Spring Peepers

At night, the strident call of Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer), the ducklike clacking of Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica), and the short trill of Grey Tree Frogs (Hyla versicolor), fill the air around every bog and wet place. Later in the summer, these tiny amphibians are sometimes found while walking in the woods and fields, mistakenly called baby frogs by the young children who can’t resist picking them up to show to their parents. At maturity, the tiny, brown Spring Peeper is just 3/4 - 1 1/4 inches in size. The nocturnal Spring Peeper is found in wooded areas in or near permanent or temporarily flooded ponds and swamps and hibernates under logs and loose bark. The Grey Tree Frog is 1 1/4 - 2 inches. The nocturnal Grey Tree Frog lives high in trees and descend only at night, usually just to chorus and to breed. The Wood Frog, brown with a bandit's mask of black behind its eyes, is only slightly larger at 1 3/8 - 2 3/4 inches. In the colder parts of its range, the Wood Frog is an explosive breeder. Swarms of pairs lay fertilized eggs within 1 or 2 days, then disappear into the surrounding country. It may venture far from water during summer, and hibernates in forest debris during winter. The Spring Peeper, a Chorus Frog, and the Grey Tree Frogs are members of the Tree Frog Family (Hylidae), while the Wood Frog is a member of the True Frog Family (Ranidae) and closely related to the familiar Leopard Frog.
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Source: an excerpt from "A Few Summer Days in the Adirondacks:
A Natural History of the Adirondack Park" by Michael R. Martin

World's First Algae-Powered Building Opens This Month in Germany

Splitterwerk Architects have designed an algae powered building, dubbed BIQ, which will be the very first of its kind. Covered with a bio-adaptive façade of microalgae, the distinctive building has been designed for the International Building Exhibition in Hamburg and is slated to open this month.

To create the algae façade, the building is covered in bio-reactive louvers that enclose the algae. These louvers allow the algae to survive and grow faster than they would otherwise while also providing shade for the interior of the building. Additionally, the bio-reactors trap the heat energy created by the algae, which can then be harvested and used to power the building. Once the building is completed, it will be evaluated by scientists and engineers to allow for future research and adaptation for future building projects.

Read more: World's First Algae-Powered Building by Splitterwerk Architects Opens This Month in Germany | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

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Source: Kristine Lofgren, Inhabitat

Biologists fear 'giant' goldfish will alter Lake Tahoe

Emerson Marcus, Reno Gazette-Journal
6:19p.m. EST February 21, 2013

RENO -- Biologists are worried that Lake Tahoe's pristine blue water may be affected by a "giant" visitor.

Goldfish have inhabited the water of the Tahoe Keys since the 1990s, said Sudeep Chandra, a biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno.

But it wasn't until 2011 that biologists found a 14.2 inch, 3.4 pound goldfish in the lake. More "giant" goldfish have been found since, he said.

It is not entirely known how the goldfish are being introduced to Lake Tahoe. Chandra said he thinks people who have goldfish as pets are disposing of them in the lake.

According to the U.S. Forest Service's Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, warm-water fish, which include goldfish, have been seen in the lake over the last decade. The invasion of these warm species can be detrimental to the ecology within the lake.

Rest of article
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Source: USA Today

Location:Lake Tahoe, Reno, Nevada

European Algae Biomass 2013

European Algae Biomass conference to be held April 24-25 in Vienna, Austria

Visit CEE-Algae blog for complete details

EPA Releases National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change

EPA has released the "National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change," which describes how EPA's water-related programs plan to address the impacts of climate change and provides long-term visions, goals and strategic actions for the management of sustainable water resources for future generations. The strategy, which builds upon EPA's first climate change and water strategy released in 2008, focuses on five key areas: infrastructure, watersheds and wetlands, coastal and ocean waters, water quality, and working with Tribes. It emphasizes working collaboratively with partners and stakeholders, developing information and tools, incorporating adaptation into core programs, and managing risks of impacts including from extreme weather events. The 2012 strategy also includes goals and strategic actions for EPA in 10 geographic climate regions.

For more information, please visit http://www.epa.gov/water/climatechange.
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Source: Water Headlines

Webinar on New Recreational Criteria to Better Protect Public Health Set for January 30

Join EPA for a free Watershed Academy webinar to learn about EPA's new recreational water quality criteria on January 30, 2013, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST. EPA recently recommended new recreational water quality criteria for states that will help protect peoples' health during visits to beaches and other recreational waters year-round. The science-based criteria provide information to help states improve public health protection by providing similarly protective recommendations for both marine and fresh waters, encouraging early alerts to beachgoers and promoting rapid water testing. The new criteria do not impose any new requirements; instead, they are a tool that states can choose to use in setting their own standards. Visit www.epa.gov/watershedwebcasts to register for this webinar and to view the webcast presentation which will be posted in advance. Webcast participants are eligible to receive a certificate for their attendance.
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Source: Water Headlines

Climate Ready Water Utilities Webinar Series to Begin on January 23

On January 23, EPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) initiative will begin a new series of webinars on its tools and resources to help drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities understand and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These webinars will assist the water sector in developing a better understanding of climate change, managing impacts, and creating adaptation strategies. Climate Ready Water Utillities' resources promote a clear understanding of climate science and adaptation options, by translating complex climate projections into understandable, actionable and localized information for the water sector. Webinar topics include climate change readiness and an introduction to climate science for the water sector, followed by more in depth discussions on CRWU topics, such as planning a workshop on extreme weather events and the Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool. For more information, visit the "training tab" on www.epa.gov/climatereadyutilities, or email questions to CRWUhelp@epa.gov.
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Source: Water Headlines

Rain Garden iPhone App

UConn Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) has developed a Rain Garden smart phone app that is now available for download from iTunes.

The app is targeted to homeowners and contractors, and leads the user through the proper siting, sizing, construction, planting and maintenance of a rain garden. It includes nifty tools to help the user figure out the proper size of the garden, find out about local soil conditions, get a handle on the price of construction, and customize a plant list that will delight the eye while soaking up stormwater. In addition, there are 6 short video segments explaining various aspects of rain garden care and feeding.

The app is only for iPhones at the moment, but they say they will have an Android version out soon. Also, the imagery and plants are specific to CT, but they are starting work on a national version that will have extensive databases for each area of the country.

For more information, go to the App's info page on the iTunes store or on the NEMO website

To learn more about Rain Gardens visit the NEMO Rain Garden Website.

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Source:  David Dickson 
National NEMO Coordinator & Extension Educator 
Center for Land use Education And Research (CLEAR) 
UConn College of Ag & Natural Resources 
Department of Extension 
P.O. Box 70 
Haddam, CT 06438 
(860) 345-5228
david.dickson@uconn.edu 
http://nemonet.uconn.edu

Updated Data Now Available through EPA's Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool

EPA has added updated data in the Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution Data Access Tool (NPDAT), a tool intended to help states develop effective nitrogen and phosphorus source reduction strategies. Specifically, the updates include the Facilities Likely to Discharge Nitrogen/Phosphorus (N/P) to Water data layer, which now provides information on nitrogen and phosphorus discharges from 2010 facility monitoring reports with corresponding nitrogen and phosphorus limits from EPA's Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) Pollutant Loading Tool. Another other update is the Waters Listed for N/P Impairments and Waters with N/P TMDLs data layers which now reflect data pulled from the Assessment TMDL Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS). These layers have been updated from information from 2008 and 2011, respectively.

Click here for NPDAT and the updated data layers.

Collaboration Toolkit for Protecting Drinking Water Sources through Agricultural Conservation Practices is Now Available Online

The collaboration toolkit Protecting Drinking Water Sources through Agricultural Conservation Practices is now available online. The toolkit offers effective steps that source water protection professionals working at the state level can take to build partnerships with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to get more agricultural conservation practices on the ground to protect sources of drinking water. Developed by the Source Water Collaborative, a group composed of 23 organizations working together to protect sources of drinking water, with support from EPA and in consultation with NRCS, the toolkit includes insightful tips and highlights specific opportunities states can take advantage of immediately. In addition, the Source Water Collaborative is working with the National Association of Conservation Districts to develop a locally-focused supplement to the toolkit to provide a step-by-step process for collaborating with conservation districts.

Click here to view the toolkit.