Science

Science Pub Returns to Downtown Binghamton

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Science Pub BING kicks off the first in a series of science talks designed to engage learners of all ages and interests. This monthly forum offers a platform to share research and current science topics with our community. What does booming population growth mean for the frogs, newts, and salamanders living among us — and what can we do to help them thrive? Guest speaker Dr. Jessica Hua of Binghamton University will share her research on how human pressures are affecting amphibians. She will be joined by Grascen Shidemantle, Vanessa Wuerther, Nick Buss and Devin DiGiacopo. Dr. Hua is an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences who oversees a lab of talented students studying the effects of humans on aquatic ecosystems.

No science background required.

cornell lab of ornithology

Engage in Citizen Science this Weekend with the Backyard Bird Count

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Get your family involved in something fun this weekend and help scientists track where birds are gathering this winter.  For at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count, February 15-18, 2019, simply tally the numbers and kinds of birds you see. You can count from any location, anywhere in the world, for as long as you wish. Launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society, the Great Backyard Bird Count was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real-time. Scientists use information from the Great Backyard Bird Count, along with observations from other citizen-science projects, such as the Christmas Bird Count, Project FeederWatch, and eBird, to get the “big picture” about what is happening to bird populations. The longer these data are collected, the more meaningful they become in helping scientists investigate far-reaching questions. If you’re new to the count, or have not participated since before the 2013 merger with eBird, you must create a free online account to enter your checklists. If you already have an account, just use the same login name and password.

birds

Will Changing Wind Patterns Affect Migratory Birds?

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According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, changing winds may make it harder for North American birds to migrate southward in the autumn, but make it easier for them to come back north in the spring. Researchers from the lab came to this conclusion using data from 143 weather radar stations to estimate the altitude, density, and direction birds took during spring and autumn migrations over several years. They also extracted wind data from 28 different climate change projections in the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Their findings were published today in the journal Global Change Biology. “We combined these data to estimate how wind assistance is expected to change during this century under global climate change,” explains lead author Frank La Sorte, a Cornell Lab of Ornithology scientist.

Environment

Emerald Ash Borers Take Up Residence In Ithaca

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ITHACA, NY (WSKG) – The emerald ash borer has infested several trees in the City of Ithaca. Just a week after one tree in Cornell’s Arnot forest was found to have ash borers, entomologist Mark Whitmore confirmed them in a tree in downtown Ithaca. Whitmore calls this is big news.

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Central NY Legislators Say DEC Needs More Flexibility To Issue Deer Culling Permits

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(WRVO) – Central New York state legislators have introduced a bill that would give the state Department of Environmental Conservation more flexibility with issuing deer control permits. This comes after DEC officials determined they were steering too far away from the current law. David Skeval of Cornell Coorperative Extension of Onondaga County said after an internal review at the DEC, officials realized their process of issuing deer culling permits is cumbersome, and also not following environmental law. “It’s not so much that the DEC said, ‘we’re going to change our minds and our law,'” Skeval said. “They’re not changing the law, they are trying to follow it a little closer.

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Former EPA Administrator Said Climate Report Leakers Should Be Thanked

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The former EPA regional administrator under President Barack Obama said scientists who leaked the report about further evidence of climate change to The New York Times should be commended as“whistleblowers.”   Judith Enck, who was with the EPA from 2009 until President Donald Trump took office, said it’simportant that the public see the report. Compiled by scientists at 13 federal agencies, it contains theresults of thousands of studies showing that climate change caused by greenhouse gases is affectingweather in every part of the United States, causing average temperatures to rise dramatically since the1980s. Enck said those who leaked the report should be thanked for providing a public service. “I would refer to whoever did it as a whistleblower, not a leaker,” Enck said. “Tax dollars were spentputting this report together.” Enck said it’s also important that the draft report be seen to protect against any potential wateringdown of its conclusions by the Trump administration.

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Tompkins Health Department Warns Of Blue Green Algae In Cayuga Lake

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The Tompkins County Health Department says harmful blue-green algae has been found in Cayuga Lake. In a press release, the Department says the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been “visually identified” on each side of the Southern end of the lake, and that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed the HABs.  Ingesting water infected by blue-green algae can make humans and pets ill. The Department is urging residents to look out for strongly colored water, a paint-like surface and floating mats or scum. You can see sample images here of both HABs and non-toxic green algal blooms. Boiling, chlorinating, or otherwise treating your water will not make it safe to use during a bloom. The Department has this instruction: “During a bloom, do not drink, prepare food, cook, or make ice with water from the lake or from beach wells.” Pets should also be kept from drinking untreated surface water.