Recent storms have focused interest on the dynamics of the shoreline. Receiving attention is the question, “What has it done in the past?” In 2010 the USGS released their report on historical shoreline change along the New England and Mid-Atlantic coasts from Virginia to Maine. Connecticut, buried in the Sound, was passed by. With funding […]
A Watershed Moment
Many of us have heard about watershed protection efforts. Perhaps you live in a drinking water supply watershed. Poor Willy Wonka was wrongly accused of poisoning the watershed of his brown river (it turned out to be chocolate). But what is a watershed, really? In physical terms, a watershed is an area of land that […]
When it comes to Climate Change— Money Talks
It is generally accepted by climate scientists that New England will experience a trend of increasing intensity and frequency of storms resulting in an increase in flooding and coastal erosion. Recent storms have raised our collective awareness of the damage, both fiscal and physical, that these storms can cause. Consider that Sandy wasn’t even a […]
Dealing in Imagery
My extra desk has seen a steady stream of boxes – little and big ones, brown and black ones, even an iPad box (no iPad included). One had old maps crumpled up to protect its contents. Some have been dropped off and others have been part of a suspicious looking package trade at meetings across […]
Crackerjack Cartography: Mapping Our National Pastime
The first of April means the start of something magical to many, and I’m not just talking wood frogs and practical jokes. It’s Opening Day, the start of baseball season in America. A day when our nation’s pastime and my personal pastime collide. I love baseball and I love maps. This time of year, I […]
Of Witch Hazel and Wood Frogs
Here at CLEAR I don’t think anyone would claim to be a naturalist, at least of any skill or repute. But that doesn’t prevent our collective and individual enjoyment of the natural world, including the signal events that mark the turning of the seasons. For me (forgive me, crocus fans), there are really three signature […]
Drones for the Common Good
When people hear the word drone most look to the sky with fear and trepidation. Are they the next target for a missile strike? Are the police watching them? Is what they do in their back yard going to show up on the web? Rand Paul spoke for half a day about the evils of drones and the […]
Celebrating World Water Day at Home
Today, Friday March 22, is World Water Day. Most of us have heard quotes like “the next war will be fought over water” (generally attributed to various U.N. diplomats). And, on the other side of the water quotation spectrum, there is the oft-repeated but unsubstantiated quote by comedian W.C. Fields, who supposedly said “Water, I […]
Do "We" Believe in Climate Change?
Over the last year and a half here in Connecticut, we have certainly seen our fair share of extreme weather events – Irene, the Halloween nor’easter of 2011, Sandy, Winter Storm NEMO (no relation to our NEMO), etc. These events have certainly had a big physical and financial impact on our state, but may have also […]
New CLEAR Progress Report Not as Boring as it Sounds!
Every 5.5 years or so (we have only two data points, so this may or may not be a trend) CLEAR issues a Progress Report in an attempt to characterize our rather unconventional blend of research, training, tool development, and outreach. Our second such report is now out, and to be frank—not to mention immodest […]
The Salt of the Earth
Although signs of spring are appearing around us (crocuses are up at my house!), the remnants of winter linger. Piles of dirty snow snow still litter the landscape, refusing to yield to the lengthening days. Very soon our thoughts and activities will turn to all things spring; snowplows and road salt will be distant memories. […]
This is Not Your Dog’s Clicker Training
When you say the word “clicker” the first thing many people think of is training a dog. But clickers can also refer to the devices used to engage an audience in group decision-making. When a contestant in a game show decides to “ask the audience,” an audience response system (aka clicker) is used. Recently, clickers […]
The Lawn and the Short of It
Thanks to Frederick Law Olmsted, Central Park has great expanses of grass. But can you imagine a lawn 14 times the size of Manhattan? That’s basically what we have in the Connecticut and lower New York area. Humble old grass has become the area’s third most extensive land cover, after forest and developed land (see […]
Connecticut Has New Aerial Imagery
What’s stunning, statewide, and captured last March? No, not mountain lions — Connecticut’s new aerial imagery! And, while it may not be quite good enough to help you find your car keys, it’s probably good enough to allow you to identify the car in your driveway. Here are some key facts about this great new […]
Build a Rain Garden this Spring with NEMO’s New App & Website
February 20, 2013 Presented by David Dickson & Michael Dietz, UConn CLEAR Rain gardens are depressions in the ground that collect and soak up stormwater runoff from roads, roofs, driveways, and other hard surfaces. They are relatively simple to install, are beautiful additions to the landscape, and help prevent water pollution. And now NEMO has […]
A Happy Valentine’s Day to All
NEMO’s New Rain Garden App Getting the Attention it Deserves
It should come as no surprise how excited we are to show off NEMO’s new Rain Garden App (see past blog posts), not to mention the fact that it’s the first UConn app created for the general public. However, we are equally excited about all the attention it is getting. Most recently, NEMO Director Michael […]
Dietz Gets Sappy About Water
It’s funny sometimes how seemingly unrelated events help to congeal an idea in your head (or in my case remind you of an idea that you had thought about before, and then forgotten…I am 40 after all!). Earlier this week I finally checked out the NPR story that Don Waye from EPA had sent, that […]
Gardening in the Aftermath of Storm Sandy
The amount of daylight we have each day is slowly lengthening, and those gardening catalogs are arriving in the mail. Many coastal communities, as well as some further inland, will be assessing more damage from Storm Sandy as salt spray damage to plants becomes evident. As people think about replanting lost or damaged plants, take […]
Oh the App it is awaitin’!
With apologies to Bob Dylan, & more abject apologies to Bob Dylan fans (in fact, apologies to everyone) [ References for those under 40: audio historical ] Come gather ‘round people, wherever you’ve been And admit that the runoff is up to your chin. Well it looks like that soon you must learn […]