"Play Again" Movie Screening at Bell Museum

The Minnesota Naturalists' Association in association with the Bell Museum of Natural history is showing the film Play Again on April 14th at 7:00 PM. The event is free but donations are greatly appreciated.



~Kirk

Read More

Perseid Meteor Shower in Twin Cities 2010

The peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower is in just two days but sky watchers are already reporting meteors in the night sky. Viewers in Minneapolis, Saint Paul and the surrounding area should have a good view.

Science has come a long way on these showers to the point that astronomers are getting better at predicting which years will be good and at what exact times the earth will encounter the most dense clouds of debris. The debris that burns up in a meteor shower is from dust trails left by passing comets. The debris that creates the Perseid Meteor Shower is from comet Swift-Tuttle. The comet shows up every 130 years and the last visit was in 1992.

By all accounts this is shaping up to be a great year for the Perseid Meteor Shower. The peak of the shower (the time we pass through the densest part of the stream) will be at 7:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time on Thursday, August 12 . That's too early for it to be dark but the show should be good after the sun sets. If you can't get out on Thursday night you can try Wednesday night. Even as early as Monday, people were seeing up to 20 meteors an hour in dark locations. The moon won't ruin this year's show so all signs point to a good show. The big question is will the clouds cooperate.

People have asked me where the best place is to view meteor showers in the twin cities metro area. That's a tough question. It all depends on how many you want to see. I've seen plenty of meteors from my light polluted St. Paul back yard. Shield your eyes from any stray light such as street lamps and turn the lights off in your house. Most of all, let your eyes adjust to the dark. Fifteen to thirty minutes of letting your eyes adjust to the dark will let you see many many more meteors.

Suppose you want to drive a little though to get a good view? Check out the Minnesota Astronomical Society website. They have a really cool light pollution map created by Craig Cotner. If you look at the map, you can see light pollution is pretty bad anywhere near the metro. What direction to travel depends a little on where in the metro you live. Heading out to an area in the yellow zone on the map will at least give you somewhat darker skies. You need a minimum of a two hour drive to get to a truly dark site and likely it will take even longer. Think boundary waters for true darkness! At any rate, you can most likely easily see a few good "shooting stars." from your own back yard.

~Kirk

Read More

Minnesota selling Sandhill Cranes for 75 cents a piece

I think the post title pretty much says it all. On July 22nd the Minnesota DNR announced a new Sandhill Crane hunting season under "Expedited Emergency Game and Fish Rules". They did this to deal with the, um, well, sandhill crane emergency. You can now kill up to four cranes by paying a measly $3.00 administrative fee. That comes out to 75 cents per crane. No hunting license or stamp is required. You can download the entire three page rules here. That's some good economics from a state that just announced a 99 million dollar shortfall in tax collection and is sure to face a budget deficit in the next legislative session. Large amounts of money have been spent to restore crane populations and now you can kill them for 75 cents a pop. What a deal. The regulation actually reads that you may not have more than four in your possession so I suppose if you eat them fast enough you can kill as many as you want for your $3.00. How does this make any sense?

A lot of the outrage out there stems not from the giveaway but rather from the secretive process the DNR used to bring this hunt about. There were no public hearings, they didn't seek public input in any way, they didn't consult the legislature and they announced the hunt just weeks before it was to start, in the middle of a busy summer, and after the legislative session.

Now I'm not opposed to hunting. I think it can be one of the most environmentally responsible and sustainable ways for humans to obtain meat for their diet. This is a missed opportunity though. Hunters have done more than any other group for wildlife preservation through the duck and waterfowl stamp programs. Not even looking at the wildly successful federal duck stamp program, according to the Minnesota DNR's own website the Minnesota Waterfowl stamp has raised $15.7 million over the past 30 years for habitat restoration and preservation. Why not a crane stamp to support similar programs?

The DNR has missed the boat and further alienated the public they are so afraid of talking to with this latest move.

Audubon is urging citizens to express their concerns about the lack of public involvement in the decision to allow sandhill crane hunting, from September 4 – October 10, across 10 counties in northwestern Minnesota. Audubon has made it easy to contact Commissioner Holsten by simply clicking the link below.

Email Commissioner Holsten.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

You can also do it yourself.

DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten: 651-259-5555, mark.holsten@state.mn.us

Be sure to contact your local state representative and express your thoughts about this budget and public relations blunder. To identify your representatives and obtain their contact information, go to: http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/

~Kirk

(photo credit: Dori licensed under Creative Commons Attributions-Share Alike 3.0)

Read More

Technology in Interpretation Workshop

Next Monday, June 14th is a free workshop sponsored by the Minnesota Naturalists' Association. The workshop is open to professional and volunteer naturalists and support staff. You do not have to be a member of MNA to attend though becoming a member helps support programs like these.

Technology in Interpretation
Monday, June 14, 2010
Lowry Nature Center in Carver Park Reserve, Victoria


RSVP to: Lowry Nature Center
763-694-7650


Schedule:

8:30-9:00 - Registration and Refreshments

9:00-10:00 – Introduction to the topic – Large Group Discussion/Sharing – Show and Tell*

What exactly is “technology in interpretation”? Can technology make enhance our interpretive efforts? How much technology is enough; how much is too much? When is it effective?

*Do you have a cool tech toy that you are using at your site? Bring it to show and share or bring photos if it is too big to bring!

10:00-11:00 - Concurrent Sessions

A) Video and Audio tours: A “how to” session with Allison Neaton, Supervisor Lowry Nature Center

B) Social Media Panel Discussion led by Tom Moffatt, Supervisor Silverwood Park

11:00-12:00 –Concurrent Sessions A or B repeated

11:30-12:30- Lunch, Networking

Optional hiking on trails on your own after lunch (map and suggestions provided)

Directions/confirmation will be sent to those who RSVP.

Sessions will be both indoors and outdoors. If weather is inclement, all sessions will be indoors. Indoor space available for lunch.


~Kirk

Read More

Last Day to Register for Metro Naturalist Training

Greetings! Hola! Nyob Zoo! Soo dhawoow!

The Minnesota Naturalists' Association Presents the September Naturalist and Volunteer Training. If you have never been to one of these trainings you owe it to yourself to check it out. They are open to professional naturalists, volunteers, interns, teacher and administrators. You do not have to be a member of MNA but your membership dues make these trainings possible so why not consider joining this fine organization?

Tips for teachers working with students who have special needs or are English language learners.(ELL)

Monday September 14, 2009

Hosted by Valley Branch ELC @ Belwin Conservancy
Co-hosted by Carpenter Nature Center
1553 Stagecoach Tr. S, Afton MN 55001
651.436.5243

8:30 – 9:00 – refreshments/visiting/coffee
9:00 - welcome
9:15 – 10:30 – 1st session
10:50 – 12:00 – 2nd session
session A – ELL specialists from SPPS
session B – Special needs tips with Jim Rue
12:00 – 12:15 wrap up and so long

You are welcome to bring a lunch, stop to see the
bison or take a hike on the teaching property.

Please RSVP by September 9, 2009 to the co-host:
Mayme@carpenternaturecenter.org or call 651.437.4359

Los esparamos! tuaj koom nrog peb! oo ha moogaan!

Read More

10 Most Beautiful Birds in Minnesota

I debated a lot about this post. Do I just go for the flashy birds or subtle beauty? I decided subtle beauty will be another post for another day. This is a list of the must see flashy colored birds of Minnesota that even a non-birder would find beautiful.

1. Scarlet Tanager
Many people dream of one day taking a trip to an exotic Central American birding locale and taking in beautiful brightly colored tropical birds without realizing many of those tropical birds come to Minnesota in the summer. The Scarlet Tanager is one of my favorites. I'm fortunate to work at a nature center with large unbroken tracks of forest so I get to happen upon Scarlet Tanagers all summer. (photo credit Vincent Lucas)

2. Red-headed Woodpecker
I was initially going to say Pileated Woodpecker on this top ten list as it is an enormous bird and the red crest is impressive but as I was browsing though my photos I came upon some shots of a Red-headed Woodpecker and I was reminded that I would rather see a Red-headed Woodpecker any day. This is probably partly because they are rare but the red on the head of this bird is just incredible. It is even more striking in contrast with the completely white breast and belly and the black back with patches of white on the wings. Photos cannot hope to do this red justice. When you see a well-lit red-headed woodpecker for the first time it is though you have been living a lie and have never actually seen the color red before. "Ah," you say, "So THAT'S what red looks like!" (photo credit Kirk Mona)

3. Baltimore Oriole
This one was easy. The Baltimore Oriole is a showstopper. When I took the photo to the left, it was still a gray dreary spring. I think it may have even been raining that day. That eye-popping orange is a sight to behold. I never tire of watching orioles. I don't think we take this one for granted as much as some others but it is easy to forget that the western half of the country never sees this gorgeous bird. This is another example of a tropical bird in Minnesota. Baltimore Orioles winter in Central America. (photo credit Kirk Mona)

4. Blue Jay
Go ahead, leave hateful comments in the comment section about this choice. Why do people dislike Blue Jays so much? This is one of the most spectacularly beautiful birds on Earth. Look a the iridescent blue on the wings, the crest, the contrast of black and blues on the tail and wings, the black collar. This bird is incredible yet some people despise this bird. I think there are two things people hold against it. First off, they are common. People see Blue Jays all the time and the wow factor wears off. I guarantee, if this were a tropical bird only found on some remote, hard to get to island, birders would write entire books about their quest to see this bird. They would make derisive remarks about other birders claiming you aren't a real birder unless you've seen a Blue Jay. The other reason people don't seem to like this bird is some misplaced notion that they are mean. That's ridiculous. Birds aren't mean. That's ascribing human emotions to evolutionary adaptations. Blue Jays know how to scare other birds away from the food they want. If we're going to ascribe human characteristics to them, let's call them clever. (photo credit Mdf)

5. Wood Duck
The male wood duck is one of the most beautiful birds in the world and since iridescence comes into play a photo can only capture part of their beauty. They need to be appreciated in person. They are truly a marvel to behold and a wonderful example of the evolutionary adaptation of coloration to attract mates. It makes one wonder what wood duck drakes (the males) looked like 10,000 years ago and what they will look like thousands of years in the future. Will selection pressures make them even more flamboyant or at some point are there diminishing returns due to predation? (photo credit Adrian Pingstone)

6. Blackburnian Warbler
Probably the least common and hardest to locate bird on this list. The first time I saw a Blackburian Warbler, time stood still and I thought it was a little piece of burning hot plasma from the sun dancing about in the tops of the trees. The orange on the head of this bird defies effective description when the sun shines on it. I'll simply do my best and describe it as ocular bliss. (photo credit Mdf)




7. Great Blue Heron
In terms of color, this is probably the least showy bird on the list. This is an incredible bird though. It makes up for lack of bright colors by size, grace and delicate breeding plumage. I just love all the delicate feathers coming off this bird. The long black feathers on the head are particularly striking. I could just watch these guys all day. (photo credit Patrick Colin)











8. American Goldfinch
I have to admit, I swapped the American Goldfinch in at the last minute. I had a photo all picked out of a Common Yellowthroat and was prepared to talk about the wonderful coloration from olive to white to black to yellow on their head. I realized though, that I was selling the American Goldfinch short by not having it on this list. My bias against common birds was peeking through. I think in times like these I need to refer to the ultimate authority. Kids. When we do bird-banding at the nature center pretty much every warbler we show the kids gets from a polite yawn to an interested smile. When the banders pull a goldfinch out of the bag, the kids gasp and cheer. This is a beautiful little bird and when the sun is right and you it hit the peak of breeding season the yellow feathers seem to blaze. (photo credit Mdf)

9. Indigo Bunting
Speaking of blazing color, the Indigo Bunting wins the award for mastering the color blue. This coloration is achieved through the reflection and refraction of light instead of through pigmentation in the feathers which makes it all the more impressive. If Bluebirds are pretty, Indigo buntings are stunning. They are another bird that must be seen in person to appreciate how their color changes with each subtle shift in angle. (photo credit Dave Menke, USFWS)




10. Northern Cardinal
The Northern Cardinal is easy for many people in Minnesota to take for granted. I hear the males singing every spring day when I step out my back door. I think of them as such a common bird that it is easy to forget they aren't even found everywhere in our state. Interestingly though, they are pushing their range further north and are not as rare in Northern Minnesota as they once were. A good reminder as to how incredible this bird really is came when I was down in Arizona doing some birding at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. I had an incredible day of birding adding lifers left and right. There were hand fulls of hummingbirds and even a Vermilion Flycatcher. At one point we saw a group of very excited birders standing on a small foot bridge. We meandered by and asked what they were seeing. "A Northern Cardinal!" they shouted with glee. We shrugged our shoulders and continued on. They were from the Pacific Northwest and the cardinal was a real rarity for them. I try not to forget that while it may not be rare where I live it is still a spectacular bird. The males are a beautiful red with a nice crest and the black on their face adds an interesting contrast. Just like the blue jay, if this were a bird I'd spotted on a rare visit to a tropical locale I would probably be shouting and cheering just as those people on the bridge were. This is a beautiful bird.


Now then, if you have read this far you probably disagree with at least one of my picks. You probably think I hugely overlooked your favorite bird. Please feel free to leave other ideas in the comments section but...if you're going to suggest another bird then you have to also tell me which species it would bump off the list.

Read More