Weeds as art? Never underestimate the ingenuity of artists!

Starting Monday, bush bus shelters on North Avenue will feature large-scale photographs of some of the oft-overlooked and usually unwanted plants growing in the cracks in the sidewalk, in the gutters and storm drains throughout the city.

The bus shelter ads are part of a public art project called Uncultivated, offering what it calls "a virtual and physical tour of Baltimore's wild plant life."

Whle many might dismiss the green growth as weeds, the artists behind this project want people to look at them in a different light, as "tiny pockets of wildness within the urban environment."

"Often these tenacious plants are referred to as invasive, as if the blame for their presence lay with the plant itself," according to the  release from Lynn Cazabon, the project's director and photographer. 

"In reality, these plant species have simply evolved to thrive in the extremely harsh environment of the city, which is perpetually effected by human-caused disruption."

The release goes on to say that "these plants communicate something very important to us, telling how the landscape of Baltimore is evolving over time due to the effects of global climate change."

The photos are linked to a website, http://uncultivated.info , which provides information on the plants in the pictures, plus a map showing where they were found in the city.  Others involved with the project are horticulturist Christa Partain and Amanda Barrett and Patterson Clark, who provided web site and logo design.

Look for the posters throughout July on North Ave. shelters between Howard and Charles streets and on St. Paul Street outside of Penn Station.  Maybe this will give all the critics of the "Male/Female" sculpture at Penn Station something else to look at and talk about.

(Photo courtesy Uncultivated)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

Remember when thousands of blackbirds mysteriously dropped from the sky in Arkansas on New Year's Eve? Here's a chance to help scientists understand what's happening with those and all the other birds across North America: join the annual Great Backyard Bird Count this week.

For four days starting Friday, Feb. 18, thousands of volunteers across the United States and Canada tally and report the birds they see and hear in the wild, in neighborhood parks or in their own backyards. The collective observations give ornithologists a "snapshot" of what's happening with bird populations.

Now in its 14th year, the count has detected ups and downs in some species.  For instance, American crows, once regularly among the top four or five most frequently reported species, have become less common since 2003, when West Nile virus spread across the US.  Scientists noted 50-75 percent drops in crow populations in states after the mosquito-borne disease hit.

Last year, nearly 100,000 reports were submitted toting up more than 11 million birds of 603 species.  American robins topped the list, at 1.8 million sighted.  The Canada goose was second, at around 750,000, with Snow goose, American crow and European starling rounding out the most commonly seen birds.  Joining the list for the first time last year was the Red-billed tropicbird, spied by some adventurous birders off the Pacific coast near San Diego.

Here in Maryland, citizen scientists spotted 220,539 birds of 138 different species.  Canada goose and Snow goose beat the robin hands down, with the Common grackle and Dark-eyed junco coming in third and fourth. In my backyard, I often spy a Northern cardinal or two, like the one pictured here.

It's easy to participate in the count, requiring as little as 15 minutes in a day.  And as the name suggests, you don't even have to leave the warmth of your house, just look out in your backyard.  The count is coordinated by the  Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada.

To join in, or to learn more about previous bird counts, go here.

(Top, Canada geese take flight near Rappahannock River, 2009.  Baltimore Sun photo by Jerry Jackson. Middle, students watching for birds in Patterson Park, 2006, Baltimore Sun photo by Kenneth K. Lam.  Bottom, Northern cardinal, taken by Heather Taylor of Maryland, courtesy Great Backyard Bird Count)

Posted by Tim Wheeler at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Those numbers guys over at the Wall Street Journal did some crunching and some interviewing and some questioning and have decided that the claim that Americans eat 46 million turkeys on Thanksgiving is bunk.

I can't link to the story because it's behind a pay wall. But the reporters say that the number is more likely a total for all of November, and that may even be overstating the number.

They refer to numbers from the National Turkey Federation, which reports Americans now eat 17.6 pounds per person a year -- still well behind chicken, beef and pork, but growing. And it cites numbers from IBISWorld USA, a research firm.

Then it compares to government data on consumption and concludes that if the Thanksgiving day numbers are true, then Americans are eating almost no turkey on other days between October and December considering that Americans ate less than 70 million Turkeys during the fourth quarter last year.

Not sure why there's a need to inflate the numbers, though it may just be an assumption that all turkey bought this time of year gets eaten during holidays only.

So, are you contributing? What are your meat-eating habits?

You declare November 26 Turkey Day and forsake the birds on all other days? You do some of your own presidential-style pardoning?

You going veggie this holiday? Got any good non-meat suggestions?

Chicago Tribune photo of turkeys

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Fun facts
        

Stephen Von Worley created this map that highlights all the Golden Arches in the country. And it looks a little like America has been tossed on the grill next to all those Big Macs.

The effort was inspired by a recent drive through the countryside that was rudely interrupted by a strip mall. Von Worley began to wonder "just how far away can you get from our world of generic convenience? And how would you figure that out."  

You can read the full ode to open space on Von Worley's blog, weathersealed.com.

But here's a bit: "I’ve got nothing against Petco, Starbucks, OfficeMax, et al. When overcome by the desire for a cubic yard of kitty litter, a carafe of pre-Columbian frappasmoochino, or fifty gross of pink highlighter pens, I’m there in a jiffy! But, Mr. Real Estate Tycoon, did you have to plop your shopping center smack dab in the middle of what was previously nowhere?" 

He reports to B'More Green that he's gotten a much larger response that he was expecting. "People seem pretty passionate about Micky Dee's," he said.

Indeed. According to a recent story by fellow Sun writer Jill Rosen about upscale restaurants suffering in this economy, the Maryland Restaruant Association reports that there are 300 McDonald's within 50 miles of Baltimore and they all seem to be doing just fine.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Von Worley

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Fun facts
        

As a follow-up to my recent post about "Jellies Invasion: Oceans Out of Balance," I caught up with general curator of the National Aquarium, Jack Cover. I asked him about local jelly populations and what, if anything, they can tell us about local waters. Apparently, an increase in jelly activity is typically attributed to increased human activity, as well as to warmer waters. In general, global warming has contributed to a longer jelly season and larger populations. Read more below.

What kinds of jellies people can expect to see in local waters?

Jellies are nearly invisible, but they are everywhere including the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, and even in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Many of our local jellies are seasonal and a greater variety of jellies are found in the lower bay, in the coastal bays and offshore in the Atlantic Ocean were salinities are higher. Some of the more common species include:

Moon Jellies: Lower Bay and Atlantic Ocean. Summer the remains of moon jellies can often be found washed up on the beach at Ocean City
Atlantic Sea Nettles: Very common in the middle and lower bay- late spring, summer and early fall
Comb Jellies: Found throughout the bay and ocean, year-round, most common in the warmer months
Lion’s Mane Jellies: in the bay from late November through May, also known as the winter jelly

Are there certain local beaches where jellies are more abundant?

The abundance of jellies varies throughout the year and changes with the tides (incoming tides often bring them close to shore). Water temperatures, salinity and abundance of food greatly influences their population densities. Forecasts of Atlantic sea nettle populations in the Chesapeake Bay are regularly posted by scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Which ones sting and which ones do not and how can you tell the difference?

Many jellies are harmless, but others can deliver a powerful sting. Locally, the Atlantic sea nettle and lion’s mane jelly can deliver an annoying, but not life-threatening sting. Atlantic sea nettles account for thousands of tourists seeking help each summer. Atlantic sea nettles can be recognized by their milky white color and three- to five-foot long tentacles. They are very abundant in the middle bay region at mid-summer.

Walnut-shaped comb jellies do not sting at all and can be distinguish from other local jellies by not having any stinging tentacles. Moon jellies have very short stinging tentacles that are mostly unable to penetrate the skin and are harmless to swimmers. The thick calloused skin of your hands are less vulnerable to a penetrating sting of our local jellies than the skin on other parts of your body. Many curious beachgoers pick up jellies and are not stung because of the thickened skin of the hands and by picking the jelly up by its non-stinging bell.

Are they around more during a particular time of the day?

They are active both night and day moving up and down the water column searching for food. Movements and abundance of jellies are affected by tides, winds and rainfall. Their abundance can be somewhat unpredictable as multiple factors affect their movements. They typically avoid coming to the surface of the water on windy days with lots of wave action.

Also, has there been an increase/decrease in the local jellyfish population and what does that tell us (if anything) about our local waters?

Local jelly populations fluctuate greatly from year to year. Species like the Atlantic sea nettle are naturally very abundant by mid-summer in the Chesapeake Bay. Long-term increases in local jelly populations or a lengthening of the jelly season could be the result of environmental degradation caused by human activities.

Cover offers basic facts on jellies survival:

As our exhibit points out, jellies are survivors. Jellies have survived for over 500 million years. They have survived environmental changes that have negatively affected other forms of sea life. The key to this survival is their ability to adapt and thrive to changes in the environment.

Jellies appear to be better able to survive in polluted water than other forms of aquatic life. Polluted runoff may be a cause for increases in jellies populations.

Polluted runoff from the land makes life impossible for many aquatic species, except for jellies. Fertilizer, manure, and sewage runoff into streams and the ocean decreases oxygen levels, leaving water hypoxic and unable to support many forms of aquatic life. When water conditions are poor, fish find it hard to breathe so they go elsewhere or die in large fish kills. But jellies have very low oxygen requirements and are able to survive, and even thrive, in these human created conditions.

Many seasonal jellies appear and reproduce when the ocean warms up. Global warming is making the ocean temperature warmer thus extending the growing, feeding, and breeding season of several jelly species. Some jellies also appear to be adapting and expanding their ranges due to this warming climate. Warmer water also speeds up the jellies' metabolism, causing them to consume more food, grow, and reproduce faster.

Image of moon jellies courtesy of lyng883.

Posted by Christy Zuccarini at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Chesapeake Bay, Fun facts
        

If you've ever been hiking at high altitudes you probably know how thin the air gets. This makes a lot of people sick. But how do birds do it, like say, the bar-headed goose, which flies up 30,000 feet when they soar over the Himalayans?

Scientists now think they know, according to a short item in the New York Times. There's only about a quarter of the oxygen available that high compared with sea level. Yet, they flap and fly.

Turns out the birds' muscle have adapted, according to an article in The Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences by a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia.

The muscle fibers are the same as other less high-flying geese. But the bar-headed geese have more capillaries around and within individual muscle cells and oxygen doesn't have as far to travel to mitochondria, or cell membrane, which uses the oxygen to supply energy to the cell.

Just thought that was kind of interesting.

Getty Images photo of a bar-headed goose

Posted by Meredith Cohn at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Fun facts