Malaria in Vermont

Chances are good you have malaria in your yard. It’s found throughout New England, but you won’t come down with it. This is avian malaria, and, unfortunately for birds, it is as common as the cold virus. They may not show symptoms, but many of your neighborhood birds probably carry the disease.

“Most of the birds I have examined at my backyard feeder are infected by malaria parasites,” says Ellen Martinsen, a graduate student at the University of Vermont who has been studying avian malaria in wild birds for several years.

Malaria is a general term for infections by several species of microscopic parasites called protozoans. Each parasite species infects a particular host. Some only infect humans, while others only infect other mammals, birds or even lizards. And lucky for us, host specialization protects us from contracting avian malaria.

All malaria parasites have similar life cycles. Each has a primary host, such as a bird, and an insect that transmits the parasite, like the mosquito or infamous northern New England black fly. When an infected blood-sucking insect bites a bird, it transfers the parasite to that bird in its saliva. The parasites travel to internal tissues such as liver, spleen, bone marrow and brain cells, and the parasites begin to multiply. They then move into the bird’s red blood cells, where they are positioned to be taken up by another biting insect. If the parasite load is sufficiently high, the bird has fewer uninfected red blood cells, which are critical for moving oxygen throughout the body. The loss of too many cells can lead to progressive weakness and even death.

Birds in New England have lived with malaria parasites for many millennia. There has been plenty of time for natural selection to favor both birds with resistance and parasites that can overcome this resistance. It is a bit like an arms race, and presently it’s a stalemate. Malaria appears to cause little harm to most infected birds. Yet, it is prevalent. Martinsen has sampled nearly 2,500 birds from 110 species throughout Vermont; just over 40 percent were infected.

Martinsen captures birds in fine nets and, using an exceedingly small needle, carefully collects a drop of blood from a vein in the bird’s wing before releasing the bird. The traditional procedure for identifying parasites has been to smear the blood across a glass microscope slide. Back in the lab the slides are dipped in a special stain. Each infected blood cell has a blue stained parasite that is readily visible under a microscope. The parasites have characteristic sizes and shapes that help biologists determine the species infecting the bird.

But biologists are now learning that the traditional identification methods are not completely accurate. ”Their morphology can be misleading and does not offer many characters for species identification,” says Martinsen. “Often the parasite is distorted (from the glass slide), so it is a bit like identifying mammals based on flattened road kill.”

Biologists are now using genetic techniques to identify the parasites. By looking at the DNA of malaria parasites, they are getting a clearer picture of the presence and diversity of malaria parasites and their distribution across both hosts and geography. “I have found many new species of malaria parasites (with the DNA method), because so many distinct parasite (species) are masked by their appearance,” says Martinsen. Biologists don’t have to travel to exotic places to find new species. As Martinsen’s work progresses, she will be revealing a whole new suite of parasite species right here in our backyards.

Martinsen recently teamed up with me and Chris Rimmer, another biologist at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE), a non-profit wildlife research group based in Norwich, Vt., to examine the prevalence of malaria parasites in songbirds on New England mountaintops. The highest levels of mercury deposition in New England occur on these mountains. Intensive air and precipitation monitoring has led scientists to conclude that most of the mercury originates from coal-fired power plants. Mercury might decrease immunocompetence, causing malaria infection to be much worse.

Our recent studies at VCE have shown that mercury has found its way up the food chain into bird species that inhabit the mountains of New Hampshire and Vermont. Every bird examined, from Bicknell’s thrush to sharp-shinned hawk, had at least some mercury in its blood, but most birds have relatively low levels—that are not known to directly affect bird health or survival.

But VCE is now examining correlations between malaria infections, mercury burdens and body condition of breeding songbirds. Birds may be able to overcome low-level mercury contamination or exposure to malaria, but combine these two stressors with others, such as West Nile virus, climate change, or habitat modifications, and it may spell trouble for bird populations.

VPR: Vernal pools a crucial part of ecosystem

What may look to you like an uninviting underwater collection of tree stumps and leaf litter is actually the most romantic place in the world - if you're a mating wood frog or a salamander.

Vernal pools are crucial in the lifecycle of amphibians and invertebrates - and they're teeming with activity in the spring. VPR's Steve Zind recently spent some time at a few vernal pools with Steve Faccio, a biologist with the Vermont Center for Eco Studies, to learn more about them.

Listen to VPR Story!

The Vermont Vernal Pool Mapping project is holding workshops for volunteers in the Northeast Kingdom and Lamoille County in early May. For more information, check out the link below.

Southward Migration?

You bet. At the same time that many of "our" birds are returning from their wintering grounds in the southern US and Latin America, some marine mammals are moving south to warmer waters for their breeding season. The National Geographic Society is teeming up with Conservation International to showcase the migration of Leatherback Sea Turtles from the St Lawrence River seaway to the Caribbean. Learn more about sea turtle migration, threats to their survival, watch an underwater video, and follow 11 leatherbacks on their southbound journey. Check out The Great Turtle Race today!

Local furniture company supports VCE

Natural Furniture Makers Give Green Back to the Forest

Vermont Woods Studios 15% for the Forest Initiative See hand-crafted furniture - sales support VCE

VERNON, VERMONT, Apr. 16 -/E-Wire/-- Vermont Woods Studios, a group of fine furniture makers in Vermont, is giving back to the forest that supplies the wood for their craft. From Earth Day on April 22 until the Summer Solstice on June 21, the company will sponsor it's 15% For The Forest initiative, where 15% of the profits from each sale will be donated to charitable organizations working to protect the forest environment.

"We depend on sustainable forests for our livelihood, and therefore, conservation is a fundamental part of our business," says furniture maker and co-owner, Ken Farabaugh. "As stewards of the forest, we must try to counter-balance the threats of over-development, acid rain and climate change. If our forests are not sustainable, then our wood furniture business will not be sustainable either."

Organizations receiving donations all have a long history of success in forest conservation. "We're always excited to partner with them," Farabaugh states. "We've even named some of our furniture lines after their leadership. Our Jim Andrews Natural Cherry Furniture Collection is named for the champion of the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas project, and the Roz Renfrew Shaker Furniture Collection is named for a Vermont Center for Ecostudies scientist who studies Vermont's migrating birds."

A look at the Vermont Woods Studios website reveals many styles of natural, solid hardwood furniture, all handmade in Vermont from sustainably harvested and reclaimed wood. "We offer Shaker, mission, craftsman, modern and transitional styles in price ranges from affordable to ultra luxury," notes Farabaugh.

"Each piece is made to order and because of that, we do a lot of customization. If for example, someone wants a chest made a bit narrower to fit between two windows, or a table a little bit longer to accommodate extra guests, we can customize that affordably."

Many times customizations are done at no extra charge which has helped to create a growing trend of people who are discovering the affordable luxury of customized, American-made furniture.

"Why not get exactly what you want," asks Farabaugh. "After all, when you buy furniture from us, it's got a lifetime guarantee. Your furniture will be around for generations to come, and you'll want it to be just right."

Further information, furniture photos, company history and the latest eco furniture tips can be found at the Vermont Woods Studios eco furniture blog. High resolution photos available via email.

	/SOURCE:	Vermont Woods Studios
	-0-	04-16-2009
	/CONTACT:	Peggy Farabaugh, Owner Vermont Woods Studios Fine furniture From Sustainable Sources 38 Woodland Road Vernon, Vermont 05354 888-390-5571
	/WEB SITE:	http://www.vermontwoodsstudios.com http://www.vermontwoodsstudios.typepad.com

Senate Bill Introduced to Conserve Rapidly Disappearing Migratory Birds

(Washington, D.C.) Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Water and Wildlife Subcommittee, has introduced bipartisan legislation to boost funding for the conservation of migratory birds. Cosponsors of the bill include Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Joseph Lieberman (I-CT).

“Maryland’s natural treasure, our environment, is a lure for millions of human tourists and avian visitors each year. For nearly a decade, federal investment in habitat protection, education, research and monitoring of neotropical migratory birds has been vital to the well-being of our ecosystem and our economy,” said Senator Cardin.

The Senate bill, S. 690, reauthorizes the existing Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA), but at significantly higher levels, to meet the growing needs of our migrants, many of which are in rapid decline. Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) plans to introduce similar legislation in the House of Representatives. The legislation was introduced following the release of U.S. State of the Birds, the most comprehensive assessment to date on the status of bird populations. The report found that over 250 American bird species are in decline or facing severe threats.

“This legislation is urgently needed to prevent America’s native birds from disappearing,” said Darin Schroeder, American Bird Conservancy’s Vice President of Conservation Advocacy. “Nearly half of our songbird population is now in decline or facing serious threats; effective conservation projects can help us to start turning that around.”

Of the 178 continental bird species included on American Bird Conservancy’s WatchList of birds of highest conservation concern, over one-third, 71 species, are Neotropical migrants. The populations of an estimated 127 species of migratory birds are in persistent decline, and 60 species have experienced significant population declines greater than 45% over the last 40 years. Several species, the Cerulean Warbler and Olive-sided Flycatcher, have declined as much as 70% since surveys began in the 1960s.

"Senator Cardin has been a champion of Maryland's environment for many years,” said Schroeder. “This vital legislation recognizes that Maryland's migratory birds, including species like the Baltimore Oriole, Kentucky Warbler and Whip-poor-will, require our help if to ensure that they continue to thrive in our state. We applaud the Senator for his leadership on this critical local and national conservation issue."

Saving Migratory Birds for Future Generations: The Success of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, a 2008 report by American Bird Conservancy, details the disturbing downward trend in the populations of many migratory species and its causes, and documents the effectiveness of NMBCA. American Bird Conservancy and the Bird Conservation Alliance, a broad network of bird clubs, science and conservation organizations, have launched the Act for Songbirds campaign, to support reauthorizing the legislation and boosting funding levels each year. Citizens are being encouraged to contact their Senators in support of the legislation at http://www.abcbirds.org/action.

“This is something that everyone who loves birds can do to make a difference,” said Schroeder.

Background

NMBCA supports partnership programs to conserve birds in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean, where approximately five billion birds of over 500 species, including some of the most endangered birds in North America, spend their winters. Projects include activities that benefit bird populations such as habitat restoration, research and monitoring, law enforcement, and outreach and education. Between 2002 and 2007, the program supported 225 projects, coordinated by partners in 44 U.S. states/territories and 34 countries. Projects involving land conservation have affected about 3 million acres of bird habitat.

Staff of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service report that they receive many more requests for high quality conservation projects than they can provide grants for. NMBCA currently provides a maximum authorization of $6 million per year; this year Congress is recommending an appropriation of $4.75 million, a $250 thousand increase from the previous year. Under the new law, that amount would increase to $20 million by 2015. Grants require matching funds from other non-federal sources. Thus far, more than $21 million from NMBCA grants has leveraged over $95 million in partner contributions. FWS lists 341 migratory bird species that can benefit from the program: http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NMBCA/BirdList.shtm.

Scott Wiedensaul talks Coffee and Birds

Two upcoming local events of interest to birders and conservationists:
noted author Scott Wiedensaul will be speaking on April 18 in Norwich,
VT and on April 19 in Auburn, NH. His talks, part of the Birds & Beans
effort to promote triple-certified 'Bird Friendly'® coffee, will feature
the migratory birds we know and love, and how our lives and theirs are
inexorably connected. A brief description of Scott's talk:

*Birds and Beans: Simple ways to save migratory birds

*Since the dawn of human imagination, we have been spellbound by the
migration of birds, in which even the smallest species traverse
immensities of space the way we cross the street. But while the
populations of many migratory birds are in drastic decline, there are
many things we can do to save them. Naturalist and author Scott
Weidensaul explores the wonder and mechanics of migration, and the
simple, effective ways we can preserve them, from what we plant in our
gardens to what we pour into our morning mug of coffee.

Scott Weidensaul is the author of more than two dozen books on natural
history, including the Pulitzer Prize-nominated/ Living on the Wind/,
about bird migration,/ Return to Wild America: A Yearlong Search for the
Continent's Natural Soul/, and his newest book,/ Of a Feather: A Brief
History of American Birding/. Weidensaul writes for such publications
as/ Audubon, Nature Conservancy/ and/ National Wildlife/; he lives in
the mountains of eastern Pennsylvania, where he studies the migration of
owls and hummingbirds.
*
*
On _April 18 at 3:00 pm_, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Hanover
and Lebanon Food Coops, and Montshire Museum will co-sponsor Scott's
talk at the Montshire (One Montshire Road, Norwich, VT
http://www.montshire.org/map.html). The talk is free with admission to
the Museum.

The following afternoon, _April 19 at 1:30 pm_, the New Hampshire
Audubon Society will sponsor Scott's talk at the Massabesic Audubon
Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn, NH
http://www.nhaudubon.org/center_masa.php). This talk is free for ASNH
members, $5 for non-members.

Come hear one of North America's leading natural history writers, learn
about how your steaming mug of java can help conserve migratory birds,
and sample some savory Bird Friendly'® coffee!

Stop the Climate Crisis with this Number

This message is forwarded from Bill McKibben, climate change activist and reknowned author.

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Dear friends,

Here's the invitation I'm sending around about the October 24th Day of Action--it comes to you from a coalition of leaders around the world.

It's going out to people on every continent and in every nation, from Antarctica (hi to our friends at McMurdo Station) to Zimbabwe (greetings to the folks at ZERO working on windpower in rural Africa!). We need everyone working together, in a way that's rarely happened before.

The invitation is a bit long, which worries me since I'm a writer, and value conciseness. But we need to get across both the problem and the plan--and after all this is the greatest challenge we face.

This is going to be fun--and important. Please spread it around.

Many thanks,

Bill

**************
This is an invitation to help build a movement--to take one day day and use it to stop the climate crisis.

On October 24, we will stand together as one planet and call for a fair global climate treaty. United by a common call to action, we'll make it clear: the world needs an international plan that meets the latest science and gets us back to safety.

This movement has just begun, and it needs your help.

Here's the plan: we're asking you, and people in every country on earth, to organize an action in your community on October 24.

http://www.350.org/oct24

There are no limits here--imagine bike rides, rallies, concerts, hikes, festivals, tree-plantings, protests, and more. Imagine your action linking up with thousands of others around the globe. Imagine the world waking up.

If we can pull it off, we'll send a powerful message on October 24: the world needs the climate solutions that science and justice demand.

It's often said that the only thing preventing us from tackling the climate crisis quickly and equitably is a lack of political will. Well, the only thing that can create that political will is a unified global movement--and no one is going to build that movement for us. It's up to regular people all over the world. That's you.

So register an event in your community for October 24, and then enlist the help of your friends. Get together with your co-workers or your local environmental group or human rights campaign, your church or synagogue or mosque or temple; enlist bike riders and local farmers and young people. All over the planet we'll start to organize ourselves.

With your help, there will be an event at every iconic place on the planet on October 24-from America's Great Lakes to Australia's Great Barrier Reef--and also in all the places that matter to you in your daily lives: a beach or park or village green or town hall.

If there was ever a time for you to get involved, it's right now.

There are two reasons this year is so crucial.

The first reason is that the science of climate change is getting darker by the day. The Arctic is melting away with astonishing speed, decades ahead of schedule. Everything on the planet seems to be melting or burning, rising or parched.

And we now now have a number to express our peril: 350.

NASA's James Hansen and a team of other scientists recently published a series of papers showing that we need to cut the amount of carbon in the atmosphere from its current 387 parts per million to below 350 if we wish to "maintain a planet similar to that on which civilization developed."

No one knew that number a year ago-but now it's clear that 350 might well be the most important number for the future of the planet, a north star to guide our efforts as we remake the world. If we can swiftly get the planet on track to get back below 350, we can still avert the worst effects of climate change.

The second reason 2009 is so important is that the political opportunity to influence our governments has never been greater. The world's leaders will meet in Copenhagen this December to craft a new global treaty on cutting carbon emissions.

If that meeting were held now, it would produce a treaty would be woefully inadequate. In fact, it would lock us into a future where we'd never get back to 350 parts per million-where the rise of the sea would accelerate, where rainfall patterns would start to shift and deserts to grow. A future where first the poorest people, and then all of us, and then all the people that come after us, would find the only planet we have damaged and degraded.

October 24 comes six weeks before those crucial UN meetings in Copenhagen. If we all do our job, every nation will know the question they'll be asked when they put forth a plan: will this get the planet back on the path below 350?

This will only work with the help of a global movement-and it's starting to bubble up everywhere. Farmers in Cameroon, students in China, even World Cup skiers have already helped spread the word about 350. Churches have rung their bells 350 times; Buddhist monks have formed a huge 350 with their bodies against the backdrop of Himalayas. 350 translates across every boundary of language and culture. It's clear and direct, cutting through the static and it lays down a firm scientific line.

On October 24, we'll all stand behind 350--a universal symbol of climate safety and of the world we need to create. And at the end of the day, we'll all upload photos from our events to the 350.org website and send these pictures around the world. This cascade of images will drive climate change into the public debate--and hold our leaders accountable to a unified global citizenry.

We need your help-the world is a big place and our team is small. Our crew at 350.org will do everything we can to support you, providing templates for banners and press releases, resources to spread the word, and tools to help you build a strong local climate action group. And our core team is always just a phone call or e-mail away if you need some support.

This is like a final exam for human beings. Can we muster the courage, the commitment, and the creativity to set this earth on a steady course before it's too late? October 24 will be the joyful, powerful day when we prove it's possible.

Please join us and register your local event today.

Onwards,

Bill McKibben - Author and Activist- USA
Vandana Shiva - Physicist, Activist, Author - India
David Suzuki - Scientist, Author, Activist - Canada
Bianca Jagger - Chair of the World Future Council - UK
Tim Flannery - Scientist, Author, Explorer -Australia
Bittu Sahgal - Co-convener, Climate Challenge India - India
Andrew Simmons - Environmental Advocate, St. Vincent & The Grenadines
Christine Loh - Environmental Advocate and Legislator - Hong Kong

P.S.-We need you to do something else, right away, that's pretty easy. Please forward this message to anyone you know who is even remotely appropriate.

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350.org is an international grassroots campaign that aims to mobilize a global climate movement united by a common call to action. By spreading an understanding of the science and a shared vision for a fair policy, we will ensure that the world creates bold and equitable solutions to the climate crisis. 350.org is an independent and not-for-profit project.

350.org needs your help! To support our work, donate securely online at http://www.350.org/donate

To subscribe, visit http://www.350.org/sign-up.

Join us on Facebook by becoming a fan of our page.

Responding to Climate Change in Vermont

Forums to discuss climate change are becoming commonplace as we struggle with this complex, global problem. But on March 23rd, dozens of Vermont’s private and public conservation organizations and agencies had an agenda with a different twist.

Efforts to address climate change in the state have so far focused on how to mitigate climate change – in other words, how to reduce our carbon footprint. Reducing emissions is clearly critical to prevent more dramatic changes than what are already predicted to occur. But climate change is already happening now, and even if we take drastic measures to reduce emissions, its effects are already set into motion. We will see an increase in temperature and other climatic changes, no matter what.

The group of state agencies and conservation organizations, including VCE, met to address a question that is difficult but imperative for us all to face: given the inevitable changes to come, how can we best prepare and adapt strategies for protecting wildlife? The issue challenges conservation groups to coordinate efforts like never before. In what is likely to become an historic gathering, the group identified a structure through which concrete actions can be taken.

The group’s main goal is to develop and implement a comprehensive Vermont Adaptation Plan. The first step identified by the group was to assemble a scientific panel to determine the habitats in Vermont that are most vulnerable to climate change. The group discussed ways to integrate the plan with existing wildlife conservation plans, other entities working on climate change, and with other public interests in general. The task is enormous and the timeline short, but everyone agreed that this is a pressing need requiring immediate action. The plan will undoubtedly be “tweaked” over time as we learn more about the effects of climate change on our natural world.

- Rosalind Renfrew