insects — 2015 — The 21st Century Matriarch

The items below were ‘the cream’ of the articles and websites I found this past week. Click on the light green text to look at the article.

Globe Is Set to Cross 1 Degree C Temperature Increase Threshold in 2015 – Not good. The averages for temperature and carbon dioxide concentration is the atmosphere are still climbing…and we have done nothing so far to change the trend.

Weight’s the Matter? – The Scientist has an issue on obesity and I am including the articles I found most interesting in this gleanings list. This post outlines the articles available…from causes to the link to cancer (did you know that obesity has replaced smoking as the top preventable cause of cancer death in the US?) to possible side effect of environmental chemicals to weight loss.

Obesogens – Environmental chemicals change cause metabolic changes in animals causing them to gain weight. It is harder to prove for humans…but there are a lot of obese people these days. Maybe sedentary life style and high calorie diets are not the only reason.

Microbesity – Gut bacteria play a role in obesity too.

How to Design within Novel Ecosystems – Strategies when it isn’t possible to restore an area to its natural state….how to create something that still has high ecological value.

Ancient brains turn paleontology on its head – 520 million year old arthropod brains. When the first one was discovered, it was viewed as a fluke. Now there are more and the assumptions that said that brains are never fossilized are falling away.

6 Asian Noodles – Sometimes an article encourages action. This one caused me to add soba noodles to my grocery list and I’ll be trying them this week! I like that they have more protein than most noodles.

Insect Wings Made to Look like Blooming Flowers Explores Natural Concept of Mimicry – Beautiful work by a Paris-based artist….although I have to make an effort to not think about all the insects that were sacrificed.

Scientists Grow Beautiful Designs for First Ever Microbial Art Competition – A different type of media: bacteria and fungi in petri dishes!

The Chemistry of Silly Putty – A simple ‘toy’

I became a Master Naturalist trainee last week….1 of 8 day long classes finalized with an exam. It is a good thing that the classes are spread out over 9 weeks (longer if there are snow days) since there is a lot to absorb if the first today is the norm.

The topics for the first class were geology and insects…and it was intense. I appreciated the renewal of note taking skills that the Coursera work had prompted since these lectures were fast and furious even though I had done the pre-reading and had previous exposure to both topics. The day after the class I transcribed my handwritten scribbles into my computer - realizing that I would not be able to decipher them once it wasn’t ‘fresh’ in my mind. I also went off onto tangents following web resources the instructors referenced.

The most time consuming tangent was the Maryland Geology for Education site which provides layers of information overlaid on a zoomable map. The map had been used during the lecture so I knew a little about how to operate it. I looked at the ‘Piedmont Counties Geology’ overlay (with transparency at about 50% so I could see streets and structures through the colors) for around my neighborhood. The major rock under my house is schist; taking a short walk from my backyard down to the river passes over a granite intrusion; to the east across the street from house gneiss is the major type of rock. Within less than a mile - where the Community Supported Agriculture farm is located - there is quite a mix of gravel, sand, and clay (sedimentary rock). Wow! I’m amazed at the geologic variety close at hand.

Another tangent - on the insect side - I read an article referenced by the instructor Attracting Beneficial Insects with Native Flowering Plants and then proceeded to spend a lot more time browsing the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. I am still looking at new items from the site. One of the first things I looked at was one of the identification guides (under publications): Field Guide to Migratory Dragonflies. I can hardly wait to get identifying photographs at Kenilwork Park and Aquatic Gardens this summer.

Some other observations from the first class:

I am not used to sitting for most of the day. Even though there were plenty of breaks and some activities that had us moving around the classroom - it was a more sedentary day that I prefer. Will I get up and pace around the back of the classroom next week?
The final exam is take-home and open book. Hurray! If it was more like the SAT, I probably would not have signed up for the program! Tests might be necessary but it is certainly not something anyone enjoys.
I enjoy the before and after days of the class as much as the class day!

Stay tuned to my continuing adventure as a Master Naturalist Trainee.