too!

Wild About Utah: Buttes & Mesas

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

Not long ago , driving from Logan to Moab, I was admiring the dramatic and austere landscape features from the highway. To the north were the vertical escarpments of the Book Cliffs—gray slopes and cliffs that extend all the way from Price, Utah, to Grand Junction, Colorado. Gazing at them from the highway, I wondered : Are they plateaus? mesas? buttes? Any self-respecting Utahan should know the difference between these terms. But even with a master’s degree in geography, the concepts had become fuzzy in my mind with the passage of time.

When I got back home, I turned to Home Ground, a collection of American landscape definitions edited by Barry Lopez. Here you’ll read that a plateau is an extensive area of nearly level land that rises abruptly above a surrounding landscape on at least one side. In this sense, the Tavaputs is a classic Utah plateau and the Book Cliffs form its south-facing escarpment. The Wasatch Plateau –home of the headwaters of the San Rafael and Fremont Rivers --is another classic plateau.

Plateaus are sometimes called tablelands. This can be confusing, because plateaus aren't necessarily elevated on all four sides and they are too big to look like tables. But mesas do look like tables and the word mesa means “table” in Spanish. A mesa is a flat-topped mountain or rock mass, usually capped with a layer of weather-resistant rock. In general, a mesa is smaller than a plateau, but the size difference between them is not defined in any absolute terms.

At least everyone seems to agree that a mesa is always wider than it is tall. A butte, on the other hand, is always taller than it is wide. At one point in its development, the butte was probably part of a mesa. Then, over time, the connecting rock eroded away. I’ve often heard buttes referred to as a mesa’s child, or orphan. As a child, the butte’s parent mesa still exists nearby; erosion has removed an expanse of rock leaving two structures instead of one. When the butte is an orphan, the surrounding rock has been completely removed, leaving a solitary outpost of resistant geologic history.

Eventually, even with a resistant cap, a butte will be weathered down to a landform that is narrower than it is tall. Then it becomes a spire. Synonyms for a spire include tower, monolith or monument.

You’ll often find that a particular butte is called Such and Such Mesa, and a mesa may be called Such and Such Butte or Plateau. This is because local names given by early explorers and settlers stuck whether or not they were consistent with any accepted definition. Thus, in the cliff-rimmed Professor Valley northwest of Moab, Dome Plateau is really a mesa and Convent Mesa is really a butte. And Grand Mesa, to the east of Grand Junction, is a whole lot larger than Beckwith Plateau near Green River, UT.

For pictures of Utah plateaus, buttes and mesas, check out our web page: www.wildaboututah.org. Thanks to the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa for supporting the development of this Wild About Utah topic. The Ranch offers deluxe lodging and services on a scenic bend of the Colorado River, 20 minutes from Moab in the spectacular Professor Valley.

And to Dr. Jack Schmidt in the Watershed Sciences Dept. at Utah State University.

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

Credits:
Images:
1. "Book Cliffs" Source: BLM
2. "Professor Valley: Dome Plateau is really a mesa" Source: Sorrel River Ranch (Matt Ceniceros)
3. "Professor Valley: Convent Mesa is really a butte" Source: Sorrel River Ranch (Matt Ceniceros)
4. "Close-up of Fisher Towers in Professor Valley" Source: Utah Geological Survey

Text: Stokes Nature Center: Holly Strand

'Super weed' taking strong hold in Utah - Article from KSL

Many of you who know me know that my educational background is in watershed science (with an emphasis in outreach education). As such, I can't pass up an opportunity to pass on information pertaining to watersheds and water quality related issues. The article below was on ksl.com this morning talking about an invasive weed called phragmites. This weed is prevalent in wet areas, can out compete native species and lead to a monoculture if not kept in check. The article also gives information about how the plant is changing to be more competitive, possibly due to climate change factors. Check it out....

June 8th, 2009 @ 6:45pm

By Ed Yeates

LOGAN -- One of the country's most invasive plants, sometimes dubbed the "super weed," may be getting even stronger. University of Delaware scientists have discovered the plant's poison used to get rid of its neighbors appears to be evolving.

In wetlands west of Logan, Dr. Karin Kettenring, with Utah State University, looks at native plants being overrun by a tall tasseled plant called phragmites. "Just physically taking over space, whether it's below ground from the rhizomes or above ground from the stems and leaves, it's crowding out the native plants," she said.

Researchers at the University of Delaware say increased UV rays from the sun, which could be the by-product of climate change, are making the plant's toxins stronger. It uses those poisons to snuff out neighboring plants.

Kettenring believes the excess from fertilizers used in lawns and gardens may also be making their way into the wetlands, stimulating phragmites.

"And we've seen that in research some of the folks have done along the Chesapeake Bay, and I can only imagine that's the same situation here," she said.

The plants grow tall and dense, spreading millions of seeds. Rhizomes also penetrate deep into the soil and spread out laterally.

"Ten or 15 years from now, maybe even five years from now, this could be all phragmites if they don't control it very quickly," Kettenring said.

Phragmites will strangle the marshes, destroying nesting areas for birds and the seeds from native plants they eat for nourishment. Birds need that energy for flight as they migrate. With help from the Utah Waterfowl Association, the Department of Wildlife Resources got $200,000 this year to begin battling the invasion.

Dr. Kettenring spent the last two years studying phragmites on the Chesapeake Bay. She joined USU's ecology team to continue her research here.

E-mail: eyeates@ksl.com

Frary Peak and Oolitic Sand

Over the weekend a friend of mine and I went for a hike out on Antelope Island. We decided that it was a perfect day to try the highest point on the island, Frary Peak. The hike is about 8 miles round trip and provides many beautiful views of all sides of the lake. We were pretty tired after the trek up to the 6,600 ft peak (a climb of over 2,000 vertical feet from the trail head), so as we were driving home we decided to head over to the other side of the island for a quick wade in the lake.

View from the top of Frary Peak (looking South)
We didn't have a camera, but this is similar to what we saw.
Photo Credit

I had never swam in the Great Salt Lake before, which seems kind of strange since I've lived here all my life. It was good to get that checked off the list. As we were there wading in the water, my friend was telling me about the sand on the beach.

It's called oolitic sand, and it's apparently fairly unique. It's only found in a few other places around the planet and is different from regular sand in the fact that it is smooth and rounded, while regular sand is very angular. Oolitic sand at the Great Salt Lake is unique because it is not mineral fragments that were washed down from higher ground like sand in most places, but was formed within the Great Salt Lake:

"An oolite has a shell of concentric layers of calcium carbonate that precipitated around a nucleus or central core. The nucleus is usually a tiny brine shrimp fecal pellet or a mineral fragment. Oolites form in shallow, wave-agitated water, rolling along the lake bottom and gradually accumulating more and more layers." - Utah Geological Survey

Photo Credit

Obama Declares Great Outdoors Month, June 2009

President Obama declared June 2009 to be the Great Outdoors Month. While talking about the many outdoor opportunities the United States offers from rural and urban settings to state and national parks in his press release, the President spoke of the health benefits these settings offer. He also stated:

"My Administration is working to connect America's youth with our treasured landscapes, which should be viewed as classrooms for environmental education and gateways to careers in natural resources. These efforts will include outreach to those who typically lack representation in, and exposure to, these fields."

To achieve this goal, the President also announced:

"The Department of the Interior is launching a summer mentoring initiative as part of this effort. This program invites families and friends to teach children about the joys and wonders of the outdoors. My Administration is also increasing the number of youth involved in national service on public lands. Through AmeriCorps and other programs and partnerships, we can continue our Nation's proud tradition of service and respect for the environment."

It's an exciting time for Environmental Education indeed! According to the American Recreation Coalition, "Presidential recognition of Great Outdoors Week was begun in 1997 by then-President Clinton and has continued ever since. Since 2004, Presidential proclamation of Great Outdoors Month has come annually, celebrating a variety of important events and actions that occur during the month. Great Outdoors Month highlights the benefits of active fun outdoors and our magnificent shared resources of forests, parks, refuges, and other public lands and waters. Media attention to the proclamation triggers actions by millions of households and prompts public discussion of important issues linked to outdoor recreation, including volunteerism, health, and outdoor ethics."

In addition to the Presidential declarations, many state governors have also issued declarations for Great Outdoors Month. Governor Huntsman was one of these state governors and deemed June 2009 to be the Utah Great Outdoors Month.

Photo Credit

Trees in Utah State Parks

Helping to plant some trees in Utah State Parks is as simple as a few clicks of the mouse. As a way of saying thank you to the community, Odwalla is donating up to $100,000 to plant trees in state parks across the country. How it works, from the Odwalla site:

"The Odwalla Plant a Tree Program is available May 27, 2009, through December 31, 2009. When you choose a participating park system for your tree (CA, CO, FL, MI, MD, NY, OH, PA, TX, UT, VA) Odwalla will donate $1.00 to the state parks in that state on your behalf. Only one (1) click allowed per person. Participants pay no money under this program. The cost of the donated trees will be paid solely by Odwalla, Inc, up to $100,000 worth of trees. Tree costs generally range from $0.25 to $1.20."

So help out the state parks in Utah and raise some money to plant a tree with the click of a mouse!

Visit Odwalla's website to vote or to learn more today!

Photo Credit

EE Gets a Boost in Alberta

This article was originally published in the Calgary Herald:

Environmental Projects Urged for School Children - Shift in Science Curriculum Recommended

As Alberta Education reviews its elementary science curriculum, a group is calling for a shift in how science is taught, with an eye on giving students more hands-on experience with solving environmental problems.

This call to move science beyond the classroom comes as an Ipsos Reid poll released Friday found 75 per cent of Albertans think schools should give top priority to providing students with opportunities to be en-gaged in environmental projects.

"Students who go through these experiences feel they've helped make a difference," said Gareth Thomson, executive director of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education, a non-profit lobby group.

"They feel they're part of the solution, not part of the problem."

Some Calgary schools are already offering students opportunities to lead environmental projects.

At University School in the northwest, students formed a group called Kids Can Conserve and tested the power consumption of various devices at the school.

They discovered simple changes, such as running laptops from batteries instead of keeping them plugged in, can create power savings.

The students say conducting experiments on how to save energy or conserve water leads to a greater understanding of science.

"When you are just learning about something it is like, you have it in your brain and you're going to forget about it," said Eric Smith, 11.

"But when you are physically doing something, you're helping the planet at the same time.The memory is going to stay there for much longer."

Eleven-year-old Regan Wright recalled a project she did three years ago when her class dropped tablets in the Bow River to determine how clean the water was and how much life it could support.

"By doing something, you can make a better connection to what they are saying," she said.

Even if kids in kindergarten or Grade 1 are too young to find solutions to environmental issues on their own, giving them the chance to see problems and talk about them will help them take action later, said Nathaniel Bly, 10.

University School principal Brant Parker says he's impressed with the ability his students have to grasp real-world issues and how creative they are in finding ways to address environmental concerns.

"We often think we have to have cute little pictures and dumb things down for kids. But they want to understand the complexity of the issues and why there's controversy," he said.

View this article in it's original context.

Earth 2100

Earth 2100 is a television special airing tonight at 9:00 pm Eastern time on ABC that uses real news clips and information combined with a fictional graphic novel that narrates the next 90 years on Earth through the eyes of a fictional woman named Lucy as the world experiences climate change.

The story follows the story of Lucy, who was born on June 2, 2009, and explores some of the things that could happen in the coming century concerning climate change. To find out more about this special, watch the video on YouTube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLbI83uqL4k

Show your Commitment to Environmental Education!

USEE Needs You!
Show your support of Environmental Education in Utah by becoming a professional member today!

During the month of June, USEE is offering several incentives for the first 20 new or renewed memberships! The first 20 people to sign up for a Professional Membership will have the opportunity to choose between one of the following:

• USEE Organic Tote Bag
• USEE Mug
• One free Green Bag lecture

In addition to these great options, ANYONE who joins or renews during the month of June will be entered into a raffle to win a FREE CONFERENCE REGISTRATION! Become a member today by calling 801-328-1549 or by joining online.

We invite you to support USEE's efforts in environmental education by becoming a Professional Member. The Professional Membership includes the following benefits:

• Reduced registration rates at USEE's Annual Environmental Education Conference;
• Reduced rates for USEE's Professional Development Programs (PLT, Green Bags, Community Discussion Groups, and Certification Program);
• Monthly email updates from the Teacher Network and E-Newsletter to keep you informed about local events;
• Subscription to The WEB (USEE’s annual report);
• Free access to the Teacher Resource Center and Online EE-Directory at www.usee.org;
• Invitations to special events and networking opportunities;
• Consultation with the USEE Staff (i.e., grant reviews, program development, event coordination);
• Use of USEE equipment (i.e., reusable dishware for up to 70 people);
• Opportunities to participate in USEE Membership Committees;
• Recognition that you support a national leader in environmental education.

We hope that you take advantage of these wonderful benefits as well as our other fabulous environmental education resources such as USEE’s blog at or our online events calendar.

Thank you for your support of environmental education. We look forward to working with you to improve the quality of life in Utah. If you have any questions, please call 801-328-1549 or email nicole@usee.org today!