Halibut Herald June 18

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ALIBUT HERALD June 18, 2009

National Geographic Best Photos of the Year

Thses photos were submitted via email so I do not have an official link for them. However, upon Googling (Isn’t that funny that ‘googling’ is an everyday verb in our vocabularies?) it, I came across this helpful link where the photos can be enlarged ☺ details like the bee in the bears nostril are just that much more enjoyable! SEE BIGGER PHOTOS: http://bigpicture.posterous.com/national-geographic-best-pictu

Wanderlust Here’s an amazing collection of interactive maps with accompanying stories of the journeys… When Spain commissioned Ferdinand Magellan to find a westward route to the Spice Islands in 1519, the explorer commanded five ships and 240 men. Six years later, nearly every member of the expedition, including its commander, was dead. When the American writer Jack Kerouac tried in 1951 to find the words to convey his wayward journey through the United States and Mexico, he commanded a typewriter and a massive stash of Benzedrine. After a few weeks, the first draft of On the Road was completed. These are just two of the journeys that have left indelible marks on our collective maps, and are endless sources of fascination. Here is compilation of some of the most famous jaunts of all time—both factual and fictional—that show us how far we’ve come, and where we might go next. READ ON & PLAY: http://www.good.is/post/wanderlust/

Walt Walmsley wins Vancouver Tourism Award for February

Walt has been faithfully volunteering his time and providing fascinating slide shows for the seniors at two seniors centres on the North Shore. Every month, Walt organizes interesting topics ranging from glaciers to marine mammals. A senior himself, he lugs his slide projector to each site and despite his occasional health issues, his spirit, cheerfulness and enthusiasm is both admirable and contagious. He is very knowledgeable and is an excellent volunteer representative for the Vancouver Aquarium. The seniors and staff always look forward to his visits. He is always willing to share and listen. Walt is most deserving of this prestigious award. Thank you. http://www.vancouvertourismawards.com/winners/february09/

Filipino Invention Lets Fish Live Without Water

Ever heard of fish living without water all day long? The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regional office for Bicol is actually adopting a technology that would preserve the life of commercial fish and let it live 10 to 18 hours in containers without water. READ ON: http://thepinoy.net/?p=3683

Vertical Farms: "Growing Up Sustainably"

“By bringing the farms indoors you create a self contained system that is not affected and does not affect the outside environment. It allows for greater control of the growing environment and the crops are protected from harmful weather. Less harmful chemicals, if any, are needed and the ones that are used are contained in the system and not leached out into the surrounding ecosystem. In urban areas you can they can actually harvest local gray water for use in the “Farmscraper”. That combined with rainwater harvesting will greatly reduce the need for ground water.” READ ON: http://greenupgrader.com/2057/vertical-farmsgrowing-up-sustainably/ AND CHECK OUT: http://www.verticalfarm.com/

BAM’s Green Rooftop Aviary for Migrating Birds

Ballistic Architecture Machine (BAM) believes it’s time to go above and beyond when designing green rooftops. Exceeding the typical environmental and economical benefits of green roof systems, BAM’s green rooftop design supports a functioning biotope for migrating birds. This rooftop aviary will give our feathered friends a bird’s eye view of Manhattan. “This green roof’s ability to produce a living habitat—a community of flora and fauna, waxing and waning, growing and dying, changing through the seasons, and maturing through the decades—provides a constant, sustainable, and renewable interest in the performance of the green roof and Goldman Sachs.” It is intended to be a rest area for birds and insects traveling along the Atlantic Coast Flyway. The aviary spans 70,000 square feet of roof and vents, into a park that is truly intended for just twelve species of birds. READ ON: http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/16/bams-green-rooftop-aviaryfor-migrating-birds/

Seriously, I watched it this weekend. It’s True What they Say: The Best & Most Beautiful World Awareness Movie Online We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate. The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being. For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film. HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, GoodPlanet Foundation President GoodPlanet Fundation : http://www.goodplanet.org/en WATCH ONLINE: http://www.youtube.com/homeproject

Improving Sanitation with the Peepoo Bag

In the developing world clean water and sanitation are very scarce. This is due to over population and lack of infrastructure and poses a serious health risk to the affected populations. In these parts of the world not only do they lack the infrastructure to attain clean water, they also lack the infrastructure needed to deal with all their waste, so they end up contaminating the little water they have. Around the world, one child dies every 15 seconds from to contaminated water. For them the saying “Don’t piss where you drink” isn’t a clever metaphor, it’s a real life challenge. (I SUGGEST READING THE COMMENT SECTION ☺) READ ON: http://greenupgrader.com/7230/improvingsanitation-with-the-peepoo-bag/

Generating Usable Energy, Just by Driving A British supermarket chain is harvesting renewable energy from a most unexpected place: the parking lot. Sainsbury’s, the self-proclaimed eco-conscious superstore that dots the UK, installed “kinetic road plates” in the car park of its latest store in Gloucester. They work a lot like speed bumps, and the store says vehicles passing over them can generate enough power to run the cash registers. READ ON: http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/06/sainsburys

New Documentary Provides an Inconvenient Truth for Fish

A new documentary film, End of the Line, released at cinemas nationwide on World Ocean Day (8th June), warns that overfishing the bluefin tuna could result in the end of seafood by 2048 because all fishing stocks will collapse as a result of overfishing. READ ON: http://bluelivingideas.com/topics/fishing/documentaryinconvenient-truth-fish/ END OF THE LINE: http://endoftheline.com/

Renewable Energy Used to Make Drinking Water From Air Humidity

Scientists have discovered a way to make drinking water from the air’s humidity, even in arid regions. The system completely uses renewable energy and could provide water for many applications. READ ON: http://bluelivingideas.com/topics/drinkingwater/renewable-energy-drinking-water-air-humidity/

Freshwater Otter Tickles the Ivories

A Breakdown of the 'Average' American's Environmental Impact

Sorry there was no Canadian one available however, if you've ever wondered how much the 'stuff' in your life impacts the environment, this is the chart for you. READ ON: http://www.mnn.com/technology/researchinnovations/blogs/a-breakdown-of-the-average-americansenvironmental-impact

Roadside assistance for your bike BCAA has rolled out the Bike Assist program, just in time for June (which is Bike Month, don’t you know).

Dua, one of four Asian small-clawed otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has learned to play the piano as a behind-the-scenes “enrichment.” READ ON: http://montereybayaquarium.typepad.com/sea_note s/2009/06/freshwater-otter-tickles-the-ivory.html

Now you can get your very own towtruck-driving saviour the next time your chain breaks halfway between Hope and Lillooet—or on the side of the Lougheed Highway for that matter. READ ON: http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/liv ing/2009/06/03/roadsideassistance-yourbike#ixzz0Ip3I6wTr&D

How to Craft Water Democracy, Earth Democracy & Survive Climate Change: TreeHugger Interviews Dr. Vandana Shiva More recently she's become one of the globe's most prominent people advocating for a (re)embracement of small-scale, organic, biodiverse agriculture on the grounds that not only is more productive and more environmentally benign that monoculture agriculture (even when that monoculture is certified organic), but is the key to producing enough food as our climate changes. She's also written extensively about water privatization, water conflict, water management and how these are further disempowering people throughout the globe. READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/how-to-craftwater-democracy-survive-climate-change-vandanashiva-interview.php

Electric Trees Don't look now, but there's a giant rechargeable battery growing on your lawn. It's called a tree. The voltage is small - the average tree generates a mere 100 to 200 millivolts. But the potential is huge. READ ON: http://www.onearth. org/article/electrictrees

http://www. vanaqua.or g/home/sha rkwaterrsvp.html

Cuttlefish Kids Hybrid Remotely Operated Vehicle “Nereus” Reaches Deepest Part of the Ocean

READ ON: http://montereybayaquarium.typepad.com/sea_notes/

A new type of deep-sea robotic vehicle called Nereus has successfully reached the deepest part of the world’s ocean, reports a team of U.S. engineers and scientists aboard the research vessel Kilo Moana. The dive to 10,902 meters (6.8 miles) occurred on May 31, 2009, at the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. The dive makes Nereus the world’s deepest-diving vehicle and the first vehicle to explore the Mariana Trench since 1998. READ ON: http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7545&tid=282&cid =57586&ct=162

David de Rothschild Discusses His Upcoming Plastiki Voyage READ ON: http://ecoworldl y.com/2009/06/ 08/david-derothschilddiscusses-hisupcomingplastikivoyage/ OFFICIAL PLASTIKI PAGE: http://www.adv entureecology. com/theplastiki /main.html

Archival Photo

Behind the Scenes View During our 1st Year of Operation, 1956.

Library News Get your up-to-the minutes news via RSS feed from the library’s What’s new pages. Currently, there are two What’s new pages running a variety of interesting news feeds What’s New – Animals and Nature – for news about birds, reptiles, marine mammals, and places such as the Arctic http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/WhatsNewAnimalsandNature.aspx What’s New – Business and General – for news about business, finance, tourism, visitor experience and marketing http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/What%27sNewBGN.aspx News on Environmental conservation and education will soon be available via the Conservation Current http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/ConservationCurrent/Pages/Default.aspx Did you know that the Library has access to over 100 journals and magazines?? At least 80 of these are available full text online. For a complete hyperlinked list, visit the library journals page on Aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/Journals.aspx

Classified

For Sale: Used DVDs and video games DVDs Matrix Revolutions 2-Disc version Superman Doomsday animated movie Ultimate Avengers 2 animated movie The Animatrix Nintendo Gamecube games Crash Bandicoot – The Wrath of Cortex Spyro – Enter the Dragonfly Def Jam Fight for NY True Crime: New York City Medal of Honor: Rising Sun NBA Live 2005 The above are for sale at $7 each, if you buy 3 or more $5/piece

Also available: Super Nintendo games ($4/each or 3 for $10) Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3D SOLD Mario’s Early Years: Fun With Letters SOLD Battle Clash (Requires Superscope to play) Nintendo Wii *Brand New Copy* (Factory sealed): ExciteBots Trick Racing - $40

If interested please contact Esther: [email protected]

http://fishopolis.com

Events We Could Be On This List for 2009! Your help is needed: Employee Survey ☺ Your feedback will help to determine how we compare to other companies, and will provide us with insight into the things that we should celebrate and the things that we need to change in order to compete with the best and have an engaged Aquarium team. All of the responses to the survey will be strictly confidential and your completed surveys will be submitted directly to a third party. This link below is unique to us and no one else will be able to access our survey through this link. This survey is for BC based employees only so anyone outside of BC will not be required to complete the survey. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Your results cannot be saved, therefore please complete the survey in one sitting. Please submit your completed survey as soon as possible but no later than July 10, 2009.

To access the Employee Survey online starting today, please go to https://www.keysurvey.com/survey/258839/ba05/

ENTER CONTEST HERE: http://www.marineph otobank.com/resour ces/OceaninFocusP hotoContestHome20 09.php

Get Some Use from Your Tourism Passport This Weekend ☺ http://www.museumofva ncouver.ca/exhibition.p hp?id=6

http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/events

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=4311 http://www.focuschallenge.org/focus.html

2009 Audubon Magazine Photography Awards: Birds in Focus, created to celebrate the beauty and diversity of birdlife through the art of photography, and to honor the exceptional work of talented professional, amateur and youth photographers from all over the U.S. Audubon will be accepting submissions online between May 15-July 15 in three categories: Professional, Amateur, and Youth. Photographers are encouraged to reveal a new angle or perspective in their work. “Think creatively,” advises Audubon’s design director Kevin Fisher, one of the judges. “Originality and drama rank high at Audubon. Include tight shots, such as close-ups of eyes, feathers. We welcome uncommon perspectives.” LEARN MORE: www.AudubonMagazinePhotoAwards.com

http://eatsnaprepeat.ca/2009/05/31/chinatown-market/

More exciting events here: http://www.vanevo.ca/event s01.html Check out videos of past lectures here: http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/ science/darwin.htm