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In: Anne Moser, Bioblitz resources, Earth Day, Great Lakes BioBlitz 2023, iNaturalist, Professor David Drake, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Urban Canid Project, webinar

Birders look at cormorants off Barker’s Island. Image credit: Marie Zhuikov, Wisconsin Sea Grant

Students, educators, families and friends are invited to celebrate Earth Day with the kickoff of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy’s 4th Annual Great Lakes BioBlitz. This event is a great opportunity to engage youth and the public in community science, collect data to support biodiversity research and conservation, and learn more about the living things in the Great Lakes Basin.

What is the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

A free event that focuses on finding and identifying as many wild, living things as possible in the Canadian provinces and U.S. states that border the Great Lakes during a specified period of time.

When is the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

The BioBlitz begins on Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) and it runs for four weeks, ending on Saturday, May 20.

How do I participate in the Great Lakes BioBlitz?

The beauty of this project is that you decide your level of participation. Take an afternoon to explore and document some plants or wildlife in an area, or pick a location to return to weekly, or set a goal to find something new every day–there are many ways to participate. You may participate as an individual, a family, a class, or other group.

Joining is as easy as saying “One-two-three-CHEESE!”

  1. Visit iNaturalist or download the app onto your phone and create an account.  
  2. Visit and become a member of the Great Lakes BioBlitz project.
  3. Get outside, get out your cameras, and start making and posting observations!
  4. To be a Bioblitz wizard, verify other participants’ Great Lakes BioBlitz Project postings.

Want to learn more about the Great Lake BioBlitz?

Visit the Great Lakes BioBlitz Resources webpage for more information about the project and educator resources for engaging youth in this wonderful learning experience.

WEBINAR! Want to learn more about a community science project that uses iNaturalist data?

Register for and attend the 2023 Great Lakes BioBlitz webinar featuring guest scientist Professor David Drake of the UW Madison, Urban Canid Project. Join us 4-5:30 p.m. CDT, April 12 on Zoom to learn about how Drake and his team are using iNaturalist to better manage urban coyotes and red foxes. It uses iNaturalist to collect the public’s sightings of coyotes and red foxes in the Madison area. His presentation will describe the type of iNaturalist data collected and how the information is used for improved urban canid management.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Please contact Anne Moser at akmoser@aqua.wisc.edu or (608) 262 3069 if you have any questions regarding registration, the webinar, or have accommodations and accessibility requests.

Why would we want to encourage our community to do this? 

There are so many benefits of becoming a BioBlitz wizard:

  1. Engage in an outdoor activity, discover the wild living things in the world around you, form and strengthen a connection to your place
  2. Join a global community of observers, learners, and scientists passionate about biodiversity and the Great Lakes
  3. Contribute to a global database of organisms. Observations made on iNaturalists contribute to research, conservation, and educational outreach programs.

Time to get outside!

 

The post The Great Lakes BioBlitz first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/the-great-lakes-bioblitz/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-great-lakes-bioblitz

Anne Moser

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In: AP, Drinking Water, Earth Day, Earth Week, Equity and Environmental Justice, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, The States, Wisconsin
Evers creates new office of environmental justice

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Friday signed an executive order creating a new office of environmental justice, announcing the move on Earth Day.

Republicans last year removed the office from Evers’ proposed budget. But the Democrat up for reelection this November got around them by creating it through an executive order.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/ap-evers-office-environmental-justice/

The Associated Press

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In: Advocacy, AP, Climate change, Earth Day, Energy, Energy, Clean Energy, Ethanol and Fracking, Equity and Environmental Justice, Feature Homepage, Industry, Energy, Economic Development, News, Politics, Policy, Environmental Justice, Protect, Research, Data and Technology, Science, Technology, Research
Cleaner Earth: Healing ozone hole, less smog, more eagles

By Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer

With climate change, plastic pollution and a potential sixth mass extinction, humanity has made some incredible messes in the world.

But when people, political factions and nations have pulled together, they have also cleaned up some of those human-caused environmental problems, including healing the ozone hole, clearing perpetually smoggy air and saving many species from the brink of extinction.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/ap-healing-ozone-hole-smog-eagles/

The Associated Press

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Earth Day 2022: What can you do and where?

In-person events are back as people slowly reintroduce themselves to dining in, large gatherings and a return to the office.

But even as indoors becomes less taboo, let’s not forget the great outdoors, which served us well over the past two years. And what better time to show your gratitude to the parks than Earth Day.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2022/04/earth-day-2022/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Earth Day, Earth Week, Feature Homepage, History and Culture, Latest News, Natasha Blakely, News, outdoor recreation, Recreation, Recreation and Tourism
Earth Day 2021: What can you do and where?

The COVID-19 vaccine is still rolling out and making its way to people all around the world. How comfortable people feel about participating in events and group activities is extremely varied.

But that doesn’t have to stop anyone interested in taking part in Earth Day this year, whether they do it indoors, outdoors, around other people or alone.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2021/04/earth-day-2021-events-around-the-region/

Natasha Blakely

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In: Earth Day, outdoors use in Wisconsin during covid, Samantha Bee comedian, Wisconsin Coastal Guide

Moira Harrington, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s assistant director for communications, spent time outdoors during the pandemic with a friend (6 feet apart) as did many other Wisconsinites. Image credit: Moira Harrington

The coronavirus will provide plenty to study for decades to come as biological, social and physical scientists collect data and analyze its fallout. As we approach the 51st Earth Day, happening this Thursday, I would like to offer preliminary results in one area—what it has meant to embrace the outdoors in this time when indoor spaces have been vector zones for the deadly virus. My own take is a narrow review, very narrow, of the past year’s empirical, humorous and anecdotal looks at nature in the time of COVID. 

Empirical: One study I bumped into showed 23% of Wisconsinites reported increasing their time spent in parks from January 2020 to March 2021. In the same time frame and as part of the same study, Harvard and Brown universities (tracktherecovery.org) drilled deeper into three Lake Michigan counties and found 45.5% of Sheboygan County residents, 21.1% of Ozaukee County residents and 18.7% of Milwaukee residents increased their out-of-doors pandemic respite time.

Humorous: In 2020, comedian Samantha Bee went into the open air for recordings of her show. It was a literal presentation of: we have nice natural things and let’s get out there and appreciate them. Although, her take was not always a paean to Mother Nature and could be sprinkled with obscenities. 

A view from the Indian Lake Trail. Image credit: Moira Harrington

Anecdotal: Like many of you, I ranged far afield over the last year. I visited spots I had always intended to frequent and now seemed the time! One was the Kettle Morraine Forest Southern Unit. Having a close friend join me made it more special. As we trekked, we traded stories and deepened our bond.

I also trekked closer to home. One memorable day, I hit a favorite county park when a significant event was marked in the woods. That Saturday morning, a companion got a cell-phone ping bearing news of who won the presidential race in Pennsylvania, sealing the deal for our current White House occupant. Plus, plans are afoot to keep up the visits. For trips along the coast, I plan to turn to my colleague David Hart’s Wisconsin Coastal Guide for ideas, and I hope you will, too.

If you end up in the outdoors this Earth Day, know that you’ll be in good company.

The post Earth Day and embracing the outdoors during a pandemic first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

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Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

Blog – Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/blog/earth-day-and-embracing-the-outdoors-during-a-pandemic/

Moira Harrington

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In: Buffalo, Chicago, Citizen science, Cleveland, Climate change, COVID-19, Detroit, Duluth, Earth Day, Habitat Restoration, Latest News, Milwaukee, Natasha Blakely, News, Toronto, Water Quality and Restoration Efforts
Earth Day 2020: How to participate from the safety of your home

This year’s Earth Day is a special one, and not just because it’s the 50th anniversary of the event.

With stay home orders and heavy social distancing recommendations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the usual large gatherings of people to show support, clear trash and do more to help the planet just aren’t plausible.

Read Now at Great Lakes Now.

Original Article

Great Lakes Now

Great Lakes Now

https://www.greatlakesnow.org/2020/04/earth-day-2020-participate-from-home/

Natasha Blakely