E-newsletter of the Ecological Society of America's SEEDS program - www.esa.org/seeds
Chapter Reports
Travel Grants
UPDATES
Ku'ulei Vickery
Christina Wong
COMMUNITY
SEEDS Facebook
New College of FL
Earth Day
Memory Test
RECAPS
Leadership Meeting
SCIENCE POLICY
Polar Bears
Debriefing
BULLETIN BOARD
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SEEDS Dispersal is published online ten times a year by the SEEDS program. SEEDS promotes opportunities to diversify and advance the profession of ecology. ***************
2006-07 Campus Ecology Chapter annual reports are due May 1, 2007. Click here for the report form.
Student Section Travel Grants
The ESA Student Section is awarding travel grants to help defray the costs of attendance for students (undergraduate or graduate) who plan to present poster or oral presentations at the 2007 ESA Annual Meeting. Awards are available for students from within and outside of the US. The application deadline is April 20, 2007. The application is available at www.esa.org/students. Direct questions to Abe Miller-Rushing (ajmr@bu.edu) or Jenny Talbot (talbot.jenny@gmail.com). Please note that the SEEDS travel awards and the Student Section travel grants are separate opportunities. Student may, and are encouraged to, apply for both.
| Student Updates |
Ku'ulei Vickery
I’m a senior at the University of Hawaii Manoa. I’m currently a SEEDS Fellow and I’ve been in Shark Bay, Western Australia since mid-January doing marine ecology research. You may have read about me in the December 2006 newsletter, but I wanted to update you on my research. I'm currently living in a tent in a trailer park on the beach, on one of the most beautiful places on Earth! Shark Bay is a World Heritage Area, with the largest sea grass bed system in the world. I'm broadly studying predator-prey interactions of tiger sharks, sea turtles, and rays - more specifically, stable isotopes of stingrays, or the diet and feeding habits of stingrays. The research season has gotten off to a slow start due to bad weather, but the forecast is looking great for the next 2 months. After I leave Australia in June, I plan to holiday in New Zealand for 2 months and write up my research paper. I present my Shark Bay research at the ESA meeting in San Jose, California (Aug. 5-10). Besides research, my life at the moment is going pretty well. I'm finally an Aunty! My younger sister is due in April and my brother's girlfriend is due in August. I'm so happy that I'll be able to spoil them rotten and then give them back to their parents at the end of the day:) I also plan to graduate this Fall semester. The day before I came to Australia I chopped off 16 inches of my hair, which I painfully regret! The only good thing that came out of that was I donated it to Locks of Love. Can't wait to catch up with all of you at the meeting.
Christina Wong 
Christina Wong, a graduate from Occidental College, who was also a research technician at UC Berkeley, has been with SEEDS since 2004, and in 2005-2006 was a SEEDS Fellow. You can read more about her fellowship in the April 2006 newsletter. Christina is now on her way to China to learn Mandarin at the Beijing Culture and Language University. She also plans to learn more about environmental issues in China. Christina was a Student Conservation Association (SCA) participant and now she is the youngest-ever member of SCA’s Board of Directors. Being in such an important place, Christina has witnessed first hand how a professional organization runs. She is part of the decision making process that has an impact in the organization and, in the end, on the participants of SCA.
In February Christina’s experiences in SCA were published in the magazine Asian Week. Click here to read more.
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Students have started a SEEDS group on Facebook. This is a great way to keep in touch with your old SEEDS friends! If you are on Facebook, look for the SEEDS group, join and invite other SEEDS students! You will be able to see pictures, start discussions, message all the members, and receive academic and scholarship opportunities in the field of ecology. The SEEDS Facebook is maintained by SEEDS alumni and not directly affiliated with the ESA SEEDS program.
New College of Florida
New College of Florida in Sarasota joined the SEEDS Campus Ecology Chapter network last month. The Chapter will provide a gateway to information about ecology within and outside the College, to create educational opportunities to participate with other local groups and to foster interaction between the students and ecologists outside through community outreach. The Chapter Advisor is Dr. Meg Lowman and the Student Representative is Charissa Jones.
Earth Day April 22nd!
Did you know that the first Earth Day was started by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin? It was held on April 22, 1970 and over 20 million people participated. It is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries.
In celebration of this event, ESA News and Views, the Ecological Society of America blog, will feature your thoughts, reminiscences, polemics, and general musings on Earth Day. For example:
tell us your memories of Earth Days past; if you're old enough to remember the first one, tell us where you were and what you did; if 2007 is your first, tell us how you plan to celebrate the day and why;
talk about why Earth Day matters to you (or doesn't, if that's the case); did it affect your choice of a career in the environmental field?; do you think Earth Day made a difference in how people view the environment? did it make a difference in environmental protection in the U.S. or internationally? tell us why, or why not; does Earth Day still matter?
Send your posts to esablog@esa.org by April 22, 2007 and help ESA celebrate and remember Earth Day!
Test Your Memory
Click on each picture to find out who and where?
| Event Recaps |
Leadership Meeting
 The successful 2007 SEEDS Leadership Meeting was showcased in the frontpage of the ESA website. Click here to read more about it and check out some pictures of the event! |
Last February the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was asked to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) because of their continued loss of habitat. The FWS offered three public hearings in Anchorage, Alaska, Washington, D.C. and in Barrow, Alaska. Jorge Ramos, SEEDS Student Coordinator, attended the Washington, D.C. public hearing on March 5th and learned about the complicated and lengthy process it takes to list a species under the Endangered Species Act. The FWS presented their petition, which was backed-up with data from the USGS, FWS, and other scientific publications. The different models presented indicate that if the globe continues to warm at current rates, the Arctic ice will disappear completely within 40 to 60 years. According to the FWS, other factors such as hunting, disease and predation, and current protective regulations do not show a negative impact on polar bear populations. These public hearings serve to seek additional information on the issue and to receive comments and suggestions from the public. A frequent question brought up by the public was: if the ice is melting due to our excessive carbon emissions, will the Endangered Species Act start enforcing regulations on carbon emission to prevent the melting of the polar bears habitat? The FWS responded by stating that climate change was beyond their mandate. Mixed comments of support and of disagreement came from organizations, societies, the oil and petroleum industry, and public citizens. Over the next year, FWS will continue to collect and gather valuable data that will help them make a decision on classifying the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Debriefing by Jorge Ramos
Living in D.C. is one of the best experiences I have had as a scientist interested in strengthening environmental policies with scientific research. It’s here in D.C. where government, federal agencies, professional organizations, scientific societies, and the community share information and formulate laws, regulations, and policies. The polar bear hearing was the first official government public hearing I have attended. There I witnessed the application of scientific results for a potential new legislation to protect a species. The panel first presented the data and the proposal. The Q&A followed where people asked several questions about the proposal. The panel sometimes did not specifically answer the questions, instead maneuvering around the answer. After the break, the testimony section of the public hearing began. This was one of the most exciting moments of the event, especially when the public loudly made it clear that they disagreed with the American Petroleum Institute whose lobbyist testified that global climate change is still uncertain and that polar bears should not be listed under the Endangered Species Act. People of all ages, and from all different socioeconomic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, stood up and had just three minutes to present their position. The testimonies were not only presented by professional scientists, but also by “soccer moms”, teachers, clergy, and children. These testimonies were recorded and will be reviewed by the FWS when the time comes to make a decision as to whether or not the polar bear should be listed as a threatened species.
Opportunities posted are not necessarily endorsed, recommended, or favored by SEEDS.
Field Technician Summer Positions
Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, Northern Arizona University has summer field technician positions in biological sciences and botany. Application deadline is April 15th.
Natural Resource Management Opportunities
Internships and research assistantships to undergraduate students from underserved communities who interested in community-based natural resource management and issues of sustainability and social justice. Application deadline is April 16th.
National Conference on Environmental Science and Technology
Hosted by SEEDS Chapter school, North Carolina A&T State University, this conference held September 12-14, 2007 will provide a forum for federal agencies, industrial technology users, and universities to address pollution prevention problems, solutions, and research needs. Early registration through August 15th.
Field Assistant Summer Positions
UC Berkeley Grassland Food Web Study needs field assistants to assist with a variety of faunal surveys and exclosure construction in the Carrizo National Monument. Application deadline is April 16th.
Research Experience for Undergraduates in Arizona
University of Arizona and Santa Rita Experimental Range has openings for REU students on a study investigating why some shrubs are more successful than others in invading and establishing in grasslands. Application deadline is April 13th.
International Polar Year Antarctica Opportunities
IPY-ROAM offers successful applicants a novel and life-changing opportunity to learn more about the Polar Regions and travel to Antarctica over the 2007-08 winter break where they will acquire first hand experience in field-based research and Antarctic system science. Applications are requested from 15 undergraduate students, 5 graduate students, and 5 high school teachers to participate in this program – IPY-ROAM. Application review begins May 1st.
1400 Spring Street, Suite 330, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, seeds@esa.org