Environmental and Earth Sciences

Arctic Science, Geography, Geology, Oceanography, Hydrology, Glaciology, Seismology, Meteorology, Climate Science, Limnology, Remote Sensing, Natural Resources, Mining, Green Tech, Renewable Energy, Sustainable Development, Archeology, Paleontology

Is COVID-19 Really Earth’s Helpful Friend?

savi Environmental and Earth Sciences, Technology and Engineering
 The year 2020 has brought many unexpected turns, the most dramatic being COVID-19. There’s no doubt that it had a pivotal effect on the economy and society as a whole, but I wanted to talk about its impact on the environment. As I was researching, I came upon hundreds of articles, some which argued that COVID-19 had a positive impact on the environment, others which said it created more problems. As the end of the…

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The Beetles of Bark, Beaches, and Brooks

chloevanloon Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Environmental and Earth Sciences
For any Naturalists there are natural highs and luls in nature throughout the year. The high of spring when the flowers are abundant and organisms at their height of flourishing. Whereas the awkward end of fall when California is super crispy and the rains of winter haven’t injected life into dormant plants and fungi can be a total lul. However Trevor and I created a concoction of activities that maybe, just maybe qualify as a…

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Looking forward to 2021

Matt Hall Environmental and Earth Sciences
I usually write a ‘lookback’ at this time of year, but who wants to look back on 2#*0? Instead, let’s look forward to 2021 and speculate wildly about it!More ways to helpAgile has always been small and nimble, but the price we pay is bandwidth: it’s hard to help all the people we want to help. But we’ve taught more than 1250 people Python and machine learning since 2018, and supporting this new community of…

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Bright Goes North

Caroline Tucker & Marc Cadotte Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences
Guest post by Kate Davies, a recent MEnvSc Graduate from the University of Toronto-ScarboroughShe could feel the pull in her body. It was time. She had done this journey before, but even the first time it felt familiar. Like a memory that she was born with. She was called Bright because she was known by the others for her deeply golden tail feathers and her clear eyes. Bright was late leaving her winter home this…

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Bringing Indigenous Knowledge and Science Together for International Mountain Day

Chenoa Sly Environmental and Earth Sciences, General Science
Mountains are defined by their diversity of life forms, geography, peoples and livelihoods. Mountains are part of diverse cultures and spiritual beliefs and practices, and serve as inspiration for art, music and storytelling. December 11th was designated “International Mountain Day” by the United Nations to call attention to the world about the importance of mountains to life, and this year’s theme was mountain biodiversity. For International Mountain Day 2020, the Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) and…

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One month in Lagunitas, CA. What this Naturalist got up to.

chloevanloon Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Environmental and Earth Sciences
From mid November to mid December we lived in the super cozy and friendly small town of Lagunitas, CA. This was the kick off location to our new nomadic lifestyle. When living in San Jose for the past three-ish years we would often go to Point Reyes to search for nature. In order to reach Point Reyes for an adventure it required driving through the town of Lagunitas. So it was a perfect first stop.…

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Orca Love, Orca Mysteries & Orcas Everywhere with Mark Leiren-Young

Mark Leiren-Young Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Policy and Politics
Skaana (Skaanapod) host Mark Leiren-Young shares stories from the audio version of his award-winning book for orca lovers of all ages – Orcas Everywhere: The Mystery and History of Killer Whales (orcaseverywhere.com). “This inviting book will be treasured by kids – a fun way to discover orcas and the sea.” Erich Hoyt, author of Orca: The Whale Called Killer. “An amazingly accessible and fun book that explores our relationship with whales over millennia.” Elizabeth May former…

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Eliminating the uncertainty of “fieldwork” in 2020

Amanda Tracey Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Environmental and Earth Sciences
With 2020 coming to an end, it’s time to reflect on all of the uncertainty that came with this year. Normally, I use my agenda every day, planning out my daily, weekly, and monthly activities. So the idea of the “unknown” is what has stressed me out the most this year. Not knowing when we will be able to work in the lab, when I can travel to see my family, or when I might…

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The Antilibrary

Sarah Boon Biology and Life Sciences, Environmental and Earth Sciences
Have you heard the term “tsundoku?” It’s a Japanese term “describing the habit of acquiring books but letting them pile up without reading them.” This can also be called an “antilibrary,” as Nassim Nicholas Taleb writes in The Black Swan about Umberto Eco and his books: “A private library is not an ego-boosting appendage but a research tool. Read books are far less valuable than unread ones. The library should contain as much of what…

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