Can It Be? Parrots Name Their Children, And Those Names, Like Ours, Stick For Life : Krulwich Wonders... I'm walking down a street. I see a friend. The friend doesn't see me, so I yell, "Hi, Ralph! " Ralph turns. This is what we humans do — we all have names. Names are very, very useful, especially for a social species like humans. But they so help us. My name is "Robert," but what dogs call me in their doggie minds, I have no idea ... ... which got me wondering: Are there any animals that learn each other's names and share them in our way? "Hi, I'm Ralph. " "Nice to meet you. And then forever more, we are Ralph and Robert, Robert and Ralph. I thought we are the only ones. The Horse Experiment Science writer Virginia Morell, in her wonderful new book Animal Wise, describes an experiment involving horses and whinnies — whinnies being very like names.
She tells about a horse called "Silver. " Now comes the science. But sometimes they play a different whinny, from a different horse that Silver also knows, who hasn't walked by, who shouldn't be there. Sound Triggers A Picture In the Mind Whaaaat???? Urban Ecology Center. Tree Whisperers: Meet the DC Employees Who Watch Over Our Trees. “This tree’s been down too long.
I’m just going to go grab it.” Duff McCully flips open the door to his truck and sprints into the thick of morning traffic on DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue, Southeast. On the median strip, an adolescent tree has been felled by a car. He dashes back to the truck for tools—at five-foot-six and sturdy, McCully is surprisingly nimble. A few minutes later, the stricken tree lies in his truck bed alongside two saplings he found earlier, toppled in a sidewalk redevelopment.
All three are casualties in the war between traffic and trees, in which McCully—one of 20 arborists who work for the District of Columbia—often plays the part of a battlefield medic. It may come as a surprise to some Washingtonians that they live in a forest, albeit an urban one, or that last year the nonprofit American Forests named the District one of the nation’s ten best cities for urban forests. In 2006, the year Duff McCully joined UFA, the office took two giant leaps forward. Natural Resource Management and Protection Branch - Fairfax County, Virginia. Over more than 50 years of land acquisition and development by the Park Authority has resulted in significant land acquired to protect streams, wetlands, forests and other resources. This land plays a critical role not only in harboring wildlife, but also in protecting the regions' water resources, controlling flooding and providing recreational resources.
As undeveloped land in the county continues to disappear, parkland will become even more critical to preserving natural resources. At the same time, our parkland faces increased pressure from human activity, invasive species and damage from excessive deer populations. The Natural Resource Management and Protection (NRMP) Branch is part of the Resource Management Division of the Park Authority. Publications and Presentations Projects Functions Resource Management The NRMP Branch conducts inventories and develops management plans for resource management.
Have a question about natural resources? Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Association of Zoos and Aquariums. What is FrogWatch USA? FrogWatch USA is AZA’s flagship citizen science program that invites individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians by reporting the calls of local frogs and toads. For over ten years, volunteers have been trained to enter their FrogWatch USA information and ongoing analyses of these data have been used to help develop practical strategies for the conservation of these important species. New in 2014, data are accessible online. Learn more about FrogWatch USA's innovative online data entry, mapping, and analysis platform where volunteers, chapter coordinators, researchers, and anyone with an interest in frogs and toads can explore the FrogWatch USA data. Use these links to view some of the FrogWatch USA reports generated from the data: Read the updated AZA Privacy Statement and Terms of Use.
Why Frogs? What is Citizen Science? FrogWatch USA Seasonal Newsletters FrogWatch USA Chapters FrogWatch USA Volunteers Questions? Natural Resource Management and Protection Branch - Fairfax County, Virginia. Leaves of Change — InterfaceSouth. Issue : 13 Nov 29, 2012 iTree and Air Pollution in DeSoto County, Mississippi Across the South, rapid urbanization is transforming previously rural areas and creating new environmental challenges. Desoto County sits in the northwestern corner of Mississippi, across the state line from the city of Memphis. Since 1970, the county has experienced an increase in population of 430 percent, growing from 36,000 people in 1970 to 159,000 in 2010. About SRS - 4952 Research. Our mission: Improve understanding of how people living in rural, interface, and urban landscapes influence – and are influenced by – the natural environment and ecology of the South. As part of the Southern Research Station’s Forest Values, Uses, and Policies Science area, our unit provides the knowledge and tools needed by natural resource professionals, policymakers, planners, and citizens to manage effects on and optimize the benefits of human-forest interactions.
The South is one of the most rapidly growing and ethnically diverse regions of the United States. For example, the South grew by 14.3 million people to 114.6 million people between 2000 and 2010, more than any other region. The South also experienced a growth of 57 percent in its Hispanic population during this same time period, the largest increase of any region. How do humans influence natural ecosystems in urban and urbanizing landscapes? Click here to learn more about our research areas. Self-Sustaining Urban Ecosystem Discovered In Abandoned Building In Thailand. Thailand’s capital is a vibrant city full of surprises, and this abandoned shopping mall in old town Bangkok is certainly no exception. Tucked away behind an unassuming looking gate is New World shopping mall which burned down back in 1999. Because it doesn’t have a roof anymore, the basement is flooded all year round. At some stage, a person started introducing Koi and Catfish into the basement.
The population thrived and now this abandoned building has transitioned into a self-sustained, urban aquarium! Photographer and professional cook Jesse Rockwell was lucky enough to find out where this hidden gem lies and took some snaps of it, it's pretty cool. Jesse Rockwell [Via A Taste Of The Road] How to Organize a Panel for a Conference. Over the past couple of weeks I’ve been engrossed in CV Advance Strategizing Sessions with many clients. The work has gone well, and we quickly move through all of the elements required for a powerful and effective academic record for next year’s job market. All, that is, except for my injunction to organize a panel for the major national conference. That one, without exception, stops clients in their tracks. “But HOWWWWW????” They wail, by email. I’m always surprised by this. Well I could ask that about many things I write about here, until the cows come home.
The first thing you do is find your major national conference, and check the website. Note the deadline, and start work about 2 or 3 months before submission deadline. Note that many conferences have a special kind of status for some panels, ie, an “invited panel” or some such. Think of a panel theme. Once your theme is decided, you choose a title, and write a panel proposal abstract.
Et voila, you have organized a panel. This column will change your life: how to think about writing. 'An awful lot of people seem to think they know the secret to writing well.' Illustration: Chris Madden for the Guardian What's the secret to writing well? As I've said previously here, an awful lot of people seem to think they know, yet their "rules for writers" are almost always (pardon the technical linguistics jargon) bullshit.
For example, "Show, don't tell" is frequently bad advice. In the right context, the passive voice is fine. Elmore Leonard's most famous rule, "Never use a verb other than 'said' to carry dialogue", is sheer silliness. The key thing to realise, Pinker argues, is that writing is "cognitively unnatural". Pinker's answer builds on the work of two language scholars, Mark Turner and Francis-Noël Thomas, who label their approach "joint attention". Perhaps this seems stupidly obvious. This isn't a "rule for writers"; it's a perspective shift. Oliver.burkeman@theguardian.com. Ajrichie.com. The Nikon D3200 Digital SLR Camera is a professional imaging machine in the truest sense. It captures stunning high-resolution JPEG and RAW still photos and HD 1080p video via its 24.2 MP DX-format CMOS sensor.
Enjoy superior color and sharpness, make gorgeous adjustments and perform creative cropping without any loss in sharpness. The camera's EXPEED III image processor makes optimal use of the 24.2 MP sensor, producing fine tonal gradations and exceptional color fidelity. The large 3.0" (7.6 cm) 921K-dot LCD allows bright, clear framing, playback, menu navigation and Guide Mode settings. Just remember to first get a high capacity lithium-ion battery, a compatible Lens, as well as a High Speed "Error Free" Memory card and you'll be ready to roll. The camera features a wide ISO sensitivity range from 100-6400, which can be increased to as high as 12800. While the D3200 is a pro-level camera, it's certainly more than accessible by those who are not professionals.
Image Quality Flash Video. Resource Management Volunteer Opportunites - Fairfax County, Virginia. Colvin Run Mill Located seven miles west of Tysons Corner, Colvin Run Mill Historic Site features a restored operational 19th century water-powered gristmill, the miller's house, and the early 20th century Colvin Run General Store, the remains of a once thriving community of Colvin Run, Virginia. Today the site is interpreted in terms of the 19th century American technology of Oliver Evans, inventor and millwright, the growth of communities around centers of commerce, and the work and social activities of area residents. Education programs, tours of the mill and miller's house, and special programs are conducted on a regular basis. People also enjoy shopping in the old general store, picnicking on the grounds, and feeding the hungry ducks.
Current Volunteer Openings Teaching Docent Duties: Leads small groups of children through the historic site. Qualifications: Strong interest in history and the stewardship of the county's cultural and natural resources. Availability: Weekdays Gardener. How to read and understand a scientific paper: a guide for non-scientists « Violent metaphors. Update (1/3/18) I’ve been overwhelmed with requests for the shorter guide, and the email address below no longer works. So I’ve uploaded a copy of the guide for anyone to download and share here: How to read and understand a scientific article.
Please feel free to use it however you wish (although I’d appreciate being credited as the author). I apologize to everyone who emailed me and didn’t get a response! If you would like to let me know who you are and what you’re using it for in the comments below, I’d love to hear! Update (8/30/14): I’ve written a shorter version of this guide for teachers to hand out to their classes. Last week’s post (The truth about vaccinations: Your physician knows more than the University of Google) sparked a very lively discussion, with comments from several people trying to persuade me (and the other readers) that their paper disproved everything that I’d been saying. It’s not just a fun academic problem. “Be skeptical. What constitutes enough proof? 1. 2. Fish Are Smarter Than You Think. Despite traveling in schools, fish usually are regarded as unintelligent creatures (Don’t you groan at me; that was gold.) However, a new study by Culum Brown of Macquarie University in Sydney, suggests that some fish have higher cognitive function than previously believed.
If fish sentience is higher than we thought, there are implications in animal husbandry for fish used in the laboratory and would likely affect the fishing industry as well. Brown analyzed the current body of research surrounding fish cognition and sensory perception. His paper was published in the journal Animal Cognition. Of the estimated 62,000 species of vertebrates on the planet, half of them are fish. Here are some highlights from the research: -Though it used to be assumed that only humans had cerebral lateralization, the ability to favor certain hemispheres for certain tasks, permitting the ability to multitask. -Fish can be trained to recall the location of objects by obtaining clues from the landscape. DAOL: Discourse Analysis Means Doing Analysis: Submission to Discourse Analysis Online Charles Antaki, Michael Billig, Derek Edwards, Jonathan Potter Discourse and Rhetoric Group Department of Social Sciences Loughborough University Loughborough Leicestershire, LE11 3TU C.Antaki@lboro.ac.uk Abstract: A number of ways of treating talk and textual data are identified which fall short of discourse analysis.
They are: (1) under-analysis through summary; (2) under-analysis through taking sides; (3) under-analysis through over-quotation or through isolated quotation; (4) the circular identification of discourses and mental constructs; (5) false survey; and (6) analysis that consists in simply spotting features. We show, by applying each of these to an extract from a recorded interview, that none of them actually analyse the data.
Keywords: discourse analysis, qualitative methods, research methodology Multimedia: MP3 recording from which example transcript is taken. Urban theory without an outside: Neil Brenner. Writing for impact: how to craft papers that will be cited | The Programmable City. For the past few years I’ve co-taught a professional development course for doctoral students on completing a thesis, getting a job, and publishing. The course draws liberally on a book I co-wrote with the late Duncan Fuller entitled, The Academics’ Guide to Publishing. One thing we did not really cover in the book was how to write and place pieces that have impact, rather providing more general advice about getting through the peer review process.
The general careers advice mantra of academia is now ‘publish or perish’. Often what is published and its utility and value can be somewhat overlooked — if a piece got published it is assumed it must have some inherent value. And yet a common observation is that most journal articles seem to be barely read, let alone cited. Both authors and editors want to publish material that is both read and cited, so what is required to produce work that editors are delighted to accept and readers find so useful that they want to cite in their own work? Time Management Tactics for Academics | How to Do Great Research. Time Management Tactics for Academics | How to Do Great Research. Write Every Day in 2014: 14 Steps for Forming A Writing Habit. 10 point guide to dodging publishing pitfalls | Features. The No-Fail Secret to Writing a Dissertation.
Mathematical Masterpieces: Making Art From Equations. Briefings.
Crash Course Ecology (Allversity. BIO102: Introduction to Evolutionary Biology and Ecology. Making Our Expertise Visible | MITAcoach. Your First Presentation. Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition. India Declares Dolphins "Non-Human Persons", Dolphin shows BANNED. Free resource guide: 10 career websites every PhD should visit | Jobs on Toast. DC Council. Friendship Garden, Planting an Orchard. Wiley Player 2. Forget Golf Courses: Subdivisions Draw Residents With Farms : The Salt.
Agriburbia - TSR Group. Thou shalt not commit logical fallacies. Citing the Internet. Melvin Hazen Community Garden Association. Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser :: About Ward 4 :: Our Agenda. DPR Community Gardens | dpr. ZIP Code Maps. Geography.arizona.edu/sites/geography.arizona.edu/files/u228/DOPE 2014 - CFP Political Ecologies of Bordered Spaces.pdf. Anthropocene Feminism | April 10-12, 2014. Video on memos.
Green Infrastructure Project. DC Urban Moms Clash on Whether Chickens Are for the Poors. Backyard chickens-who has them and do your neighbors care? Rooting DC | Free all-day gardening forum on February 23, 2013 in Washington DC. CitationLinker - U of M Twin Cities. Racism within white feminist spaces | Black Feminists Manchester. The Association Of Independents In Radio [ How to Mic a Field Interview ]
The Office of Measurement Services. Office of Zoning. How I Went From Writing 2,000 Words a Day to 10,000 Words a Day. Timer - E.ggTimer.com. All about raising chickens and eggs. Timer - E.ggTimer.com. Apply to the Institute. Inside the movement to reclaim domesticity | Rustik Magazine. Policy.umn.edu/prod/groups/president/@pub/@policy/@esl/documents/policy/doctoralcompletion_appa.pdf.