This past spring it was discovered that bee populations have become at risk, the story continues to grow as the negative impacts of falling bee populations are being recorded locally and across North America. Indeed the planet is changing and some of us have been taking notice that song bird populations seem to be dropping off as well.
Will ecodevelopment
be in our future?
By Don Elzer
There is a new effort to give “green” industry a push in the Okanagan. The formation of the new Okanagan Environmental Industry Alliance has been formed to increase awareness of the environmental and alternative energy sector, while encouraging more such companies to locate in the Okanagan valley.
A Grolar Bear:
An indicator of a changing planet
By Don Elzer
Just recently the public was made aware of a bear that would appear to be a cross between a Grizzly and a Polar bear.
This “Grolar Bear” had been killed on April 16th by a big game hunter on a guided hunt on Banks Island in the Northwest Territories. Early reports told us that although grizzly bears have been known to travel to the Arctic islands, they generally stay on the mainland.
Discovering the lifecycle
of Chinook Salmon
By Celine Dantart - January, 2008
Thanksgiving weekend provided an opportunity to soak up the vibrant fall colours of the Upper Shuswap as well as an opportunity to see new lives coming into this world, thousands of them.
This is a sad yet beautiful story which begins when a group of four year old Chinook salmon end their life cycle as they give birth to a new generation of salmon which will begin their journey back to the Pacific Ocean.
By Don Elzer
What we should be realizing by now is that we know very little about this planet we live on.
In recent weeks I have been captivated by a body of research regarding a shifting magnetic north pole. This event may see Alaska and parts of Canada lose the ability to see the spectacular Northern Lights because the Earth's north magnetic pole is drifting away from North America and toward Siberia at an alarming speed.
Polar drift and climate change
New discoveries and questions about our changing planet
Despite accelerated movement over the past century, the possibility that Earth's modestly fading magnetic field will collapse is remote. But the shift could mean Alaska may no longer see the sky lights known as auroras, which might then be more visible in more southerly areas of Siberia and Europe.
This is all part of something described as a Polar Drift which is a geological phenomenon caused by variations in the flow of molten iron (magma) in the Earth's outer core, resulting in changes in the orientation of Earth's magnetic field, and hence the position of the magnetic north pole.
Creation of the alliance has been in the works for some time, but it was the Economic Development Commission of the Central Okanagan Regional District, which facilitated its formation.
There could be 50 companies in the valley which may become part of the alliance, including those involved in geothermal energy, solar technology, LED lighting and wind power.
At present, there are about 20 companies involved in formation of the alliance.
This story unfolds at the Kingfisher Interpretive Center” which is situated from Trinity Valley Road north of Lumby or 25km East of Enderby via Highway 97. The centre was holding a “Salmon Take” event on the weekend. It takes place once a year and the public is invited to observe and assist in the catch which provides marine biologists a chance to remove the eggs from the female salmon, then using the male salmon, fertilize the eggs then prepare them for incubation in fish hatchery conditions.
This spring I began to notice that Barn Swallows are becoming quite scarce in places, while the Tree Swallow population seems to be holding steady. One always wonders if these local accounts are isolated to one’s neighbourhood.
However this past May, the Vancouver Sun newspaper interviewed Bridget Scutchbury a professor of biology at Toronto’s York University. Scutchbury has written a book titled Silence of the Songbirds. She tells us that “a disappropriate number of songbirds are on the decline”.
Ian Sterling, a research scientist who has been studying polar bears in the Beaufort Sea region for more than 30 years, said initially “The bear is unlike anything I have ever seen and it's hard to say if the animal is the product of cross-species love”.
