5th Annual Globe at Night Campaign

Globe at Night, the annual 2-week campaign that helps to address the issue of light pollution is returning in less than a week! The loss of dark skies, caused by "light pollution," is a concern on many fronts: safety, energy conservation, cost, health and effects on wildlife, as well as our ability to view the stars. How can you help?

From March 3 - 16, you can join people all over the world and record the brightness of your night sky. You simply match the appearance of the sky (toward the constellation Orion) with star maps of progressively fainter stars found online. Submit your measurements online with your date, time and location. A few weeks later, organizers release a map of light-pollution levels worldwide.
 
Over the last four Globe at Night campaigns, volunteers from more than 100 nations have contributed 35,000 measurements. To learn more about participating, head over to the Globe at Night website. For children's activities, check out http://www.darkskiesawareness.org/DarkSkiesRangers.

With half of the world’s population now living in cities, many urban dwellers have never experienced the wonder of pristinely dark skies ...and maybe never will. Your measurements can make a world of difference!

Red-tailed Hawk in Rehab

A local Animal Control officer recently brought a Red-tailed Hawk with a shoulder injury into our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program. The large bird was picked up near a Berea home. Wildlife Rehabilitation Specialist Amy LeMonds says the striped tail indicates the hawk is a young bird – first or second year juvenile.

In the photo, you can see Amy, with the help of rehab volunteer Trish Binder, using the red wrap to stabilize the wing and prevent further injury. Rehab staffers have also administered anti-inflammatory drugs to aid in the healing process.

Our hope, as always, is to release this hawk back to its natural home in the wild. You can read more about this protected Ohio resident (and listen to its call) at this Ohio Department of Natural Resources web page on the Red-tailed Hawk.

Take Our Groundhog Quiz

How much do you really know about the wild creature we celebrate today? Take our quiz and find out!

There's a printable pdf version of our Groundhog Quiz posted in our online Kids Corner. You can also find a Groundhog Fact Sheet with all the information you need to verify or correct your answers!



1. In addition to groundhog, I’m also known as a_____________.

a. Giant Squirrel
b. Woodchuck
c. Beaver
d. Prairie Dog

2. One of my nicknames is _______________.
a. The Whistle Pig
b. The Digger Hog
c. The Weather Watcher
d. The Wonder Rat

3. I’m related to________________.
a. Squirrels
b. Mice
c. Beavers
d. Porcupines
e. All of the above
f. None of the above

4. Based on what I eat, I am a_______________.
a. an herbivore
b. a carnivore
c. an omnivore

5. I fall fast asleep all winter, which means I go into________________.
a. extinction
b. insomnia
c. hibernation
d. hypnosis

6. True or False: I like to climb trees!

7. True or False: I can predict the weather.

8. True or False: I live in a nest.

9. True or False: My home has many rooms.

10. True or False: I have my own holiday.

Happy Groundhog Day! (OK, that last question is a gimme.)

Free Public Event Focuses On Climate and Carbon

A variety of distinquished speakers and discussion workshops are open to the public as part of the Sustainability Symposium: Climate and Carbon being held March 1 - 2 at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea. This dynamic two-day event will bring together world-renowned leaders, prominent Northeast government representatives, experts and community members (like you!) to discuss the issues surrounding energy, climate and carbon and how they affect our health and the economic vitality of our region.

 All events listed below and in more detail at the Sustainability Symposium website are free and open to the public.

Monday, March 1, 10 a.m.
Sandstone III, Strosacker Hall, College Union 120 E. Grand St.

Senator Sherrod Brown shares his vision for a clean energy economy in northeast Ohio and beyond.

Monday, March 1, 8 pm.
Kulas Musical Arts Building, 96 Front St.
Keynote by Dr. Susan Solomon, senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory and the lead U.S. scientist for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body that provides scientific and policy analysis on climate change.

Tuesday, March 2
Strosacker-Hall, College Union, 120 E. Grand St.
Concurrent panel sessions will take place in the morning and afternoon.

• It’s Real if We Can Measure It:
   The Metrics of Corporate Sustainability
   10-11:30 a.m. - Sandstone III
• Carbon and Food Systems:
   How One Large Industry Can Make a Difference
   10 - 11:30 a.m. - Quarry Room
• Prospects for a Clean Energy Industry in NE Ohio
   1-2:30 p.m. - Sandstone III
• Small Businesses:How to Get Started
   1-2:30 p.m. - Quarry Room

Tuesday, March 2, 3 p.m.
Sandstone III, Strosacker Hall, College Union, 120 E. Grand St.
Chris Connor, CEO of Sherwin-Williams Corporation will share his company's success producing a line of environmentally preferred paint.