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El Ayuntamiento solo podrá contratar a 4 desempleados frente a los 37 del año pasado o los 71 del año 2021

La terapia ocupacional es la encargada de analizar qué actividades hace diariamente, cómo, cuándo, para qué, porqué y dónde”. 

Click to listen to episode (3:54).Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.)Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 9-15-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of September 18 and September 25, 2023.  This is a revised version of an episode from September 2014. SOUNDS - ~6 sec – Pied-billed Grebe call. This week, we feature some raucous mystery sounds from a family of diving birds.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds, and see if you can guess what's making these calls.  And here's a hint: you'll get grief if you miss this name by only one letter's sound. SOUNDS - ~ 22 sec. If you guessed grebe, you're right!  Those were some of the sounds made by the Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, and Red-necked Grebe.  Out of 22 grebe species worldwide and seven in North America, these three species are found commonly in many aquatic habitats in Virginia, with two others—the Eared Grebe and the Western Grebe—seen occasionally within the Commonwealth.  Horned Grebes and Red-necked Grebes are regular winter residents on Virginia's coasts, while the Pied-billed Grebe is typically a year-round resident on the coast and a winter resident in other regions. Grebes are known for their swimming and diving abilities; for example, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's “Birds of the World” Web site says quote, “[g]rebes rocket through the water by compressing water behind them with coordinated thrusts of their muscular legs,” unquote; and Cornell's “All About Birds” site calls the Pied-billed Grebe “part bird, part submarine.”  Lobed toes set far back on their bodies adapt grebes for swimming, and their ability to add or remove water and air from their feathers and internal air sacs helps them to float or, as needed, to submerge to escape danger or to feed.  Grebes feed on a variety of aquatic animals like fish, crustaceans, and insects; on aquatic plants sometimes; and—notably—on their own feathers.  In turn, they may be eaten by such predators as raccoons, snakes, and birds of prey. Grebes call and act aggressively during breeding season, but they may be quieter and much less noticeable during non-breeding season.   In fact, a calm pond surface might conceal a hiding grebe with only its nostrils exposed to the air, or that surface might be broken—almost silently—by a grebe emerging with a fish in its bill. Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use the grebe sounds, from the Stokes' Field Guide to Bird Songs, and we let the Pied-billed Grebe have the last call. SOUNDS - ~6 sec. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of “Cripple Creek” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 233, 9-29-14. The sounds of the Horned Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, and Red-necked Grebe were from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott.  Lang Elliot's work is available online at “The Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES Two Pied-billed Grebes on a pond in Blacksburg, Virginia, September 28, 2014.  Photo by Virginia Water Radio.Pied-billed Grebe at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Wyoming, April 2016.  Photo by Tom Koerner, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; specific URL for the photo was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/23453/rec/4, as of 9-18-23.Horned Grebe with chick, at Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, June 2005.  Photo by Donna Dewhurst, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; specific URL for the photo was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/411/rec/41, as of 9-18-23.Red-necked Grebe pair, at Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, May 2005.  Photo by Donna Dewhurst, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; specific URL for the photo was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/20/rec/37, as of 9-18-23. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE PIED-BILLED GREBE The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/, primarily the “Life History” section of the the Pied-billed Grebe entry, online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040008&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19612. The scientific name of the Pied-billed Grebe is Podilymbus podiceps. Physical Description “This species is 12-15 inches (31-38 cm) long with a 23 inch wingspread.  It is a small, stocky bird distinguished by its short, blunt bill encircled by a broad black band with the upper portion of the bill curved downward; it is often described as chicken-like.  ...Grebes have lobed toes, feet that are placed far back on the body, and a short rudder-like tail to aid in pursuing prey underwater.” Reproduction “The nest is built by both members of the pair and is made up of flags, rushes, sedge, algae and mud and is attached to grasses, reeds or bushes in the water. ...The eggs are laid from March to September, are blue-white initially, and then turn brown.  The brown color results from the adults covering the eggs with wet organic matter when they are foraging or defending the territory.  ...There may be up to 2 broods per year.  Incubation takes about 23 days and begins with the first egg laid.” Behavior “Nest attendance is shared equally by the male and female during egg-laying and post-laying periods.  Incubation however, is carried out mostly by the female.  The streaked or spotted chicks can swim almost immediately after hatching.  The young will usually travel on the parents back or will cling to their tail.  The parents may feed the chicks and even dive while chicks are on their back.  The parents will return to the nest frequently with the young.  Young grebes fledge at about 35 days.  ...[This species] rarely flies, and it escapes by diving with a short leap or by slowly submerging.  It is the most solitary of the grebes.  It is the first grebe to arrive north in the spring and the last to leave in the fall.  It migrates in closely-massed flocks. ...” Feeding “Diet consists primarily of fish including eels, carp, and catfish as well as sticklebacks, sculpins, silversides, and minnows.  [It will also] forage on crayfishes, aquatic insects, snails, spiders, frogs, tadpoles, some seeds and soft parts of aquatic plants, ...[and] on shrimp in saltwater bays and estuaries.  [It ingests] large numbers of their own feathers.  This may serve to protect the stomach from puncture by indigestible parts and prevent hard items from entering the intestines.  Feathers also provide the base material of regurgitated pellets that contain undigested material such as fish bones.” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations: “In Virginia, pied-billed grebes have been observed foraging with snowy egrets.  Mutualistic foraging enhances opportunities for obtaining prey.  Limiting factors: The greatest losses of nests and eggs resulted from wind, rain, waves, and storm tides.  Predators of eggs and young include raccoons, laughing gulls, water snakes, snapping turtles, and peregrine falcons.” SOURCES Used for Audio Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “All About Birds,” online at http://www.allaboutbirds.org.The Horned Grebe entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Horned_Grebe/;the Pied-billed Grebe entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/;the Red-necked Grebe entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-necked_Grebe/. National Audubon Society, “Taxonomic Family: Grebes,” online at https://www.audubon.org/bird-guide?title=Grebe&family=6460. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Birds of the World,” online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home.  (subscription required).The entry for the taxonomic family of grebes, Podicipedidae, is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/podici1/cur/introduction; this is the source of the quote in the audio.The Horned Grebe entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/horgre/cur/introduction;the Pied-billed Grebe entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/pibgre/cur/introduction;the Red-necked Grebe entry is online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/rengre/cur/introduction. Indiana Audubon, “Pied-billed Grebe,” by Annie Aguirre, July 1, 2018, online at https://indianaaudubon.org/2018/07/01/pied-billed-grebe-2/. Angela Minor, “Birds of the Blue Ridge: Pied-billed Grebe,” Blue Ridge Country, December 27, 2022. Chandler S. Robbins et al., A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America, St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y., 2001. Stan Tekiela, Birds of Virginia Field Guide, Adventure Publications, Cambridge, Minn., 2002. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/.The Horned Grebe entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040005&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19612;the Pied-billed Grebe entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040008&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19612;the Red-necked Grebe entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040004&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19612. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “List of Native and Naturalized Fauna in Virginia, August 2022,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf. Joel C. Welty, The Life of Birds, 2nd Edition, W.B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Penn., 1975. For More Information about Birds in Virginia or Elsewhere Chesapeake Bay Program, “Birds,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/critters?s=&fieldGuideType=Birds&fieldGuideHabitat. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Merlin Photo ID.”  The application for mobile devices allows users to submit a bird photograph to get identification of the bird. Information is available online at http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, “eBird,” online at https://ebird.org/home.  Here you can find locations of species observations made by contributors, and you can sign up to contribute your own observations. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org.Virginia Society of Ornithology, online at http://www.virginiabirds.org/.  The Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of birds in the Commonwealth. Xeno-canto Foundation, online at https://xeno-canto.org/.  This site provides sounds of birds and other wildlife from around the world. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Birds” subject category. Following are links to some other episodes on diving birds. American Coot – Episode 391, 10-23-17.Cormorants – Episode 467, 4-8-19.Loons – Episode 445, 11-5-18

Click to listen to episode (5:03).Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.)Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 9-1-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of September 4 and September 11, 2023. MUSIC – ~22 sec – Lyrics: “Wake up in the morning and get to work; wake up in the morning and get to work.  Got a lot of work to do, gonna go do it, gotta get to it.” That's part of “Get to Work,” by the Harrisionburg- and Rockingham County, Va.-based band, The Steel Wheels, from their 2019 album, “Over the Trees.”  It sets the stage for a water-and-work quiz game, honoring Labor Day by exploring some water-related jobs.  In this game, I'll read 10 short samples of people describing their work connected to water; you'll have a couple of seconds of river sounds to guess the job, then I'll tell you the answer.  Let's get to it! No. 1.  I manage places where marine or freshwater creatures are grown for food, restoration, or other purposes. [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's an aquaculturist. No. 2.  I ply big rivers on large, flat vessels full of coal, grains, and other goods.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC] That's a crew member on a river barge. No. 3.  I'm a scientist who studies fish.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's an ichthyologist. No. 4.  I'm a scientist who studies inland waters, both fresh and salty.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a limnologist.  No. 5.  I respond to often dangerous emergencies with the aid of trucks, hoses, pumps, and other equipment.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a firefighter. No. 6.  I use filters, chemicals, and tests to treat water going from sources to customers.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That a water-supply plant worker. No. 7.  I use filters, chemicals, and tests to treat used water and send it back to water sources.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a wastewater-treatment plant worker. No. 8.  I board huge ships in open waters, then guide the ships safely into port.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a harbor pilot. No. 9.  I work to ensure safe, accessible, and effective use of a water-recreation facility.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a swimming pool manager, lifeguard, or water exercise instructor. And No. 10.  I use powerful drills to provide access to groundwater.  [RIVER SOUNDS - ~2 SEC]  That's a water-well contractor. Other water-related jobs include boat building, farming, public health, managing lakes and dams, managing watersheds, identifying wetlands, and lots more.  As Labor Day comes and goes, here's a big thank you to people who work to provide, manage, navigate, protect, and teach and learn about our common wealth of water.   Thanks also to The Steel Wheels for permission to use part of “Get to Work.”  We close with some more music, this time by renowned musician and former Charlottesville, Virginia, resident John McCutcheon.  From his 1998 album “Four Seasons: Autumnsongs,” here's about 35 seconds of “Labor Day.” MUSIC – ~36 sec – Lyrics: “Labor Day, Labor Day, September or the first of May.  To all who work this world we say, ‘Happy Labor Day.'” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The river sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio beside the New River at Radford, Va., on October 6, 2013. “Get to Work,” from the 2019 album, “Over the Trees,” is copyright by The Steel Wheels, used with permission.  More information about The Steel Wheels is available online at http://www.thesteelwheels.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 558, 1-4-21. “Labor Day,” from the 1998 album “Four Seasons: Autumnsongs,” on Rounder Records, is copyright by John McCutcheon/Appalsongs and Si Kahn/Joe Hill Music, used with permission of John McCutcheon.  More information about John McCutcheon is available online at http://www.folkmusic.com/.  Thanks to John Plunkett of Appalseed Productions for his help in acquiring permission to use this music.  More information about Appalseed Productions is available online at https://appalseed-productions-2.square.site/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES (Except as otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) A Virginia Tech worker testing fire-hyrdrant pressure on the university campus in Blacksburg, March 10, 2017.A well-drilling rig at a Montgomery County, Virginia, residential project, June 20, 2014.A barge transporting stone on the Ohio River at Huntington, West Virginia, November 6, 2011.A commercial ship on the Chesapeake Bay as viewed from Kent Island, Maryland, September 22, 2010.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT LABOR DAY The following information is from U.S. Department of Labor, “History of Labor Day,” online at https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history.  “Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states.  After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation.  New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887.  During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit.  By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.” SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, “What is Limnology?”  Online at https://www.aslo.org/what-is-aquatic-science/what-is-limnology/. Encyclopedia Britannica, “May Day,” by Meg Matthais, online at https://www.britannica.com/topic/May-Day-international-observance. Fire Safety USA, “All [Product] Categories,” online at https://firesafetyusa.com/collections/all-products. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service, “What is aquaculture?”  Online at this link. NPR, “Harbor Pilots Reap High Rewards for Dangerous Job,” by Gloria Hillard, March 21, 2012. NPR, “What is May Day?”  For the most part, the opposite of capitalism,” by Emma Bowman, May 1, 2023. Tennessee Valley Authority, “Commodities Shipped on the River,” online at https://www.tva.com/environment/managing-the-river/commodities-shipped-on-the-river. University of New Mexico, “Position Classification Description: Aquatics Manager,” online at https://jobdescriptions.unm.edu/detail.php?v&id=I6001. U.S. Department of Labor, “History of Labor Day,” online at https://www.dol.gov/general/laborday/history. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Learn About Private Water Wells,” online at https://www.epa.gov/privatewells/learn-about-private-water-wells. Virginia Cooperative Extension/Virginia Household Water Quality Program, “Wellcheck Contractor List,” online at https://www.wellwater.bse.vt.edu/wellcheck-contractor-list.php. Karen Zraik, “What is Labor Day?  A History of the Workers' Holiday,” New York Times, September 4, 2023 (first published in 2018).RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Overall Importance of Water” subject category. Following are links to some other episodes on Labor Day or water-related labor.Episode 279, 8-24-15 – Oysters, Nitrogen, and the Chesapeake Bay. Episode 378, 7-24-17 – The Complicated Challenge of Cleaner Water. Episode 436, 9-3-18 – Labor Day, “Sandy Boys,” and the Big Sandy River. Episode 578, 5-24-21 – Water Well Construction is an Ancient and Modern Human Practice. Episode 635, 8-29-22 – A Fishing Focus for Labor Day, Featuring the Northern Neck Chantey Singers FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth. Grades K-5: Earth Resources3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment.6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.8 – Freshwater resources influence and are influenced by geologic processes and human activity.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:35).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra InformationSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-29-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of June 26 and July 3, 2023. MUSIC – ~8 sec –lyrics: “Ah reflections in the window pane, fallin' in love, in the drivin' rain.” That's part of “Driving Rain,” by the Charlottesville- and Nelson County, Va.-based band, Chamomile and Whiskey.  The song's a love story, but its title and main phrase lead in to a legal water story—that is, how does rain, and any other water on the landscape, become water covered by the federal Clean Water Act, specifically by the Act's phrase, the “waters of the United States?”  On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court wrote a new chapter in this story. Passed in 1972, the Clean Water Act's main goal is “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters.”  The Act states that it applies to “navigable waters,” defined as “waters of the United States, including the territorial seas,” and amendments in 1977 added wetlands that are adjacent to other covered waters.  All waters covered by the Act are known as “jurisdictional waters,” and any discharges into such waters require a federal permit.  Defining what waters—particularly what wetlands and small tributaries—are jurisdictional has enormous impact on the Act's environmental and economic reach. Many questions and legal challenges have been raised over the meaning of “waters of the United States,” its relation to the term “navigable waters,” and the Act's implementation by the U.S. EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The Supreme Court has a long history of decisions on these questions.  Here are short accounts of five important Court decisions, including the most recent one, affecting the Act's jurisdiction. 1.  The 1870 Daniel Ball decision held that “navigable waters of the United States” are those that support commerce between states or with foreign countries.  Later Supreme Court cases expanded that test to include waters that formerly supported, or could support, such commerce. 2.  The 1985 Riverside Bayview decision affirmed that the Act covered wetlands adjacent to other “waters of the United States.” 3.  The 2001 SWANCC decision held that the Act did not cover wetlands solely on the basis of their use by migratory birds. 4.  In the complicated 2006 Rapanos decision, a plurality opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia held that the Act covers only relatively permanent water bodies that form recognizable geographical features, plus wetlands only if they have a “continuous surface connection” to other covered waters.  Justice Anthony Kennedy's concurring opinion held that wetlands were covered if they have a quote, “significant nexus,” unquote, to conditions in other covered waters. And 5.  The 2023 Sackett decision returned to the Scalia opinion of 2006, while dismissing Justice Kennedy's “significant nexus” test.  So the Court now holds that the Act covers only, quote, “relatively permanent, standing or continuously flowing water bodies, forming geographical features…described in ordinary parlance as streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes,” unquote;  plus wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to such water bodies.  This removes many previously regulated wetlands from the Act's jurisdiction.  While the Sackett decision focused particularly on wetlands, the new test articulated in the decision may have impacts as well for small streams that do not flow year-round. Through amendments, executive orders, agency actions, and litigation, defining the reach of the Clean Water Act has been a long, meandering story.  It's probably safe to say that more turns await. Thanks to Chamomile and Whiskey for permission to use “Driving Rain.”  We close with some more music, this time from Wake Up Robin, with musicians from California, New York, North Carolina, New York, and Washington.  The song's watery title recalls debates over what water bodies are, so to speak, enough like navigable waters to be covered by the Clean Water Act.  Here's about 20 seconds of “Like a River.” MUSIC – ~19 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of “Cripple Creek” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Driving Rain,” from the 2012 album “The Barn Sessions,” is copyright by Chamomile and Whiskey and by County Wide Records, used with permission.  More information about Chamomile and Whiskey is available online at http://www.chamomileandwhiskey.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 650, 3-6-23. “Like a River,” from the 2018 album “Wake Up Robin,” on Great Bear Records, by the group of the same name, is used with permission of Andrew VanNorstrand.  More information about the album and band is available online at https://wakeuprobin.bandcamp.com, and at https://www.wakeuprobin.com/. Virginia Water Radio thanks Stephen Schoenholtz, Kevin McGuire, and Daniel McLaughlin, all of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, for their help with this episode. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com.IMAGES (Photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) What does the definition of “waters of the United States” say about the following areas? Marsh at Eyre Hall near Cheriton, Virginia (Northampton County), October 6, 2007.Bog near the community of Interior in Giles County, Virginia, October 3, 2009.Wetland-lake complex in the Loup River watershed near Valentine, Nebraska, July 14, 2011.Upper photo: Dry (at the time) seasonal floodplain pond in Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Virginia (Montgomery County), May 27, 2023; lower photo: the same pond in wet conditions three days later, on May 30, 2023. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE U.S. SUPREME COURT CASE SACKETT v. EPA (2023) The following is quoted from the first page of the Supreme Court's syllabus of the Sackett v. EPA case, decided May 25, 2023; the information was accessed online (from a PDF) at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-454_4g15.pdf, May 29, 2023. SACKETT ET UX . v. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ET AL . CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT No. 21–454. Argued October 3, 2022—Decided May 25, 2023 Petitioners Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased property near Priest Lake, Idaho, and began backfilling the lot with dirt to prepare for building a home.  The Environmental Protection Agency informed the Sacketts that their property contained wetlands and that their backfilling violated the Clean Water Act, which prohibits discharging pollutants into “the waters of the United States.” 33 U. S. C. §1362(7).  The EPA ordered the Sacketts to restore the site, threatening penalties of over $40,000 per day.  The EPA classified the wetlands on the Sacketts' lot as “waters of the United States” because they were near a ditch that fed into a creek, which fed into Priest Lake, a navigable, intrastate lake.  The Sacketts sued, alleging that their property was not “waters of the United States.” The District Court entered summary judgment for the EPA.  The Ninth Circuit affirmed, holding that the CWA covers wetlands with an ecologically significant nexus to traditional navigable waters and that the Sacketts' wetlands satisfy that standard. Held: The CWA's use of “waters” in §1362(7) refers only to “geographic[al] features that are described in ordinary parlance as ‘streams, oceans, rivers, and lakes' ” and to adjacent wetlands that are “indistinguishable” from those bodies of water due to a continuous surface connection.  Rapanos v. United States, 547 U. S. 715, 755, 742, 739 (plurality opinion).  To assert jurisdiction over an adjacent wetland under the CWA, a party must establish “first, that the adjacent [body of water constitutes] . . . ‘water[s] of the United States' (i.e., a relatively permanent body of water connected to traditional interstate navigable waters); and second, that the wetland has a continuous surface connection with that water, making it difficult to determine where the ‘water' ends and the ‘wetland' begins.”  Ibid. Pp. 6–28. SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION Justia Company, “U.S. Supreme Court/The Daniel Ball, 77 U.S. 557 (1870), online at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/77/557/. Justia Company, “U.S. Supreme Court/United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc., 474 U.S. 121 (1985), online at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/474/121/.Justia Company, “U.S. Supreme Court/Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001),” online at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/531/159/. Justia Company, “U.S. Supreme Court/Rapanos v. United States, 547 U.S. 715 (2006),” online at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/547/715/. Justia Company, “U.S. Supreme Court/Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 598 U.S. ___ (2023),” online at https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/598/21-454/. John Krunzel and Andrew Chung, “US Supreme Court rules against EPA in wetlands regulation challenge,” Reuters, May 25, 2023. Adam Liptak, “Supreme Court Limits E.P.A.'s Power to Address Water Pollution,” New York Times, May 25, 2023. John Lowenthal, “Summary on Sackett v. US EPA,” Society of Wetland Scientists [McLean, Va.], e-mail message sent May 26, 2023. Supreme Court of the United States, No. 21-454, Michael Sackett, et ux., Petitioners, v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al., May 25, 2023.  Cited as 598 U.S.__(2023).  The case was argued October 3, 2022.  The opinions (majority plus two concurring) are available online (as a PDF) at https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/21-454_4g15.pdf. Nina Totenberg, “The Supreme Court has narrowed the scope of the Clean Water Act.” NPR, May 25, 2023. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):“EPA and Army Finalize Rule Establishing Definition of WOTUS and Restoring Fundamental Water Protections,” December 30, 2022, news release.“Revising the Definition of ‘Waters of the United States': Final Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States',” online at https://www.epa.gov/wotus/revising-def

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:05).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra InformationSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-24-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of June 12 and June 19, 2023.  This is a revised version of an episode from August 2011. MUSIC – ~12 sec – instrumental. That's part of “Frog Legs Rag,” composed in 1906 by James Scott of Missouri.  It opens an episode on a frog known for its large size, deep voice, and big appetite.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds to the following mystery sounds, and see if you know what's making the croaks.  And here's a hint: what would you get if you combined a male hoofed mammal with a jumping amphibian? SOUNDS - ~16 sec If you guessed a bullfrog, you're right!  You heard calls of the American Bullfrog, the largest native frog in North America, with a length typically of 4 to 6 inches and sometimes as much as 8 inches.  This large size helps account for the males' deep mating call, often described as “jug-o-rum” and audible over considerable distances.  Bullfrogs are found all over Virginia in ponds, lakes, and still-water sections of streams.  These kinds of permanent water bodies with shallow water and vegetation are needed for mating, for the laying of thousands of eggs in sheets on the water surface, and for the tadpoles' development period of one to two years.  Bullfrog tadpoles feed mostly on algae, aquatic plants, and insects or other invertebrates, while adults feed on insects, crayfish, other frogs, snakes, small mammals, and—according to one source—“anything that is moving and that they can at least partially swallow”.  In turn, bullfrogs are prey for various wildlife species and in some states are a game species for humans.  The American Bullfrog's native range is from the East Coast to the Great Plains.  Some of these native populations have declined due to habitat loss, water pollution, and pesticides, while the species' range has expanded through introductions into several western states. Thanks to the U.S. Geological Survey for providing the American Bullfrog recording.  Thanks also to Free Music Archive for providing access to a public domain version of “Frog Legs Rag,” and we close with another 20 seconds of that music. MUSIC – ~22 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 74, 8-8-11. The sounds of the American Bullfrog heard in this episode were from the U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, online at https://www.umesc.usgs.gov/terrestrial/amphibians/armi/frog_calls.html. “Frog Legs Rag” was composed by James Scott (1885-1938) in 1906.  The version heard in this episode was from 1906 piano roll, accessed from Free Music Archive, online at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/James_Scott/Frog_Legs_Ragtime_Era_Favorites/01_-_james_scott_-_frog_legs_rag/.  The version was published as part of the 2010 album “Frog Legs: Ragtime Era Favorites,” online at https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Various_Artists_Kazoomzoom/Frog_Legs_Ragtime_Era_Favorites.  The site indicates that the “Frog Legs Rag” piano roll version is provided for use under Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0.  More information about “Frog Legs Rag” and about James Scott is available from Gonzaga University, online at https://digital.gonzaga.edu/digital/collection/p15486coll3/id/12932/, and from the Library of Congress online at https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200035819/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES American Bullfrog photographed in Alexandria, Va., May 21, 2023.  Photo by Caroline Quinn, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/163103785 (as of 5-25-23) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution—Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.American Bullfrog at Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery at Yukton, South Dakota, July 31, 2018.  Photo by Sam Stukel, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; specific URL for the photo was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/31921/rec/1, as of 5-25-23. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE AMERICAN BULLFROG The scientific name of the American Bullfrog is Lithobates catesbianus; formerly, the scientific name was Rana catesbiana. The following information is quoted from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service/American Bullfrog Life History,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Life+History&bova=020004&version=19500, and “Food Habits,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Food+Habits&bova=020004&version=19500. Physical Description This is the largest native North American frog species in Virginia.  Lengths range from 85-200mm (3.5-6 in).  ...Males are generally smaller than females, have a yellowish wash on their throat, and a larger tympanum [eardrum], thumb, and forearm.  The male breeding call is a deep, full series of notes best described as “jug-a-rum.”... Reproduction This species breeds from the late spring to early fall.  Males are territorial.  Mating success is influenced by the quality of the territory. ... Females lay one or two clutches per season.  Average clutch size is 12,000 eggs.  Clutches are laid in a film on the water surface.  Eggs hatch in approximately 5 days.  Tadpoles can be very large, 125-150 mm.  Metamorphosis usually takes 1 year [and] larvae will overwinter in ponds.  Larval survivorship is

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:12).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesSourcesRelated Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-17-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of March 20 and March 27, 2023. MUSIC – ~24 sec – Lyrics: “We are on a ship, a great big ship.  It takes all of us to take care of it.  And we can use the stars to navigate our trip.  We are riding on a ship.” “That's part of “On a Ship,” by Blacksburg, Va., musician Kat Mills.  It opens an episode about two recent international meetings on our planetary ship's ocean waters.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds to sounds of two ocean-going creatures—a Humpback Whale, and a Leach's Storm-Petrel—and see if you know what aspect of ocean biology was a key focus of the meetings.  And here's a hint: you've got this, if you've got a lot of different living things in the sea. SOUNDS  - ~17 sec If you guessed marine biodiversity, you're right!  According to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, biodiversity means, quote, “the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life,” unquote.  In early March 2023, two international gatherings focused on biodiversity in marine waters, including in what's called the “high seas,” the waters and ocean floor areas that are more than 200 nautical miles from any nation's shores and are not under any single nation's jurisdiction.  According to the Marine Conservation Institute, the high seas cover about half of the Earth's surface, contain great biodiversity, and are among the least-protected areas on Earth. On March 2 and 3, the eighth Our Ocean Conference was held in Panama, with participants from government, business, and non-profits making voluntary commitments for $20 billion towards protecting marine areas, addressing marine pollution, helping indigenous coastal communities, and other objectives.  Since 2014, Our Ocean Conference participants have made over 1800 commitments worth over $100 billion.  Meanwhile, at a United Nations conference on March 4 in New York, a majority of the world's nations agreed on language for a so-called “High Seas Treaty,” in the works since 2004.  If ultimately ratified by individual countries, it would facilitate protected areas, fund marine conservation, provide guidelines for marine genetic resources, and provide capacity building and technology transfer to developing states. Both meetings are part of a worldwide effort called 30 by 30, that is, by 2030 to conserve and restore 30 percent of the world's land and oceans important for biodiversity, a target set at a U.N. biodiversity conference in Montreal in December 2022. Thanks to Kat Mills for permission to use “On a Ship”; to the National Park Service for the Humpback Whale sound; and to Lang Elliott for the Leach's Storm-Petrel sound, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.  We close with another musical selection whose title and tune may conjure up images of the oceans.  Here's about 15 seconds of “Driftage,” by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand. MUSIC - ~17 sec – instrumental [start at about [5:14 and go to abrupt end at 5:30]. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “On a Ship,” from the 2015 album “Silver,” is copyright by Kat Mills, used with permission.  More information about Kat Mills is available online at http://www.katmills.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 609, 12-27-21. The Humpback Whale sound was from the National Park Service ‘Sound Gallery,” online at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/sounds-humpback-whale.htm, as of 3-16-23. The Leach's Storm-Petrel sound was from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott.  Lang Elliot's work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. “Driftage,” from the 2004 album of same name, is copyright by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand and Great Bear Records, used with permission.  More information about Andrew and Noah and their bands is available online at https://andrewandnoah.bandcamp.com/music. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Humpback Whale.  Image from the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Photo Library, “NOAA's Ark/Whales,” online at https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark; the URL for the specific photo was https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark/Whales/emodule/722/eitem/30376, as of 3-21-23.Wilson's Storm-Petrels.  Photo by Lieutenant Elizabeth Crapo, accessed in the NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Photo Library, “NOAA's Ark/Birds,” online at https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark; the URL for the specific photo was https://photolib.noaa.gov/Collections/NOAAs-Ark/Birds/emodule/727/eitem/28716, as of 3-21-23.SOURCES Used for Audio Elizabeth Claire Alberts, “Panama ocean conference draws $20 billion, marine biodiversity commitments,” March 6, 2023, online at https://news.mongabay.com/2023/03/panama-ocean-conference-draws-20-billion-marine-biodiversity-commitments/. American Museum of Natural History, “What is Biodiversity?”  Online at https://www.amnh.org/research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/what-is-biodiversity. Audubon, “Leach's Storm-Petrel,” online at https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/leachs-storm-petrel. Michael Casey, “Historic biodiversity agreement reached at UN conference,” Associated Press, December 19, 2022. Catrin Einhorn, “Nations Agree on Language for Historic Treaty to Protect Ocean Life; The United Nations agreement is a significant step toward protecting biodiversity under growing threat from climate change, overfishing and seabed mining,” New York Times, March 4, 2023. Catrin Einhorn, “Nearly Every Country Signs On to a Sweeping Deal to Protect Nature,” New York Times, December 20, 2022. Christina Larson and Patrick Whittle, “Nations reach accord to protect marine life on high seas,” AP [Associated Press] News, March 5, 2023. Marine Conservation Institute, “Protecting the High Seas,” online at https://marine-conservation.org/high-seas/. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, “Indonesian Delegation Successfully States Commitment to Protecting the Marine Environment at the Our Ocean Conference 2023,” March 3, 2023. NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] Fisheries, “Humpback Whale,” online at https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/humpback-whale. Our Ocean Panama March 2-3. 2023, online at https://ouroceanpanama2023.gob.pa/, as of 3/16/23. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editorial Board, “Editorial: Developing accord could vastly improve oceans' survival chances,” March 12, 2023. United Nations, “UN delegates reach historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters,” UN News, March 5, 2023. United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, online at https://www.cbd.int/article/cop15-final-text-kunming-montreal-gbf-221222, “COP15: Final text of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,” December 22, 2022, News Release. United Nations Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, online at https://www.un.org/bbnj/. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), “USAID Announces New Programs to Protect Our Ocean at the 2023 Our Ocean Conference,” March 3, 2023. Worldwide Fund for Nature, “Whales Without Boundaries – Why the High Seas Matter,” online at https://wwfwhales.org/news-stories/whales-without-boundaries-why-the-high-seas-matter. John Yang and Lorna Baldwin, “Historic deal to protect ocean biodiversity reached at UN conference,” PBS NewsHour, March 5, 2023.  [6 min./45 sec. video with transcript.] For More Information about Biodiversity in Oceans and Elsewhere National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), online at https://www.noaa.gov/. Some of the agency's many specific topic pages are the following:“Biological Diversity and Related Issues,” online at https://www.noaa.gov/biological-diversity-and-related-issues;“Ocean Exploration Facts,” online at https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/facts/facts.html;“Marine Life,” online at https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life;“U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observing Network,” online at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/apr16/mbon.html. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Birds” and “Mammals” subject categories. Following is a link to a previous episode on biodiversity (generally in Virginia, not specifically marine biodiversity). Episode 260, 4-6-15 – Biodiversity in Virginia and the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Following are links to some previous episodes on organisms inhabiting oceans. Episode 399, 12-18-17 – Whales in Song, Sound, and Migration Past Virginia.Episode 542, 9-14-20 – Dolphins in Sound and Music.Episode 551, 11-16-20 – Sea Creatures Sound Off. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in the episode's post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes2.5 – Living things are part of a system.3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms. Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth.4.7 – The ocean environment. Grades K-5: Earth Resources3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment.6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life ScienceLS.6 – Populations in a biological community interact and are interdependent.LS.8 – Change occurs in ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms over time.LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. BiologyBIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Economics Theme2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources.3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. United States History: 1865-to-Present CourseUSII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century. Civics and Economics CourseCE.6 – Government at the national level.CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography CourseWG.2 – How selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth's surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.WG.4 – Types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources.WG.18 – Cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:45).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-17-23. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of February 20 and February 27, 2023.  This is a follow-up to a similar episode from February 2018. SOUND - ~6 secThat sound of a mid-February rainfall in Blacksburg, Va., opens an episode on creatures who show up, sound off, and pair up every year, starting in mid- to late winter, in temporary pools and other water bodies.  Have a listen for about 50 seconds to a series of mystery sounds, and see if you can guess what animals are making this variety of peeps, clicks, clucks, and honks.  And here's a hint: the first warm rains of each year jump-start these creatures.SOUNDS - ~52 sec If you guessed frogs and toads, you're right!  Those were the calls of the following nine frog or toad species: Little Grass Frog; Upland Chorus Frog; Southern Chorus Frog; Coastal Plains Leopard Frog; Green Treefrog; Squirrel Treefrog; Oak Toad; Pine Woods Treefrog; and Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad.  These nine are part of Virginia's 28 native species of frogs and toads.  Starting as early as January for some species—like the Little Grass Frog—frogs and toads move from overwintering habitats to temporary pools, ponds, streams, marshes, or other wet areas, where males use distinctive calls to attract females for breeding.  As spring arrives and progresses into summer, Virginia's aquatic areas attract a procession of species with different breeding and calling periods. Whether or not the weather at the moment looks or feels like spring, early frog and toad calls are sure signs of seasonal changes in the air, on the land, and in the water.Thanks to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, formerly the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and to Lang Elliott for permission to use this week's sounds, from the 2008 CD, “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads.” We close with some music for frogs and toads.  Here's about 20 seconds of the tune of “Five Green and Speckled Frogs,” a folk song used traditionally for teaching children to count, in an instrumental version recorded for Virginia Water Radio by Virginia musician Stewart Scales. MUSIC - ~22 sec – instrumental.SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode follows up a previous “Frog and Toad Medley” in Episode 408, 2-19-18; species included in that episode (in the order heard in the episode's audio) were Wood Frog, Spring Peeper, American Toad, Mountain Chorus Frog, Pickerel Frog, American Bullfrog, Carpenter Frog, Fowler's Toad, Northern Cricket Frog, Green Frog, and Gray Treefrog. The rainfall sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg on February 17, 2023. The sounds of the frogs and toads heard in this episode were excerpted from “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads” CD, copyright 2008 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now the Department of Wildlife Resources) and Lang Elliott/NatureSoundStudio, used with permission.   The CD accompanies A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; as of February 16, 2023, that publication is no longer available at Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources online store, https://www.shopdwr.com/.  For more information, contact the Department at P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778; phone: (804) 367-1000 (VTDD); main Web page is https://dwr.virginia.gov/; to send e-mail, visit https://dwr.virginia.gov/contact/.  Lang Elliott's work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. “Five Green and Speckled Frogs” is a traditional folk song long used for children learning to count, according to the All Nursery Rhymes Web site, online at http://allnurseryrhymes.com/five-little-speckled-frogs/; and the Songs for Teaching Web site, online at http://www.songsforteaching.com/folk/fivegreenandspeckledfrogs-lyrics.php(a vocal recording of the song is available there). The banjo-and-guitar version in this episode was recorded for Virginia Water Radio by Stewart Scales on March 31, 2016, used previously in Episode 310, 4-4-16.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. The sequence of calls heard in this week's audio follows generally the order in which the different species begin their annual breeding call period, according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “Virginia Frog Phenology (Calling/Breeding Periods),” online (as a PDF) at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/education/edu-graphics/frog_and_toads/va-frog-and-toad-phenology-updated-02-21-2022.pdf. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Green Treefrog at Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge, located along the Mississippi River at the Illinois-Iowa border, August 2016.  Photo by Jessica Bolser, made available for public use by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Digital Library, online at http://digitalmedia.fws.gov; specific URL for the image was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/natdiglib/id/31556/rec/1 (as of 2-20-23).Coastal Plains Leopard Frog, photographed at Assateague Island National Seashore in Virginia (Accomack County), April 7, 2019.  Photo by Joe Schell, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/22151626(as of 2-20-23) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Oak Toad (location and date not identified).  Photo by Matthew Niemiller, made available on iNaturalist, online at https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/8512(as of 2-20-23), for use under Creative Commons License “Attibution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)”; for more on that attribution category, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/.Upland Chorus Frog, photographed in Farmville, Virginia (Prince Edward County), February 16, 2023.  Photo by Ty Smith, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/148942454(as of 2-20-23) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/legalcode.Images (as well as sounds, range maps, and other information) of other frogs and toads found in Virginia are available from the Virginia Herpetological Society, “Frogs & Toads of Virginia,” online at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE FROGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Below are the scientific names (in italics) of the frog and toad species mentioned in this Virginia Water Radio episode.  The names are according to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/. Coastal Plains Leopard Frog – Lithobates sphenocephalus.  (This species was formerly known as the Southern Leopard Frog).Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad – Gastrophryne carolinensis.Green Treefrog – Hyla cinerea.Little Grass Frog – Pseudacris ocularis.Oak Toad – Anaxyrus quercicus.Pine Woods Treefrog – Hyla femoralis.Southern Chorus Frog – Pseudacris nigrita.Squirrel Treefrog – Hyla squirella.Upland Chorus Frog – Pseudacris feriarum. SOURCES Used for Audio John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toad of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now Department of Wildlife Resources), Richmond, Va., 2011. Virginia Herpetological Society, “Frogs & Toads of Virginia,” online at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm.  Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/.  This site has detailed information on life history, distribution, habitat, and other aspects of species.  Information specifically for the frogs and toads mentioned in this episode is at the following links:Coastal Plains Leopard Frog;Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad;Green Treefrog;Little Grass Frog;Oak Toad;Pine Woods Treefrog;Southern Chorus Frog;Squirrel Treefrog;Upland Chorus Frog. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “List of Native and Naturalized Fauna in Virginia, August 2022,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf. For More Information about Frogs, Toads, and Other Amphibians in Virginia and Elsewhere Bernard S. Martof, et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980. J.C. Mitchell and K.K. Reay, Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Virginia, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries/Richmond (now Department of Wildlife Resources), 1999; available online (as a PDF) at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/atlases/mitchell-atlas.pdf, courtesy of the Virginia Herpetological Society. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org/. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), “ARMI (Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative),” online at https://armi.usgs.gov/. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “A Guide to the Salamanders of Virginia,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/salamanders/. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “A Guide to Virginia's Frogs & Toads,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/frogs-and-toads/. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “Virginia is for Frogs,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Amphibians” subject category. Following are links to other episodes that feature or mention the species noted in this episode. Episode 482, 7-22-19 – on the Oak Toad (along with Southern Toad).Episode 509, 1-27-20 – on the Little Grass Frog (along with the Wood Frog).Episode 515, 3-9-20 – on the Coastal Plains Leopard Frog.Episode 516, 3-16-20 – a spring sounds, including that of the Upland Chorus Frog.Episode 620, 3-14-22 – on the chorus frog group, including the Little Grass Frog, Southern Chorus Frog, and Upland Chorus Frog (along with several others). FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:11).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 12-16-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of December 19 and December 26, 2022.  This episode is the last in a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. MUSIC – ~16 sec – instrumental. That's part of “Fair Meadows and Goodly Tall Trees,” by Timothy Seaman, of Williamsburg, Virginia, on his 2006 album, “Jamestown: On the Edge of a Vast Continent.”  Across that vast continent, from the Chesapeake Bay to forested western states, people recognize that “goodly tall trees,” as well as shorter trees and shrubs—in woods, parks, yards, and built areas—affect water resources in many important ways.  Have a listen to the music for about 30 more seconds and see if you can think of some of those ways. MUSIC  - ~30 sec – instrumental. If you thought of tree impacts on water supplies, aquatic habitat, or the physical or chemical quality of water, you're right!  Such impacts frequently provide benefits to humans, and those benefits are often called “ecosystem services.”  Here are five examples of water-related services that trees provide to human societies. 1.  Trees can slow or reduce stormwater runoff by intercepting precipitation, by transpiration (that is, the evaporation of water from leaves), and by increasing infiltration of water into the ground. 2.  Trees can improve water quality through reducing sediment inputs to waterways, when they slow runoff speed so that more sediment settles out, and when they hold soil in place at streamsides and in uplands. 3.  Trees can also improve water quality through uptake of plant nutrients that otherwise would remain in soil or water; excessive nutrients can degrade aquatic ecosystems and impair groundwater quality. 4.  Trees living on shorelines, and woody debris in waterways, provide food, habitat, and temperature regulation for aquatic ecosystems. And 5.  Trees can help reduce climate changes, with their many water-related aspects, through the uptake of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and through reduction of human energy use by shading in hot weather and wind breaks in cold weather. In some cases, though, trees can have water-related impacts that are not positive for humans.  For example, tree use of water in some situations can reduce stream flows that provide water supplies, especially in summer; and in western states that depend on snowpack for water supply, trees may either increase or decrease the available snowpack, depending on several factors. Such circumstances remind us that trees exist for their own survival and reproduction, not for human benefit; nevertheless, those long-living, photosynthesizing, woody, and goodly tall beings do provide human beings with irreplaceable benefits. Thanks to Timothy Seaman for permission to use this episode's music, and we close out the episode—and our series on trees and shrubs—with the final 20 seconds of “Fair Meadows and Goodly Tall Trees.” MUSIC  - ~22 sec – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of “Cripple Creek” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Virginia Water Radio thanks Kevin McGuire and Stephen Schoenholtz, both of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, for their help with this episode. “Fair Meadows and Goodly Tall Trees (Fingal's Cave),” from the 2006 album “Jamestown: On the Edge of a Vast Continent,” is copyright by Timothy Seaman and Pine Wind Music, used with permission.  More information about Timothy Seaman is available online at https://timothyseaman.com/en/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 354, 2-6-17. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES (Photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) Trees planted along in riparian (streamside) zone of Stroubles Creek on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va. (Montgomery County), December 8, 2022.Trees planted beside a stormwater facility on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., October 3, 2010.Sycamore trees along the James River in Buchanan, Va. (Botetourt County), December 27, 2008.Tree leaves providing a source of food and habitat for aquatic invertebrate animals in Pandapas Pond in Montgomery County, Va., January 4, 2009.Woody debris in Little Stony Creek in U.S. Forest Service's Cascades Day Use Area in Giles County, Va., July 10, 2014.Trees providing shade, stormwater runoff reduction, and other benefits in downtown Blacksburg, Va., June 13, 2013. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT WATER-RELATED BENEFITS OF TREES The following information is from the Virginia Department of Forestry, “Benefits of Trees,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/benefits-of-tree/, as of 12-19-22. “Trees in Forests: Forests are well known for providing a renewable source of wood products. Some products come from the trees themselves, while others, like mushrooms or medicinal herbs, come from the forested environment. In addition to lumber, paper, and a host of other products, forests provide benefits called ‘ecosystem services,' including filtering air to improve air quality; preventing soil erosion; supplying places for outdoor recreation; providing wildlife and pollinator habitat; sequestering and storing carbon; protecting water quality; offering scenic beauty.”  “Trees in Cities and Towns: Trees in urban areas and yards have value, too. Neighborhoods with lots of trees have lower crime rates, less air pollution, lower energy costs, and higher property values than those without trees. Walking among trees can improve health, and even viewing trees through a window can speed patient recovery times.” “Trees in Riparian [Streamside] Areas: Trees in riparian, or streamside, zones provide special ecosystem benefits, including: filtering runoff to remove pesticides, fertilizer, and other chemicals; preventing streambank erosion and keeping sediment out of the stream; shading streams to keep them cool for aquatic organisms; dropping organic matter that serves as food and microhabitat for aquatic organisms; [and slowing] water during storm events....reducing flood potential.”   (This image was also including in the Show Notes for Virginia Water Radio Episode 621, 3-21-22, the introductory episode in the series on trees and shrubs.)SOURCESUsed for AudioAlliance for the Chesapeake Bay, “Forests,” online at https://www.allianceforthebay.org/forests/. See also the Alliance's November 29, 2022, blog post about goal of planting 29,000 trees in 2022; and information on their 2022 Volunteer Tree-planting Relay, online at https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2022-volunteer-tree-planting-relay.Center for Watershed Protection, “Trees and Stormwater Runoff,” online at https://www.cwp.org/reducing-stormwater-runoff/. F. Stuart Chapin, III, et al., Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology, Second Edition, Springer Science+Business Media, New York, N.Y, 2011.Chesapeake Bay Program, “Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what-guides-us/watershed-agreement.  The 2014 Bay Watershed Agreement is online (as a PDF) at https://d18lev1ok5leia.cloudfront.net/chesapeakebay/Chesapeake-Bay-Watershed-Agreement-Amended.pdf; see the “Vital Habitats” section in “Goals and Outcomes” (page 8 of the document) for a statement of the desired “Outcomes” for forest buffers and tree canopy.Vincent Cotrone, “The Role of Trees and Forests in Healthy Watersheds,” Penn State Extension, August 30. 2022, online at https://extension.psu.edu/the-role-of-trees-and-forests-in-healthy-watersheds. Michael Kuhns, “Windbreaks for Energy Conservation,” National Urban and Community Forestry Council, September 10, 2019, online at https://trees-energy-conservation.extension.org/windbreaks-for-energy-conservation/. Colleen Meidt, “USU study finds big trees play a big role in preserving snowpack,” Utah Public Radio, May 5, 2022, online at https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2022-05-05/usu-study-finds-big-trees-play-a-big-role-in-preserving-snowpack. Danielle Rhea, “Benefits of Large Woody Debris in Streams,” Penn State Extension, March 1, 2021, online at https://extension.psu.edu/benefits-of-large-woody-debris-in-streams. Eryn E. Schneider et al., “Tree spatial patterns modulate peak snow accumulation and snow disappearance,” Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 441, pages 9-19, June 1, 2019; accessed through ScienceDirect, online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112718323776, 12-15-22 (subscription may be necessary for online access). Virginia Department of Forestry:“Benefits of Trees,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/benefits-of-tree/;“Benefits of Streamside Forests, online at https://dof.virginia.gov/water-quality-protection/learn-about-water-quality-protection/benefits-of-streamside-forests/;“My Trees Count,” online at https://vdof.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f41f85765879480cab068547645d9d8e(this Web site has information about tree-planting projects across Virginia). Timothy B. Wheeler and Jeremy Cox, Bay region loses ground in effort to increase urban tree canopy, Bay Journal, October 11, 2022.For Examples of Tree Issues and Efforts in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed &

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:15).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 11-4-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of November 7 and November 14, 2022.  This is a revised version of an episode from November 2014.SOUND – 3 seconds – “Mayday!  Mayday!  Anybody got a copy?”  In this episode, in honor of Veterans Day on November 11, we focus on the “anybody” that did copy and respond to the distress call you just heard: that is, the U.S. Coast Guard.  Have a listen for about 45 seconds more of the Coast Guard's first response to that vessel sinking off Virginia's coast in April 2010. SOUND – 46 seconds – Boater: “I've struck an object and my boat is going down.  It's going down fast.”  Coast Guard: “Vessel in district, this is Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads.  Request to know your GPS position.  Over.” Boater: “I'm unable to get a GPS position.  I'm off South, South Cape, about three miles off South Cape.  I've gotta deploy my raft.  She's goin' under.” Coast Guard: “Captain, request to know if you have a life jacket on.  Over.” Boater: “I do have a life jacket on.” Coast Guard:  “Hello all stations.  This is United States Coast Guard, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Sector.  Time 0737 local, the Coast Guard has received a report of a vessel taking on water and going down, with one person on board. … All vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible, and advise the Coast Guard of all sightings.”The Coast Guard began in 1790 as a 10-ship fleet established to enforce trade laws and reduce smuggling.  In 1915, Congress merged this fleet—by then called the Revenue Cutter Service—with the U.S. Life Saving Service to form the Coast Guard as a branch of the nation's military forces.  Later, the Lighthouse Service and the functions of the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation, also became part of the Coast Guard.  Today's missions include law enforcement; national defense and homeland security; marine safety; environmental protection; navigation; and search and rescue activities, including the rescue of 13 people from a fishing vessel in the Atlantic off Virginia's coast just this past October 28.  Virginia's connections to the Coast Guard range from George Washington presiding over the establishment of the revenue cutter fleet; to life-saving stations put in service in the 1800s; to the first ice-breaking by a revenue cutter in the Chesapeake Bay in 1906; to today's several active units, including the large Portsmouth base, which started as a depot for lighthouse equipment and is now headquarters for the Coast Guard's Fifth District.Thanks to the Coast Guard for this long history of service “through surf and storm and howling gale,” as the lyrics say in the Coast Guard anthem, “Semper Paratus,” the Latin for “always ready.”  And we close with a short sample of that anthem, played by the U.S. Coast Guard Band. MUSIC -  22 seconds – instrumental. SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 239, 11-10-14. This episode's sound was excerpted from “Rudee Inlet Rescue Distress Call,” April 2, 2010, a public-domain recording of a U.S. Coast Guard radio communication from Portsmouth, Va., accessed at the audio link of the Defense Video and Imagery Distribution System (DVIDS), online at http://www.dvidshub.net/audio/34895/rudee-inlet-rescue-distress-call#.VGDcZMm_4_t. The U.S. Coast Guard Band's performance of the Coast Guard anthem, “Semper Paratus” (arrangement by Matthew Lake) was accessed November 10, 2014, at the Band's Web site, http://www.uscg.mil/band/recordings.asp, which stated at the time that “The Coast Guard Band produces CD recordings for public relations, educational purposes, public libraries, and morale purposes. ...MP3 recordings are made available here by permission.”  That Web site was not longer available as of November 7, 2022.Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Old Coast Guard Station in Virginia Beach, Va., October 17, 2014.  The station was built in 1903 by the U.S. Life-saving Service, one of the predecessors of the U.S. Coast Guard.  Photo by Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Weydert, accessed online at http://www.dvidshub.net/image/1636546/old-coast-guard-station-virginia-beach#.VGDt6sm_4_s.U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Shearwater (right), escorting vessels during Operation Sail 2012 in Norfolk, part of the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.  Photo by Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class David Marin, accessed online at http://www.dvidshub.net/image/595969/coast-guard-leads-parade-ships#.VGDspMm_4_s.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT VETERANS DAY The information below is quoted from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “History of Veterans Day,” last updated July 20, 2015, accessed online at https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp, 11/3/22. “World War I—known at the time as ‘The Great War'—officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.  However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.  For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of ‘the war to end all wars.' “…In November 1919, [U.S.] President [Woodrow] Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: ‘To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…'  The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. “The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words: Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday, Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples. “An Act [of Congress] (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.' Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen in the Nation's history, [and] after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word ‘Armistice' and inserting in its place the word ‘Veterans.' With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.” SOURCES Used for Audio City of Portsmouth, Va., “Official Coast Guard City,” online at https://www.portsmouthva.gov/603/Official-Coast-Guard-City. Steve Jones, “Old Coast Guard Station Museum” [Virginia Beach, Va.], online at https://www.virginiabeach.com/listing/attractions-museums/old-coast-guard-station-museum. Military.com, “Coast Guard Birthday,” online at https://www.military.com/coast-guard-birthday. Militarybases.com, “Virginia Military Bases,” online at https://militarybases.com/virginia/. Mark Pratt and Ben Finley, “Coast Guard: 13 Rescued from Sinking Vessel off Virginia,” October 31, 2022, Associated Press, as published by Military.com, online at https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/10/31/coast-guard-13-rescued-sinking-vessel-off-virginia.html, as of 11-3-22. William H. Thiesen [U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Historian], “The Long Blue Line: Coast Guard's Fifth District—Home of Founders, Firsts and Flight for over 230 years!”  February 26, 2021, online at https://www.mycg.uscg.mil/News/Article/2508958/the-long-blue-line-coast-guards-fifth-districthome-of-founders-firsts-and-fligh/. U.S. Coast Guard, main Web site, online at https://www.uscg.mil/.  Specific pages used were the following:“Frequently Asked Questions,” online at https://www.history.uscg.mil/Frequently-Asked-Questions/;“History,” online at https://www.history.uscg.mil/;“History/Timeline 1700-1800,” online at https://www.history.uscg.mil/Complete-Time-Line/Time-Line-1700-1800/;“Missions,” online at https://www.history.uscg.mil/home/Missions/;“Moments in History: 200th Anniversary of the U.S. Coast Guard, 1990, online (as a PDF) at https://media.defense.gov/2020/May/21/2002303961/-1/-1/0/MOMENTSINHISTORY.PDF;“Semper Paratus (Always Ready)—The Official Coast Guard Marching Song,” online at https://www.history.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/History-Heritage-Traditions/Semper-Paratus/;“Traveling Inspection Staff,” online at https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Our-Organization/Assistant-Commandant-for-Prevention-Policy-CG-5P/Traveling-Inspector-Staff-CG-5P-TI/history/. U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, “Sector Virginia,” online at https://www.atlanticarea.uscg.mil/Atlantic-Area/Units/District-5/Sector-Virginia/. For More Information about Veterans Day U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “History of Veterans Day,” last updated July 20, 2015, online at https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp; and “Veterans Day,” online at https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See especially the “Community/Organizations” and “History” subject categories. Following are links to other episodes for Veterans Day. Episode 289, 11-9-15 – Navy.Episode 341, 11-7-16 – Air Force.Episode 394, 11-13-17 –  Army.Episode 446, 11-12-18 – Marine Corps.Episode 498, 11-11-19 – All U.S. military services except the Space Force. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grade 66.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.  2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Civics Theme3.12 – Importance of government in community, Virginia, and the United States, including government protecting rights and property of individuals. Virginia Studies CourseVS.10 – Knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. United States History to 1865 CourseUSI.5 – Factors that shaped colonial America and conditions in the colonies, including how people interacted with the environment to produce goods and service. United States History: 1865-to-Present CourseUSII.6 – Social, economic, and technological changes from the 1890s to 1945.USII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century.Civics and Economics CourseCE.6 – Government at the national level.Virginia and United States History CourseVUS.14 – Political and social conditions in the 21st Century.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:15).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImageExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-21-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of October 24 and October 31.   This revised episode from Halloween 2014 is part of a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. SOUNDS – ~9 sec What better than an Eastern Screech-Owl calling eerily from a dark woods to conjure up a Halloween landscape? But for this Halloween season episode, consider a much quieter, but still mysterious, part of that landscape: the American Witch Hazel plant.  This shrub or small tree—a native in Virginia and throughout the eastern United States—has two noteworthy water connections.  First is the use of its forked twigs in “dowsing,” “divining,” or “water witching” to try to find groundwater, a centuries-old practice that some people still follow.  In fact, the “witch” in the plant's common name may derive from an old English word that means “bend,” apparently referring to the plant's flexible twigs and, perhaps, to the belief that a dowsing rod will bend toward groundwater.  Second, extracts from the plant's bark and leaves have long been used—medicinally and cosmetically—as an astringent, that is, a substance used to dry fluids and shrink tissues. Besides its reputed water-finding ability and its established fluid-drying uses, American Witch Hazel is also remarkable for its unusual blooming time.  Bright yellow flowers appear in fall and can continue into December, often seen beside fruits from the previous season.  When those fruits ripen, seeds are forcibly ejected some distance, leading to yet another possible origin of the plant's name: that people attributed to witchcraft the mysterious sound of those far-flung seeds hitting the ground. From its name, to its uses, to its unusual flowering and fruiting, Witch Hazel offers botanical treats far beyond Halloween season's creepy screeches. SOUND – 3 sec – Screech-Owl We close a musical observation about how seeing a cold-weather flowering tree can inspire human resilience.  Here's about 50 seconds of a song called “Witch Hazel,” by Tom Gala, from his 2011 album, “Story After Story.” MUSIC - ~53 sec – Lyrics: “I am looking at Witch Hazel blooming in a garden—the bright yellow flowers in the middle of wintertime.  And I tell my heart be strong like the Witch Hazel flower, and you will not be injured by this dark and trouble time.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 238, 10-31-14. The Eastern Screech-Owl sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on the night of August 12, 2013. “Witch Hazel,” from the 2011 album “Story After Story,” is copyright by Tom Gala, used with permission.  More information about Tom Gala is available online at https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kG6YXrfGPB6lygJwOUNqO. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGE An American Witch Hazel plant in Blacksburg, Va., blooming on October 13, 2022. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT WATER DOWSING The following information is quoted from the U.S. Geological Survey, “Water Science School/What is Water Dowsing?”; online at https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-dowsing. “'Water dowsing' refers in general to the practice of using a forked stick, rod, pendulum, or similar device to locate underground water, minerals, or other hidden or lost substances, and has been a subject of discussion and controversy for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. “Although tools and methods vary widely, most dowsers (also called diviners or water witches) probably still use the traditional forked stick, which may come from a variety of trees, including the willow, peach, and witchhazel.  Other dowsers may use keys, wire coat hangers, pliers, wire rods, pendulums, or various kinds of elaborate boxes and electrical instruments. “In the classic method of using a forked stick, one fork is held in each hand with the palms upward.  The bottom or butt end of the ‘Y' is pointed skyward at an angle of about 45 degrees.  The dowser then walks back and forth over the area to be tested.  When she/he passes over a source of water, the butt end of the stick is supposed to rotate or be attracted downward. “Water dowsers practice mainly in rural or suburban communities where residents are uncertain as to how to locate the best and cheapest supply of groundwater.  “Because the drilling and development of a well often costs more than a thousand dollars, homeowners are understandably reluctant to gamble on a dry hole and turn to the water dowser for advice.” What does science say about dowsing? “Case histories and demonstrations of dowsers may seem convincing, but when dowsing is exposed to scientific examination, it presents a very different picture.  The natural explanation of ‘successful' water dowsing is that in many areas underground water is so prevalent close to the land surface that it would be hard to drill a well and not find water.  In a region of adequate rainfall and favorable geology, it is difficult not to drill and find water! “Some water exists under the Earth's surface almost everywhere. This explains why many dowsers appear to be successful.  To locate groundwater accurately, however, as to depth, quantity, and quality, several techniques must be used.  Hydrologic, geologic, and geophysical knowledge is needed to determine the depths and extent of the different water-bearing strata and the quantity and quality of water found in each.  The area must be thoroughly tested and studied to determine these facts.”SOURCES Used for Audio John-Manuel Adriote, “The Mysterious Past and Present of Witch Hazel,” by The Atlantic, November 6, 2012, online at http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/11/the-mysterious-past-and-present-of-witch-hazel/264553/.American Water Surveyors, “Water Witching: A Brief History,” by Gerald Burden, December 26, 2015, online at https://wefindwater.com/water-witching-a-brief-history/. Arbor Day Foundation, “Witchhazel/Hamamelis virginiania,” online at https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=940. eFloras.org, “Flora of North America/Hamamelis,” online at http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=114541. Encyclopedia Britannica, “Hamamelidaceae plant family,” online at https://www.britannica.com/plant/Hamamelidaceae.  Oscar W. Gupton and Fred C. Swope, Trees and Shrubs of Virginia, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1981. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center [Austin, Tex.], “Plant Database/Hamamelis virginiana,” online at https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=havi4.Sarina Smith, “The Wonders of Witch Hazel,” February 4, 2020, Haverford College [Pennsylvania] Arboretum, online at https://www.haverford.edu/arboretum/blog/wonders-witch-hazel. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Natural Resources Conservation Service, “PLANTS Database/American witchhazel,” online at https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=HAVI4. U.S. Geological Survey/Water Science School, “Water Dowsing,” online at https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-dowsing. Alan S. Weakley, J. Christopher Ludwig, and John F. Townsend, Bland Crowder, ed., Flora of Virginia, Botanical Research Institute Press, Ft. Worth, Tex., 2012.  Information is available online at The Flora of Virginia Project, http://www.floraofvirginia.org/.For More Information about Trees and Shrubs in Virginia and Elsewhere Center for Watershed Protection, “Trees and Stormwater Runoff,” online at https://www.cwp.org/reducing-stormwater-runoff/. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Field Guide: Plants and Trees,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/critters?s=&fieldGuideType=Plants+%26+Trees&fieldGuideHabitat=. James P. Engel, “Shrubs in the Understory,” February 2012, online at http://www.whiteoaknursery.biz/essays/ShrubsinUnderstory.shtml. Sanglin Lee and Alan Raflo, “Trees and Water,” Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Water Central Newsletter, pages 13-18, online at https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/49367. Penn State Extension, “Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcovers Tolerant of Wet Sites,” prepared by N. Robert Nuss, and reviewed and revised by Scott Guiser and Jim Smellmer, October 2007, online at https://extension.psu.edu/trees-shrubs-and-groundcovers-tolerant-of-wet-sites. Plant Virginia Natives, “Virginia Native Shrubs—Backbone of Our Landscape,” undated, online at https://www.plantvirginianatives.org/virginia-native-shrubs. Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension, “How Trees Grow,” online at https://agrilife.org/treecarekit/introduction-to-tree-care/how-trees-grow/. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Forests of Virginia, 2018, Resource Update FS-264, Asheville, N.C., 2020; available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/59963. U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Forest Service, “State and Private Forestry Fact Sheet—Virginia 2022,” online (as a PDF) at https://apps.fs.usda.gov/nicportal/temppdf/sfs/naweb/VA_std.pdf. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Climate Change Resource Center, “Forest Tree Diseases and Climate Change,” online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/forest-disease. Virginia Botanical Associates, “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora,” online at http://www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=start&search=Search. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/Natural Heritage Program, online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/.  See also “The Natural Communities of Virginia: Ecological Groups and Community Types,” online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/document/comlist07-21.pdf. Virginia Department of Forestry, “Virginia's Forests,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/.  Some of the useful pages at that site are the following:“Benefits of Trees,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/benefits-of-tree/;“Common Native Trees of Virginia,” 2020 edition, online (as a PDF) at https://dof.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/Common-Native-Trees-ID_pub.pdf;“Trees for Clean Water Program,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/urban-community-forestry/urban-forestry-community-assistance/virginia-trees-for-clean-water-grant-program/;“Virginia Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources,” November 2020, online (as a PDF) at https://www.stateforesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2020-VA-Statewide-Assessment.pdf;“Tree Identification,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/tree-identification/. Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, Virginia Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment, online at https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/. Virginia Forest Products Association, online at https://www.vfpa.net/. Virginia Native Plant Society, online at http://vnps.org/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Plants” subject category. Following are links to other episodes on trees and shrubs. Introduction to trees and water – Episode 621, 3-21-22. American Sycamore – Episode 624, 4-11-22. Ash trees – Episode 376, 7-10-17 and Episode 625, 4-18-22. Early spring wildflowers in woodlands – Episode 573, 4-19-21. Fall colors and their connection to water movement in trees – Episode 638, 10-10-22. “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” video podcast series – Episode 637, 9-26-22. Forest lands and work in Virginia – Episode 623, 4-4-22. Maple trees – Episode 503, 12-16-19. Photosynthesis – Episode 602, 11-8-21. Po

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:40).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 9-23-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of September 26 and October 3, 2022.  This episode is part of a series this year of episodes related to trees and shrubs. SOUND – ~6 sec That call of Mountain Chorus Frogs opens an episode where we learn about the video podcast series, “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest.”  Started in April 2020, the video series is produced by the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, conducted by Virginia Cooperative Extension.  As of September 9, 2022, the series included 82 episodes, covering topics such as tree identification, forest soils, invasive plants, forest management, tree syrups, and weird trees.  Several episodes are on specific water-related topics, like the Mountain Chorus Frogs you heard earlier.  Have a listen for about 90 seconds to excerpts from five of those episodes.  SOUNDS and VOICES  - 1 min./29 sec “Hi everyone.  Welcome to ‘Fifteen Minutes in the Forest.'  I'm Jennifer Gagnon with the Forest Landowner Education Program at Virginia Tech.  And today I'm joining you from Claytor Lake State Park in southwest Virginia.”  From “Vernal Pools,” Episode 74, April 2022. “This is a vernal pool in Claytor Lake State Park.  ...This pool at its largest is probably an acre in size.  This pool is big enough that it has Painted Sliders, we saw a Snapping Turtle in here, we have a Green Heron out here.  ...There's all kinds of animals. ...It's a beautiful pool.”  From “Vernal Pools,” Episode 74, April 2022.  “Our topic today is going to be about water quality.  And this ties in nicely with forestry.”  From “Best Management Practices for Water Quality,” Episode 19, September 2020. Today we're going to take a look at some of the best management practices that loggers and forestry operations can take in order to protect water quality.”  From “Best Management Practices for Water Quality,” Episode 19, September 2020. “One of the reasons we're studying Mountain Chorus Frogs is we're really trying to get a good idea of their distribution in Virginia.”  From “Mountain Chorus Frogs,” Episode 75, April 2022. “Hey everyone.  My name is Wally Smith, and I'm an associate professor of biology at UVA-Wise.  And we are here on the banks of the Clinch River in St. Paul, Virginia, today to talk about the Eastern Hellbender, which is one of our most unique amphibians here in Virginia and the central Appalachians.”  From “Eastern Hellbenders,” Episode 68, January 2022. “Well thank for spending fifteen minutes in the creek with us, and thanks to Sally for for spending time with us outside to share her knowledge about water quality.  And I hope you join us for another edition of ‘Fifteen Minutes in the Forest.'  Have a great weekend.”  From “How Clean is Your Creek,” Episode 26, November 2020. When COVID shut-downs began in 2020, the Virginia Forest Landowner Education team started the series as a way to stay engaged with clients.  To the team's surprise, the series became very popular.  Among the users are public school teachers, foresters, landowners, and other lovers of the outdoors. Along with the “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” series, the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program offers other short courses, conferences and workshops, Fall Forestry and Wildlife Field Tours, and retreats for beginning woodland owners.  For more information about these learning opportunities, search online for the Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, or phone Jennifer Gagnon at (540) 231-6391. Thanks to Ms. Gagnon for permission to use excerpts of “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” episodes.  And for a closing forest-and-water word, we end with a comment from Andrew Vinson, of the Virginia Department of Forestry, from the episode on best management practices for water quality. VOICE - ~4 sec - “Remember, healthy forests produce clean water.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Virginia Water Radio thanks Jennifer Gagnon, Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Virginia Cooperative Extension's Forest Landowner Education Program, for her help with this episode and for permission to excerpts of “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” episodes.  The full series is available online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOhBz_SGRw8UZo9aAfShRbb-ZaVyk-uzT.  Excerpts heard in this episode of Virginia Water Radio were taken from the following “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” episodes:“Best Management Practices for Water Quality,” Episode 19, September 2020;“Eastern Hellbenders,” Episode 68, January 2022;“How Clean is Your Creek,” Episode 26, November 2020;“Mountain Chorus Frogs,” Episode 75, April 2022;“Vernal Pools,” Episode 74, April 2022. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com.IMAGES Screenshot from the opening of the video for “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” Episode 19, “Best Management Practices for Water Quality.”Screenshot from the opening of the video for “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” Episode 59, “The S Curve of Forest Carbon.”Screenshot from the opening of the video for “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” Episode 68, “Eastern Hellbenders.” SOURCES Used for Audio Virginia Forest Landowner Education Program, online at https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/.  The “Fifteen Minutes in the Forest” program and other short course programs are available online at https://forestupdate.frec.vt.edu/landownerprograms/shortcourses/online.html. For More Information about Trees and Shrubs in Virginia and Elsewhere Center for Watershed Protection, “Trees and Stormwater Runoff,” online at https://www.cwp.org/reducing-stormwater-runoff/. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Field Guide: Plants and Trees,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/critters?s=&fieldGuideType=Plants+%26+Trees&fieldGuideHabitat=. eFloras.org, “Flora of North America,” online at http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1. James P. Engel, “Shrubs in the Understory,” February 2012, online at http://www.whiteoaknursery.biz/essays/ShrubsinUnderstory.shtml. Oscar W. Gupton and Fred C. Swope, Trees and Shrubs of Virginia, University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, 1981. Sanglin Lee and Alan Raflo, “Trees and Water,” Virginia Water Resources Research Center, Virginia Water Central Newsletter, pages 13-18, online at https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/49367.   (A Virginia Cooperative Extension version of this article—“Trees and Water,” by Sanglin Lee, Alan Raflo, and Jennifer Gagnon, 2018—with some slight differences in the text is available online at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/pubs_ext_vt_edu/en/ANR/ANR-18/ANR-18NP.html.) Penn State Extension, “Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcovers Tolerant of Wet Sites,” prepared by N. Robert Nuss, and reviewed and revised by Scott Guiser and Jim Smellmer, October 2007, online at https://extension.psu.edu/trees-shrubs-and-groundcovers-tolerant-of-wet-sites. Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension, “How Trees Grow,” online at https://agrilife.org/treecarekit/introduction-to-tree-care/how-trees-grow/. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Forests of Virginia, 2018, Resource Update FS-264, Asheville, N.C., 2020; available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/59963. U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Forest Service, “State and Private Forestry Fact Sheet—Virginia 2022,” online (as a PDF) at https://apps.fs.usda.gov/nicportal/temppdf/sfs/naweb/VA_std.pdf. U.S. Department of Agriculture/Forest Service/Climate Change Resource Center, “Forest Tree Diseases and Climate Change,” online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/forest-disease. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/Natural Resources Conservation Service, “PLANTS Database,” online at https://plants.usda.gov. Virginia Botanical Associates, “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora,” online at http://www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=start&search=Search. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/Natural Heritage Program, “The Natural Communities of Virginia: Ecological Groups and Community Types,” online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/natural-communities/document/comlist07-21.pdf. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation/Natural Heritage Division, online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/. Virginia Department of Forestry, “Virginia's Forests,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/.  Some of the useful pages at that site are the following:“Benefits of Trees,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/benefits-of-tree/;“Common Native Trees of Virginia,” 2020 edition, online (as a PDF) at https://dof.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/Common-Native-Trees-ID_pub.pdf;“Forest Management and Health/Insects and Diseases,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/forest-management-health/forest-health/insects-and-diseases/;Tree and Forest Health Guide, 2020, online (as a PDF) at https://dof.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/Tree-and-Forest-Health-Guide.pdf;“Virginia Trees for Clean Water Program,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/urban-community-forestry/urban-forestry-community-assistance/virginia-trees-for-clean-water-grant-program/;“Virginia Statewide Assessment of Forest Resources,” November 2020, online (as a PDF) at https://www.stateforesters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/2020-VA-Statewide-Assessment.pdf;“Tree Identification,” online at https://dof.virginia.gov/education-and-recreation/learn-about-education-recreation/tree-identification/. Virginia Forest Products Association, online at https://www.vfpa.net/. Virginia Native Plant Society, online at http://vnps.org/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Plants” subject category. Following are links to other episodes on trees and shrubs. Introduction to trees and water – Episode 621, 3-21-22.American Sycamore – Episode 624, 4-11-22.American Witch Hazel – Episode 238, 10-31-14.Ash trees – Episode 376, 7-10-17 and Episode 625, 4-18-22.Early spring wildflowers in woodlands – Episode 573, 4-19-21.Forest lands and work in Virginia – Episode 623, 4-4-22.Maple trees – Episode 503, 12-16-19.Photosynthesis – Episode 602, 11-8-21.Poison Ivy and related plants, including the shrub Poison Sumac –

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:33).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-12-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of August 15 and August 22, 2022. MUSIC – ~19 sec – instrumental. That's part of ‘To the Wild,” by the Virginia band The Steel Wheels.  It opens an episode about a chance hearing of two very different kinds of wild animals, and how they might be similar or different, including in relation to water.  Have a listen to their calls for about 20 seconds and see if you know these two types of animals.  And here's a hint: one's in a scientific family with, and the other rhymes with, dogs. SOUNDS  - ~21 sec. If you guessed coyotes and frogs, you're right!  You heard barks and other sounds from coyotes, along with calls of Gray Treefrogs.  This lucky recording on the night of July 5, 2022, in Blacksburg, got your Virginia Water Radio host exploring potential connections and contrasts between this terrestrial mammal in the dog family, and this partially aquatic amphibian.  Here are seven areas of note. 1.  Like other living things, both coyotes and frogs are largely made of water and require it for biological functions.  Unlike coyotes, frogs can absorb water through their naked skin, that is, skin without scales, feathers, or fur. 2.  As amphibians, Gray Treefrogs breed in water, which of course coyotes don't. 3.  Like other mammals, coyotes keep a constant body temperature, and they evaporate water through panting to cool themselves.  Frogs' body temperature fluctuates with the environment; having naked skin that's permeable to water, frogs are at risk of drying out if their habitat isn't moist. 4.  Coyotes and adult frogs both have lungs for exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, but, in frogs, gas exchange also occurs across their skin. 5.  Both are notable for their sounds.  Coyotes use barks, howls, and other sounds to communicate to family members and to potential competitors, and frog males use calls to attract females, signal their presence to other males, and perhaps to startle away predators. 6.  These animals appear together in at least three Native American legends, including one from the Kalapuya people of Oregon, called “The Coyote and the Frog People.”  In this story, the coyote sneakily digs through a dam the frogs use to hold all of the world's water for themselves; this then creates all the rivers, lakes, and waterfalls and ends the frogs' water hoarding. And 7.  Both coyotes and Gray Treefrogs show remarkable adaptability to human environments.  Coyotes are noted for occupying habitats near humans, such as city and suburban parks.  Gray Treefrogs, meanwhile, can also be found in human spaces, such as in swimming pools or on house walls or decks.  One wildlife biologist consulted for this episode said that in his Virginia county coyotes seem to “saunter by houses like they own the place”; in the frog world, noted another biologist, Gray Treefrogs have a somewhat similar reputation. Thanks to several Virginia Tech faculty members for providing information for this episode.  Thanks also to The Steel Wheels for permission to use their music, and we close with about 30 more seconds of “To the Wild.” MUSIC - ~30 sec – Lyrics: “I'm gonna run to the wild.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Virginia Water Radio thanks Mark Ford, Kevin Hamed, and James Parkhurst, all in the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, for contributing information to this episode. The Coyote and Gray Treefrog sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on July 5, 2022, at approximately 10:15 p.m. “To the Wild,” by The Steel Wheels, is from the 2017 album “Wild As We Came Here,” used with permission.  More information about The Steel Wheels is available online at https://www.thesteelwheels.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 490, 9-16-19. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES (If not otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) Coyote, photographed in Virginia Beach, Va., February 27, 2016.  Photo by Shawn Dash, made available on iNaturalist at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13877118(as of August 15, 2022) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Internbational.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.Gray Treefrog on the deck of a residence in Blacksburg, Va., September 23, 2009.EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT ANIMALS IN THIS EPISODE The following information is excerpted from “Coyote” and “Gray Treefrog” entries of the Virginia Department of Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources' (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/.  The Coyote entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Taxonomy&bova=050125&version=19215; the Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?Menu=_.Taxonomy&bova=020007&version=19215. Coyote (Scientific name: Canis latrans) Occurrence“Coyotes are thought to have started being seen in the 1950's and the 1960's here in Virginia, particularly in the western part of the state, and they now have an established population throughout the state.  Current occurrence throughout the state is attributed to the steady eastward migration of this species, which is due to the elimination of other large carnivores, such as red wolves, from their former ranges and to coyotes being highly opportunistic feeders and thus are highly adaptable to many habitats.” Physical Description“The males are generally larger than the females...with a body length of 1.0-1.35 meters, and a tail length of 400 millimeters.  The coat color and texture shows geographic variation, but usually the coat color is a grey mixed with a reddish tint.  ...This species is generally smaller than the grey wolf.  ...The track (70mm by 60mm) is more elongated than the domestic dog but shorter than either the gray or red wolf.” Reproduction“Yearling males and females are capable of breeding.  The percentage of yearlings breeding is controlled by food supply.  Gestation lasts 63 days.  The mean litter size is 5.3 and is affected by population density and food supply.” Behavior“The home range size of the males is 20-42 kilometers (km), and for females 8-10 km.   The female home ranges do not overlap whereas male home ranges do.  The average daily travel is reported as 4.0 km, with dispersal movements of 160 km not uncommon.  Favorable den sites include brush-covered slopes, steep banks, thickets, hollow logs, and rock ledges.  The dens of other animals may be used.  ...Dens may be shared and used for more than one year. ...Coyotes use visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile signals for communications.  They eat mostly rodents and rabbits but also take berries fruits and carrion.  They are primarily nocturnal and their howls can be heard for miles.” Gray Treefrog (Scientific name: Hyla versicolor) Occurrence“In Virginia, this species is distributed in the mountains north of the New River drainage, in the Blue Ridge, and in the Piedmont.” Physical Description“This species is identical in appearance to Hyla chrysoscelis [Cope's Gray Treefrog] but they do not interbreed.  These two species can be distinguished by chromosome number and by male mating call. ...Both species are well camouflaged.  They are usually gray but coloration ranges from gray to whitish to brown to green dependent upon environment and activities.  There is a whitish mark beneath the eyes and a bright orange or yellow on the concealed surfaces of the hind legs.  The dorsal skin is warty.  This species ranges in length from 32 to 62 milllimeters (1.25-2.5 inches).” Reproduction“Males call between March and August.  ...Breeding generally occurs from March to June.  The female lays clumps of 10 to 40 eggs per group on the surface of shallow ditches, puddles, and ponds  ...Eggs typically hatch in 4 to 5 days, and metamorphosis occurs in 45 to 64 days.” Behavior“This species is not often seen on the ground or near the water's edge except during the breeding season.  It tends to forage while in small trees or shrubs near to or standing in water.  This species is an opportunistic feeder focusing primarily on larval Lepidoptera [butterflies and moths], Coleoptera [beetles], and other arthropods.” Limiting Factors“This species is fairly arboreal, foraging from trees and shrubs in the vicinity of water. ...In general, this species requires shallow ponds with fallen branches or herbaceous growth on the water's edge.” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations“This species is typically associated with the following forest types: black willow, sweet gum-willow oak, white oak-red oak-black oak and mixed pine-hardwood.  They are frequently found in recently disturbed areas with shrub and herbaceous cover.” SOURCES Used for Audio Atlanta Coyote Project, “Coyote Activity Patterns, Ranges, and Vocalizations,” online at https://atlantacoyoteproject.org/coyote-activity-patterns-ranges-vocalizations/. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, “Animal Fact Sheet: Coyote,” online at https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/coyote.php. Burke Museum [Seattle, Wash.], “All About Amphibians,” online at https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/herpetology/all-about-amphibians/all-about-amphibians. Epic Ethics, “Coyote Returns Water from the Frog People—A Native Kalapuya Tale,” online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=six1kVQS_tw. First People of North America and Canada, “Native American Legends,” online at https://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/. Kevin Hamed, Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, personal communication, August 11, 2022. Richard W. Hill, Comparative Physiology of Animals: An Environmental Approach, Harper & Row, New York. 1976. Internet Sacred Text Archive, “The Coyote and the Frog,” identified as a Hopi contained in The Traditions of the Hopi, by H.R. Voth (1905), online at https://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/hopi/toth/toth065.htm. John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, Bureau of Wildlife Resources Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries [now Department of Wildlife Resources], Richmond, Va., 2011. Lane Community College [Eugene, Ore.], “Kalapuya: Native Americans of the Willamette Valley, Oregon,” online at https://libraryguides.lanecc.edu/kalapuya. Miami [Fla.] Children's Museum, YouTube video (4 min./39 sec.) of “The Coyote and the Frog People,” celebrating Native American Heritage Month, November 3, 2020, online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q4km_HDGeI. Brian R. Mitchell et al., “Information Content of Coyote Barks and Howls,” Bioacoustics: The International Journal of Animal Sound and its Recording, Vol. 15, pages 289–314 (2006); online (as a PDF) at https://www.uvm.edu/~bmitchel/Publications/Mitchell_Information_content.pdf. National Geographic, “Coyote,” undated, online at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/coyote. National Parks and Recreation Association, “Coyotes Have Moved into Parks Across the United States—Now What,” by Richard J. Dolesh, Parks & Recreation, April 6, 2018, online at https://www.nrpa.org/parks-recreation-magazine/2018/april/coyotes-have-moved-into-parks-across-the-united-states-now-what/. New Hampshire PBS, “NatureWorks/Gray Treefrog,” online at https://nhpbs.org/natureworks/graytreefrog.htm. Oregon Encyclopedia [Oregon Historical Society], “Kalapuyan Peoples,” by Henry Zenk, undated, online at https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/kalapuyan_peoples/#.YvPg_RzMJPY. James Parkhurst, Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, personal communication, August 11, 2022. Roger Powell et al., Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, Mass., 2016. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources [formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries],“Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/; the Coyote entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=050125&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19215; the Gray Treefrog entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020007&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19215. Ya-Native, “Coyote Takes Water From the Frog People—A Plains Legend,” online at

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (3:58).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments ImagesExtra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-1-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of August 1 and August 8, 2022.  This is a revised repeat of an episode from August 2015. SOUNDS – ~4 sec – call from Great Egret then from Great Blue Heron. In this episode, we feature two mystery sounds, and a guest voice, to explore two striking birds—striking in looks, and striking in how they hunt.  Have a listen for about 30 seconds, and see if you can guess these two long-necked, long-legged wading birds. SOUNDS AND GUEST VOICE – ~30 sec – Voice: “At once he stirs and steps into the water, wading with imperial self-possession on his three-pronged, dragonish feet.  The water could not tremble less at the passage of his stilt legs as he stalks his dinner.  His neck arches like the bending of a lithe bow, one of a piece with the snapping arrow of his beak.” If you guessed, egret or heron, you're right!  The first call was from a Great Egret and the second from a Great Blue Heron.  The guest voice was Alyson Quinn, reading part of her “Lesson from an Egret,” inspired by a September 2007 visit to the Potomac River.  The word “egret” derives from an old German word for “heron,” a fitting origin for the many similarities between these two big birds.  The Great Egret and the Great Blue Heron are the two largest of 12 North American species of herons, egrets, and bitterns.  The Great Egret is strikingly white, while the Great Blue has only a partially white head over a bluish-gray body.  But a white subspecies of the Great Blue, called the Great White Heron, occurs in Florida.  Great Egrets and Great Blues both typically feed in shallow water, taking fish, amphibians, and other prey by waiting and watching quietly, then quickly striking with their long, sharp beaks.  The two species also share a history of having been widely hunted for their long plumes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the impact on their populations helped lead to nationwide bird-conservation efforts and organizations. Distinctive looks, behavior, and history make these two “Greats” a memorable and meaningful sight along Virginia's rivers, ponds, marshes, and other areas.  Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use this week's sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs, and thanks to Alyson Quinn for permission to share her “Lesson from an Egret,” which gets this episode closing words. GUEST VOICE – ~18 sec – “I want to be more like the egret, with the patience to be still without exhaustion, to never mind the idle currents or be dazzled by the glamour of light on water; but, knowing the good thing I wait for, to coil my hope in constant readiness, and to act in brave certitude when it comes.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 277, 8-10-15. The sounds of the Great Egret and the Great Blue Heron were taken from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott, whose work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. Excerpts of “Lesson from an Egret” are courtesy of Alyson Quinn, from her blog “Winterpast” (September 21, 2007, post), available online at http://www.winterispast.blogspot.com/, used with permission.  Ms. Quinn made the recording after a visit to Algonkian Regional Park, located in Sterling, Va. (Loudoun County), part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.  More information about the park is available online at https://www.novaparks.com/parks/algonkian-regional-park. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES (Except as otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) Upper two images: Great Egret along the New River near Parrott, Va. (Pulaski County); photos by Robert Abraham, used with permission.  Third image: Great Blue Heron in a marsh at Wachapreague, Va. (Accomack County), October 5, 2007.  Bottom image: Great Blue Heron in a stormwater pond on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, July 28, 2015. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT GREAT EGRETS AND GREAT BLUE HERONS The following information is excerpted from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service”: Great Egret “Life History” entry, online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040032&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19202; and Great Blue Heron “Life History” entry, online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040027&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19202. Great Egret Physical Description“Large, heavy, white heron with yellow-orange bill, black legs, long, slender neck, and long plumes extending beyond tail….” Behavior“Male selects territory that is used for hostile and sexual displays, copulation and nesting.  Adjacent feeding areas vigorously defended, both sexes defend.  …Migration occurs in fall and early spring along coast; winters further south than Virginia. …Foraging: alone in open situations; prefers fresh or brackish waters, openings in swamps, along streams or ponds; wader: stalks prey; known to participate in the 'leap-frog' feeding when initiated by cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis).  Prey are taken in shallow waters; prey usually includes insects, fish, frogs (adults and tadpoles), small birds, snakes, crayfish, and many others.  Nesting: in trees or thickets, 3-90 ft. above water in willows, holly, red cedar, cypress, and bayberry on dry ground in marshes.” Population Comments“Dangerously near extermination in early part of [20th] century due to plume hunting; population comeback hampered by loss of habitat, exposure to DDT and other toxic chemicals and metals. …[Predators include] crows and vultures….” Great Blue Heron Physical Description“Large grayish heron with yellowish bill, white on head, cinnamon on neck, and black legs,” Behavior“Territoriality: known to have feeding territory in non-breeding seasons, defended against members of same species.  Range: breeds from central Canada to northern Central America and winters from middle United States throughout Central America; in Virginia, is a permanent resident of the Coastal Plain. …Foraging: stands motionless in shallow water waiting on prey; occasionally fishes on the wing along watercourses, meadows and fields far from water.  They also take frogs, snakes, insects, and other aquatic animals.  Nesting: predominately in tall cedar and pine swamps, but may also be found on the ground, rock ledges, and sea cliffs; nests on platform of sticks, generally in colonies….” Aquatic/Terrestrial Associations“Salt or fresh shallow waters of lakes, ponds, marshes, streams, bays, oceans, tidal flats, and sandbars; feeds in surf, wet meadows, pastures, and dry fields.” SOURCES Used for Audio Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “All About Birds,” online at http://www.allaboutbirds.org. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Birds of the World,” online at https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/home  (subscription required). Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson, Life in the Chesapeake Bay, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2006. Merriam-Webster  Dictionary:“Egret,” online at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egret;“Heron,” online at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heron. National Audubon Society, “History of Audubon and Science-based Bird Conservation,” online at http://www.audubon.org/content/history-audubon-and-waterbird-conservation. Oxford Dictionaries/Oxford University Press:“Egret,” online at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/egret;“Heron,” online at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/heron. Chandler S. Robbins et al., A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America, St. Martin's Press, New York, 2001. Stan Tekiela, Birds of Virginia Field Guide, Adventure Publications, Inc., Cambridge, Minn., 2002. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/:Great Blue Heron entry, online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040027&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19202;Great Egret entry, online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040032&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19202;“List of Native and Naturalized Fauna in Virginia, August 2020,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf.The Waterbird Society, online at https://waterbirds.org/. Joel C. Welty, The Life of Birds, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, Penn., 1975. For More Information about Birds in Virginia and Elsewhere Chesapeake Bay Program, “Birds,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/birds/all. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Merlin Photo ID.”  The application for mobile devices allows users to submit a bird photograph to get identification of the bird. Information is available online at http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, “eBird,” online at https://ebird.org/home.  Here you can find locations of species observations made by contributors, and you can sign up to contribute your own observations. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org. Virginia Society of Ornithology, online at http://www.virginiabirds.org/.  The Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of birds in the Commonwealth. Xeno-canto Foundation, online at http://www.xeno-canto.org/.  This site provides bird songs from around the world.  RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Birds” subject category. Following are links to some other episodes on birds in the family of herons, egrets, night-herons, and bitterns.Episode 118, 7-9-12 – Summertime sampler of birds, including Great Blue Heron. Episode 127, 9-10-12 – Green Heron. Episode 235, 10-13-14 – Black-crowned Night Heron.Episode 381, 8-14-17 – Midnight sounds near water, including Great Blue Heron.Episode 430, 7-23-18 – Marsh birds in Virginia, including Great Blue Heron and Least Bittern.Episode 478, 6-24-19 – Little Blue Heron.Episode 603, 11-15-21 – Fall bird migration, including Green Heron and Snowy Egret. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post.2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes1.5 – Animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive. 2.5 – Living things are part of a system. 3.4 – Adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment. 3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms. 4.2 – Plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive. 4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grades K-5: Earth ResourcesK.11 – Humans use resources.1.8 – Natural resources can be used responsibly.3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:30).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 7-15-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of July 18 and July 25, 2022. SOUNDS – ~6 sec Those sounds of shorebirds and Chesapeake Bay waves open an episode on the condition of that bay, which we last explored in an August 2020 episode.  We set the stage with the instrumental opening of a song whose title calls to mind some colors of the Chesapeake region's waters, lands, sky, and creatures.  Here's about 30 seconds of “The Deep Blue Green,” by Andrew VanNorstrand. MUSIC – ~31 sec – instrumental In June 2022, the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science issued its latest annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, for conditions in 2021.  For the report's first part, to assess Bay waters, the report compares the status of several physical, chemical, and biological indicators to established goals, in order to generate condition scores ranging from zero to 100%.  Combining the indicator scores, the overall score for 2021 was 50, an increase from the 45 score for 2020 data; the report characterized the 50 score as “moderate health” and gave it a letter grade of C.  The score when the Report Card started in 1986 was 48; the highest score since then was 55 in 2002, and the lowest was 36 in 2003. For the report's second part, the overall watershed assessment, the report for 2021 looked at three categories of indicators: ecological, societal, and economic.  These resulted in a score of 56, characterized as “moderate health” and given a letter grade of C+.  This was the first year that three categories of indicators were used for the watershed assessment, so the results aren't directly comparable to previous years. Besides the Maryland center's annual report, several other Bay condition reports are regularly available.  These include the Chesapeake Bay Program's annual “Bay Barometer” report; the Bay Program's “Chesapeake Progress” Web site, with updates on progress toward the goals of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement; the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's biennial “State of the Bay” report; and reports by various groups on specific Bay areas, such as the James River Association's “State of the James” reports.  All depend on data gathered by various sources, including universities; governmental agencies at the federal, state, and local levels; and non-governmental organizations. The Chesapeake Bay is the United States' largest estuary.  Monitoring its condition is a large part of decades-old efforts to improve and sustain this irreplaceable water body. Thanks to Andrew VanNorstrand for permission to use “The Deep Blue Green.”  We close with about 50 seconds of another musical selection, created for our previous episode on Chesapeake Bay conditions.  Here's “Chesapeake Bay Ballad,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at the Yale School of Music. MUSIC – ~51 sec – instrumental SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The waves sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio at the Chesapeake Bay on Kent Island, Maryland, June 22, 2010. The shorebirds sound was taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Digital Library, http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/; the specific audio file was “Shore birds close,” online at https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/audio/id/66/rec/8. “The Deep Blue Green,” from the 2019 album “That We Could Find a Way to Be,” is copyright by Andrew VanNorstrand, used with permission.  More information about Andrew VanNorstrand is available online at https://greatbearrecords.bandcamp.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 504, 12-23-19. “Chesapeake Bay Ballad” is copyright 2020 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission.  Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio; a 2020 graduate in Horn Performance from Manhattan School of Music in New York; and a 2021 graduate of the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.  He is currently a graduate student at the Yale School of Music.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks very much to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 604, 11-22-21. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com. IMAGES (Unless otherwise noted, photographs are by Virginia Water Radio.) View of the Chesapeake Bay looking downstream from the Bay Bridge-Tunnel (between Virginia Beach and Northampton County), October 7, 2007.View of the Chesapeake Bay looking upstream from Sandy Point State Park in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, March 21, 2010.Summary charts for Chesapeake Bay waters (upper) and watershed (lower) from the “Chesapeake Bay & Watershed 2021 Report Card” (covering data through 2021; published in June 2022), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.  Images accessed from the report PDF, online at https://ecoreportcard.org/site/assets/files/2560/2021-chesapeake-bay-watershed-report-card.pdf, as of 7-18-22. SOURCES Used for Audio Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “State of the Bay,” online at https://www.cbf.org/about-the-bay/state-of-the-bay-report/. Chesapeake Bay Program, online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/.  Specific pages used were the following:“Slight improvements in Bay health and new economic data added in 2021 Chesapeake Bay Report Card,” June 7, 2022, news release by Caroline Grass;“Bay Barometer,” April 2021 (for 2019-20 data), online (as a PDF) at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/documents/Bay_Barometer_2019-2020_Web.pdf;“Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement” (signed June 16, 2014), online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what_guides_us/watershed_agreement;“Chesapeake Progress,” online at https://www.chesapeakeprogress.com/;“The Estuary,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/the_estuary_system.Jeremy Cox and Timothy Wheeler, “Maryland, Virginia clamp down on crab harvests; cuts imposed as crab population hits record-low,” Bay Journal, June 30, 2022. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “2022 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey,” online at https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/blue-crab/dredge.aspx.Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “Eyes on the Bay,” online at http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/.See http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/eyesonthebay/whatsitmean.cfmfor “Data Available for Viewing” (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, turbidity, algal blooms, and temperature).See http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/eyesonthebay/links.cfmfor links to other Bay water-quality data and information sources.University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, online at https://www.umces.edu/.The “Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card” is online at https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/; note links for “Bay Health,” “Watershed Health,” and “Indicators.”A June 6, 2022, news release on the report of 2021 data is online https://www.umces.edu/news/chesapeake-bay-health-score-held-steady-in-2021.A PDF of the report of 2021 data is online at https://ecoreportcard.org/site/assets/files/2560/2021-chesapeake-bay-watershed-report-card.pdf. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, “How big is the [Chesapeake] bay?”  Online at https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/faqs/estuary_size.php. For More Information about the Chesapeake Bay and its ConditionChesapeake Bay Program, “Discover the Chesapeake,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover. Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson, Life in the Chesapeake Bay, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Md., 2006. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, “Chesapeake Bay Map,” online at https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/products/vmrc-chesapeake-bay-map/.Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, “Chesapeake Bay,” online at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/water/chesapeake-bay. Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS):“Bay Info,” online at https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/index.php;“SAV Program: Monitoring and Restoration,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/index.php;“Virginia Coastal and Estuarine Observing System,” online at http://vecos.vims.edu/. Virginia Marine Resources Commission, online at https://mrc.virginia.gov/links.shtm. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Rivers, Streams, and Other Surface Water” subject category.  The previous episode on Chesapeake Bay conditions was Episode 537, 8-10-20, Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay. Bay Barometer and other reports – Episode 305, 2-29-16.Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan – Episode 115, 6-18-12.Bay TMDL, Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan – Episode 475, 6-3-19.Chesapeake Bay Commission – Episode 496, 10-28-19.Estuaries introduction – Episode 326, 7-25-16.Oysters and nitrogen (Part 1) – Episode 279, 8-24-15.Oysters and nitrogen (Part 2) – Episode 280, 9-7-15.“Smart” buoys – Episode 538, 8-17-20.Submerged aquatic vegetation (“Bay grasses”) – Episode 325, 7-18-16.Winter birds of the Chesapeake Bay area – EP565 – 2/22/21. Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin Hallett for Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music.“A Little Fright Music” – used in Episode 548, 10-26-20, on water-related passages in fiction and non-fiction, for Halloween; and Episode 601, 10-31-21, connections among Halloween, water, and the human body.“Beetle Ballet” – used in Episode 525, 5-18-20, on aquatic beetles.“Corona Cue” – used in Episode 517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic. “Flow Stopper” – used in Episode 599, 10-18-21, on “Imagine a Day Without Water.”“Geese Piece” – used most recently in 615, 2-7-22, on Brant.“Ice Dance” – “Ice Dance” – used most recently in Episode 606, 12-6-21, on freezing of water.“Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year's Water” – used most recently in Episode 610, 1-3-22, on water thermodynamics and a New Year's Day New River wade-in.“Rain Refrain” – used most recently in Episode 559, 1-11-21, on record rainfall in 2020.“Runoff” – in Episode 585, 7-12-21 – on middle schoolers calling out stormwater-related water words.“Spider Strike” – used in Episode 523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders.“Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 580, 6-7-21, on the 2021 Atlantic tropical storm season preview.“Tundra Swan Song – used in Episode 554, 12-7-20, on Tundra Swans.“Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey.“Wade in the Water” (arrangement) – used most recently in Episode 616, 2-14-22.  FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes2.5 – Living things are part of a system.3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems3.7 – There is a water cycle and water is important to life on Earth.4.7 – The ocean environment.Grades K-5: Earth Resources 1.8 – Natural resources can be used responsibly, including that most natural resources are limited; human actions can affect the availability of natural resources; and reducing, reusing, and recycling are ways to conserve natural resources.3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems.4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 66.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment.6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems.6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life ScienceLS.6 – Populations in a biological community interact and are interdependent.LS.8 – Change occurs in ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms over time.LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.LS.11 – Populations of organisms can change over time. Earth ScienceES.6 – Resource use is complex.ES.8 – Freshwater resources influence and are influenced by geologic processes and human activity.ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. BiologyBIO.2 – Chemical and biochemical processes are essential for life.BIO.7 – Populations change through time.BIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Geography Theme1.6 – Virginia climate, seasons, and landforms.2.6 – Major rivers, mountains, and other geographic features of North America and other continents.3.6 – Major rivers, mountains, and other geographic features of North America and other continents. Grades K-3 Economics Theme2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources.3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. Grades K-3 Civics Theme3.12 – Importance of government in community, Virginia, and the United States. Virginia Studies CourseVS.1 – Impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history.VS.10 – Knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. United States History to 1865 CourseUSI.2 – Major land and water features of North America, including their importance in history. United States History: 1865-to-Present CourseUSII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century. Civics and Economics CourseCE.6 – Government at the national level.CE.7 – Government at the state level.CE.8 – Government at the local level.CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography CourseWG.2 – How selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth's surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.WG.3 – How regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants.WG.4 – Types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources. Government CourseGOVT.7 – National government organization and powers.GOVT.8 – State and local government organization and powers.GOVT.9 – Public policy process at local, state, and national levels.GOVT.15 – Role of government in Va. and U.S. economies, including examining environmental issues and property rights.Virginia's SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels.Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade. Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten. Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade. Episode 333, 9-12-16 – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 407, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school. Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school. Episode 524, 5-11-20 – on sounds by water-related animals, for elementary school through high school. Episode 531, 6-29-20 – on various ways that animals get water, for 3rd and 4th grade. Episode 539, 8-24-20 – on basic numbers and facts about Virginia's water resources, for 4th and 6th grade. Episode 606, 12-6-21 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.