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By Simmons Buntin, November 3, 2010 12:01 am

And if you’re in Tucson, you can, too!

Poetry Goes for a Hike, with Wendy Burk and Eric Magrane

Saturday, November 13, 7:30 am to 1:00 pm (hike)
Wednesday, November 17, 6:00 to 8:00 pm (workshop)
Tuition: $75 + $8 transportation fee

The University of Arizona Poetry Center

Like plein-air painting, writing in the field refreshes the spirit and creates indelible work. Join two poets (one of whom is also a professional hiking guide) for a moderate 3- to 5-mile hike. A chartered van will transport participants from the Poetry Center to the trailhead. The morning will be filled with poetry, bird song, scenic views, and writing exercises—with some physical exercise thrown in. Participants will attend to the sensory experiences of the trail and render them in poetry that respects and embodies wilderness, both inner and outer. A few days after the hike, we’ll reconvene in the Poetry Center’s classroom to discuss and review the work generated on the hike.

Prior to the hike you’ll receive a simple supply list. Please have suitable footwear (e.g., hiking boots) and be physically able to hike a moderate 3- to 5-mile hike over rocky terrain. The hike will take place in one of the mountain ranges surrounding Tucson (either the Santa Catalinas, Tucson Mountains, or Rincons). The specific trail will be chosen the week before the hike, based on seasonal trail and weather conditions.
Poets Wendy Burk and Eric Magrane (a Senior Hiking Guide at Canyon Ranch) have written poetry together in wilderness environments as Artists-in-Residence in three National Parks. Eric taught the popular Ecopoetics class for the Poetry Center and is the editor of Spiral Orb, an online experiment in permaculture poetics. Wendy is Library Specialist at the Poetry Center and is the translator of Tedi López Mills’ While Light is Built.

Register by visiting poetry.arizona.edu or calling 520/626-3765

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By Simmons Buntin, October 2, 2010 1:59 pm

In one day on Earth, the average person will laugh 15 times. In one day on Earth, most of us will throw away 4 pounds of garbage. In one day on Earth, more than 230,000 babies will be born. In one day on Earth, 297,700 bicycles are manufactured. On 10/10/10, we will all have one day on Earth. What will you do?

On October 10, 2010, as part of the One Day on Earth project, people from every nation of the world will film their perspectives to showcase the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occur in one 24-hour period. From the basic human needs, joys, and struggles that unite us, to the unique cultural traditions that shape our identity, thousands of normally untold stories will be brought to light through the eyes of filmmakers and inspired citizens.

What is One Day on Earth? from One Day On Earth on Vimeo.

The project is free and open to all people, cultures, beliefs, and nationalities. With thousands of filmmakers representing over 200 countries – ranging from teenagers using cell phones to award-winning cinematographers with HD cameras – the unprecedented scope of video captured on this day will be viewable through an innovative online archive system and a feature length documentary that explores our planet’s identity, slated for 2011.

One Day on Earth has also created an interactive online community for its participants powered by Ning, a leading online platform for the world’s organizers, activists, and influencers. Members are encouraged to connect with one another from all corners of the planet, sharing their thoughts, photos, and videos to spark a larger global awareness and consciousness. For some, the online community has inspired international collaborations, expanding the depth of stories being shared.

In the last 24 hours, more than 300 people from 64 nations signed up. Today, cameras were distributed in Iran, Maldives, Mongolia, Sudan, and Kuwait.  The UNDP, World Wildlife Fund, Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Live Strong, and so many more are supporting the effort. Will you join?

Follow One Day on Earth on Twitter (@onedayonearth) and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/onedayonearth.

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By Simmons Buntin, August 17, 2010 4:54 pm

Recently, artist Nicole Antebi sent us a little information about a new media/book website:

Water, CA: Creative Visualizations for a New Millennium
www.watercalifornia.org

Water, CA is a series of 22 contemporary projects engaging the history, mystery, and challenge of California’s water. Presented by Antebi and artist Enid Baxter Blader, Water, CA is a multimedia experiment in geography that incorporates mythological and playful understandings of complex histories. The enticingly interactive website features essays, painting, photography, video animations, and a California water timeline.

And I think we may just be looking at the future of creative, place-based multimedia. It is accessible, informative, artistic, and — once you’re familiar with the format — easy to move through. I admit it took me a while to figure out how to get into the individual projects (hover over the location of your choice then click the artist’s name). Ideally there should be a connect between the list of water projects in the blue box and the website visitor’s ability to then get into the projects — but they only indicate where in the state those projects are located. Just remember where they’re at, hover your pointer over that location, and you can dive in, so to speak.

That aside, we at Terrain.org think this is a pretty fantastic collaborative effort, and encourage you to check it out, pronto.

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By Simmons Buntin, May 21, 2010 2:47 pm

Corporations and foundations create campaign that will fund environmental nonprofits to protect the Colorado River

Fort Collins, CO – A coalition of seven sustainably driven corporations and foundations has united to raise funding and awareness for the environmentally threatened Colorado River. The campaign, initiated by New Belgium Brewing and the Clean Water Fund, will donate money to environmental nonprofits in the Colorado River basin working to promote water conservation and protect the river.

“We are proud to bring this dedicated group of environmental philanthropists together,” said Kim Jordan, CEO of New Belgium Brewing. “The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American Southwest, and it is the lifeblood of the people and the companies that thrive here.  Although the threats to this river are enormous, we want to step forward and begin the necessary work to help keep it alive.”

The philanthropic campaign includes partners from the beginning of the Colorado River basin all the way to the end:

• New Belgium Brewing, Fort Collins, Colorado
• Patagonia, Ventura, California
• Aspen Snowmass Environment Foundation, Aspen, Colorado
• Kenney Brothers Foundation, Denver, Colorado
• National Geographic Maps, Evergreen, Colorado
• Environment Now, Santa Monica, California
• OARS, Angels Camp, California

In an average year, the Colorado River flows with approximately 5 trillion gallons of water. Over the last decade, dams, diversions, and a population of 30 million users have completely drained the Colorado so that it no longer reaches the Gulf of California but ends in an ecologically degraded mud flat.

Climate change, population growth, and drought threaten to deplete the river even further. Recently, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proclaimed that within 2 years the water level in Lake Mead could drop so low that serious water and electric shortages will occur in Las Vegas. The river also contains four endangered species of fish that are clinging to life amidst the dammed and depleted flows.

The “Save the Colorado” campaign will donate funding through a granting cycle twice a year for three years – 2010, 2011, and 2012.  Granting will total nearly $500,000 and will focus on three programmatic areas:

1. Efforts that raise public awareness about the threats to the Colorado River and its water supplies.
2. Efforts that promote water conservation, or change public policy about water conservation, in cities that receive Colorado River water including the Denver/Front Range of Colorado, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, San Diego, and Los Angeles metropolitan areas.
3. Efforts that protect and enhance the ecological health and biodiversity of the Colorado River and its tributaries, including addressing the threats of new diversions and dams, mitigating past degradation and securing “instream flows.”

“The beauty and scale of the Colorado River are inspiring to all of us in the West,” said Hans Cole, Environmental Grants Manager for Patagonia.  “But, the river also provides a dramatic example of how fragile such a powerful force of nature can be when faced with the combined threats of overconsumption, drought and climate change.  The River and the natural communities that rely on it need our help.  We are honored to join this campaign.”

Visit http://SaveTheColorado.org to learn more about how businesses, environmental non-profits and individuals can get involved. The first granting cycle accepts applications from June 1 – June 30, 2010.

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By Simmons Buntin, May 10, 2010 11:16 am

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Photo courtesy NOAA.

The recent offshore British Petroleum oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico poses a serious threat to the delicate coral reef ecosystems and associated coastal habitats lining South Florida and the Keys. The advancing oil plume, along with the use of equally toxic oil dispersants used during cleanup efforts, threatens to unleash further stress on an already taxed marine ecosystem left fragile from years of human encroachment.

The Gulf of Mexico is ecologically rich, yet suffers from local threats such as fishing pressures, agricultural run-off, and coastal development. These local threats are known to weaken coral reef ecosystems, making them more susceptible to environmental stress. Studies have shown that resilient reefs — reef systems where locally derived threats are measurably reduced — are better able to combat global environmental threats, such as climate change.

“Well-managed marine protected areas, as can be found in some areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, reduce local threats to reefs and increase their resistance to warming ocean temperatures,” said Brian Huse, Executive Director of the Coral Reef Alliance.  “The threat posed by the oil spill has the potential to wipe out decades of hard work.”

The oil spill’s potential impact on South Florida’s coral reefs will stretch far beyond the reefs themselves. Florida depends on these natural structures for coastal storm protection, sustainable food sources, and the income and employment generated from healthy fisheries and sustainable tourism. A significant portion of Florida’s $5.5 billion economy is attributable to its reefs and, globally, coral reefs add roughly $400 billion to the economy annually.

“By not investing in sustainable solutions to meet our energy needs, we are making an affirmative choice to put at risk not only our environment, but the health and economic interests of future generations,” said Huse. “We cannot continue to endanger this already fragile ecosystem with these types of extractive practices.”

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About The Coral Reef Alliance

The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) unites communities to save coral reefs. We provide tools, education, and inspiration to residents of coral reef destinations to support local projects that benefit both reefs and people. Originally founded in 1994 to galvanize the dive community for conservation, CORAL has grown from a small, grassroots alliance into the only international nonprofit organization that works exclusively to protect our planet’s coral reefs. Visit www.coral.org or call1-888-CORAL-REEF.

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By Simmons Buntin, April 21, 2010 11:41 am

I’ve been a big fan of Sandra Steingraber ever since reading her book Having Faith: An Ecologist’s Journey to Motherhood, a beautiful, resonating, and timely book. I was doubly fortunate to have the opportunity to interview the biologist and poet for Terrain.org’s 20th issue [read interview]. And then I finally met Sandra, and her exuberant son, when I attended the Wildbranch Writing Workshop back in 2008.

She is as beautiful, passionate, and concerned in person as she is in her writing and interviews. That is, she is a real person working hard to raise a family while raising our consciousness about the dubious impacts of chemicals on the environment and our bodies.

In 1997, she published Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment, in which she travels from hospital waiting rooms to hazardous waste sites and from farmhouse kitchens to incinerator hearings, bringing to life stories of communities in her hometown and around the country as they confront decades of industrial and agricultural recklessness — including her own cancer in her twenties. Now in its second edition, Living Downstream offers updated, meticulously researched science that strengthens the case for banning poisons so pervasive in our air, food, and bodies. Because synthetic chemicals linked to cancer come mostly from petroleum and coal, Sandra shows that investing in green energy also helps prevent cancer. Saving the planet becomes a matter of saving ourselves and an issue of human rights.

One of Sandra’s goals soon after publishing the book was bringing its lyrical and critical message to a wider audience through film. After a decade of work, the Living Downstream feature-length documentary, produced by The People’s Picture Company, is now available for film festival and theatrical screening. Learn more about the film here, and watch the trailer below:

Interested in learning more? Then advocate for a screening of the film near you.

And also tune into Sandra Steingraber’s Weekly Essays, published on the Living Downstream website and the Huffington Post. There you’ll find eloquent essays such as “Life After Cancer — The Identity That Has No Name” and “Earth Day — The View from the F Terminal.”

As advocates for environmental and cultural consciousness and equity, we have a lot vying for our attention. If you’re keeping a list, put Sandra Steingraber on top — your attention will be well-placed and well-rewarded.

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By Simmons Buntin, March 13, 2010 11:31 pm

New Report Reveals Bird Conservation Efforts Are Critical in the Face of Climate Change

Dr. David Pashley, Vice President of American Bird Conservancy – one of the nation’s leading bird conservation organizations – cautioned last week that as climate change impacts are increasingly felt throughout the United States and beyond, conservation efforts affecting birds will take on a doubly important role in protecting not only birds that are already threatened, but also more common birds as well.

Dr. Pashley made his comments in connection with the release of State of the Birds 2010, the first comprehensive vulnerability assessment of bird species to climate change across the United States. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the report’s release at a press conference in Texas, along with several environmental organizations including American Bird Conservancy that had collaborated on the publication.  Dr. Pashley was one of the authors of the report.

“Our findings tell us that birds of conservation concern today will be in even greater peril in the future as a result of climate change, and many bird species that are now doing well may soon become conservation priorities as global warming progresses,” Dr. Pashley said.

Conservation efforts that will take on special importance include: reduction of carbon emissions; conservation of bird habitat; protection of bird prey bases and food supplies; and removal of threats, including invasive plant and animal species.

“The birds that will be the hardest hit by climate change will be ocean and island birds, whose habitat and food base are most tied to both a climate-dependent ocean biology and sea level. Hawaiian birds in particular, are already in deep trouble and may be looking at even more difficult circumstances,” Dr. Pashley said.

All 67 oceanic bird species are considered vulnerable due to low reproductive rates, use of islands for nesting, and reliance on rapidly changing oceans.  Ninety-three percent of Hawaiian birds and 62% of all U.S. Pacific Island birds have a medium to high vulnerability to climate change. Hawaiian forest birds are also threatened by the spread of avian malaria; warming will increase the rate of transmission and reduce the size of the birds’ current malaria-free safe area.

“For land-based birds, the key will be in establishing, implementing, or enforcing land management policies that recognize the increasing threat that birds are facing,” he said.

How lands are managed can help both mitigate global warming, and help birds adapt to changing climate and habitat conditions.  For example, conserving carbon-rich forests and wetlands, and creating incentives to avoid deforestation can keep already stored carbon from dissipating into the atmosphere, while also providing invaluable wildlife habitat. Market-based mechanisms that provide resources to conserve biodiversity and to store carbon should also be encouraged.

The report identified common bird species such as the American oystercatcher, common nighthawk, and northern pintail that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.

Dr. Pashley also said that in order to address the challenges identified in State of the Birds 2010, the Joint Venture partnerships will need to be further strengthened to identify new or changing bird conservation needs and to carry out projects to help species adapt.  Joint Ventures (JVs) are regional, collaborative partnerships involving federal, state, and local government agencies, corporations, tribes, individuals, and a wide range of non-governmental organizations working to advance conservation efforts and help identify local land use priorities. JVs provide coordination for conservation planning and implementation that benefit birds and other species. JVs also develop science-based goals and strategies, and a non-regulatory approach for achieving conservation.

The State of the Birds 2010 report is a collaborative effort, as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations. Partners include American Bird Conservancy, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Geological Survey.

The report is available at www.stateofthebirds.org.

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By Simmons Buntin, February 5, 2010 6:53 pm

Award-winning travel entrepreneurs share practices to preserve authenticity of place and local character

Geotourism at Loreto Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Photo by Simmons Buntin.

WASHINGTON (Feb. 4, 2010)—The Second Annual Geotourism Change Summit at  National Geographic headquarters showcased travel leaders from around the globe presenting success stories from both major cities to countrysides, all with the mutual purpose of preserving the character of the world’s special places and furthering sustainable travel.

The  200 attendees on Feb. 2 heard inspiring presentations by the winners of the 2009 Geotourism Challenge, sponsored by National Geographic and Ashoka’s Changemakers, as well as speakers discussing advances in geotourism and other new trends in sustainable travel.

Geotourism is defined as tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents.

“The forces of globalization are making places look just like the next one.  The Summit   honored those who have not bowed to mass tourism — in fact, they are offering the most authentic experiences possible,”  said Jonathan Tourtellot, director of National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations.

Award-winners ranged from river.India.com, the world’s first outfitter on the challenging Siang River, that has trained locals to be river guides, to Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, which took an abandoned brick factory and has turned it into a vital part of the city, with farmer’s markets, summer camps and an ice skating rink.

Tourtellot noted that despite terrorist threats, a shaky world economy and the increasing inconvenience of air travel, people are still traveling, and the number will likely top 1 billion international trips within very few years.

Other news from the Geotourism Summit:

• Economist James Gilmore, coauthor of the books Authenticity: What Customers Really Want and The Experience Economy, provided the keynote address.  He said that the world is moving out of the “service economy” into what he calls an “experience economy” – a desire by consumers for authenticity and memorability. His message to travel entrepreneurs at the Summit: consumers now desire a combination of the “four E’s”:  entertainment, education, esthetic and escapism.

• National Geographic unveiled its Geotourism Impact Map Concept, to be integrated into the Center for Sustainable Destinations website, and a testament to the proliferation of geotourism around the world. It will become a huge aggregate for geotourism practices and existing maps, available to both businesses and travelers.  It will also identify regions where geotourism activities are unknown and need help.

• Details of the 2010 Geotourism Challenge were announced. The theme will be  “Places on the Edge: Saving Coastal Destinations.” Tourtellot noted the world’s coast lines, more than any other geographical feature, are under pressure from tourism.

• Vanessa Healey, vice president, global brand marketing, InterContinental Hotel Group, was a member of the panel devoted to destination stewardship strategies. She shared how the hotel group has fully embraced geotourism, including training their 60,000 employees in how to help visitors “go local.” Information cards on local activities and history are often left at night on guests’ pillows.  Other comments from panelists:  “We must move from Joe Tourist to Joe Citizen;  “follow the locals’ lead”;  “travel is a life value.”

• Geotourism Challenge-winner Alex Khajan, CEO of Nature Air in Costa Rica, conveyed the passion of Summit attendees to preserve the world’s special places.  “We are rebels by nature and want to be catalysts for change,” he said to the group when accepting his award.

The Geotourism Challenge is a global competition of tourism-related projects that promote natural and cultural heritage while improving the well-being of the local people. The 10 finalists honored at the Summit are the best of 610 entries from 81 countries,

“The Geotourism Change Summit offers an opportunity to showcase the true nature of tourism. These 10 innovators demonstrate not only that tourism needs a major rethinking, but also that these pioneers have already done it and are now leading initiatives to help alleviate poverty, conserve natural and cultural assets, and provide enriching experiences for visitors. If we want to know what the future of travel looks like, this is it,” said Charlie Brown, executive director of Ashoka’s Changemakers.

The three Geotourism Challenge winners — Nature Air (Costa Rica), PEPY (Cambodia), and Wikiloc Community Maps (Spain) — were selected by online voting. Each received a $5,000 award at the Summit.  The winners:

• Nature Air, the 100 percent carbon-neutral airline in Costa Rica, offsets 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions to encourage reforestation of tropical forests in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.
• PEPY (“Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself”) is Cambodia’s Educational Volunteer Tourism Program, providing adventure bike tours and on-site volunteer projects, like building rainwater collection units.
• Wikiloc Community Maps in Girona, Spain, created by a software engineer with a passion for travel, is built on maps, photos and video submitted to offer honest impressions about destinations.

The seven Geotourism Challenge runners-up:

• Ger to Ger Foundation, Mongolia, links visitors with genuine nomadic families.
• Evergreen Brick Works of Toronto, Canada, is an adaptive re-use of the heritage structures at the Don Valley Brick Works.
• Virgin Islands Youth Heritage Exchange Farm Excursions, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, focuses on food as the basis of youth identity and education.
• Context Travel, based in Philadelphia, offers walking seminars in major European cities, encouraging sustainable ways to visit urban destinations.
• RiverIndia.com’s Bamboo Eco-Lodge River Trips, Arunachal Pradesh, India, help protect India’s Siang River through locally guided expeditions.
• Trout Point Lodge, Nova Scotia, a Five Green Key-designated nature retreat in Canada, has revitalized backwoods and Acadian French cultural tourism.
• Reality Tour Viagens e Turismo Ltda’s Route of Freedom, Rua Bom Jesus, Brazil, commemorates the African Diaspora in Brazil.

For more details about the innovative work of all 10 finalists, go to www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallenge.

The Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN) joined forces with the National Geographic Society and Ashoka through the Changemakers Geotourism Challenge 2009 “Power of Place” competition. The goal was to capture regional creativity and demand as well as provide co-financing opportunities for small geotourism initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean that benefit local communities by improving the competitiveness, social use and sustainability of the tourism sector. The FOMIN received 319 proposals from 24 countries, selecting seven projects for co-financing.

About Ashoka’s Changemakers

Changemakers is an initiative of Ashoka, an organization with over three decades of finding, funding and expanding the work of social entrepreneurs across the globe. It is a global online community of action that connects people to share ideas, inspire and mentor each other, and find and support the best ideas in social innovation. The Changemakers online community builds on this history and expands the Ashoka vision by creating an “Everyone a Changemaker” world through networking, relationship-building and the sourcing of funding opportunities. Through its collaborative competitions and open-source process, Changemakers has created one of the world’s most robust laboratories for launching, refining and scaling ideas for solving the world’s most pressing social problems.

About National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 375 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,200 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com. To learn more about the mission and work of the Center for Sustainable Destinations, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable/.

About the Multilateral Investment Fund

The Multilateral Investment Fund (FOMIN) is an autonomous fund composed of 38 member countries that is administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the main source of multilateral financing for development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 1993, the FOMIN has been providing grants, loans and equity investments for innovative projects that promote economic growth and poverty reduction through private sector development, focusing primarily on micro, small and medium enterprises. It is the largest private sector-focused development donor in the region, with an extensive network of over 650 local executing agency partners. Created in 2004, the FOMIN’s sustainable tourism cluster is a group of 27 projects in 19 countries aiming to increase the competitiveness of locally owned micro, small and medium enterprises by mainstreaming sustainability in the tourism sector.

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By Simmons Buntin, January 21, 2010 5:05 pm

President Barack Obama’s first year in office has been a good news/bad news story for the environment, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. On endangered species, he revoked some damaging Bush-era policies but also stripped protection from gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes. On climate, he followed the Supreme Court’s lead and declared carbon dioxide a threat to human health and welfare, but provided virtually no leadership in congressional and Copenhagen negotiations to develop a real solution to global warming. In our oceans, he took initial steps to address ocean acidification, but also increased the number of endangered sea turtles that can be caught and killed by industrial longline fisheries.

Overall, the Center for Biological Diversity gives the president’s environmental record so far a “C.” Take a look at Obama’s first-year report card and share it with other people who care about wildlife. You can also read the Center’s press release for more details.

Obama’s record, while much better than Bush’s, is disappointing so far. He has not lived up to his campaign promises by a long shot. Luckily, there’s still time to get him back on track: We have to show him America cares.

So the Center will be keeping up the pressure with scientific studies, legal action, grassroots organizing, and media work — and I’m counting on your help this year to get the word out to your networks, make calls to decision-makers, and send emails on breaking endangered-species issues.

Here’s to a better year in 2010 and great improvements in how Obama protects endangered species, wild places, and our degrading climate.

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By Simmons Buntin, January 20, 2010 5:26 pm

After visiting Carslbad Caverns with my daughters this spring, I have a new affinity and respect for bats and their migrations. (In truth, I’ve always been a fan of bats, but more so even now.) So this recent update from the Journal of Mammalogy strikes a chord:

Bat flying at night. Photo courtesy North Carolina Wildlife Federation.

Bat fatalities at wind energy turbines offer new insight into bat migration

New data suggest that bats, like birds, may follow specifically defined routes when migrating rather than simply migrating in a dispersed way across a broad area. Wind energy turbines located in these routes may cause fatalities of migrating bats. As new sources of energy such as wind farms are being built in greater numbers, their impact on other aspects of the environment must be considered. While we reduce carbon emissions and develop renewable energy resources, we must be careful not to endanger migrating species such as bats.

The migratory behavior of bats, a topic that has received little attention in the past, is the subject of new study in the December 2009 issue of The Journal of Mammalogy. Wind turbines have been the cause of many bat fatalities, but these installations also offer a new opportunity to examine bat migration habits. This is because the majority of bat fatalities caused by wind turbines around the world have involved migratory bats during fall migration.

Over a period of seven years, scientists used acoustic monitoring and carcass searches at nine wind energy facilities across southern Alberta, Canada, to determine if bat activity and fatality were concentrated in certain areas or evenly distributed across the landscape. Their findings indicate that as bats migrated, they concentrated along selected routes at night and sought daytime roosting sites. Migratory tree-roosting bats, including hoary bats, eastern red bats, and silver-haired bats, are the North American species most affected by wind farms.

As locations and types of turbines are planned for new wind energy facilities, the information gained from studying the migratory habits of bats can be put to use, making the facilities even more environmentally friendly. For instance, the researchers found that greater tower height increased the probability of bat fatality, but that differences among sites in migratory bat activity also were related to the number of bat fatalities. By identifying migratory routes and the specific landscape features that bats follow, bat fatalities could be minimized by building wind facilities in areas with low migratory activity.

The full text of this article, “Geographic Variation in Activity and Fatality of Migratory Bats at Wind Energy Facilities,” The Journal of Mammalogy, Vol. 90, No. 6, December 2009, is available at http://www2.allenpress.com/pdf/mamm-90-06-1341-1349.pdf.

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About the Journal of Mammalogy

The Journal of Mammalogy, the flagship publication of the American Society of Mammalogists, is produced six times per year. A highly respected scientific journal, it details the latest research in the science of mammalogy and was recently named one of the top 100 most influential journals of biology and medicine in the last century by the Special Libraries Association. For more information, visit http://www.mammalogy.org/.

Media Contact:
Robin Barker
Allen Press, Inc.
800/627-0326 ext. 410
rbarker@allenpress.com