1956: The Rising Threat of Carbon Dioxide
From 1956! Nineteen fifty-six. And way back around 1859 to 1861 John Tyndall was first figuring this out. The only thing that they were wrong about was how fast the planet would warm and the subsequent rapidity with which the entire climate system would begin to spin out of control. Climate change is as real as the blue sky on a sunny day and we have known about it for literally centuries. Anything to the contrary is extremely dangerous denial of a fixable problem with solutions that benefit every life form on Earth. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreAmerican Bittern
This is the American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), a stupendously cryptic and sensationally camouflaged heron species of freshwater and brackish marshes and wetlands. During late fall and winter they can be infrequently found moving south to warmer or coastal areas where the water does not freeze. Even their movements are meant to blend in perfectly to surrounding vegetation, stalking prey including fish, amphibians, insects, mammals, reptiles, and more. The American Bittern was once a terror in the night to many early American settlers who lived in coastal regions. Its pumping, gurgling,...
Read More“Warming Oceans Putting Marine Life ‘In a Blender’ “
The title of this article is very well put! But “[a]ccording to a 2013 study, marine species are pushing their range boundaries poleward, away from the Equator, at an average speed of 4.5 miles a year,” which is beyond mind blowing when one considers the history of the Earth and its evolution in hundreds of millions or billions of years. They are moving at the speed of light. The climate has always shifted, but it happens slowly over thousands upon thousands of years instead of decades as it is now due to humans. Even then it often meant extinction for those who had flourished...
Read MoreRecord Shattering Cold & Historic Snow
To be entirely honest I meant to write this blog entry a couple of weeks ago. Yes, I have been busy during that time with meetings, gearing up for spring and summer projects, surveying, and much more. Nevertheless, I could not get myself too excited to write about the unbelievably and astonishingly historic cold we have had this winter, especially in February, or the feet of snow dumped on the region, rewriting more records for some locations. After feeling the first signs of spring in the past week I feel renewed, ready for the thaw and once again energized about our weather and climate....
Read MoreNeed Some Info?
Scattered around the county snowmobile and multipurpose trails are these info shacks, some of which have our “Nature at Your Fingertips” winter trails cell phone tour signs attached to them. This weekend while you are enjoying the expansive network of trails Chautauqua County has to offer, take a moment to look for these little blue signs as they will provide some fascinating information about our area! Elyse Henshaw Conservation Technician
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