Tag: Nature

Live With Mule Deer, Go Inside Animal Minds on #pbsThinkday

Learn what it’s like to live among wild mule deer, dig into the remarkable senses of dogs, sharks, and birds, and then uncover what we’ve inherited from our reptilian ancestors on Think Wednesday, April 16 beginning at 8 p.m. on West Virginia PBS!

Nature kicks off the night with Touching the Wild, the story of Joe Hutto who has dedicated seven years of his life to becoming a wild mule deer. Ordinarily, the deer herd would run from any human, but these keenly intelligent animals come to regard this stranger as one of their own. As he crosses the species divide, Hutto taps into a new understanding of these elusive animals. His joy in his new family is infectious, but this human predator also learns to see the world from the point of view of prey — and it’s an experience that will rock him to his core; sharing their world so personally takes a toll that sends him back to his own kind.

Next, Inside Animal Minds: Dogs & Super Senses begins at 9 p.m. NOVA asks, “What is it like to be a dog, a shark or a bird?” This question is now getting serious attention from scientists who study animal senses.  Humans rely on smell, sight, taste, touch and sound; other animals have super-powered versions of these senses, and a few have extra senses we don’t have at all. From a dog that seems to use smell to tell time to a dolphin that can “see” with its ears, discover how animals use their senses in ways we humans can barely imagine. But it’s not just the senses that are remarkable — it’s the brains that process them. NOVA goes into the minds of animals to “see” the world in an entirely new way.

Finally, Your Inner Fish explores Your Inner Reptile. A key moment in our evolutionary saga occurred 200 million years ago, when the ferocious reptile-like animals that roamed the Earth were in the process of evolving into shrew-like mammals. But our reptilian ancestors left their mark on many parts of the human body, including our skin, teeth and ears.

Find it all on #pbsTHINKday!

Wednesday is #pbsTHINKday

Join West Virginia PBS every week for “Think Wednesdays,” a primetime line-up of nature, science and technology programs.

http://youtu.be/srPcsbvXdtk

“Think Wednesday” launches at 8 p.m. on April 9 with PBS’ long-running series Nature, presenting the best in original, natural history filmmaking. New episodes highlight animal prosthetics, Japanese snow monkeys and wild mule deer.

At 9 p.m., NOVA, the highest-rated science series on television and the most-watched documentary series on public television, premieres the three-part “Inside Animal Minds,” which explores breakthroughs in the revolutionary science of animal cognition, focusing on three iconic creatures — birds, dogs and dolphins.

At 10 p.m., see the premiere of the new three-part series Your Inner Fish and discover how the human body became the complicated, quirky and amazing machine it is today. Hosted and based on the best-selling book by paleobiologist Neil Shubin.

#pbsTHINKday

Christmas Tree Species Disappearing in the Wild

One of the most enduring traditions for many families at Christmas is decorating a live tree but one variety of fir found in West Virginia that is a…

One of the most enduring traditions for many families at Christmas is decorating a live tree but one variety of fir found in West Virginia that is a popular Christmas tree is struggling in the wild.

The Canaan fir is a type of Balsam found only in the highlands of West Virginia and Virginia. But many Christmas tree farms in the region also grow Canaan firs.

“The Christmas tree farmers started growing our firs from ones that were first collected in Canaan Valley and that’s why they’re called Canaan fir,” Rodney Bartgis, state director of The Nature Conservancy in West Virginia, said.

“Canaan fir has some of the good qualities of the balsam fir up north and some of the good qualities of the Fraser fir that are found farther south,” he said.

While Canaan firs flourish at Christmas tree farms, in their native Canaan Valley they are struggling. That’s because of an Asian insect called the Balsam woolly adelgid, which Bartgis said started becoming prominent in the state in the late 1980’s.

“And since then it’s wiped out most of our wild balsam firs,” he said. “There’s probably only about 20 percent if that many of our wild fir trees left in West Virginia.”

Bartgis said in some places most of the adult Canaan fir are dead, but there are still some to be found in Canaan Valley.

“If you go to Canaan Valley today you can still find fairly large fir trees in the wild but they are certainly becoming fewer and fewer,” he said.

The Nature Conservancy is one of several groups, including the Mountain Institute, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service, which have been active in trying to save the trees.

“In Pocahontas County at Blister Swamp we’ve worked with the family that owns that site to reintroduce young fir trees that were raised from cones that were gathered from the few remaining live mature trees at that site,” Bargtis said.

Similar measures are being taken in Canaan Valley at the National Wildlife Refuge and Timberline Ski Resort.

Bargtis said even though Canaan fir is cultivated widely by tree farms, it’s important to save the trees that grow in the wild in the highlands of West Virginia because they are an important contributor to that area’s eco system and part of the state’s natural heritage.

Editor’s Note: This story first aired on West Virginia Public Radio on December 24, 2012.

Nature Conservancy celebrates 50 years in W.Va.

Fifty individuals or organizations who contributed to the protection and restoration of West Virginia’s natural heritage over the past 50 years are being…

Fifty individuals or organizations who contributed to the protection and restoration of West Virginia’s natural heritage over the past 50 years are being honored by The Nature Conservancy, which has announced the Mountain State’s “Conservation Heroes.”

The Heroes were identified by the staff of the Conservancy, which celebrates 50 years of conservation in West Virginia this year. Those named were chosen from the thousands of dedicated conservationists who have supported the Conservancy mission over the past half century, said Rodney Bartgis, director of The Nature Conservancy’s program in West Virginia.

“We wish to honor the leadership of the conservation movement in West Virginia. These are our partners, our champions in government, our friends,” Bartgis said.

The “Heroes” program honors West Virginians living and remembers those who have passed on. A few examples include:

  • Charlie Baer, a retired professor of ecology at West Virginia University, where the Conservancy has its West Virginia roots,
  • The late U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd, who during his many years in Congress tirelessly supported the protection of public lands, especially significant natural areas that are now part of the Monongahela National Forest,
  • The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, whose leaders have worked closely with the Conservancy on many critical conservation projects over the years,
  • Ed Maguire, the Conservancy’s first West Virginia state director, who organized the scattered forces of enthusiastic volunteers across the state and helped launch the private land conservation movement in West Virginia.
  • Volunteers like Steve and Terry Bailes, whose maintenance and public programs at the Conservancy’s Ice Mountain Preserve has brought a greater public appreciation for the National Natural Landmark,
  • And corporate partners, including Dominion, which has supported conservation and stewardship of our Bear Rocks Preserve.

“The Heroes come from all corners of West Virginia and represent a variety of backgrounds,” Bartgis said, “but all exemplify the same standards of persistence, generosity, and enthusiasm for West Virginia’s wild places.”
The Heroes will be honored at the Conservancy’s 50th Anniversary celebration on Friday Oct. 25 in Morgantown.

http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/westvirginia/

Stories from the Lost River Valley

Stories and photographs from the Cacapon and Lost River Valley are featured in a book just released by West Virginia University Press.

Listening to the Land features the stories of several owners throughout the watershed who have chosen to preserve their land through the Cacapon and Lost River Land Trust.

“When we signed some of the first easements that the Land Trust did, people started sobbing, literally, in the easement signing in the attorney’s office,” Nancy Ailes, executive director, said. “And I started realizing that there are these great stories behind those tears.”

Ailes wrote a grant proposal and received $50,000 from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to produce the book. The Trust hired documentary writer Jamie Ross and photographer Tom Cogill to traverse the valley documenting the people, their land and their stories.

“The land is beautiful, I think this valley could be a national park,” Cogill said.

Cogill is primarily a portrait photographer so he approached the landscape the same way he would if he were capturing an image of an individual. There are photos in the book of teenage girls hauling in a deer they shot, scenes of farms, livestock and hay, as well as the highway and power lines bisecting the land.

Cogill is particularly fond of a photo that shows a weathered wood plank wall with graffiti scratched in it.

“It’s the two page spread for the section called ‘The Pull of Home,’” Cogill said. “Probably 100 people have written their name and the date, just kind of scratched it on the wall, some of them have extended stories, others it’s just initials and dates.”

“It’s a portrait, it’s a short story, it talks about the people who live here without showing any of them,” he said.

While Cogill shot photos, Ross interviewed people. The Land Trust chose about 30 whose stories might be interesting, including those who still live in the valley as well as those who grew up there and moved away.

The 150 page book documents families like the Hahn’s, Mongold’s, Slonaker’s and Mills as they participate in activities such as hunting, farming, enjoying meals and gathering mushrooms.

One of Ross’s favorite stories is that of Josh Frye, who comes from a long line of Frye’s who have worked on the family’s farm near Wardensville since Colonial times. Frye’s father and two of his brother’s died in farm accidents.

“And still they could not bring themselves to sell the property,” Ross said. “And part of that too goes with all the funny stories that go along.”

The book details how Frye’s mother was embarrassed when her husband bought a hearse that he parked in the field so he could sleep there and keep an eye out for predators trying to eat the turkeys raised on the farm.

“And Josh speaks so warmly about farming when people used to move from farm to farm to accomplish the task,” Ross said. “They would do haying as a group and move from one place to the next.”

Another profile features Bobby Ludwig from Baker, who the book says went off to college in New England and built a lucrative career on Wall Street.

Ludwig no longer lives full time in Hardy County but he’s bought and preserved thousands of acres of farmland to prevent developers from building houses on it.

Ross said Ludwig had a good comeback when officials wanting to widen the state highway near his farm suggested he could just go buy another piece of property in exchange for the one they’d take.

“And he said ‘well how about I take your girlfriend and spend the night with her and you just go get another one,’” she said. “It’s not just the attachment it’s the wit and wisdom and everything.”

Ross said there were two thoughts she heard over and over again as she interviewed people: it’s important to leave the land better then you found it, and your word is your bond.

Huntington parks set up wireless system

  The Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District is banking on the idea that if WiFi is available, people will come to the park.

An internet service provider based in Huntington pipes a signal directly to antenna’s located at strategic locations in the park. That signal is turned into WiFi; available to connect to mobile devices in the park. At 50 megabytes per second the Park District thinks they’re on to something that the public will enjoy. Kevin Brady is the Executive Director.

“With today’s technology there is really no reason you couldn’t do that in a park. So here we are I can basically go in and access my email account and spend two hours here and work just like I was sitting at my desk,” Brady said.

At a cost of $400 an antenna, Brady thinks it’s a good idea. He said it may seem backwards, that at a place where people come to exercise and look at nature, is trying to be a technological innovator for the area. Brady said in a time when everyone is glued to their smartphone, tablet or computer it just makes sense to provide them with another incentive to come to the parks in the area.

“The thought process is combining old with new. We have always wanted people to get up from their couches, get up from in front of their computer, get out away from the TV and come to the parks and I know that we’re not going to get everybody to put their smart phone down and put their laptop down and just go play,” Brady said.

Charlie Theuring was at Ritter Park Tuesday. He said he can see why some would like it, but says coming to the park is his time away from technology.

“Really should you be utilizing WiFi while you’re enjoying the outdoors and the scenery and hanging out with your kids and stuff like that, maybe you should be paying attention to them. That’s my first immediate reaction to WiFi at a park. I don’t think about getting on my phone or my laptop while I’m out enjoying the scenery,” Theuring said.

Brady said though to others the service will be useful, like Marshall students or those wanting to leave the office cubicle and work outside one afternoon. Or he said those exercising can now stream music off the internet without using their data plans.

Besides Ritter Park wireless has also been set up at Harris Riverfront Park in Huntington and soon at Rotary Park. Brady said the hope is to have wireless available at each of the parks they run in town.

And so far, Brady said they’re not worried about a lack of bandwidth at the parks.

“They tell me that 100 users will not be a noticeable slow down, 200 users it might be, 300 users, and that’s per unit, 300 users and it’s really going to start slowing down, if we had a huge event here and everybody suddenly logged in at the same time you might notice a slowdown,” Brady said.

Greater Huntington Park and Recreation District will combat the idea of overload by creating a layout that will alleviate problems.

“We’re setting up basically a grid system, there is a transceiver here, there’s one at the fountain, and there will be one up here and one up there and that grid system should cover the entire area and it’s somewhat omni-directional,” Brady said.

Brady said this will help bring the park district on the cutting edge.

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