blackberry vs. BlackBerry

The Oxford Junior Dictionary has cut blackberry from the latest version and has added BlackBerry. There is something wrong with this, right?

This infographic does a great job of explaining why wilderness matters. Realizing this is an issue is the first step. As the article says, the good news is that the cure is free and available to all.

It's hard to make a movie about backpacking.

While the scenery is often beautiful, and there can be many high and low points, there aren't many cliffhanger moments that lend the sport to enthralling filmmaking. But Ian and Andy's from The Dusty Camel have just released the trailer for their upcoming film, As it Happens. And as it turns out, the film is about much more than traveling the backcountry by foot:

"As it Happens is more about the pulse of America. Our national parks were founded thanks to people like Muir, Roosevelt, and Albright, to name a few, who understood that sharing stories inspires awareness and therefore concern about these places. Thus, we created our movie, which hopes to share the story of our journey through these arteries of the USA, as we travel north from border to border. While we pass through amazing landscapes and some of the most remote areas of the country, the emphasis is also on the people we meet along the way. They exhibit extreme kindness where none is warranted, and as we are surviving with nothing but what is on our backs, we found ourselves thriving as we began to understand that freedom is enabled by a system of support. People are what makes this journey inspiring and the landscape is what makes it (aesthetically) beautiful. The excitement comes from the fact that every moment is a true instant captured, a linear story from A to B, recorded exactly as it happens," says Ian Mangiardi from theDusty Camel. 




~Kate

On the way to work.

There is no better way to start the week than seeing some wildlife enjoying the sun. I spotted this red fox hunting a small field along the side of the road on my way into NEMO today. I spun my truck around first chance I got and watched it for about 5 minutes. It pays to have a camera with you at all times!

-Bill

Local Wildlife: The Snowy owl

Its been a while since I last posted about the amazing natural world found right around our office. In fact, the last time I posted we were still located in our Nashua office. Our move to Dover, NH opened a new world of animals and birds to be discovered.

With our new location so close to the seacoast I have had a great opportunity to explore all the nooks and crannies of the rugged New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine coast, all of which are just a short drive away.

Although hardly considered "local" I wanted to share some hard earned images of the Snowy Owl.


Many years can pass where local residents may not see even a single owl, while other years such as this one, the owls migrate down in droves in search of food. From what research suggest the owls move solely on the population of voles. When the population recedes, the owls move further south. This article in the New York Times has great information about this migration as well as its possible effects.


Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed witnessing such an amazing bird! More photos can be found here.
Cheers
Bill

Rain Storms from Afar

Coming from the Northeast to Utah, one of the things we notice first is that the clouds are so much more dramatic here. Maybe it's the mountain air, altitude, or the terrain that does it. Either way, watching storms move across the horizon, especially at sunset, seems pretty amazing. Here, we're in the sunny part of town, watching a storm roll across the Wasatch.

-Connie

Local Wildlife Part 7: Barred Owl Release

I was looking forward to last night for weeks. Being an avid wildlife photographer, this was a rare chance. Working with members from the Center For Wildlife in Cape Neddick, Maine, I was invited to photograph the release of 2 barred owls that were injured this past winter by cars. The center nurses the owls back to health. Then using a special cage they determine if they are ready to be released into the wild. Once they are ready to be back in nature, the owls are released as close to the location that they were found as possible. In this case the first release was in York, Maine, the second was in Kennebunk, Maine.

I met with the rehabilitator to capture the release just before sunset. Although the lighting conditions for action photography were more than a challenge, I learned a lot. Watching these owls fly off back to where they belong is an amazing feeling. I think my favorite part came when the couple who originally found the owl severely injured owl met up with us to watch the rehabilitated owl fly off into the sunset. A tear jerker for sure.

If you love animals and want to help support the Center that makes this kind of recovery possible, please visit their website and donate.
-Bill

Local Wildlife Part 6: Common Redpolls

Today during a lunchtime stroll, I photographed a group of five Common Redpolls, typically found in the northern areas of Canada and Alaska. Although the markings on the birds are subtle from afar, the detail in these photos shows stunning delicate beauty as they feed on these white birch catkins.

One reason these birds are being found so far south is that they are forced to relocate in search of food when winter sets in their northern habitats.

When I first arrived at the location, I spotted three Redpolls right away in the birches. I got my camera set up and within 2 shots they all flew off to the edge of the river out of sight. I attempted to sneak down towards the river, only to have them fly away again. At this point I decided to try later. As I returned back to my truck, I noticed they were all perched in the same trees that they started in.

-Bill

Doggie DNA

We're big dog fans here at the NEMO office -- that's no surprise. Check out this interesting segment Dogs Decoded that recently aired on PBS.

You'll have to battle through some of the leaps of logic that the show makes (can dogs really be the only animal to understand pointing, or have we just not done the research on cats, dolphins, octopi, horses?). But it is worth the 30 minutes or so to get to the second half of the show where they describe results of an ongoing 50+ year research experiment on fox domestication in Russia.

The total segment is about an hour long, so bookmark this for a time when you can sit down and digest it all.

-Connie

Hey There, Leaf Peepers!

It is many a New Englander's favorite time of year -- the heat has leveled off, mosquitos are gone, surf's up, our favorite fleeces and jackets are back in the rotation, and the leaves are a-changing.

This year's foliage report comes to you right as the leaves are peaking in Western Mass/NH-VT Upper Valley/Inland Maine. However, it is not too late for you to sign up to become a foliage ambassador for your region. I did a little hike near Holt's Ledge last week and was rewarded with this cornucopia of color.

-Connie

Antarctica Ozone Hole Watch

Right now, I'm doing some research on Arctic climates for material development (more on that to come). I found this great NASA site on the ozone hole over Antarctica (FYI, ozone is a colorless gas which absorbs UV-B rays from the sun, and thus protects the environment below).

Today's (9/28/2010) ozone hole... looking a little bare folks!

Usually, NASA sites can be too dense with information/graphs/tables/etc, but this is a really clean site with Tufte-esque infographics, daily updated pics of the ozone hole, and animation over months/years. There's also a nice explanation of how the units they use to measure the amount of ozone (dobson unit).

In the Arctic, spring occurs roughly from Sept-Dec, so the ozone hole gets quite a bit larger during this time (meaning that the ozone concentration gets smaller).

-Connie

My Name is Earl, Meet My Friend Danielle

If you own a surfboard, wetsuit, or even a plank of wood here on the East Coast, you should know that the best swell of the summer is coming in as we speak. In fact, you shouldn't even be sitting at your computer reading this blog post, because you should be making your way to the beaches to get a piece of it!

For those of you who don't trust the 'Weed because of overly optimistic forecasts, trust me. Go to the beach, and you will have that goofy grin of joy on your face as you sit in the water.

-Connie

The Land and Water Conservation Fund - Let's Put it to Good Use

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established by Congress in 1964 to help fund state and local conservation efforts and to protect national parks, forests and wilderness areas. Funding comes from offshore oil and gas leases.

Over its 46-year history, LWCF has helped state agencies and local communities acquire nearly seven million acres of land and has underwritten the development of more than 37,000 state and local park and recreation projects. Federal LWCF project sites include popular recreational areas like Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, California's Big Sur Coast, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in Montana. Stateside LWCF project sites include New York City's Central Park, Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and Custer State Park in South Dakota, as well as thousands of local playgrounds, soccer fields, and baseball diamonds.

LWCF is authorized at $900 million annually; a level that has been met only twice during the program's 46 years. The program is divided into State grants and Federal acquisition funds. In FY 2005, the federal acquisition pot received $166 million and the state grants program received $92.5 million for a total of $258.5 million. In FY 2006 the federal pot received $114.5 and the state grants received $30 million. FY 2007 a total of only $138 million was received between the two.

Efforts are now underway in Congress to ensure full funding for the LWCF and your voice is an important part of making full funding a reality. If you value open spaces to recreate in, contact your senators today. Legislation that would fully fund LWCF for five years was passed by the House as a part of the gulf oil spill reform package. Companion legislation will be considered on the floor of the Senate in the coming months. NEMO has signed their letter of support, we hope you'll voice your support, too.

~Kate

The Price is Right for August NPS Visit

Fee-Free weekend is coming up August 14-15 for U.S. National Parks around the country. We're not just talking about the big ones here (Yosemite, Acadia, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons), but also some of the lesser known gems like Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan or the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado.

Beat the crowds by heading to your local National Park Service location. I'm planning on bringing my surfboard for Cape Cod National Seashore (wishful thinking in the summer) and hitting the CC Rail Trail.

-Connie

Local Wildlife- Part 5

Hello everyone, I wanted to provide an update on the local osprey nest located right here in Nashua on the Nashua River. This amazing location is pretty easy to access and great views can be had right from the car. The chicks have grown up and are flying around but still rely on mom for regular meals. One easy way to tell the chicks from adults is the eye color, the adults have yellow eyes while the chicks have orange eyes. Enjoy the photos! To see more shots go here.

-Bill

Visual Notes

Konrad Zoll, a.k.a. Sketcher, sees his art as the best means to connect with the world around him. He also tends to leave civilization for stretches of time to commune a little more directly with the natural world.

I met Sketcher at Trail Days this past May. As an Appalachian Trail hiker he wasn't nearly as concerned about his mile count, like most of his compatriots, but trying to capture his experience with charcoal. Visual Notes he calls them. He explained how he stops often as he hikes to capture scenes of distant mountains, winding trails, dense foliage, shelters, botanical specimens, and the occasional wildlife study.

As I scrolled through his portfolio, so many simple sketches were so iconically Appalachia that I almost felt like I had walked past that same mountain view this morning (though its been 6 years since I hiked the AT).

Sketcher further develops his sketches once at home at his studio to create realist color pencil drawings and oil or acrylic paintings.

Very inspiring.

-Suzanne

Local Wildlife Part 4-The Barred Owl

On a trail run with Connie this morning,  we were stopped in our tracks about halfway into the run. 15 feet away from us on a small dirt road, was a beautiful Barred Owl staring right at us, without a care in the world. We watched it for 2 minutes in awe of its stoic, ghostly presence. As much as it pained me to leave, we let it be. The rest of the run I was super excited and could not stop talking about how many times I have looked along that very same road for owls and never saw even a feather. With a tinge of hope, I swung by the same spot a half hour later, camera in hand. These images are the result. Glad I checked it out! To see more images have a look here .

-Bill

Local Wildlife Part 3 Local Osprey

I am please to say that we have a pair of osprey just off the Nashua river as their nesting location a few miles from the office.  It was great to see this pair working so hard to construct their nest Wednesday morning when I was there with my camera. The best part about this is that I can drive right past here on my way to and from work to track the progress, with a  little luck we will see some baby Osprey soon! Stay Tuned. Last week I was shooting some nesting Blue Herons and was very happy to see this Great Horned Owl taking up residence in an old heron nest!
-Bill

Skip the Grand Canyon, Head to Black Canyon

If you need another reason to head out to our National Parks this year, fee-free week is coming up April 17-25, which means no entrance fees (there's another fee-free period later in September too).

As this article points out so well, why be one of the 26,542 people that visit Yellowstone on a typical July day, when that is more than twice the total number of visitors Michigan's Isle Royale National Park gets in a year?

If anyone can name every one of "America's Most Underrated National Parks" below (without cheating), I will give you a big thumbs up.

-Connie

2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival

From an expedition following in Farley Mowat's literary footsteps to big descents in Africa to the new craze of stand up paddling, the 2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival covers a wide range of aqua subjects. If you've got an interest in paddlesports and need a little something to get you motivated for the spring paddling season, this is it. The tour will be hitting our the Boston REI next week and you can click here to see when it will be in your neck of the river.



~Kate

Life (not as we know it)

Life, BBC’s stunning (as expected) follow up to Planet Earth, has finally made its way across the pond. This might be old news to those of you who already set your Tivo/DVR to record the show, and even older news to our British friends who get BBC1 beamed straight into their homes. But if you’re without tv or cable, you can still capture amazing snippets of the show on the website or YouTube.

The series features earth's wildlife and the amazing ways they have adapted in order to survive. Unfortunately, Life drops David Attenborough’s signature narration in preference of Oprah Winfrey. We can forgive this offense, because the images and video quality are just so stunning. But if you're a purist who wants to be guided through this cornucopia of wildlife behavior by Sir David, I would recommend waiting for the dvd to come out. The clip below is a fascinating look at the feeding habits of starfish, giant sea worms, and other assorted ocean fauna. One feeding starfish – neat; a small group of feeding starfish – pretty cool to see; thousands of swarming starfish descending on a drowned seal corpse? Horrifically amazing.

-Connie