Tracking Milkweed, Habitats of the Monarch Butterfly

The monarch butterfly is quite the sight to see.  It is probably the most well-known butterfly, recognizable by its orange, black, and white markings.

Their population has been declining over the years, and an online tool has been created in the hopes that engagement of citizen scientists can help researchers track and conserve their habitat.

This tool is MilkweedWatch.  The public can report locations of the milkweed plant, which the monarch butterfly relies upon for food and shelter throughout their reproductive cycle.  While the decline of the monarch butterfly is attributable to a variety of factors, such as habitat loss in their wintering grounds in the US and Mexico, and pesticides, the decline in milkweed is also a factor.  Milkweed is crucial to the monarch butterfly, and having more data and mapping out locations of these plants through MilkweedWatch is one way citizen scientists can help researchers.

MilkweedWatch is part of NatureWatch, which engages Canadians to submit observations to track the changing environment.  NatureWatch was first launched in 2000 as a partnership between Environment Canada, Nature Canada, and other organizations.  It has grown to include ArcticWildlifeWatch, FrogWatch, IceWatch, PlantWatch, and WormWatch.

Poetry in Nature with Haiku

Nature can inspire the poets in us.  We want to express how beautiful nature is, and how joyful and uplifted we feel when we are immersed in it.

Haiku, a type of Japanese poetry, has been around for centuries in Japan, and made popular by the poet Matsuo Bashō.  It includes these elements:  has 17 morae (which is loosely translated as syllables) in three lines of 5, 7, 5; incorporates nature and the seasons; and juxtaposes two ideas.  Haiku conveys in brevity, and using descriptive words, the fleeting moment and essence of nature.

Haiku has become popularized around the world.  While traditional haiku is rooted in nature, these days, people have adapted it to write just about anything.  Anyone can learn how to write haiku.  Have a go, and see what you can come up with!

Spring is upon us
Flowers blooming, birds chirping
My soul awakens

Saving the World's Food Supply with the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

I was fascinated many years ago upon learning about a place in Norway that collects and preserves the world's seeds.  This place is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and it provides long-term storage and protection of the world's agricultural history and diversity.  It is located in Spitsbergen, Norway's Svalbard archipelago, between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault officially opened and started collecting seeds in 2008.  It has the capacity to store 4.5 million seed samples, with each sample containing an average of 500 seeds.  Any country or organization can send seeds to store here.

What makes this vault important when there are so many seed banks around the world?  This seed vault serves as a worldwide insurance for food supply.  Dubbed the "doomsday" vault, we don't need to imagine a doomsday futuristic scenario where seed banks are catastrophically destroyed.  In 2015, seeds were withdrawn for the first time to replace a seed bank that was destroyed near the Syrian city of Aleppo, as a result of the civil war.  The seeds were grown, and then redeposited back into the vault.

The latest news about the vault is that Norway plans to spend about 100 million Norwegian crowns to upgrade it, following water flow into the entrance of the tunnel to the vault in 2016 due to an unexpected thawing of permafrost.

As worldwide threats to plant diversity intensifies from habitat destruction, invasive species, war, climate change, and natural disasters, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault becomes ever more important to preserve to ensure food supply for the future.

Magazines through the Toronto Public Library

There are a variety of magazines about science and nature - Canadian Wildlife, Science News, Scientific American, ON Nature, Canadian Geographic, National Geographic to name some.

These may be available to you for free at your public library, which subscribes to a wide range of resources.  At the Toronto Public Library (TPL), print titles of magazines are available at select branches (you would have to check the library catalogue to see the branch(es) where they're located), and digital issues of these titles are offered through online magazine services.  All you need is a library card!

Celebrating Science and Nature in Doodles

Google has a fun way to celebrate holidays, events, anniversaries, and the lives of people who have made an impact in our world.  They do this through their doodles.

Google Doodles has celebrated many science and nature related anniversaries over the years, including: Rachel Carson (Silent Spring), Jan Ingenhousz (photosynthesis), Gregor Mendel (genetics), Earth Day, Julius Petri (petri dish), Charles Darwin (evolution through natural selection), Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (microbiology and bacteria), John James Audubon (Birds of America), and the overwintering place of the monarch butterfly.

Each day I check out Google's home page for any newly created designs.  It’s a delight to see the creations they come up with, and learn about significant dates.

You can search or browse through their archives to see what they have done, as well as submit ideas to the Doodle team for suggestions for future doodles.

Have A Holly Jolly Eco-friendly Christmas!

Christmas is just around the corner.  I enjoy this time of year - I get to spend time with family and friends, watch holiday movies, eat, and bake cookies.  However, during this time of year, the environment takes a big hit with the increase in consumerism and household waste.

When I was younger, after opening gifts, I would always try to salvage gift wrapping paper and bows for reuse.  Over the years I have incorporated other things - purchasing Christmas cards and wrapping paper made from recycled paper, shopping from local artisans, using soy-based candles, and donating to environmental organizations.

There's still a lot that I can do for sure.  I try to do my part in lowering my impact on the environment, so that there will be more Christmases for future generations to enjoy.

For more ideas, check out these resources:

• Five Tips for an Eco-friendly Holiday Season (Environmental Defence Canada)
• 5 Ways to be Green this Holiday Season (WWF Canada)
• Your Guide to Green Holidays (David Suzuki Foundation)
• Go Green This Holiday Season (The Nature Conservancy)
• Go Green for the Holidays (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• 9 Green Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season (The Huffington Post)
• A-Z of Tips for a Green Christmas (The Guardian)

Canada's Culture and Heritage Through Film: The National Film Board of Canada

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is Canada's public film producer and distributor.  They collaborate with filmmakers and diverse communities across Canada, and partners from around the world to produce films that showcase Canada's culture and heritage.  You can access their collection of documentaries, animations, experimental films, fiction, and interactive works, on their website, streamed for free, or downloaded for a fee.  Their films cover a wide range of subjects that matter to Canadians, including the environment.

Have a look at their films, for a uniquely Canadian experience.