Corridor Alliance and Spring Creek Prairie

Hello!
Sorry I haven't been on for a while. It's amazing how much time can pass before you know it! My October guest was Meghan Sittler, Program Coordinator for the Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance. This is a group of private, state, federal, and local entities that work together on issues concerning the lower Platte River. Meghan talked about projects that the LPRCA has been working on lately, what they've done in the past, and what is planned for the future. One of the large projects the LPRCA continues to work on is to coordinate with agencies to remove old bridge pilings that can cause problems to recreational users of the river, such as airboaters, kayakers, and canoers.

To find out more about the LPRCA, go to: www.lowerplatte.org.

My November guest was Deb Hauswald, Education Coordinator at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center near Denton, NE. Deb and I chatted about all the great educational programs that SCP has to offer both school groups and the public. One really exciting program that has been going on for a few years now is the Prairie Immersion hikes. Fourth grade students from Lincoln Public Schools enjoy a full day on the prairie discovering what the prairie is and what might live there.

Another fun opportunity that folks can enjoy while at SCP are self-guided discovery hikes. Backpacks with suggested activities and discoveries are available for a variety of interests including: ornithology, entomology, agronomy, and others.

SCP is open year-round, and have many events throughout the year. Visit their website for dates and times: springcreekprairie.audubon.org

My next show on December 20 will be during KZUM Cares, and Nancy Furman, Director of Pioneers Park Nature Center will be my guest.

Thanks for Listening!
Chris the Bird Lady

Buffalo Bruce Urainium Mining and Nuclear Power

Here's some links from the show:
http://www.nirs.org/ Nuclear Information and Resource Services

http://news.legislature.ne.gov/nat/ Natural Resources Commitee of Nebraska

http://www.les.com/ Lincoln Electric Systems

http://www.neo.ne.gov/ Nebraska Energy Office

Thanks for Listening!

Trust Going Strong

Hello!

My guest on Monday, Sept. 20, was Mark Brohman, Executive Director of the Nebraska Environmental Trust. The Trust was established in 1992 to "conserve, enhance and restore the natural environments of Nebraska". Through Nebraska Lottery, Powerball, and scratch-off ticket receipts, nearly $15 million dollars per year is available for the Trust to distribute using a competitive grant application system. Nearly $160 million dollars have been available to organizations through this granting process since 1992.

Every county in Nebraska has benefitted from this program. In 2010, the Trust received about 110 applications, totaling around $54 million. They hope to have between $16 and $17 million to distribute this year. In February 2011, recommendations for funding are sent to the Trust Board from experts that have reviewed the applications. There is a public comment period, and then final results are announced in April 2011.

The Nebraska Environmental Trust is unique to Nebraska. Only Colorado has a program, called Great Outdoors Colorado or GO-CO, that is somewhat similar to our Trust.

The 2010 grant application due date has passed (Sept. 7), but there are still smaller grants available, called PIE grants (Public Information and Education). These grants are distributed through the Nebraska Academy of Sciences. They are also called "mini-grants" because they have a limit of $3,000 per grant request. The next deadline for PIE grants is Friday, October 8, 2010, so there is still time to apply.

For more information about the Nebraska Environmental Trust, visit their website at http://www.environmentaltrust.org/. You can access information about the PIE grants through the Trust website or go to the Nebraska Academy of Science website at http://neacadsci.org/.

Thanks, Mark, for a great informational show.

Chris the Bird Lady

Nebraska League of Conservation Voters

Hi folks
Here's a link to the Nebraska League of Conservation Voters. www.nlcv.org
Here's a more direct link to the Benifit show Thursday. http://nlcv.org/117.php
And if you'd like to sample some of the bands playing.
Kris Lager Band www.krislagerband.com
Son of '76 www.sonof76.com
Stonebelly http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stonebelly/131559150199344

Environmental Literacy Plan moving forward

Hi all,
On Monday, August 16, Harry Heafer, president of the Nebraska Alliance of Conservation and Environment Educators (NACEE) was on the show to explain what NACEE is and to tell folks how the Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP) is progressing.

NACEE has been instrumental in writing the ELP, and have also written an Enviromental Education Master Plan for Nebraska. NACEE is open to anyone who has an interest in teaching about our environment.

The No Child Left Inside Act prompted the formal writing of an Environmental Literacy Plan for Nebraska. Each state will need to write one if they are to be eligible for federal funds to move the plan forward. At this time, the Nebraska Board of Education has seen the ELP and are just waiting for congress to move the Act forward for funding. That will have to go through the next legislative session.

You can find out more about NACEE and the ELP by going to the NACEE website at www.nacee.org

Next month, on Sept. 20, my guest will be Mark Brohman, Executive Director of the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Listen every Monday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. for other great programs on the Earth 2 Lincoln show!

Till next time,
Chris the Bird Lady

July 26 2010 Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska

Hi folks,

To learn more about Bold Nebraska and the Transcanada Pipeline check out www.boldnebraska.org

To see what a tarsand mine looks like check out www.plainsjustice.org

Click the link to hear the whole show again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQkpkXQ_pJs

Hi Everyone!

My guests on July 19 were Sue Ellen Pegg, Recruitment Coordinator for the UNL School of Natural Resources, and Kate, an Environmental Science student. The ladies and I chatted about how important environmental and natural resource professions are now and will be in the future.

Sue Ellen spoke about the many majors available for students to choose from at the School of Natural Resources. Several of the majors are increasing in enrollment; others are just getting started, like Environmental Restoration Science. Kate spoke about all the many interesting classes available for students, and how the Environmental Science major exposes students to a wide range of subjects.

To find out more about UNL School of Natural Resources, or are interested in finding out more about classes and majors, here are the sources:

Email: snrrecruiting@unl.edu

Website: http://snr.unl.edu/

Facebook: Keywords: UNL School of Natural Resources

Next week, July 26, Adam will be the host and his guest will be Jane Kleeb from BOLDNebraska.org and they'll be discussing the proposed TransCanada pipeline.

Thanks for listening!

Chris the Bird Lady

Master Naturalists

Hi all,

Sorry about the late post. Why is it that summer seems to go by at warp speed, while winter crawls at a snail's pace?

We had a great show on Monday, June 19, with Annabel Major and Brandy Lively from the Nebraska Master Naturalist program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Annabel and Brandy told listeners what Master Naturalists are, and how people can become certified. Their first session starts in July, and they hope to have more sessions in the future.

A Master Naturalist is someone who is interested in educating people about natural resources including animals, birds, plants, insects, geology, climate, and many more areas. People are trained in a variety of subjects that will enhance their knowledge so that they may in turn use their knowledge to educate others about our natural world.

To find out more about the program, contact Annabel or Brandy at:

website: http://naturalist.unl.edu

email: naturalist AT unl.edu

phone: 402-472-8689

Thanks for listening. My next show is Monday, July 19, at 6 p.m.

Chris the Bird Lady

Birds, birds, everywhere!

Hello!

On my recent show (May 17), I invited Joel Jorgensen, nongame bird program manager from Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, to talk about migratory birds that travel through Nebraska. Particularly, we talked about the Peregrine Falcons (see photo on right by Joel Jorgensen) that nest high up on the state capitol building. That nest has a live-feed webcam on it, and the website to access it is outdoornebraska.org. Just scroll down the page to the article on Peregrine Falcons. The Game and Parks Commission also has a webcam on an American Kestrel nest.

We also talked about the International Migratory Bird Day, which is held the second Saturday in May every year. IMBD is celebrated from South America to Canada, and it started in 1993 as a way to bring awareness to the importance of the habitat not only where birds nest, but also where they spend the winter months.

This is a great time of year to get out and see birds. Places around Lincoln that have great birding opportunities are Pioneers Park, Wilderness Park, Spring Creek Prairie (near Denton), the old dump north of Lincoln, and city and east campuses of UNL.

If you're interested in where to go in the state to see particular bird species, or are just curious about other great birding spots, visit the Nebraska Birding Trails website at nebraskabirdingtrails.com.

Until next time,

Chris the Bird Lady

Earth2Lincoln 5-3-2010

1. Dona Enriqueta Contreras (0:00-5:08)

2. Stephanie Dank (5:08-26:48)

3. Drew Dillenger (26:48-29:37)

Happy Earth Day!

April 19th we celebrated our first anniversary of Earth 2 Lincoln with a show that included all the present programmers. It was really fun to all be together and tell our listeners about Earth Day and how important it is to live Earth Day every day.

Here are a couple of websites that you can look up for events going on this weekend around Lincoln. http://www.lincolnearthday.org/ and http://www.lincoln.ne.gov/ keyword: earth day

Go out and celebrate Earth Day!

Sustainability and Energy-Use Reduction

Hi all,
Sorry about the late post. My Monday, April 12, guest was Dr. Don Wilhite, Director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We had a nice discussion about how Hardin Hall on East Campus has become a model and leader of campus-wide energy reduction.

Ways that Hardin Hall has reduced energy are: occupancy sensors on all 9 floors of the "tower" in offices and restrooms that not only turn lights off but also turn off heating or cooling; small stickers on all the light switches that remind us to turn the lights off when not occupied; and lowering heating or cooling in the evening and weekends (University-wide).

We talked about the SNR's Sustainability Committee and the great work they have done to accomplish these actions, and UNL Facilities for putting forth some funding to help this happen.

Another area that we touched on was the proposed Outdoor Classroom at Hardin Hall that would be a hands-on teaching lab. This is still in the planning/funding stage so there should be more information about this as it becomes available.

Up next (today) all of the Earth2Lincoln programmers (Adam, Dan, Laurel, and I) will be in the studio for a 1st anniversary party of sorts, and talk about the coming 40th Earth Day.


Thanks for listening, and thank you, Don, for a great session.

Chris the Bird Lady

Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund

Hi Earth2Lincoln fans!
Last night I had a great conversation with Kristal Stoner, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. We talked about how the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund (also known as the state tax check-off fund) was essential for non-game species (thoses species not hunted or fished). I learned that only 1% of the state's species are considered game animals and fish.

There are several ways to contribute to the Nebraska Wildlife Conservation Fund:
- if you are getting a refund on your state income tax, you can donate part of that refund, either using the written state tax form or TurboTax.
- you can go to outdoornebraska.com and contribute electronically.
- you can contact Nebraska Game and Parks Commission at 402-471-0641 and ask how to contribute.

For every dollar that is contributed to the NWCF, 3 dollars are contributed by various federal funds. With a $40 contribution, you will receive a t-shirt with a jumping Swift Fox on it.

Kristal and I also talked about the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. This project, required by the federal government to receive federal funds, was initially written in 2005. The Nebraska Project has become a model for other states. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project has developed and is implementing a blueprint for conserving Nebraska's flora, fauna and natural habitats through the proactive, voluntary conservation actions of partners, communities and individuals. In 2010, it is time to revisit the Project and make adjustments where needed. There will be a series of public input meetings starting in May. Check the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission website at outdoornebraska.com for more information.

Thanks, Kristal, for being my guest! My next program is April 12, and my guest will be Dr. Don Wilhite, Director, UNL School of Natural Resources. We will be talking about the newly-installed, energy-saving appliances, lights, etc., that are in Hardin Hall, and other energy-saving measures the School is implementing.

Until next time,
Chris the Bird Lady

Sandhill cranes theme of February 22 show

Hi all,
I hope you got to catch the show on Monday! I had two great guests, Dr. Paul Johnsgard, emeritus University of Nebraska Foundation Professor of Biological Sciences, and the author of more than 50 books, mostly about the biology of birds, and the natural history of Nebraska and the Great Plains. Three of his books deal with cranes, and a fourth (Ancient Voices over America's Wetlands) should be published within a year. I was also pleased to have Linda Brown on the show. She is an almost retired pharmacist at Bryan LGH Medical Center, who took Dr. Johnsgard's ornithology class in 1989 and has planned most of her vacations around birds ever since.

Paul, Linda, and I talked a lot about the spectacular Sandhill Crane migration that happens every year starting in February and going through April in central Nebraska. The majority of the cranes that pass through are Lesser Sandhill Cranes, but we also have Greater Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, and rarely Common Cranes.

We also talked about the upcoming Rivers and Wildlife Celebration (RWC) that is held in Kearney. This year marks its 40th year, the long-running birding festival of its kind in the nation! During the Celebration you can reserve space in blinds near the Platte River and watch cranes arrive at dusk or depart at sunrise, attend workshops put on by experts, ride along on field trips with bird experts, and attend seminars. This year there will be an addition called the Wild Experience room where families can come and do hands-on activities and see live raptors and herps. The room and Celebration are located at the Kearney Holiday Inn and Convention Center.

Finally, we talked about the opening of a show at the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) that will be a kind of a kick off for the RWC. It is a combination of artwork and photography by Paul, Linda, and Allison Johnson from their trip to the Galapagos Islands. The show is called "Celebrating Darwin's Legacy: Evolution in the Galapagos Islands and the Great Plains" and will be held 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 19.

For more information about cranes and the RWC, go to www.nebraska.audubon.org
To learn more about cranes, you can also visit www.savingcranes.org
To find out where you are most likely to see Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska, go to www.nebraskabirdingtrails.com

See you on March 22 when I'll talk about the Check-Off for Wildlife Fund.

Chris the Bird Lady

P.S. Thanks, Dan, for your great assistance!

Bruce Johansen discusses Global Warming.

Bruce E. Johansen is a professor of Communication at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and author of Hot Air and Hard Science: Dissecting the Global Warming Debate and the two-volume Encyclopedia of Global Warming Science and Technology. He is also a regular contributor to The Nebraska Report, Nebraskan's For Peace's newspaper.

Check out his articles at www.nebraskansforpeace.org

Hello from one of the new kids on the air!

I'm Chris Thody and I hosted my first earth2lincoln radio show on Monday. What fun! I work for the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership as an Outreach Coordinator. My first guest was Mary Bomberger Brown, who is the Program Coordinator for the Partnership.

The Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership helps protect federally and state endangered Interior Least Terns and federally and state threatened Piping Plovers, little birds that nest on sand. Nesting areas in Nebraska include river sandbars, sand and gravel mines, and lakeshore housing developments. The Partnership works together to both protect the birds and allow necessary activity at the housing areas and mine sites.

For more information about Interior Least Terns, Piping Plovers, and the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership, visit our website at http://ternandplover.unl.edu
During our program Mary mentioned a couple of upcoming events. Here is that information:
Tuesday, February 23 - The Annual Nebraska Tern and Plover meeting will be held at Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege Street, Lincoln, NE. Registration is from 9:30 to 10:45.

A poster session, and short monitoring and reporting workshop start at 9:30 a.m.; the general welcome starts at 10:45 a.m. and presentations run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Lunch will be served (a free will donations gladly accepted). At 6:00 p.m. there will be a reception to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Tern and Plover Conservation Partnership. Registration is free for this event. You can view the complete schedule (subject to last minute changes) at http://ternandplover.unl.edu
Contact Chris Thody at cthody2@unl.edu or 402-472-8741 for more information and to register.

March 18-20 - The 40th annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration (crane festival) will be held at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Kearney, Nebraska. Come out and see the most spectacular Sandhill crane migration in the world, where nearly half a million of these birds stop and bulk up for their journey north. For more information, visit the Audubon Nebraska website at www.audubon.nebraska.org.

Thanks for listening to earth2lincoln, and I hope you'll tune in every Monday from 6 to 6:30 p.m.!

Chris

January 18th 2010 Bioneers and Lonesome Traveler

Hey folks!
It was great to participate in the show today! Here are the details of the events covered.
Bioneers Potluck:
Their website: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lincolnbioneers/
Jackie will host a Bioneer gathering on January 28, 2010 at 6:30 pm. There will be a potluck and a 30 minute DVD from the October 2009 conference "Joanna Macy- The Hidden Promise of our Dark Age: Discovering our Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty in the Midst of a Crisis". For location and to RSVP, please call 435-1975.

Lonsome Travelers website: lonesometraverlerband.com
The veggie bus demonstration will be at 6:15pm at the 7th street loft at 7th and K Street. The show will be at 7:30pm.
Thanks for listening and making Earth2Lincoln more than just a radio show!
Adam Hintz