91st ESA Annual Meeting in Memphis, Tennessee - August 6-11, 2006

The location of the 2006 ESA meeting is Memphis, Tennessee, the “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Home of the Blues”. In ecology, as in the music world, there are people whose ideas and work have become so widely accepted and established that they have achieved the status of icons – the ‘rock stars’ of ecology. This is apparent from the packed rooms of ESA meeting sessions in which these ecological rock stars are presenting. At the same time, there are also always people who bring new ideas or approaches to the study of ecology – the upstarts – and whose ideas may sometimes challenge those of the icons.

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Al Gore’s documentary about global warming, “An Inconvenient Truth“, will be showing at Sarasota’s Burns Court Cinemas on Friday, June 23rd.

A discussion of An Inconvenient Truth, featuring representatives from local environmental groups will begin Friday, June 23, at 8:00PM, preceding the 8:20 showing of the film. Unfortunately, Dr. Meg Lowman cannot attend, however speakers from the Sarasota Green Party and the Sierra Club will be present.

Dr. Meg Lowman to give Presidential Dinner Lecture for The Explorers Club on June 21.

The Explorers Club - http://www.explorers.org/

The Explorers Club is once again partnering with prominent institutions around the nation and the New York area to conduct a BioBlitz inventory of living species in New York City’s Central Park. The event begins at noon on June 23 and ends at noon the following day. Scientists and others are welcome to volunteer.

Dr. Meg Lowman will be participating at this event.

More info: http://www.explorers.org/projects/bioblitz/bioblitz2006/bioblitz2006.php

Meg Lowman will be discussing the her book, “It’s a Jungle Up There: More Tales From the Treetops”, at this weekend’s Efest at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. The second annual Efest, celebrating the environment and sustainable living, will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in and around the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The event is free. Access www.efest.us

The Author Series, presented in partnership with Sarasota News & Books will be held in the Grand Foyer next to the Food Garden beginning at 10:45 am and running throughout the day. Meg is scheduled to speak at 3:15 EST. Space will be limited, so plan to get there early!

New College of Florida Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Meg Lowman and her son, James Burgess, were guests on National Public Radio’s “Living on Earth” program this past Friday. For details and to listen to an audio feed from the program, click here.

Sarasota County’s Conservation Awards Committee has selected recipients of the 14th Annual Sarasota County Conservation Awards. These awards recognize individuals or groups that have taken leadership roles in promoting conservation of natural resources and environmental awareness through education.

The following recipients will be honored at a luncheon Tuesday, April 18, hosted by ABC 7 television anchor Linda Carson and Sarasota Herald-Tribune editor Harold Bubil:

• Resource Conservation—Venice Golf and Country Club
• Environmental Education—Science Outreach for Students, New College of Florida
• Lifetime Achievement—Dr. Margaret Lowman
• Youth Environmental Leadership—Christopher Smith
• Community Initiative—Pepper Patrol
• Community Initiative—Julie Whitney and Peter Price
• Individual Initiative—Captain Wayne Genthner

Over the past 13 years, the Conservation Awards have honored nearly 100 individuals or groups for their environmental stewardship. This year, Venice Golf and County Club will be honored for its wetland restoration and stormwater irrigation projects. New College’s Science Outreach for Students group will be honored for its volunteer science mentoring program in area middle schools.

Riverview High School’s Christopher Smith will receive the first-ever Youth Environmental Leadership Award, which seeks to reward groups or individuals through grade 12 for environmental stewardship. Smith will be honored for his leadership of a local boy scout troop in marking county storm drains to prevent stormwater pollution.

In addition to these awards, the Conservation Committee has chosen to present special community initiative awards to the Venice Area Beautification Pepper Patrol Team for its work in eliminating harmful exotic plants and to Peter Price and Julie Whitney for similar projects in and around eight major preserves and lake areas.

Captain Wayne Genthner will receive an individual initiative award for his efforts to publicize the area in the waters off of Sarasota known as the “Dead Zone.”

Sponsors of this year’s event are Florikan E.S.A. Corp., Florida Power & Light, HDR Engineering Inc., Lakewood Ranch Communities LLC, PBS&J, Waste Management Inc. of Florida, Carollo Engineers, Kimal Lumber Company, Ardaman & Associates and Venice Scrap Metal.

For more information about the awards, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at (941) 861-5000 and ask to speak with Pat Haire in Environmental Services.

Center for Canopy Ecology is happy to announce re-location to the campus of New College of Florida. Watch for details — office will be housed in the Keating Center for the New College Foundation.

(Sarasota) New College of Florida is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Margaret Lowman as Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies. Dr. Lowman is the first full-time faculty member of the Environmental Studies program, founded in 1972 by former New College president John Elmendorf. Dr. Lowman joins co-directors Jono Miller and Julie Morris, New College graduates who have coordinated the program since 1981. An interdisciplinary program, Environmental Studies draws students from varied backgrounds to bring their diverse skills to bear on questions regarding the relationship between people and the environment.
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Coming in July:
Forest Canopies by Margaret D. Lowman and H. Bruce Rinker
published by Elsevier Press, San Diego CA.
This definitive textbook will provide summaries of all relevant topics on canopy biology, useful for college students, foresters, educators, conservationists, scientists in all disciplines of biology, and policy-makers.

Some pre-announcements are listed below:
US
UK