WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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Today we have a feature about Wildcare, Inc., brought to you by Norm Holy.
We will learn about the history of the organization, their mission and details about their work caring for wild animals.
We also have a short feature from the Indiana Environmental Reporter. This story is about Verifli, an app developed by Indiana University students to help commercial almond growers and beekeepers plan for pollination season.
Headlines
Tree Planting
The country of Ireland will plant over four hundred million trees by twenty-forty, in their effort to remedy climate change.
Other countries have also embraced tree-planting initiatives. Ethiopia planted a record three hundred fifty million trees in a single day in July. Scotland announced this year that it had surpassed its own tree-planting goals, with more than twenty million trees planted.
WFHB has explored the tree planting plans for Indiana. We have checked with the Forest Alliance, and they say the state has no plans to plant a significant number of trees on public lands.
Black Vultures
Over the last several years the black vulture, a species historically of the deep south, has entered the state of Indiana. Now the black vulture species is found north of Bloomington.
Recomposition
Washington has become the first state to legalize composting human body remains. The legislation permits licensed facilities to offer a process called recomposition, which turns a dead body into about two wheelbarrows full of soil. The process takes several weeks.
Poly-fluoro-alkyl Substances
You’ve likely been exposed to poly-fluoro-alkyl substances. We all have. Called forever chemicals, because they don’t break down easily in the environment, P-F-A-S chemicals are found in the drinking water in six hundred ten US locations and forty-three states, affecting nineteen million residents. P-F-A-S chemicals are even present in bottled water.
Bees
In two thousand eighteen alone, the US honeybee population declined by almost forty percent. Habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation are largely responsible for what’s called Colony Collapse Disorder. States are in charge of large amounts of public lands that can be made more bee-friendly. Another solution is to provide bee nesting blocks.
Coming Events
A Native Plant Exchange will take place on Saturday, September 14th from 9 to 11 am in the Bryan Park North Shelter in Bloomington. Experts will be available to answer questions about plants. Bring plants to share, pick up plants and learn about native plants. For more information, go to mc-iris.org
There will be a Strahl Lake Hike at Brown County State Park on Saturday, September 14th from 10 to 11:30 am. Meet at the Strahl Lake parking area to enjoy a 1 mile hike around the lake where you will learn about the flora and fauna. Wear sturdy close-toed shoes.
The Full Harvest Moon Hike at Spring Mill State Park is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th from 9 to 10:45 pm. Meet Anthony and Chris at the Spring Mill Inn front patio for a rugged 2.5 mile hike on Trail 3. Dress accordingly.
Learn to identify trees and shrubs by bark, bud, flower and leaf during a hike through a deciduous forest with an experienced naturalist during the Woodland Plant ID Hike on Sunday, September 15th from 1 to 3 pm at Griffy Lake Nature Preserve. Wear comfortable shoes and bring a water bottle for this 1.5 mile hike. Register at Bloomington.in.gov/parks.
World Rivers Day Cleanup on Sunday, September 22nd will celebrate World Rivers Day from 8:30 to 9:30 am in the Sycamore Shelter at Lower Cascades Park. Learn the value of rivers and how you can improve your stewardship of rivers. You can celebrate by helping clean up Cascades Creek.
