Invasive Ivy

Just got back from trying to remove a couple of patches of English Ivy that's gotten loose in the woods along a road near my neighborhood. I figured someone needs to do something before it spreads deep into the forest. English Ivy is a pretty ornamental when controlled around homes, but I've seen what it can do when it gets loose; in Whitemarsh Park is Bowie almost every tree is covered in ivy and the forest is slowly being smothered.

What I didn't expect was the size of the vines growing up the trees. I had only brought small pruning shears. I was able to attack the vines on several smaller trees and yank them down, but on two of the big trees the main vines were 1 to 2 inches in diameter. I could see seeds ripening high on on of the climbing vines, just waiting to sow more havoc. I'm going to have to go back with a saw to tackle these viny brutes.

Sustainable Maryland

At the Transition Website for President-Elect Obama, change.gov, there is a spot for each of us to share our vision for the future. I used this site to outline my thoughts for a sustainable Maryland and a sustainable nation. The basic tenants that we as a state and nation should work toward include:

1. Clean Air and Clean Water - enforcing and strengthening our existing laws to insure that we all live in safe and healthy environment.
   
2. Abundant, Clean, Renewable Energy - striving to achieve the goals defined by WeCanSolveIt.org to shift our economy to a efficient use of energy.
   
3. Liveable, Green Communities - creating communities that use Smart Growth practices and are wisely planned around transportation networks, that are walkable, and that incorporate trees and natural areas.
   
4. Sustainable Consumption of Resource - fostering the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Compost
   
5. Network of Parks and Greenways - maintaining places for nature to flourish and people to enjoy
6. Robust, Sustainable Economy - supporting a economy that ranges from local shops and restaurants that meet our daily needs and wishes; to competitive, green industries that provide safe and reliable products; to a well educated workforce of knowledge workers who provide the backbone to business and government enterprises locally - and thru telepresence - globally.
7. Healthy Agriculture and Fisheries Sector - using best practices to grow and harvest the highest quality foods; when appropriate, foods that are locally grown and locally purchased through farmers' markets and green grocers throughout the region.
   

The hope is to achieve a Virtuous Circle: A healthy environment gives us a better quality of life which gives us the resources to protect our environment.

Path to Conservation

A friend recently asked me about why I got actively involved in the environment and conservation. I worked with NASA for most of the 1990's and I'm proud of the contributions I made there including to design of the International Space Station. Space exploration is an exciting endeavor, but no place in this Solar System compares to the complexity, beauty, and wonder of our planet. I remember one night, while working mission support for a SpaceLab mission, being awed by images beamed back from the Shuttle of a massive thunderstorm lighting up the skies over huge portions of Mexico.

While working at NASA I was also involved in the "Mission to Planet Earth", a project to study the planet's climate, ecosystem, and the effect of human activity. That project has continued to document the many threats to our fragile home. Care for the environment has become interwoven in my work, my volunteer activities, and my hobbies. Over the years I have been involved in various conservation activities around the Chesapeake Bay Region including volunteer work with the Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary and the Patuxent Riverkeepers. I've tried to bring my computer, photography, and project management skills into play. And now, I've also been sharing my thoughts on this blog. Together, we can make this world a better place.

California - Central Coast

View Photo Gallery

We had the opportunity to explore a bit of the Central Coast of California back in September. After attending a conference in San Francisco, we drove down to the Monterey Peninsula for an extended weekend. We explored the coast from Cannery Row to Point Lobos. The water off the coast are all part of the 5000 square mile Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Along the rocky shores we viewed colonies of sea lions, seals, and spotted a sea otter - which is still a threatened species. I also noted 24 bird species, 9 of which were new for my book including the a migratory pair of oddly named "red-necked phalaropes."

We also visited the old mission at Carmel-By-The-Sea which included beautiful gardens filled with bustling hummingbirds. On the way back we stopped at the Monarch Preserve at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz.

To help protect the ocean habitats for this wildlife, visit the Ocean Conservancy website.

Visit my Photo Gallery for more pictures of the area.