Buresh Blog: Warm pattern.... local water quality - Feb. 14th

Feb. 14, 2018 — An overall warm - above avg. temps. - weather pattern will continue through a good part of the rest of Feb. A Bermuda-like high pressure area will expand over & near Fl. stretching from the Gulf & Caribbean to the SW Atlantic.  This set-up will keep strong & wet storm systems to the north & west of Jacksonville which is where the cold air will reside.

How clean is the water near your home?.... From the St. Johns River Management District:

Ever wonder how clean that water in a nearby lake, stream or spring is? The St. Johns River Water Management District is now making it easier than ever before to get those answers. Data from more than 400 monitoring stations has been compiled into an interactive webpage to help the public understand what’s going on with water quality in their area

“Our vision was to provide an easy way for anyone to learn about water quality throughout the district or at their homes where it matters most,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Dr. Ann Shortelle. “It’s interactive. You can view all of the monitoring sites throughout the district or type in your address and see what’s happening locally.”

Protecting and restoring water quality is a core mission of the district and this innovative database is one way of keeping the public informed about the strides that are being made each year. Monitoring provides a wealth of information that enables the district to make resource decisions based on accurate and timely information. Throughout its 18-county service area, the district has 207 surface water monitoring stations, 270 groundwater monitoring wells and 26 springs monitoring stations that measure many parameters, such as nitrogen, chloride and water temperature.

To access the page, go - here. You may choose one of the many listed parameters and view the map to the right to determine whether they’re increasing, decreasing or largely unchanged.

In the spirit of Black History Month.... from Forbes Magazine... Dr. Warren Washington - click here. Dr. Washington is perhaps best known long ago for his work on atmospheric computer modeling followed by his work on climate change. Photo below from UCAR.

From NEEF (National Environmental Education Foundation):

The 2018 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)(link is external) takes place from Friday, February 16 through Monday, February 19. Each year, volunteers tally the birds they see in backyards, parks, and natural areas. 2017 was the biggest count in its history, with bird watchers from more than 140 countries reported 5,940 species—more than half of the known bird species in the world! Which species might show up in this year’s count?

Even if you don’t spot any rare species, counting the “regulars” is just as important. Volunteers participating in GBBC help track changes in bird populations at a scale that scientists can’t achieve alone. 

So, get counting! Anyone can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count by tallying birds for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count. Get started with these simple instructions(link is external) for counting and reporting birds. You can also find an online bird guide(link is external), tips for making tricky bird IDs(link is external), and birding apps(link is external). 

No backyard? No problem. Head to a public land to count birds! Bureau of Land Management, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, and US Forest Service lands are offering fee-free days(link is external) over Presidents' Day Weekend.

GBBC is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, with partner Bird Studies Canada.

Cox Media Group