By David Spector
There are many reasons to watch birds. Developing identification skills, appreciating ecological and evolutionary relationships, appreciating the beauty of birds, visiting interesting places, building lists of species one has seen and enjoying good company are among them.
By David Spector
The wilds of western Massachusetts are not very dangerous. Many threats — mosquitoes and ticks, poison ivy and nettles — are relatively familiar to most people who walk the woods. Poisonous snakes are rare here, and an attack by a large mammal would be extremely unusual. There are birds, such as any member of the heron family, that I would be very careful about handling but that pose no threat in the wild. One local bird species, though, makes me nervous.
By Rebecca Reid
If you’re anything like me, you’re a walking contradiction. I understand climate change and what causes it; I read articles about sea level rise, catastrophic drought and the probability of climate refugees, hunger and planetary strife. I deeply understand what we (I) are doing to our only home. I don’t think I’m immune to the suffering that will result. Then I sink back into my energy-intensive, privileged life. What is this pull toward complacency? What happens to my fear and outrage when I am going about my daily life? Why does my knowledge not fuel radical actions? Why don’t I get it?
By Michael Dover
Climate change is a huge issue for the entire planet and it touches all parts of our lives. We can see it right here in our region. The good news is that citizens and institutions are responding. New England’s average annual temperatures increased throughout the 20th century by about 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit, with winter temperatures increasing by half again as much, almost 2.2 degrees.
By Julie Johnson
This is a challenging time for the field of environmental education. It’s no longer enough for environmental centers to help people learn about the natural world and the ecological systems that support life. The potentially devastating consequences of humans’ actions on the environment make it urgent for educators to seek out new approaches. These must be aimed at helping people understand the natural and human communities in which they live, their interconnection and interdependence, and the fact that we all have the ability to make contributions to change.
By David Spector
I have enjoyed seeing whales on many whale-watch boats, but I find a special pleasure in my own sightings from land. Over years of visiting Cape Cod beaches, especially Herring Cove and Race Point, in the fall, winter and early spring, I have identified the same species that I’ve seen from boat trips in New England waters: North Atlantic right whale, humpback whale, fin whale, minke whale, Atlantic white-sided dolphin and harbor porpoise.
By Henry Lappen
Trees have a remarkable ability to pump water very high with very little effort. Trees are amazingly complex beings and nowhere is this more evident than in their hydraulic system. Although we now understand how they do it, we humans cannot build any comparable structure.
As awareness of climate change has grown, phenology increasingly offers evidence of how shifts in temperature, precipitation, available sunlight and other factors are affecting a wide variety of species. These effects may influence how our crops will fare, what and how many pests we may have to contend with, what diseases we may have to be prepared for and what species we may expect to see or lose in our local ecosystems over the long term.
George Regmund
We are all responsible for doing our part to protect this spectacular planet, and there are many things we can do as individuals that will benefit its health. One place where we can make a difference is right in our own backyard: We can “wildscape” our property. And now, in the midst of winter, is a great time to begin planning.
By Elizabeth Farnsworth
Called the “aurora” after the Greek goddess of the dawn, and “borealis” with reference to the north, it is kicked up by the solar wind, the cascade of charged particles continually generated by our ever-burning sun. Electrons rain down on Earth, following the lines of our planet’s magnetic field and transferring their energy to oxygen and nitrogen atoms high in the atmosphere. The shifting colors of the aurora depend on which elements are being charged and the level of excitation to which they are being boosted at any given time. Hence, the aurora is a dynamic light show that dwarfs the most psychedelic of rock concerts here on earth.
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Hitchcock Center for the Environment
at Hampshire College
845 West Street | Amherst MA 01002 | 413.256.6006 | 413.253.2809 fax