The Urban Ecology Institute

ALB Confirmed in Jamaica Plain

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:59:00 +0000

According to the Boston Globe, officials confirmed that six trees found to have been infested by the Asian longhorned beetle have been removed from the grounds of Faulkner Hospital, in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The hospital lies adjacent to the Arnold Arboretum, a central location for the observation and preservation of local tree species. In addition, officials have identified a 1.5 mile radius zone surrounding the hospital in which to continue searching for further signs of investigation.

The Asian longhorned beetle, an invasive species believed to have been brought over from China, has caused over 20,000 trees in the Worcester area to be removed, after its discovery in the area in 2008. Recovery efforts are underway, though, and UEI has been on hand to help in the planting of new, non-host tree species.

For local residents in the Boston area, officials have set up a hotline to report beetle sightings at 866-702-9938.

UEI Recognizes Arbor Day 2010 in Roxbury

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:04:00 +0000

This past Saturday, April 24th, UEI joined the City of Boston, along with its partners in the Boston Urban Forest Coalition, were promoting Arbor Day by leading a tree planting training session for the non-profit groups selected receive funding through the Grow Boston Greener tree grant program. This training, located at the Dimock Community Health Center in Roxbury, gave the 13 city-wide groups the opportunity to be formally trained tree planting, maintenance, and site analysis. In addition to the three new trees planted at the training the groups receiving funding will add 126 of trees to the Boston landscape at 18 sites across the city.

Earth Day Turns 40 Today

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 13:44:00 +0000

Today the world celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a chance to celebrate the planet on which we live. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, at a time when significant environmental change was needed, particularly in cities.

Today, the health of our cities has dramatically improved, although much progress still needs to be made.

UEI is playing its part. We are proud to be working with neighborhood residents and municipalities to plant trees and restore urban greenspace, and with teachers to get students outside where they can conduct scientific studies while heightening their sense of nature and the environment.

Happy Earth Day!

New Trees for Worcester in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Since 2008, UEI has been partnering with the Worcester Tree Initiative (WTI) to re-forest Worcester, MA and surrounding towns. WTI is a private, nonprofit initiative to replant 30,000 trees in and around Worcester, arising as a result of significant devastation to the forestland due to the introduction of the Asian longhorned beetle nearly 15 years ago. Along with this invasive species' introduction, urban development and recent weather have taken their toll on the forests of the Worcester region.

In the fall, UEI helped facilitate a volunteer training for local residents to select and be trained in planting new, non-host trees. This year, UEI will continue lending support to the WTI through continued giveaways, trainings, and plantings.

The Asian longhorned beetle continues to threaten forestland in the Worcester region, as well as in New York and New Jersey. For more information on spotting the beetle and signs of infestation, visit www.beetlebusters.info.

Left Image Source: www.beetlebusters.info
Right Image Source: Worcester Telegram/Christine Peterson

Social Networking and Citizen Science

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:57:00 +0000

To engage youth in the collection of urban ecological data, UEI is harnessing the power of social media by launching a Twitter feed for the collection of ecological observations, to be displayed on the Field Studies Wikispace. Students and teachers can now send a text message directly to their Twitter accounts, using a specific tag, to record their ecological observations, such as unique bird sightings, signs of seasonal change, and animal behaviors. Here's a recent photo upload of blooming skunk cabbage in Newton:

Social networking tools such as Twitter have become a new and vital resource for the citizen science movement, used to gather and organize ecological research data, and to informally communicate with others who are also conducting research.

CITYgreen Workshop for Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:48:00 +0000

In April, UEI will co-host a workshop for Massachusetts teachers with the Boston College Lynch School of Education and American Forests on implementing CITYgreen GIS data analysis software in the classroom. Created by American Forests, CITYgreen puts regional urban ecological data, such as greenspace cover, tree canopy, air pollution removal, and water quality into an accessible form that helps students with their investigations.

For educators working with UEI, CITYgreen serves as a tool for teachers to incorporate mapping skills into their environmental science classes. In turn, their students will learn to use cutting-edge technology and software in a meaningful and applicable manner to understand ecological concepts and gain a better sense of their local ecology.

Art + STEM = STEAM?

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:56:00 +0000

In recent months, there have been numerous articles about incorporating the arts into Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. It is an old concept that has gained new life as educators, policymakers, and the corporate sector grapple with how to prepare students for a 21st century world, knowledgeable about current technologies and issues, and yet innovative and flexible enough in their thinking to deal creatively with future unknowns.

In 2002, astronaut and scientist Mae Jemison spoke on the subject, using her own life experiences to highlight why teaching art and science together are so important. And in 2004-2005, NPR hosted a series on Where Science Meets Art that showcased how people often do merge STEM and art quite naturally.

Even as there appears to be a new wave of interest in more proactively incorporating the arts into STEM, there are some organizations already at work making the connection real for young people. STEM-A is a nonprofit implementing STEM education "by creating a space for students to explore and experiment in real-time learning situations." Find out what other educators are doing in this NSTA story.

Image: Studies of Water Passing Obstacles and Falling by Leonardo Da Vinci

Field Studies in Fall River

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:22:00 +0000

Over 600 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Fall River students are using their new schoolyard as a field site for conducting hands-on, scientific investigations. In September 2009, UEI received funding to work with teachers at the Matthew J. Kuss Middle School in Fall River, MA, thanks to a grant from the Dominion Educational Partnership. Since then, field studies investigations have been thriving as teachers deliver UEI's innovative field studies curriculum modules and supporting lessons for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes.

During the fall, 8th grade classes conducted studies in different areas of their field site to investigate the plants, animals, soil, light, and weather. Students were introduced to the different habitats present with a focus on the interactions of living and non-living factors of the ecosystem. They have also been conducting biodiversity studies of birds, insects, invasive plants, and trees along the established transects.

Soon, the 7th grade students will begin water quality studies of samples from the mouth of the Taunton River. Along the river, students will gather data about water temperature, salinity, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen levels, specifically examining the effects of tides on salinity levels in the river. In addition, the classes will also be measuring nitrates, phosphates, and pH levels of water samples from the Taunton River, Mount Hope Bay, and other nearby water sources.

Fall River, a city with a population of just under 100,000, is a post-industrial town to the south of Boston, lying at the mouth of the Taunton River, which empties into Mount Hope Bay.

The Growth of Citizen Science

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Ecology Institute) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Darlene Cavalier has been instrumental in building momentum for increased public participation in the collection and processing of scientific data, better known as the citizen science movement. UEI's Field Studies students are actively playing the part of citizen scientists by collecting and reporting on ecological findings in the urban setting, becoming engaged in the "doing" of science and being able to claim a stake in the outcomes of their findings.

Here, along with Oxford University associate fellow Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Cavalier makes the case for keeping this movement alive.

Science Matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Read the latest posting from Dr. David Suzuki, award-winning environmentalist and scientist, about the importance of getting young people out into nature. His sentiment is right in line with UEI's own philosophy...

A Weedy Lot Blossoms

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Check out today's Boston Globe for an interesting article highlighting how neighbors across Boston's diverse communities -- from Chinatown to Jamaica Plain to the South End -- are working together to develop projects that are engaging and meaningful to their fellow residents.

NRDC: Boston Ranks High in Sustainable Initiatives

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Boston is a city that I've come to recognize as being "ahead of the curve" on many issues of sustainability, but by no means in a position to become complacent with it's successes. These new Smarter Cities rankings, compiled by NRDC, seem to confirm this, and shed some light on what the dominant issues are.

So what else could the City of Boston be doing?

Summer 2009 Citizen Sky Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:59:00 +0000

Check out this workshop, being held this week in Chicago. The workshop is all about empowering citizens to observe the stars, learn more about astronomy, and collaborate on theories. Citizen scientists are volunteers, many of whom have no prior scientific training, who work with trained scientific researchers to answer real-world questions ... what a useful skill!

I'll be interested to hear the conversation revolving around light pollution - I'll be sure and update if I find out any more!

Getting Outdoors Matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:09:00 +0000

Simply stated, getting outdoors matters! It's great for the mind, soul, and body! Read this (can you find the time to read it outside during lunch?) and get out there!

The High Line: An Innovative Urban Park

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:50:00 +0000

New York will soon boast one of the most unusual and innovative park systems in the world, the High Line. When it is completed the greenway, "perched on old elevated railway," will stretch between - and above - Chelsea and the West Village. Diane Cardwell's recent New York Times article provides a bird's eye view of a park that's creating a small town sense of community in one of the world's largest cities.

Schoolyard Gardening

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:40:00 +0000

In cities across the U.S., residents are creating urban gardens in backyards, vacant lots, rooftops, and any other bit of open space. In recent years, schoolyards have become increasingly popular sites, creating important greenspace for children as well as an interdisciplinary teaching tool for educators. An abundance of resources are available for anyone interested in learning more about the benefits, challenges and opportunities of gardening in an educational setting. Here are just a few links to get you started!

The Edible Schoolyard http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/
CitySprouts http://citysprouts.org/
Gardening with Kids http://www.gardeningwithkids.org/11-4508.html
Kids Gardening http://www.kidsgardening.com/index.asp
CEL Visual Guide to Integrated School Lunch Curriculum http://www.ecoliteracy.org/programs/visual-guide/index.html
CityRoots http://urbaneco.org/CityRoots.asp

Bright Lights, Big Cities

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:11:00 +0000

A few years ago, I had the chance to travel to Yosemite National Park. As the sun set, all my terrestrial fears of bears and frogs faded away as I looked up into the night. A river of stars flowed across the sky. For the first time in my life, I saw the Milky Way. I began to understand in a deep way why the stars have shaped and influenced every culture on earth since the dawn of humanity ... though I wonder if that will be true in the future. In most cities, there is far too much light produced to see anything except a few stars. Earlier this year, astronomer Ben Burres wrote a very clear and insightful piece about light pollution in cities and the unexpected consequences. Check it out:

Globe At Night: Measuring Light Pollution with Human Eyes
http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2009/01/16/globe-at-night-measuring-light-pollution-with-human-eyes/

The Jane Jacobs Medal 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:59:00 +0000

"Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody." -- Jane Jacobs

Perhaps best known for her 1950's book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, Jane Jacobs forever changed the way that we view urban life and think about urban design. It was the Rockefeller Foundation which provided Jacobs with the grant to complete her research and writing. Over fifty years later, in 2007, the Foundation established the annual Jane Jacobs Medal "to recognize the visionary work of New Yorkers building a more diverse, dynamic and equitable city through creative uses of the urban environment." This past June, Damaris Reyes, Executive Director of Good Old Lower East Side (GOLES) and Richard Kahan, founder and CEO of The Urban Assembly, received awards. Learn more about these outstanding individuals and about the legacy of Jane Jacobs at the Rockefeller Foundation website: http://www.rockfound.org/

National Pollinator Week 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:26:00 +0000

The demise of the honey bee has become one of the more evident examples of the negatives affects of environmental toxins, global warming, or species extinction. This week, however beekeepers, environmental activists and nature lovers across the U.S. are celebrating Pollinator Week 2009 to draw attention to the plight of the honey bee, with some of the more interesting events happening in cities.

Tree Art in the City

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:49:00 +0000

This Sunday, June 21, 2009, the Tree Museum opens in New York City. Artist Katie Holten created the museum "to celebrate the communities and ecosystems along the Grand Concourse, a 100 year-old boulevard in The Bronx. Visitors will be able to listen in on local stories and the intimate lives of trees offered by current and former residents: from beekeepers to rappers, historians to gardeners, school kids to politicians."

Urban Grants Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:50:00 +0000

The New England Grassroots Fund offers grants from $500 to $10,000 through its Urban Grants: Boston Grants Initiative. The deadline for submitting a proposal is June 15, 2009. Groups doing community-based work that is all or largely volunteer driven in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea or Somerville, MA are eligible to appy so long as you have not received NEGEF funding in the past year. These grants are intended to address the needs of urban groups that are too small to receive larger foundation funding. Read more here: http://grassrootsfund.org/grants/urban_grants_boston_grants_initiative/

Urban Long Term Research Area (ULTRA) Exploratory Awards (ULTRA-Ex) Announced

noreply@blogger.com (discipleassisi) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:46:00 +0000

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced the first program solicitation for Urban Long-Term Research Area (ULTRA) Exploratory Awards (ULTRA-Ex). The program solicitation is co-sponsored by the U. S. Forest Service. The NSF and Forest Service, as a result of strategic planning in both agencies, have recognized the need to expand the knowledge of urban natural resource and human interactions, with the goals of sustaining these critical resources while creating productive and livable human environments. This new program, with anticipated funding of $4,800,000 over two years, will provide for up to 16 awards across the United States. The announcement and request for proposals can be found at: http://www.nsf.gov/dir/index.jsp?org=bio

"ULTRA-Ex will provide support to enable teams of scientists and practitioners to conduct interdisciplinary research on the dynamic interactions between people and natural ecosystems in urban settings in ways that will advance both fundamental and applied knowledge," said Henry Gholz, NSF Program Director the Division of Environmental Biology. Teams will require the involvement of researchers from the social and behavioral, ecological, and technical sciences, as well as partnerships with communities.

According to the solicitation, this unique new partnership between the two agencies will enable employees of the Forest Service and other federal agencies to participate as PIs or co-PIs of proposals, if permitted by the organization submitting the proposal. But any support for activities at the federal agency must be provided through subawards. A limited amount of funding may be used to support Forest Service researcher salaries using Forest Service-contributed funds to the program, up to $50,000 for any ULTRA exploratory award. Salary support cannot be provided for other federal agency employees.

NSF has supported the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program for three decades, with 26 projects currently existing, including two urban sites in Phoenix and Baltimore. Over this time, the Forest Service has collaborated in supporting seven of the LTERs, including Baltimore. Recent strategic planning by the LTER community has highlighted the need for greater integration of the social and ecological sciences across the LTER network, as evidenced in its decadal plan and the strategic research initiative titled "Integrative Science for Society and the Environment." LTER planning efforts, the success of the urban LTERs, and the success of the Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program (also co-funded and coordinated by NSF and the Forest Service) have led NSF and Forest Service leaders to jointly explore possibilities for development of a network of large-scale Urban Long-Term Research Area (ULTRA) projects. Although ULTRA-Ex projects should enable research teams to develop more cohesiveness in anticipation of future ULTRA competitions, the primary products of ULTRA-Ex projects are expected to be publications and presentations for scholarly and practitioner audiences that disseminate research results, especially publications in peer-reviewed journals. Any potential competitions for ULTRA in the future would be open to all interested research teams, regardless of whether they have received an ULTRA-Ex project award.

In ecology classes, kids see Boston’s true nature

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Kilcourse) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:52:00 +0000

Take a look at what science teachers and their students have to say about learning about nature. Last spring a group of students from Urban Science Academy and Charlestown High School learned about nature in the city and how urban noise effects bird songs.

UEI Science Advisor Reports on the Benefits of Urban Trees to CNN

noreply@blogger.com (Reid Samuel) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:03:00 +0000

Eric Strauss, UEI Science Advisor and BC Director of Environmental Studies, reports to CNN on the economic and environmental benefits of investing in ecological infrastructure, calling national urban forestry projects "shovel ready," and citing the success of UEI's community-based tree-planting model.

An Ecology of Place

noreply@blogger.com (Cynthia) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 22:00:00 +0000

After one of the snowiest winters in years, spring has come to New England. The snow has melted, refilling a stream that runs behind the Urban Ecology Institute. This picture is of trees reflected in the water.