Climate Change Symposium Materials Available

Here's a note from Michigan State University about their excellent climate change conference held this April. You can access resources from the meeting at the links below and be sure to watch their website for your opportunity to attend next year!

"Videos and PowerPoints are now available from the April 2010 conference, “Climate Change Vulnerabilities and Opportunities: Michigan and Beyond,” at Michigan State University. The material is available on the Symposium Website, linked to the agenda.


The conference addressed the impacts of climate change within and beyond Michigan, and how Michigan can respond, possibly borrowing from others’ experiences. The conference also considered issues related to the bioeconomy, especially the use of biomass as a renewable resource.

If you attended the conference, we hope that the posted presentation materials will allow you to check out sessions you weren’t able to go to, or acquaint others with the material. If you weren’t able to attend the conference, we hope the materials will prove useful.

Note: Interviews, videos, and PowerPoints are also available from MSU’s year-long climate speaker series, which brought to campus world-renowned speakers on different aspects of climate change."

Quiet Water Symposium: March 6

The following is a press release from the College of Agricultural Resources at Michigan State University about the upcoming Quiet Water Symposium at MSU on Saturday, March 6. Chippewa Nature Center has exhibited at this wonderful event which promotes the "quiet sports" such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking and much more, but we're not able to make it this year. Especially if you love paddling, it's GREAT event and you just might want to attend! 

Quiet Water Symposium highlights outdoor recreation during ANR Week conference
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan is rife with lakes, rivers, trails and hills that are waiting for hikers, canoeists, fly fishers, snowshoers and campers. Learn more about these pursuits and the opportunities to enjoy them during the 15th annual Quiet Water Symposium, March 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Michigan State University (MSU) Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.

The symposium, part of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) Week at MSU, offers participants the chance to learn about human-powered outdoor recreation equipment and activities. Other outdoor equipment related to bicycling, snowshoeing, fly fishing, hiking, diving, sailing, camping, canoeing, kayaking and dog sledding as well as hand-crafted outdoor tools will be on display.

The event will feature booths hosted by representatives from outdoor clubs, outfitters, guides and campgrounds. A number of watershed councils, conservation groups and other organizations will also be on hand. Presenters include Cliff Jacobson, an accomplished outdoor guide and author, who will share his wilderness and camping skills, and Gary and Joanie McGuffin, a Canadian couple, who will talk about their ecology-oriented outdoor experiences. Eric Hanson from the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary will offer a presentation on recreational diving.

The admission fee is $8; children under 12 are admitted free. To learn more, visit www.quietwatersymposium.org. For a complete list of ANR Week programs, conferences and educational opportunities, visit www.anrweek.canr.msu.edu or contact program coordinator Megghan Honke at 517-353-3175, ext. 229, or via e-mail at honkemeg@msu.edu.

Young Naturalist Awards

For the past 12 years, the American Museum of Natural History has held a "Young Naturalist Awards" contest for middle and high school kids in the United States and Canada. They explain, "The Young Naturalist Awards is an inquiry-based science competition for students in grades 7-12 to promote participation and communication in science."

Contest participants complete a carefully-researched project in the fields of Earth science, astronomy, biology or ecology and document the results. To enter a contest, they must write an essay and submit it along with supporting documents. This year, essay length must fall within the following limits:

Grades 7-8: 500-2,000 words

Grades 9-10: 750-2,500 words

Grades 11-12: 1,000-3,000 words

Each essay, including all appendices, tables, charts, drawings, etc., may not exceed 20 pages.

Entries for the 2010 Young Naturalist Awards are due no later than March 1. For a complete description of contest rules and to see complete essays from winners of the 2009 contest, click here. Good luck!