Tune in to WEDU public television tonight (Thursday, August 26) at 8 p.m. as research by New College students and faculty on invasive pythons in Florida is featured on Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins.

This past year, students from biology professor Meg Lowman’s ecology and conservation biology classes, as well as bioinformatics and computational science professors Christopher Hart and Leon Kaganovskiy’s classes, conducted research on the threat and pervasiveness of invasive pythons in our state. Interviews with the student and faculty researchers along with footage shot and produced by them will be aired on Thursday’s program. Please tune in.

The Fragile Forest: Inside Brazilian Amazonia is a celebration of the spirit of the Amazonian rainforests. This book aims to introduce the reader to the mystery and romance of the region, supported by scores of photographs shot over multiple visits. While every attempt has been made to bring alive the Amazonian basin and its significance as the greatest biodiversity hot spot on this planet, this book is not intended to be a detailed historic, economic, scientific or geographic reference for the region.

In addition to photographs, the book provides useful maps, fact files, environmental diversity and relevant information for prospective travelers and readers.

For information on how to obtain an advance copy of the book, please e-mail the author at bhaskardk@gmail.com

UPDATE on 8/18/10:
Some additional images from inside the book:

Article about the book from The Columbia County News-Times:
Photographer’s book takes readers on Amazon journey

The books can be purchased in bulk from:
International Fine Art Gallery
917, Littleton St, Augusta, GA 30904
Tel: 706-294-2055
Email: valledolmo@att.net

Comments on the book:
“I commend this book ‘The Fragile Forest inside Brazilian Amazonia’ which gives a unique insight into a vast landscape that it is essential to maintain. Bhaskar’s text and breathtaking photography allow a deep understanding of this immensely important part of our landscape.”
[Neil Lawson Baker, Chairman, The National Open Art Competition, Chichester, England]

“You have wonderful photographs and the book has a special evocative feel to it, unlike anything else I know of. The overall impression is inspired, and very inspiring!”
[Dr. Oliver Phillips, Professor of Tropical Ecology, University of Leeds, UK]

Dr. Meg Lowman was a visiting James Martin Fellow at the Center for Tropical Forestry in the Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University during spring 2010. During this time, she conducted workshops for Earthwatch Institute at their European headquarters, directed by Nigel Winser (www.earthwatch.org) . She also lectured for the Environmental Change Institute on Plant-Insect Interactions in Forest Canopies, and on Women in Science — Challenges in Field Biology. She also worked with Global Canopy Programme staff (www.gcp.org) headed up by Andrew Mitchell, whose group has created the Little REDD Book to create metrics for reducing deforestation as part of global climate change strategies.
With colleagues, she visited research projects at Whytham Woods outside Oxford, including their canopy walkway (see photos).
During her Fellowship, Lowman was hosted by world-acclaimed artist Angela Palmer, whose exhibit called Ghost Forest has been viewed by millions of people and called attention to climate change and tropical deforestation. Palmer and Lowman hope to collaborate in future on programs to integrate art and science. For more on Ghost Forests, see www.ghostforest.com

Ecology and Education Summit - Environmental Literacy for a Sustainable World

Oct 14-16, 2010 Washington DC
National Education Association HQ

The Ecological Society of America (ESA), in partnership with national organizations, propose to organize an Ecology and Education Summit on to:

• Disseminate best practices that will advance Environmental Literacy for a Sustainable World,
• Reduce duplication of efforts, and
• Coordinate strategies to build capacity and pathways of support for green careers for the next generation.
• Integrate technology in the study of earth and nature
• Develop strategies to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities and women into the environmental agenda
• Develop public policy and funding opportunities to advance environmental literacy
• Accelerate the transformation of teaching and lifelong learning in formal and informal settings

The Summit aims to create a national dialogue to accelerate the transformation of teaching and learning among K-20+ audiences in both formal and informal settings in response to today’s urgent and complex environmental challenges. The first half of the summit will be open to participants from national/regional/state organizations. Invited participants will remain for the second half of the summit to draft a Decadal Plan of Action for 2010-2020 based on the discussions.

More info:

• Summit Flyer (PDF)
• Brief Proposal (PDF)

TREE Foundation is celebrating its 10th birthday in 2010, as well as the 10th anniversary of our flagship project, the Myakka River State Park canopy walkway. Over the past 10 years, thousands of visitors have learned about forest canopies by walking through the treetops, and hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to our websites have learned about forest conservation. In honor of our decadal birthday, TREE is launching a tree-planting project for southwest Florida. Beginning on April 22 (Earth Day), TREE is partnering with Turner Tree and Landscape of Bradenton, Florida to plant out four-foot high native live oak trees (Quercus virginiana) at sites that need greening. For every $100 donated to the canopy walkway or to TREE’s environmental education programs, two trees will be planted in your honor. This project will not only add much-needed canopy shade to southwest Florida, but it will also boost our environmental programs with your generous contributions. Thank you, Turner Tree and Landscape, for this partnership!
Thank you for your support of Tree Research, Education and Exploration!

Donation information

From the rolexawards.com:

The Laureates of the inaugural series of the Young Laureates Programme will be chosen in March 2010 by a panel of distinguished, highly talented individuals. The winners will be announced in April 2010.

Please visit the new Young Laureates programme website to meet the finalists in the inaugural series.

View the list of Jury members here.

UPDATE: 2010 Rolex Young Laureates announced

Would You Know What To Do With A Python?
Would You Know What Not To Do?

To date, several large Pythons have been reported in Sarasota County. We need your eyes to spot them so we can catch them before they spread further.

Python Patrol Workshop

Monday, April 26, 2010
Session 1: 9 am - 12 pm
Session 2: 1 pm - 4 pm

Sainer Pavilion
New College of Florida

Space is limited. To register for this FREE workshop, go to the following website:
http://pythonpatrol.eventbrite.com/

PDF Flyer

Reposted from ncf.edu:

Join New Topics New College for a visual tour of the places in the world most affected by climate change, from the poles to mountains and our cities, and some of the actions being taken to combat the warming, presented by Gary Braasch,  an explorer and photojournalist from Portland, Oregon. Braasch is an environmental photojournalist who creates remarkable images and important documentation about nature, environment, biodiversity and global warming. Included will be images from Florida and the Atlantic Coast, underscoring the local effects and dangers of rapid climate change.  Braasch recently reported and photographed from the Copenhagen international climate negotiations last December, and will offer his perspective on the direction being taken by the world’s nations in reacting to and reducing global warming. The talk will take place at the Mildred Sainer Pavilion (5313 Bay Shore Road) on March 9, 2010 at 4:00 pm.  Tickets are $15.  For more information or to make a reservation, please call the New College Events Hotline at (941) 497-4888 or email events@ncf.edu.

Tuesday, March 9 at 4:00 pm

“Climate Change – a Visual World View of Global Warming”
Gary Braasch, explorer and environmental photojournalist
Faculty host:  Meg Lowman, professor of biology and environmental studies, New College of Florida
Underwritten by the TREE Foundation

New Topics New College is a collaboration of the New College Foundation and New College of Florida.  This dynamic community series pairs prominent national speakers with New College faculty for stimulating discussions on relevant topics of our time.  A reception follows each program and provides an opportunity to meet the speakers, students and faculty.

New Flyer

The Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates Programme Press Release:

GENEVA, September 30, 2009 – Ten leading international figures in science, the environment and exploration will select the first five winners of the recently launched Rolex Awards for Enterprise: Young Laureates Programme, Rolex announced today.

A geographically and professionally diverse group, the inaugural jury for the Young Laureates Programme will meet at Rolex headquarters in Geneva in early March 2010 to select the five budding pioneers between the ages of 18 and 30 who will be the first Young Laureates. The winners will be announced in April 2010.

Full Press Release

1. January 20-28, students and families can join her for canopy research at the world’s longest canopy walkway site ACTS (Amazon Center for Tropical Studies). Only 15 participants for this land-based study trip. View PDF Flyer .

2. For a more luxury time in the Amazon, CanopyMeg will be co-leading a travel trip for the Explorers Club — departure date is April 4 on a wonderful ship, traveling from the mouth of the Amazon up near the headwaters with all sorts of adventures along the way. PDF attached that gives the approximate itinerary, with full costs available by calling the toll-free number listed on the description. View PDF .