Halibut Herald June 5

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ALIBUT HERALD June 5, 2009

GUERILLA GARDENING!

The term ‘guerrilla gardening‘ might scare off some, but the practice has a long history of both radical and communitybuilding tactics. Liz Christy and the Green Guerrillas transformed an abandoned lot in NYC’s Bowery during the 1970’s and as the BBC recently reported, guerrilla gardeners are ’sowing the seeds of resistance’ in South London. Many ‘resistance gardeners’ consider themselves to be vandals of sorts but with plants or seeds as weapons, often operating covertly at night in empty lots or on public property that otherwise remains unkempt or barren. An organized, team-driven planting project aka a ‘cell mission’ might occur along a roadside median or stretch of row houses. A simple spoon with compost might also do the trick for the lone individual who wants to create an island of green near a naked telephone pole or lamp post. Seed bombs might also be tossed over chain link fences, ala a serious eco-recipe that Christy and company originally concocted (http://www.lizchristygarden.org/lcbh_files/seed_bomb.html). READ ON: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/06/guerrilla-gardening-strategies-for-greening-the-hood/ http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/06/02/guerilla-gardening-flowers-beautify-abandoned-flyer-box/

Angel Shark Pups No Bigger than Your Hand at Aquarium of Bay in San Francisco READ ON: http://www.zooborns.com/zooborns/2009/0 6/angel-shark-pups-no-bigger-than-yourhand.html

Today, Friday June 5, 2009 is UNEP’s World Environment Day! Apparently, there are no scheduled celebratory events in Vancouver, but it is important to recognize the importance of the day. It’s intended to stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. Recognizing that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era, UNEP is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how to reduce them. The World Environment Day will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption. INFORMATION SOURCE: United Nations Environment Programme website, www.unep.org/wed.

Why Should I Celebrate World Oceans Day? The world's ocean: Generates most of the oxygen we breathe Helps feed us Regulates our climate Cleans the water we drink Offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines Provides limitless inspiration!

Vancouver Area Events Ambleside Park, North Van • Comb the Beach • Clean the Scene • Viewing of Jueles Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The Natural Way To Clean EVERYTHING In Your House Excellent link for all your cleaning needs ☺

Third Beach, Stanley Park • Party Like a Puffin

READ ON: http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/03/20/nontoxicnatural-spring-cleaning/

Jericho Beach Park • Fry a Fish – SeaChoice Event

10 Easy Ways to Go Green

MORE: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Oceans/OceansDay/

Though most of you, as Aquarium employees know all of this, I wanted to send you a pictorial reminder of why all these everyday acts are important. I hope that all of you are going above & beyond the bare necessities of the above actions to help in slowing down consumption to save resources for the future. Remember, if we didn’t care about the Earth, there will soon be nothing left to care about. READ ON: http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/remodeling/eco-friendly/easy-ways-to-go-green/ And http://lighterfootstep.com/2008/05/ten-first-steps-toward-lighter-living/ And http://earth911.com/blog/2007/05/07/going-green-made-easy/

Dying Yarn with Solar Power Ceallach Dyes is a new hand dyed yarn line that uses a simple box that captures the heat from the sun to set the dyes. Many dyers will use the microwave or oven, but this company has chosen to go renewable. READ ON: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/05/maker-faire09-dying-yarn-with-solar-power.php

Dome Sweet Dome Visit a Harmonique Domespace house and you’ll instantly take note of its sleek, curved exterior and the wood-laden interior filled with skylights and dramatic ceilingscapes. But here are some things you won’t notice, at least not right away: • The entire house rotates! • Extreme energy efficiency. • Increased safety. • Quick construction.

Sounds of Nature

An Insider's Look at Young Bird Families

Are you at work and you just need a moment to but don’t have time to go outside? *Imagine* 2 birds sitting on 1 stone and listen to this video. Watch for double the relaxation ☺ CHECK IT OUT: http://www.twilightearth.com/200 9/05/photo-sunday-sounds-ofnature/

Carts of Darkness by Murray Siple HOW?! READ ON TO FIND OUT: http://design.spotcoolstuff.com/architecture/rotati ng-dome-house

Fight for Our Fish! Now is the Critical Time to Rise to the Defense of Salmon Habitat. The Halibut Herald is the perfect medium for sharing positive news about the world and our created environments, however, this story cannot go unknown, especially to a group of people like us here at the Aquarium! To sum it up, “Chief Robert Joseph, hereditary chief of the Kwicksutaineuk Ah-kwa-mish First Nation said recently: 

"The demise of wild salmon is tantamount to genocide because it reflects the demise of our culture, way of life and spirituality. Since the advent of salmon farming in our territories we have seen an apocalyptic decline in the state of our wild salmon stocks in the Broughton Archipelago. And because Norway is the world leader in salmon farming and the Norwegian Government is the leading shareholder in Cermaq we are asking for their moral leadership to bring about best practices and to mitigate environmental degradation."
 In short, there is scarcely unanimity within the First Nations concerning "run-of-river" power generation projects or fish farming.” READ ON: http://thetyee.ca/Views/2009/05/25/FightForOurFish/?utm_ source=mondayheadlines&utm_medium=email&utm_cam paign=250509

Delve into a world of homelessness in North Vancouver where men race down steep hills on old shopping carts loaded with empty bottles. In his film, Carts of Darkness, Murray Siple takes us on a wild ride revealing the day-to-day lives homeless people endure, and shedding light on the issues they face. http://www.murraysiple.com/

Ever wish you could see raptors lay their eggs and watch their young hatch and grow? Enter the Bird Cams, put in place by the electricity and natural gas energy company, Xcel—the same company leading the effort to put the city of Boulder, CO onto the smart grid. The cameras, which monitor bald eagles, peregrine falcons, kestrels, osprey and great horned owls in three of the eight states Xcel serves, have been in place for more than a decade. But the program actually started with nest boxes 20 years ago. READ ON: http://magblog.audubon.org/n ode/425

LEARN MORE: http://www.adopt-afry.org/ Message from Alexandra Morton in Norway: http://docs.google.com /Doc?docid=dcx4zzdp_ 13d46376dc&hl=en

Most Alien Looking Caterpillars on Earth

Caterpillars are so neat with their unity amongst variety? That red/yellow one in the centre looks like a nudibranch! There’s def more than 9 caterpillars that could go on this list but there was only room to showcase 9. Please check the link below to see more pics and learn more about these cuties. READ ON: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/featured/most-alien-looking-caterpillars-on-earth/11812

Antarctic Penguin Poo Visible from Space!

Whale Wars: Exclusive Interview with Pilot Chris Aultman

How can you resist a headline like that?! Scientists discover 10 new penguin colonies by tracking their red guano across the ice.

READ ON: http://www.mnn.com/earthmatters/wildernessresources/stories/satellite-poop-trailleads-way-to-penguins

Chris Aultman is the helicopter pilot and Aviation Director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He served for six years in the United States Marine Corps prior to joining the Sea Shepherd team. During that period Chris spent 13 months at sea and became a veteran of the Gulf War.

Aultman’s first experience with the destruction of the world’s oceans was seeing the disastrous effects of the millions of barrels of oil dumped into the Persian Gulf during that war. This and many other experiences caused Chris to start to see the world for what it really was, and nothing was ever the same again. VERY COOL!: http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/06/02/whale-wars-exclusive-interview with-pilot-chris-aultman/

Car-free Sundays get green light from Vancouver

On top of raising the city budget for cycling infrastructure, city council voted to implement temporary car-free zones in four neighbourhoods this summer, and opened the door to more road closures in the future. The city is also planning to close one lane on the Burrard Street Bridge to vehicles to provide a bike lane for cyclists this summer. READ ON: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/britishcolumbia/story/2009/06/03/bc-car-freesundays-vancouver.html?ref=rss

On Two Wheels Given the physical and mental health benefits, you can't afford not to do it

READ ON: http://www.bcbusinessonline.ca/bcb/ bc-blogs/newsroom/2009/06/03/twowheels

Inside Amsterdam Central: 2,500 Bikes, Five Levels and Virtually No Helmets READ ON: http://www.worldhum.com/travelblog/item/inside_amsterdam_central_25 00_bikes_five_levels_and_no_helmets_2 0070618/

Stay Cool, Know The Rules

Cyclists spin into style

It really is a big bummer that the VDP plans to crack down on cyclists when we clearly have bigger problems in this city & much more dangerous delinquents to deal with. Alas, we really can’t afford to see any of our valued cyclists off the road (especially during our loudest month) so here is a list of “offenses” to consider before you leave the house: • Cycle without helmet $29 • Ride cycle on sidewalk $109 • Ride two abreast on roadway $109 • Ride while not astride seat $109 • Carry passengers on cycle $109 • Ride while attached to vehicle $109 • Ride without hands on handlebar $109 • Cycle without due care and attention $109 • Cycle without reasonable consideration $109 SOURCE: http://nikol.tumblr.com/post/116925861/june-isbike-month

Spandex and runners are giving way to skirts, heels and suits as Canadians take a cue from Europe

READ ON: http://www.canada.com/life/fashionbeauty/Cyclists+spin+into+style/164338 0/story.html

Cycling advocates claim streets in joyous ride of organized chaos About 800 riders turn out for the season's first Critical Mass tour.

eatART Powers the VAG Fundraiser!

Come out the last Friday of EVERY month @ the Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia St. Side by the fountain) @ 5:30pm to take part in this peaceful Date: Sunday, June 7, 2009 demonstration. The message: “Stop and Time: 10:00am - 6:00pm think about the environmental impact of Location: Vancouver Art Gallery Lawn @ all those gas-guzzling, smoke-spewing Howe and West Georgia cars, and think about another way of Street: 750 Hornby Street getting to wherever you’re going.” Metro Vancouver’s first green-hybrid powered READ ON: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/ Energy Awareness Art Party. Set up on the Cycling+advocates+claim+streets+joy front lawn of the VAG and 8 groups of 3 cyclists will power the DJ setup from 10am til ous+ride+organized+chaos/1646801/st ory.html 8. This event will be powered with solar **and** pedal power. READ ON: http://www.bikemonth.ca/events/details/41eatART%20Powers%20the%20VAG.html

JUNE IS BIKE MONTH EVENTS! CHECK EM’: http://www.bikemonth.ca/ events.html

http://fishopolis.com David Attenborough on Solving the Overpopulation Problem There are nearly three times as many people on the planet as when Attenborough started making television programs in the 1950s - a fact that has convinced him that if we don't find a solution to our population problems, nature will. "Other horrible factors will come along and fix it, like mass starvation." READ ON: http://magblog.audubon.org/node/404

Optimum Population Trust Towards environmentally sustainable populations World population is projected to rise from today's 6.8 billion to 9.1 billion in 2050.* The World Population Clock is ticking. We are rapidly destabilising our climate and destroying the natural world on which we depend for future life. CHECK IT OUT: http://www.optimumpopulation.org/

SIGN UP IS EASY! https://logging.teletrips.com/public/register_challenge_u ser.php?register=7ee0278e25ade7c653264124b7b3b816

Archival Photo

Aquarium Collecting Vessel, 1963.

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 As well, you can find new books and movies listed on this page of Aquanet: http://aquanet.vanaqua.org/IS/CRS/Lib/Pages/LibraryCatalogue.aspx

Classified

Events

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

WORKING LINK FOR JEAN FONG’S DONATION PAGE: http://www.canadahelps.o rg/CharityProfilePage.asp x?CharityID=s33825

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

More exciting events here: http://www.vanevo.ca /events01.html Check out videos of past lectures here: http://www.sfu.ca/cst udies/science/darwin. htm