Talks and Posters Sought for 2009 RINHS Conference:

Rhode Island’s Off-Shore Marine Ecosystem and the Potential Impacts of Alternative Energy Development

To be held Thursday, April 23, 2009
Quonset “O” Club, North Kingstown

The conference, sponsored by RINHS, Ocean SAMP, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, will engage scientists, organizations, and citizens in an investigation of ocean development impacts on marine ecosystems and resources. Rhode Island researchers and resource managers will be joined by speakers from Europe and elsewhere with experience of off-shore wind energy development. In addition to the scientific sessions, there will be organizational displays and presentation of the 2009 Distinguished Naturalist Awards.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference.

RINHS invites submission of abstracts for poster and oral presentations for the conference. Reports of scientific investigations into Rhode Island’s off-shore marine ecosystem and/or the potential impacts of alternative energy development are especially encouraged, as are submissions by students. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the RINHS Program Committee. If more oral presentations are requested than the schedule allows, the committee may ask presenters to consider poster presentations instead. All presenters must register for the conference. The submission deadline is Monday, March 2, 2009.

Instructions:
Abstracts should be < 200 words, text only (no tables/graphs), left justified, in the following format:
Author(s), Affiliation(s), address, e-mail, phone number
(Skip a line)
Body of abstract

Submit abstracts electronically, attached as a Word file to: abstract@rinhs.org, with preference for an “oral presentation” or “poster presentation” indicated in the subject field

The submission deadline is end of the business day on Monday, March 2, 2009.

RINHS conferences are widely regarded for convening a broad spectrum of people sharing a curiosity about Rhode Island’s animals, plants, geology, and ecosystem. They are an excellent venue for students to gain experience and for researchers and organizations to showcase what they do in a collegial environment.

For more information contact the RINHS office: contacts

2009 John Wald Science Grants
RINHS and The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island seek proposals for the 2009 John Wald Science Grants. These small grants are made to support research addressing RINHS and TNC priorities. We anticipate funding three to five projects for between $2,000 and $4,000 per project on or before 15 May 2009. Applications following the format described below must reach the Rhode Island Natural History Survey office by 5 P.M., Monday, 23 February 2009.

Read details below or download the full RFP as a PDF:73K  2009 Wald RFP

Information on Prior Wald Grants: Prior Wald Grants

Overview: This grant program is funded by an endowment created in memory of the late John Wald, an editor, writer, photographer, and outdoorsman. The objective of this program is to provide small grants in aid of research for projects addressing priorities of The Nature Conservancy of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. The results of research funded by this program will advance knowledge of Rhode Island’s biota and be used to identify critical lands for conservation in Rhode Island and to provide information for the stewardship of existing protected lands.

Priorities: A John Wald Science Grant may be awarded to any highly ranked project meeting the needs of RINHS and TNC-RI for scientific information that benefits the understanding or stewardship of biological diversity in RI. Nonetheless, this year, priority will be given to proposals addressing RI’s marine, coastal, or freshwater species and ecosystems—the status and trends of species or community diversity, or ecological health as well as methodological research directed at improving assessments of these factors. Projects could, for example, apply ecosystem-based management to Narragansett Bay (or other RI marine areas) and marine resources important to Rhode Island, tie habitat factors to fisheries management, develop information on habitat or diversity trends through historical methodologies, or integrate marine, freshwater, or terrestrial ecosystems. Projects could investigate bio-indictors for monitoring general environmental conditions, restoration outcomes, or directional changes of natural or anthropogenic origin. Researchers are encouraged to demonstrate creative use of existing but previously under-utilized data sources, in addition to generating new field data. We recommend contacting RINHS or TNC prior to submitting your proposal if you have any questions on the relevancy of the project or on the type of specific outcomes that would be most applicable to this grant opportunity. Contact information is provided on the last page.

Application procedure: 5 copies of the proposal must be received by RINHS by 5 P.M., Monday, 23 February 2009. Proposals received after that date will not be considered. Proposals must be typed in single-space with a font size no smaller than 11 point and be no more than 5 pages long including budget and excluding cover page and resume. All proposals must include the following sections:

Cover Page—Provide the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the principal investigator and primary contact for this project, as well as the total funds being requested from the Wald program. List the names and affiliations of any collaborating investigators. Include a single paragraph abstract describing the proposed research and its potential results.

Introduction—(approximately 1 page) Describe the research issue you will address and how this will support TNC-RI science programs. If possible, frame your research project in the form of a question or null hypothesis. What published literature exists for this research topic?

Methods—(approximately 1 page) Explicitly describe the methods you will use and the study sites you intend to work in. What are your target sample sizes? What statistical methods will you use to analyze your data? What is your time schedule?

Expected Results—(approximately 0.5 page) What kind of results will your project produce and what format will they be presented in (tables, figures, maps, GIS data, narrative)? What are the ecological implications of your results and what is their value to the conservation community?

Qualifications—(approximately 0.5 page) What skills, resources, or experience do you have that qualify you for this project?

Budget—(approximately 0.5 page) Itemize the cost of your project in the following categories: Personnel, Supplies and Equipment, Travel, and Subsistence (food, lodging). Describe the contents of each budget category. Tuition costs will not be considered. Institutional indirect costs will be limited to 10% of direct costs.

Literature Cited, Tables, Figures, Appendices—(no more than 2 pages) Include citations to published literature and any supportive materials in this section.

Resume—Include a curriculum vitae for the PI (required) and collaborators (optional). If the PI is a student, a letter of recommendation from the major professor is required.

Five copies of the grant proposal must be received on or before Monday, 23 February 2009. Proposals should be directed to:
Kira Stillwell, Program Administrator
Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS)
P.O. Box 1858
Kingston, RI 02881
Tel: (401) 874-5800
Email: programadmin@rinhs.org

Proposals may be hand delivered to RINHS in Ranger Hall, Room 200, URI Kingston Campus until 5 P.M. on the due date. Note, however, that proposals mailed to the Ranger Hall address will NOT reach RINHS. Faxed or electronic submissions will not be accepted.

All proposals will be reviewed by a panel consisting of scientists and program managers representing TNC-RI and RINHS. Proposals will be evaluated in light of their relevance to TNC-RI and RINHS priorities, needs, and goals stated above and the likeliness of positive results, as well as by the clarity of objectives, scientific merit, appropriateness of methods and budget, and qualifications of the research team. Proposals may be funded in whole or in part and all decisions are made at the complete discretion of the RINHS and TNC-RI panel.

Notification, payment, indirect costs, and other conditions: Applicants will be informed of the outcome on or before 7 April 2009 and must complete a contract with RINHS before any funds can be issued. Successful PI’s will be given a single payment of 80% of the granted amount at the start of the project. The remaining 20% will be awarded upon receipt and approval of the final project report. PI’s may include institutional overhead or indirect costs in their project budget but only to a maximum of 10% of direct costs.

Principal Investigators will need to provide a final report. Final reports will be due by 1 July 2009. Final reports should be prepared in the format of a scientific journal paper (abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, literature cited, tables, figures, and appendices). Final reports will be submitted in printed and electronic format (MS Word or WordPerfect Formats). Printed and digital (when appropriate) copies of raw data must be provided in addition to the written report. GIS data that are developed will be submitted in digital form (ArcExport or Shapefile format) and be accompanied by FGDC-compliant metadata. Explicit instructions for preparing final reports will be provided to PIs at the start of the project. Successful PIs will also be asked to make an oral or poster presentation of their research findings at the Rhode Island Natural History Survey’s annual conference.

All new data collected will be jointly owned by the PIs, TNC-RI, and RINHS. TNC-RI and RINHS may use data internally or externally in support of their science and stewardship programs and RINHS may incorporate any or all data into its proprietary databases and make them available to the public in accordance with its data policy (see www.rinhs.org for the current policy). PI’s are encouraged to publish their results and TNC-RI and RINHS will agree not to present or publish on the subject of a project in a form that uses primarily the data from the project without the PIs’ expressed, written permission.

Questions? Contact either:
Kira Stillwell, Program Administrator
RI Natural History Survey (RINHS)
Tel: (401) 874-5800
Email: programadmin@rinhs.org
or
Dr. Caroly Shumway, Dir. of Conservation Science
The Nature Conservancy
(401) 331-7110X 13
cshumway@tnc.org

I’m not even that old and what I learned in high school biology class is getting VERY out of date. The New Scientist is running a fantastic article in its 24 January issue on the changes being wrought on evolutionary theory by advances in gene sequencing. Speaking for myself, at least, I welcomed this easy to understand summary of new thinking on the development and organization of life. Maybe I’m older than I think….

Link to full article at New Scientist

One of our roles at RINHS is to help the naturalist community in Rhode Island keep up to date with emerging issues in natural history, such as new invasive species, new discoveries, or new techniques.  White Nose Syndrome (WNS),  a phenomenon associated with massive die-offs of hibernating bats in the northeastern U.S.,  burst on the public consciousness last winter, although it now appears to have been around for a few years before that. The following is a link to a summary of a WNS research summit held in June. There is lots of interesting information in it. We’ll try to keep you up to date.

PDF of WNS Summit Summary

RINHS will host a lecture on February 5 entitled, “Considerations for Marine Fisheries Habitat and Marine Construction,” by Vin Malkoski, an aquatic biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and a leader in Massachusetts’ environmental review of the proposed Cape Wind off-shore wind farm. Malkoski will describe considerations taken by marine biologists in evaluating the potential effects of marine construction, be it wind turbines, oil platforms, or other fixed facilities. The lecture is Thursday, February 5, at 7:30 p.m. in Swan Auditorium, Swan Hall, Upper College Road, on URI’s Kingston Campus. The lecture is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:45 PM for refreshments & fellowship.

Malkoski will describe a marine biologist’s approach to the review of off-shore development and share insights from his experience. Review of construction proposals requires evaluation of resource, habitat, and site characteristics in short and long time frames, of disputed impacts, and of the cumulative impact of present and future projects. Review should be data driven and can benefit from lessons learned in other countries.

Vin Malkoski is a Senior Marine Fisheries Biologist for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). Currently assigned to the Division’s Fisheries Habitat Project, he was the DMF lead for the environmental review of the Cape Wind Project from 2001 through 2007. As a member of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Habitat Committee and the New England Fisheries Management Council Habitat Plan Development Team, Malkoski works on regional and coast-wide marine habitat issues.

The program is part of RINHS’s 2008 – 2009 Mark D. Gould Memorial Lecture Series. This year the series theme is energy facility development and its biological effects. Series sponsors include U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service RI Refuge Complex and Rhode Island Ocean SAMP. Rhode Island Ocean SAMP is a project to study the possible sites for alternative energy development in Rhode Island’s off-shore waters and organize the inputs and concerns of diverse stakeholders. RI Ocean SAMP encourages a community-wide conversation about the energy initiatives being considered in Rhode Island. For more information visit RI Ocean SAMP.

For more information: 401.874.5800 programadmin@rinhs.org.

Download a printed flyer in PDF: Malkowski flyer

Swan Hall is located on Upper College Road on URI’s Kingston Campus. Coming north on Upper College Road from the light at Rt. 138, Swan Hall is on the right after the first stop sign. For parking, pass Swan Hall and turn right on to Fortin Road and right into the lot behind the URI Foundation building. Alternatively park in the lot behind the Fine Arts Center, on Bills Road, the first right after the URI Club. To get to Kingston, from the west follow Rt 138 to Kingston and turn left at the light onto Upper College Road; from the east and north follow Rt. 1 south to Rt. 138 and turn west then go to the second light and turn right onto Upper College Road.

Local botanists have gotten together to build a new website intended to support those interested in Rhode Island’s native plants, especially its wild flowers. The site is among-ri-wildflowers.org, and it is managed by Kathy Barton. The site’s name honors William Whitman Bailey, Brown botany professor and early Rhode Island Naturalist, who wrote a book on the state’s flowers by that name. The site currently includes notes on the 2008 field season and a really great summary of Rhode Island’s orchid species. We wish Kathy and her un-indicted co-conspirators luck with the site and hope botanists of all stripes will support it with information, photos, and other help. We look forward to watching it develop.

Some other recommended sites for those interested in Rhode Island plants:

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

New England Wild Flower Society

Connecticut Botanical Society

I guess it was bound to happen. What do they say? “As you sow so shall you reap”? As anyone who’s hung around with me long knows, I can be pretty tough on people who misrepresent or misappropriate species, ecosystems, or other aspects of natural history in popular media. You know, rantings and ravings every time an ad shows polar bears and penguins cavorting together. Or a few comedic penguins thrown into a scene about Santa Claus’s home life. Or how about the near-universal ignorance over what reindeer antlers look like. It is easy to find natural historical problems with TV shows that supposedly take place in New England but were clearly shot in the California hills. Or to catch shows depicting crabs with six legs, insects with eight, male worker characters in stories about colonial insects, that kind of thing. In my defense, lots of other people do this, too. Then this happened:

The other day I was walking in the snow with my just-turned four daughter when we came across deer tracks. They were old and had melted enough for the typical cloven toed print to fuse into a single round print but I knew it was a deer because of the size and spacing. Hoping to inculcate in her some of my enthusiasm for wild animals I said with exaggerated wonder, “Look! deer tracks!” She responded with a serious face, “Papa, deer have two toes, these tracks have one. These are unicorn tracks.”

I’m so proud… …wait a minute!

Here’s an idea from Jung Seeds & Plants, a nursery outfit in Wisconsin. This picture is from the cover of their Spring 2009 catalog:

Is your local land trust having a problem keeping the fields clear of bittersweet? Having trouble getting beyond a certain fundraising threshold? With bittersweet going for $16 a plant, now you can solve BOTH problems! Earn $10, $20, even $30,000 a month just by digging and mailing. Request a catalog from Jung yourself and find out how!

Or better yet, email your state representative and ask him or her why Rhode Island doesn’t have invasive plant legislation similar to Conn. and Mass. to make it illegal to sell plants that someone else is only going to have to eradicate? Is this some scheme to ensure full employment for herbicide manufacturers? You won’t know if you don’t ask.