Boston Flora

Tag: Watershed

  • Monday, June 5 – Friday, June 9 – The Metcalf Institute 2017 Public Lecture Series

    The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting will hold its 2017 Annual Public Lecture Series at the Corless Auditorium, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, 218 South Ferry Road in Narragansett, June 5 – 9.  All lectures are free and open to the public.  The Institute is celebrating 20 years of excellence in bringing science to the conversation.  The stellar lineup includes:

    Monday, June 5, 3:30 p.m.
    Johanna Polsenberg, The Ocean Health Index
    Assessing the Health of Our Oceans
    How can we protect the health of our oceans? Large-scale ocean datasets provide critical information for sustaining marine resources. Dr. Polsenberg of Conservation International will discuss the global Ocean Health Index and how it uses data to drive science-based policy and identify the research relevant for marine and coastal conservation.

    Tuesday, June 6, 3:30 p.m.
    Dan Kahan, Yale University
    Science Communication in the Age of Fake News and Public Distrust of the Press
    How do we effectively weigh the credibility of scientific information? Some would argue that greater public science literacy is the key, but this is not necessarily borne out by research. Dr. Kahan will describe how cultural barriers affect views of scientific evidence, and how we can use this knowledge to improve science communication.

    Wednesday, June 7, 3:30 p.m.
    Shreeram Inamdar, University of Delaware
    Extreme Weather at the Watershed Scale: How to Protect Water Quality
    Climate forecasts show that many regions will experience increased frequency or intensity of large storms, which could have serious consequences for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Inamdar will discuss how these storms affect watershed health, management and policy, and how new research can identify ways to adapt.

    Thursday, June 8, 3:30 p.m.
    Cynthia Giles, Former U.S. EPA Assistant Administrator
    Environmental Enforcement: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    Delivering on the promise of environmental laws requires tough enforcement and innovative thinking about protecting the environment, including using cutting-edge monitoring and information technologies. Giles will talk about the past and future of these essential protections for communities across the country.

    Friday, June 9, 11 a.m.
    David Baron, Author and former Health and Science Editor for PRI’s The World.
    The Great Eclipse of 1878 and the Dawn of American Science
    On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will cross the U.S. for the first time in 99 years, offering a rare national opportunity to rally around a scientific event. Baron’s new story of the 1878 eclipse describes the event’s role in spurring America’s rise as a global scientific power. Author book signing to follow for American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World.

    For more information visit http://metcalfinstitute.org/lectures/als-2017/

  • Tuesday, January 14, 7:30 pm – A Heads-Up View of Urban Stream Ecology

    The next meeting of the Cambridge Entomological Club will take place Tuesday, January 14, beginning at 7:30 in room 101 of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Oxford Street, Cambridge. Dr Bob Smith will present a talk entitled A Heads-up View of Urban Stream Ecology.

    Human activities in the watershed and direct alterations to the stream channel can alter the habitat and water quality experienced by fauna living in a stream. Thus, studies examining stream communities along an urbanization gradient typically focus on the links between watershed land-use and in-stream conditions. However, stream organisms are not confined to a single stretch of stream throughout their life. Fish have the ability to disperse long distance through the stream network, and flying insects can disperse long distances across the landscape, unconstrained by the stream network.

    Using a combination of field studies and GIS, Dr Smith investigated how dispersal (a regional process) affects patterns of stream biodiversity along a gradient of human influence. His research suggests that human land use across the landscape may impede dispersal and both local (watershed based) and regional (dispersal based) processes are important for controlling community structure in urbanized streams. The mechanisms for how human activities alter regional processes differ between taxa and are related to species life history traits. These findings have important implications for conservation and restoration strategies as well as developing land-use development plans that promote the sustainability of stream ecosystems.

    The meeting is free and open to the public. Snacks will be provided and you are also welcome to join us at 6:00 PM for an informal pre-meeting dinner at the Cambridge Common.

    http://all-geo.org/highlyallochthonous//srv/htdocs/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/urban_restoration2.jpg

  • Wednesday, June 15 – Sunday, June 19, 2011: This Glorious Earth

    The World Association of Flower Arrangers announces that the United States of America is the host country of WAFA, responsible for  three years of floral activity.  The 10th World Flower Show will culminate in a four day event at the World Trade Center here in Boston, June 15 – June 19, 2011. Join WAFA as it welcomes floral artists from across the globe.  The show will be an extraordinary time for the USA: a chance to see and participate in a collaborative effort by the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and The Garden Club of America’s design study groups.  There are spaces and places available for everyone who wants to be a part of these memorable events.  Sign up and learn more at www.wafausa.org.

    Subscribe to Floral Design Magazine
    and support the 10th World Flower Show
    In a watershed move, Floral Design Magazine’s publisher, Mike Legg, has joined WAFA USA fundraising efforts by donating US$10.00 for every new subscription and subsequent renewals received until the World Flower Show being held in 2011.
    Start a subscription today by visiting Floral Design Magazine’s special webpage http://www.floraldesignmagazine.com/wafa.html