Podcasts about virginia institute

Title:  Languaging in Hampton RoadsEpisode 15: A Day on the MarshHosts: Jill Winkowski and Prue SalaskyDate: March 31, 2025Length: 30 min.Publication Frequency: MonthlyIn this episode of languagingHR, we look out on to one of the most iconic views in the Hampton Roads area, where the marsh meets the open water, while we explore the history of common words such as marsh and mud and heron and horizon that are used every day to describe our coastal surroundings. To help us on our word journey, we asked three local experts to join us: Dr. Steve Kuehl, Marlee Fuller, and Laura Lohse. Mud: As a marine geologist at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), Steve Kuehl has spent his whole career studying sediment, or mud, primarily in deltaic systems, that is where rivers meet the sea. In this episode, he describes the why and how of studying mud. First and foremost, geochronology, studying the layers of sediment, allows us to learn about the history of our planet. By taking cores of mud and earth, we unearth, as it were, a record that spans millions of years. Marine scientists also study mud to learn more about our aquatic ecosystems. They measure benthic activity in, say, the York River to gauge the vitality of certain fish populations; they take cores in coastal areas to measure the patterns of buried carbon; and they study the resilience of the sedimentary activity in local marshes. Birds: With a background in evolutionary biology, Marlee Fuller has worked in bird research on clapper rails in Mississippi and prairie chickens in Oklahoma. She travels with her Coast Guard family and during her time in Hampton Roads, she was emersed, as a nature guide, in the local coastal and especially avian experience at False Cape State Park in Virginia Beach. If you haven't had a chance to visit False Cape and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, it's a gem. In this episode, Fuller describes the varieties and habits of our native heron population as well as the name origins of the whimbrel and our ubiquitous killdeer. Be sure to check out this episode's bonus content for Fuller's vivid descriptions of local and migrating bird behaviors.The Horizon: Laura Lohse has decades of experience teaching and sailing using celestial navigation, that is using the stars, the sun, and the horizon to stay on course. For our word journey, Lohse connects the nautical terms that we use in our day-to-day language—to get a fix, to find your bearings, to give leeway, with their historical use in sailing. To shoot stars is to get lines of position from stars at dusk or dawn using the horizon as a reference. Dead reckoning is using speed estimated with a taffrail log, and in the old days a knot log, to figure out position when there is no horizon in view. And be sure to check out our bonus content (publishing weekly in April) where: Steve Kuehl describes the rock cycle, from sediment to sedimentary rock and back again(!); Marlee Fuller describes the lively behaviors of the sanderling and how a tricolored heron stealthily creates shade to attract its prey; and Laura Lohse recounts her experiences in the open ocean, from watching mola molas, that is gigantic sun fish that swim on the surface of the ocean, to experiencing the doldrums, long periods with no winds.  To learn more about the organizations in this podcast, visit:Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucesterhttps://www.vims.edu/False Cape State Park, Virginia Beachhttps://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/false-capeBack Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Virginia Beachhttps://www.fws.gov/refuge/back-baySchooner Alliance II, Yorktownhttps://sailyorktown.com/Sloop Luna and the Colonial Seaport Foundation, Deltavillehttps://colonialseaport.org/luna-operating-plans/To connect with us, please send your feedback and questions to languagingHR@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you! Be sure to like, follow, subscribe, review  – it's free and it helps other listeners find us.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Bluefield State University teams up with Virginia Tech to further mining opportunities in the region…motorists stop to enjoy the new travel plaza off the WV Turnpike in Mercer County…and the newly rebranded Putnam County Tourism continues its mission to attract visitors to the area…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV PUBLIC – Bluefield State University is teaming up with the Virginia Institute of Technology to develop a curriculum that will help the region's economy. Bluefield State's existing mining engineering program will participate in Virginia Tech's “Expand Appalachia Project.” The goal: to further mining opportunities in the region.  Bluefield State's President Darrin Martin said this investment will help secure America's supply chain of critical minerals used to make batteries.  Bluefield State is the only historically black college or university with a mining engineering program. The four year bachelor's program has partnered with industry to develop the curriculum. Students can receive paid internships and scholarships from companies in the mining industry. The U.S. Department of Energy has invested nearly $10 million into the project. Read more: https://wvpublic.org/bluefield-state-expanding-mining-curriculum/   #2 – From BLUEFIELD DAILY TELEGRAPH – West Virginia Turnpike motorists coming through Mercer County can now stop at a new travel plaza featuring modern architecture, dining opportunities with outdoor options, gasoline, gifts and more. The new Bluestone Travel Plaza, which is located between Princeton and Camp Creek State Park, opened to the traveling public late last month. It is one of two new travel plazas that replaced older facilities, both of which are in Mercer and Raleigh counties. Both plazas have similar designs with lofty interiors, a food court, restrooms, gifts and other amenities. Both plazas were closed while the demolitions and construction phases were underway, but both are now open and serving the public. Read more: https://www.bdtonline.com/news/new-mercer-county-travel-plaza-now-open-and-serving-the-public/article_2df7e968-dcdd-11ef-86a0-e36c2985f8bc.html   #3 – From WSAZ-TV – The Putnam County Convention and Visitors Bureau has undergone a name change to more accurately reflect what the organization does. same. The goal is to attract visitors to the area who will in turn spend money and contribute to the local and regional economy. Putnam County Tourism continues to promote its restaurants, shops, attractions and outdoor recreation activities that serve its growing population. Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.  

The Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report is your best resource for the Virginia Beach Fishing Report, Ocean View Fishing Report, Norfolk Fishing Report, Lynnhaven Inlet Fishing Report, and everywhere in between.For the anglers looking for an Eastern Shore Fishing Report, Hampton fishing report, Buckroe Beach Fishing Report, or York River fishing report, look no further. Every week we bring you a report for those anglers interested in a Cape Charles fishing report and a Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel fishing report and for every location in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. For our guys looking for the Virginia fishing report, we've got you covered.This Christmas, we have a special gift of education and story time with Sussana Musick, Marine Biologist with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She shares the rich history, fun facts, and answers many frequently asked questions about the game fish tagging program. If you would like to get involved as a volunteer or have any questions about the program, visit them online at: VIMS Website or on social media: Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program. You can call 804-684-7166 or email susanna@vims.eduTune in to learn about cobia, flounder, tog, speckled trout, and many other cools species and some of the remarkable data that has been captured as well as how it helps conservation efforts and more!And most importantly, have a very Merry Christmas!It's all brought to you whether it's good, bad, or ugly. Please subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen to podcasts. Remember to text the word “LCBFR” to to 779-435-2918 or visit us online at.greatdaysoutdoors.com/lcbfr to be added to our email list and we'll send you the new show each week! All Lower Chesapeake Bay Fishing Report Email Subscribers receive a PROMO CODE for a FREE AFTCO Camo Sunglasses Cleaner Cloth with the purchase of any products!Sponsors:Convert SolarSam Rust Seafood Great Days OutdoorsKillerDockHilton's Realtime-NavigatorAFTCOAirmedcare Saltsgone Pure Flats Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle 

In this episode, we explore the crucial role of seagrass habitats in coastal ecosystems and their importance in combating climate change. Join us as we discuss Project Seagrass and their innovative initiative to create a seed harvester designed to efficiently gather seeds from seagrass meadows. Dr. Richard Unsworth, the chief scientific officer of Project Seagrass, shares insights into the challenges of restoring degraded seagrass habitats and the potential impact of their crowdfunding campaign aimed at developing this essential technology. Discover how you can contribute to the preservation of these vital ecosystems and join us in supporting this important cause. Don't miss this enlightening conversation about protecting our oceans and the future of seagrass restoration! Support the Project: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/underwater-seagrass-seed-harvester?__cf_chl_rt_tk=Ms7lI_hTDLz3947auDBLvQtwQKoVaGaVBOs6f9eM6_8-1726751063-0.0.1.1-8276 Follow a career in conservation: https://www.conservation-careers.com/online-training/ Use the code SUFB to get 33% off courses and the careers program.   Do you want to join my Ocean Community? Sign Up for Updates on the process: www.speakupforblue.com/oceanapp   Sign up for our Newsletter: http://www.speakupforblue.com/newsletter   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube Project Seagrass and the Development of an Underwater Seed Harvester Project Seagrass is leading innovative conservation efforts aimed at restoring degraded seagrass habitats worldwide. One of their most exciting initiatives is the development of an underwater seed harvester designed to automate the collection of seagrass seeds. This project is crucial for enhancing restoration efforts, as seagrass meadows play a vital role in coastal ecosystems. Importance of Seagrass Habitats Seagrass habitats are among the most biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. They significantly contribute to coastal biodiversity, provide security for coastlines, and serve as important blue carbon habitats, meaning they sequester carbon and help combat climate change. However, many of these habitats are currently facing degradation due to various environmental pressures, including poor water quality and human activities. The Need for Automation Traditionally, collecting seagrass seeds has been a labor-intensive process, requiring volunteers to wade, snorkel, or dive in shallow waters to gather seeds manually. This method is not only time-consuming but also limited by the number of people who can participate. Project Seagrass recognized the need for a more efficient approach to seed collection to scale up restoration efforts. The Underwater Seed Harvester The underwater seed harvester aims to mechanize the seed collection process. Drawing inspiration from a prototype developed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science two decades ago, Project Seagrass is building upon this foundation to create a more effective tool suitable for varying environmental conditions. The harvester will operate by "giving the seagrass a haircut," cutting the seagrass shoots at a specific height to collect seeds without damaging the underlying roots or rhizomes. Research and Development Before moving forward with the harvester, Project Seagrass conducted extensive research to ensure that the cutting process would not negatively impact the seagrass. They collaborated with regulators in Wales to develop a series of experimental trials, comparing the health of seagrass that had been cut with that of untouched meadows. The results showed no significant negative impact, confirming that the seagrass could recover quickly after being pruned. Future Plans With the prototype successfully tested, Project Seagrass is now focused on securing funding through a crowdfunding campaign to build a fully operational version of the seed harvester. Once funded, they plan to work with engineering partners to finalize the design and conduct further tests in the upcoming summer. The ultimate goal is to create a reliable tool that can be used not only in the UK but also in other regions facing similar seagrass restoration challenges. The Importance of Seagrass and the Underwater Seed Harvester Project Seagrass habitats are vital coastal ecosystems that play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity and combating climate change. Often referred to as the "canary in the coal mine" for marine environments, they indicate the overall health of coastal ecosystems. Unfortunately, seagrass meadows are facing significant degradation worldwide due to various factors, including poor water quality and habitat loss. Why Seagrass Matters Biodiversity: Seagrass meadows are among the most biodiverse habitats on the planet, providing essential habitat and nursery grounds for numerous marine species, including fish, invertebrates, and other wildlife. Coastal Protection: Seagrasses help stabilize coastlines by reducing erosion and providing a buffer against storm surges. This is particularly important in the context of rising sea levels and increasing storm intensity due to climate change. Blue Carbon: Seagrass meadows are significant carbon sinks, sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and helping mitigate climate change. They store carbon in their biomass and in the sediment beneath them, making them critical in the fight against global warming. The Challenge of Seed Collection To restore degraded seagrass habitats, it is essential to collect and replant seagrass seeds. Traditionally, this process has involved volunteers wading, snorkeling, or diving to gather seeds, which can be labor-intensive and limited by the number of available volunteers. The manual collection of seeds is not only time-consuming but also poses challenges in terms of safety and efficiency. The Underwater Seed Harvester Project Recognizing the need for a more efficient method of seed collection, Project Seagrass has initiated the development of an underwater seed harvester. This innovative technology aims to automate the seed collection process, making it quicker and more efficient. Building on Previous Research: The concept of an underwater seed harvester is not entirely new. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science developed a prototype 20 years ago, but Project Seagrass is adapting and improving upon this design to suit different environmental conditions. Prototype Development: The team at Project Seagrass has conducted extensive trials to ensure that the harvester does not negatively impact the seagrass. They have demonstrated that cutting the seagrass to a certain height—akin to giving it a "haircut"—does not harm the plant and allows for the collection of seeds that float to the surface during specific times of the year. Efficiency and Scale: The harvester is designed to be towed behind a vessel at a controlled speed, allowing for the collection of a significant number of seeds in a short amount of time. In healthy seagrass meadows, there can be anywhere from 100 to 10,000 seeds per square meter, meaning that the potential for seed collection is immense. Future Plans: Once the crowdfunding campaign is successful, the team plans to finalize the design and test the harvester in the field. They aim to refine the technology further and explore its applicability in various regions around the world, ultimately contributing to the restoration of seagrass habitats globally. Conclusion The underwater seed harvester project represents a significant step forward in seagrass restoration efforts. By automating the seed collection process, Project Seagrass aims to enhance the efficiency of restoration activities, ultimately leading to healthier coastal ecosystems. Supporting this initiative through crowdfunding not only aids in the development of this innovative technology but also contributes to the broader goal of conserving and restoring vital seagrass habitats worldwide. The initial prototype of the seed harvester developed by Project Seagrass has provided promising results regarding its impact on seagrass health. Through a series of trials, researchers found that cutting the seagrass to collect seeds does not negatively affect its overall health, effectively demonstrating that this process is akin to giving the seagrass a "haircut." Key Findings from the Prototype Trials Methodology of the Trials: The team conducted experiments comparing areas of seagrass that were cut using the prototype harvester against areas that remained untouched. They established transect lines underwater to monitor the health of the seagrass over time. Divers were involved in both cutting the seagrass with shears and using the prototype sled to collect seeds. Results of the Cutting: The results indicated no significant difference in the health of the seagrass between the cut areas and the natural populations that had not been impacted. This finding is crucial as it suggests that the seagrass can withstand this form of harvesting without suffering detrimental effects. Growth Rates: Seagrass is known for its resilience and rapid growth. After the cutting, new shoots began to emerge quickly, with growth rates of three to four centimeters in just a few weeks during the peak summer period. This rapid turnover reinforces the idea that cutting the seagrass merely stimulates growth rather than harming it. Ecological Context: The natural grazing behavior of various marine animals, such as turtles and geese, further supports the notion that seagrass can recover from cutting. These animals regularly graze on seagrass, and the plants have adapted to this natural form of pruning. The prototype's cutting method mimics this natural process, allowing the seagrass to thrive post-harvest. Regulatory Approval: The successful trials have also led to increased confidence among regulators. Initially, there was concern about the potential impact of cutting seagrass, but the evidence gathered from the trials has helped to alleviate these fears. The regulators in Wales, who were initially apprehensive, have begun to understand that the cutting method is not harmful and can be a sustainable practice for seed collection.      

Larry Sabato is the Founder and Director of the University of Virginia Institute of Politics. There is no better political analyst in the country. Here are the key points he made in today's Bill Press Pod: The 2024 presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is seen as a very close race, with no clear frontrunner. Sabato believes Harris performed well in the first presidential debate, getting under Trump's skin effectively. However, the debate likely only moved the needle slightly in the polls. Sabato is skeptical of polls showing Harris with a comfortable lead, as he believes some Trump supporters are not being honest with pollsters. He points to significant polling misses in recent elections as evidence that the polls cannot be fully trusted. He expresses concern about the reliability of polls in key battleground states like Wisconsin, where polls have significantly underestimated Trump's performance in recent elections. He sees the vice presidential debate as a potential wild card, with Vance potentially struggling to match the performance of Harris's running mate, Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota. Sabato is critical of Republican members of Congress who have not stood up to Trump, saying they are putting their party's interests ahead of the country.Today urges our listeners to support endangered Senators Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester through ActBlue.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

08-01-2024 Greg Schneider Learn more about the interview and get additional links here: https://thedailyblaze.com/post-reporter-on-new-virginia-institute-changing-the-way-people-look-at-slavery/ Subscribe to the best of our content here: https://priceofbusiness.substack.com/ Subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywgbHv7dpiBG2Qswr_ceEQ

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is spearheading an effort to understand what's causing the issue known as Sudden Unusual Mortality Syndrome.

In Episode 155, Ben chats with Dr. Yaniz Padilla Dalmau. She has a specialty in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior using an applied behavior analytic (ABA) approach. Yaniz has a passion for improving access to behavior analytic services for underserved populations through novel models such as telehealth and through consideration of cultural variables within assessment and treatment. One of her life's missions has been to bridge the service gap in the area of ABA for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Puerto Rico.   Yaniz has received training at the University of Iowa and the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University's Neurobehavioral Outpatient Unit. She has practiced at the Virginia Institute of Autism's outpatient behavioral services and Seattle Children's Hospital Biobehavioral Program and Pediatric Feeding Program. Continuing Education Credits (https://www.cbiconsultants.com/shop) BACB: 1.5 Learning IBAO: 1.5 Cultural QABA: 1.5 DEI Registration is now open for PRABA 2024!   https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/praba/registration Contact: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaniz-padilla-dalmau-phd-bcba-d-57ab1041/  https://flamboyanbehavior.com/?lang=en Links: Puerto Rico ABA  https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/praba/home https://iba.abainternational.org/2023/10/17/puerto-rico-association-for-behavior-analysis/ https://www.facebook.com/PuertoRicoABA  

The study out of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science focuses on deeper waters, where the impacts of heat waves are lesser known.

The state-funded shad recovery plan comes from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The goal is to restore the species to historical levels.

Jillian finally watches the 1997 James Cameron classic, Titanic, and talks about the real disaster. Haley talks about the only animal today that could have seen the wreck and lived long enough to tell us about it, the Greenland Shark. Sources: How Did The Titanic Sink, BBC Timeline of the Titanic's Final Hours, Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Britannica Titanic Facts.net Irish Man Eugene Daly's eyewitness account of the sinking of the Titanic, Senan Moloy Irish Central 10 Titanic Survivors Describe What The Sinking Was Actually Like, Elise Hennigan, Ranker Sunken Dreams: The Finns on Board the Titanic, Jarno Linnolahti, Elizabeth Uchanov  Titanic: The True Story Behind the Movie's Controversial Shootings, Christy Box, Screen Rant Greenland Shark, Wikipedia A Mysterious Greenland shark showed up in Belize, thousands of miles from its arctic home, Zoe Zottile, CNN Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland Sharks, David Malmquist, Virginia Institute of Marine Science

1982 Penn State graduate Jeff Coppola is all about journeys. From his current company, WorldStrides, that focuses on experiential trips for students, to his own professional journey through numerous industries, to his family's personal journey with autism, this episode has great nuggets on leadership and career insights. (5:25) - Getting to know Worldstrides(13:38) - Role at Worldstrides(18:58) - Putting the focus on the customer(22:45) - Early career lessons(27:33) - Transferable skills across industries (31:08) - Experiencing challenges(34:22) - Board Member for the Virginia Institute for Autism(39:08) - Lions Den presented by http://Lions-Pride.com: Penn State ExperienceLearn more at http://WorldStrides.com.Special thanks to Penn State student intern Dan Bransfeld.Show off your Penn State pride with the latest apparel and gear by visiting http://Lions-Pride.com.Keep up with all the Penn State news at http://Collegian.PSU.edu.Join Penn State's network connecting students and alumni at http://Alumni.PSU.edu/LionLink.Lion Legacy is a Baroudeur Production and is not affiliated with Penn State University. Visit us at http://LionLegacyPodcast.com and http://Instagram.com/LionLegacyPodcast.

Researchers use the vessel to study everything from shipwrecks to underwater infrastructure. It's currently open for public tours at Nauticus.

Randy is joined by the Deputy Director of the Election Integrity Network at the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, Ned Jones.  They talk about incredible work being done to protect the next election, expose the fraud and shenanigans, and how people can help,  Then, an update on CO Republican SoS candidate, Pam Anderson.  Randy didn't like it.  You won't either.  Then, Randy literally lost his voice on air, but Ned stuck around to warn people about ERIC (Electronic (voter) Information Registration Center).  States are bailing out. We must force Colorado to do the same.  More from the Trump Rally, as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Fellow for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy and the Past Vice Chairman of the State Board of Elections Clara Belle Wheeler discusses if there were any issues at different polling places yesterday.

It's October, the month of pumpkin spice, orange leaves, cozy sweaters, and spooky time. So for Halloween, we are reviewing Hocus Pocus 2. We are Blerding Out about Never Have I Ever, Resonate Podcast Conference, Virginia Institute of Contemporary Art VCU, a Lizzo Concert, Beauvine Burger Concept restaurant, new friend Kerri, The Empress, and Netflix's Daredevil. Get spook-ish with us and listen to our review and Blerd Out! Check out links to some mentions during the episode: @mavviola Comedian/Podcast host On TikTok On Instagram @nattlegregs Podcast producer On Instagram Virginia Institute of Contemporary Art VCU https://icavcu.org/ Intro and Outro music is “Twilight” by Capshun Find him on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/capshun Show Notes by Bola Hanson Audio engineering by Whitney Booker Show Contact Info: Subscribe to our email newsletter: blerdtalkbw.ck.page Email: blerdtalkbw@gmail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blerdtalkbw/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlerdTalkBW TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@blerdtalkbw Bola's contact info: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bolastorybee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bolastorybee/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSOXQ6Tc_i81DlWSqCC78Ig/featured Whitney's company contact info: Email: whit@lumenavi.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/lumenavistudios --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/blerdtalk-with-bola-and-whitney/message

Senior Fellow for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy and Past Vice Chairman of the State Board of Elections Clara Belle Wheeler discusses her thoughts on election integrity prior to early voting and Election Day.

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:14).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 8-26-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of August 29 and September 5, 2022.  This episode is a revised repeat of an episode from September 2012. MUSIC – ~15 sec – Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys; hey, hey, honey.” In this episode, we honor Labor Day by featuring a musical tradition that helped hard-working African American watermen harvest Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay.  Have a listen for about 90 seconds. VOICE AND MUSIC - ~92 sec – Introduction: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  I want to thank you for that wonderful introduction.  We are the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, and we are extremely happy to be back here once again to perform for you.  We call ourselves the Northern Neck Chantey Singers because all of us come from the Northern Neck counties of the Northern Neck, which is that body that's on the eastern part of Virginia, bordered by the Potomac River in the north, the majestic Chesapeake Bay in the east, and the Rappahannock River in the south.  The first song that we're gonna perform for you is sort of like our theme song.  It's called “Help us to raise ‘em, boys,” and it goes by showing how we pull in the nets that's teeming with fish.” Song Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys?  Hey, hey, honey. C'mon now, let's go get ‘em; get ‘em now!Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys?  Hey, hey, honey.  C'mon boys let's go get ‘em, all right!Won't you help me to raise ‘em out?  See you when the sun goes down.” You've been listening to the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, performing at the 2011 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Festival in Charlottesville.  In 1991, several former Virginia watermen formed the Northern Neck Chantey Singers to keep alive and spread awareness of the tradition of menhaden chanteys.  Menhaden chanteys are an example of African American work songs, used in this case to coordinate crews of watermen in the grueling labor of hauling up nets full of fish.  Atlantic menhaden are relatively small, oily fish that feed on microscopic plants and animals and in turn are prey for larger fish, such as Striped Bass and Bluefish.  Menhaden have been harvested from Atlantic Coast waters since the 1800s for a variety of industrial uses of their oils, and in southern states.  African Americans typically made up the crews doing the hard work of pulling up nets containing thousands of fish.  The chanteys, sung in a call-and-response style, helped the watermen coordinate the extra efforts needed for hauling in heavily loaded nets.  Today, hydraulic equipment does the net-hauling work formerly performed by watermen; the Northern Neck town of Reedville, in Northumberland County, is home to the Chesapeake Bay's only remaining industrial Menhaden operation, run by the Omega Protein company; and Bay Menhaden harvest quotas are at times a controversial issue.  Performances by the Northern Neck Chantey Singers remind us that those modern-day menhaden circumstances have a long, challenging, and culturally rich history of Virginians working on the water. Thanks to Virginia Humanities, formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, for permission to use the excerpt of the Northern Neck Chantey Singers' performance, and we let those singers have the last word. MUSIC – ~13 sec – Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em out?  See you when the sun goes down.” 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 replaced Episode 128, 9-17-12. Audio of the Northern Neck Chantey Singers was from a video of their September 11, 2011, performance at the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase in Charlottesville, used with permission of Virginia Humanities (formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities), located in Charlottesville and online at https://virginiahumanities.org/.  The full performance video is available online at https://www.virginiafolklife.org/sights-sounds/northern-neck-chantey-singers-and-lewis-r-blackwell-jr/. 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 Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus).  Drawing from he Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. Atlantic menhaden landings for bait and in the reduction industry (using the fish oils for various products) from 1940 to 2020.  Graph from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. SOURCES Used for Audio Harold Anderson, “Menhaden Chanteys: An African American Legacy,” and “A History of Menhaden Fishing,” both in Maryland Marine Notes, Jan.-Feb. 2000, from the Maryland Sea Grant Program, available online at https://www.mdsg.umd.edu/maryland-marine-notes-archive. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. Steve Bittenbender, “Omega Protein completes move of headquarters to Virginia,” Seafood Source, March 2, 2020. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Menhaden” (undated), online at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/issue/menhaden#inline. The Mariners' Museum and Park (formerly The Mariners' Museum; Newport News, Va.), “Watermen Harvesting the Bounty: Menhaden Fishing” (2002), online at http://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/cbhf/waterman/wat011.html. Omega Protein Corporation, “Who We Are,” online at https://omegaprotein.com/who-we-are/. Virginia Humanities (formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities), “Virginia Folklife Program: Northern Neck Chantey Singers and Lewis R. Blackwell, Jr.,” 2011, online at https://www.virginiafolklife.org/sights-sounds/northern-neck-chantey-singers-and-lewis-r-blackwell-jr/. For More Information about Menhaden or Menhaden Chanteys North Carolina Arts Council, “Menhaden Chanteymen/Beaufort, N.C.,” online at https://www.ncarts.org/menhaden-chanteymen. State Library of North Carolina et al., “NCPedia/Menhaden Chanteymen,” online at https://www.ncpedia.org/menhaden-chanteymen. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service/Species Information,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information.  The Altantic menhaden entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=010043&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19233. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/departments/fisheries/programs/mrg_oldwebsite/species_data/atlantic_menhaden/index.php. Virginia Marine Resources Commission/Menhaden Management Advisory Committee, online at https://mrc.virginia.gov/MMAC/mmac.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 following subject categories: “Fish”; “History”; “Rivers, Streams, and Other Surface Water.” Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay. Bay condition reports – Episode 305, 2-29-16; Episode 632, 7-18-22.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. 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 Processes 1.5 – Animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive. 2.5 – 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 Systems 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. 3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems. 4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 6 6.6 – 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 Science LS.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 Science ES.6 – Resource use is complex.  ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. Biology BIO.7 – Populations change through time. BIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems.2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Economics Theme 2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources. 3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. Virginia Studies Course VS.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: 1865-to-Present Course USII.6 – Social, economic, and technological changes from the 1890s to 1945. Civics and Economics Course CE.7 – Government at the state level. CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography

Former member of Virginia's Board of Elections Clarabelle Wheeler is in from the Election Integrity team at the Virginia Institute for Public Policy. Then former AG Ken Cuccinelli is on from the Election Transparency Initiative. Then Joe get's some feedback.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join me as I check in with Anu Frank-Lawale, Director of Genetics Programs at DNA Genetics. Dr. Anu Frank-Lawale is the director of genetic programs with DNA Genetics, a producer-owned swine genetics company which is based out of Columbus, Nebraska. Through his role, Dr. Frank-Lawale works not only to maintain the integrity of the company's genetic program but also to improve upon the progress that has helped launch DNA Genetics into one of the leading swine genetic companies in North America. Prior to joining DNA Genetics, Dr. Frank-Lawale served as a senior breeding coordinator/geneticist for the Center for Aquaculture Technologies, a geneticist with Cobb, and the breeding research manager/assistant research professor with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and was a biometrician with the Roslin BioCentre, in Edinburgh. Dr. Frank-Lawale earned his B.S. degree in agriculture and food sciences from the University of Nottingham, his M.S. degree in animal breeding from the University of Edinburgh and his Ph.D. degree in aquaculture genetics from the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling.

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 (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.

Fans of longer days in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America have three weeks to go until the world begins turning back to the other way. The solstice will mark the official start of summer, but many would argue it is already here. I’m not here to argue, and neither is Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and podcast that seeks to document as much as it can. The I mentioned above is me, Sean Tubbs. Sign up for free to make sure you get every installment. But if you do pay to support the work, Ting will match your initial payment! On today’s program:Details on what’s in the compromise budget that the General Assembly will vote on todayAlbemarle Supervisors have a full meeting including a vote for a new Planning CommissionerTwo plans for a future Regional Transit Authority are presented to area leaders and both have hefty price tags First shout-out is for LEAP’s new Thermalize Virginia program In today’s first Patreon-fueled shout-out: Have you been thinking of converting your fossil-fuel appliances and furnaces into something that will help the community reduce its greenhouse gas emissions? Your local energy nonprofit, LEAP,  has launched a new program to guide you through the steps toward electrifying your home. Thermalize Virginia will help you understand electrification and connect you with vetted contractors to get the work done and help you find any rebates or discounts. Visit thermalizeva.org to learn more and to sign up!  General Assembly returns today to consider conference reportBoth chambers of the Virginia General Assembly will convene at 10 a.m. to finish work on several bills left over the regular session. The major item left waiting to be finalized is the state budget and conference reports were made public over the weekend. There are 370 pages in the conference report for HB30, the technical name for the bill that carries the two year state budget that begins on July 1. A team of six Delegates and eight Senators were appointed to come up with compromises. One running theme is the reduction of funding that is now required because of elimination of the sales tax on foods for human consumption and personal hygiene products. The standard deduction for Virginia income taxes has also been increased from $4,500 to $8,000 for single filers and $9,000 to $16,000 for married couples. There’s a lot in it, and here are some highlights. Let’s start with education. A $400 million competitive fund will be set up for local school boards to apply for funding for “construction, expansion, or modernization, of public school buildings.” The grants would cover up to 30 percent of the project cost. There is a separate $400 million for the School Construction Grant program “for debt service payments on school projects that have been completed or initiated during the last ten years.” School systems across Virginia will get $104.1 million in FY23 and $257.2 million in FY24 in “hold harmless” payments to represent the loss of revenue from the suspension of the grocery A hundred million dollars will go into a College Partnership Laboratory Schools Fund which would be for the creation of “public, nonsectarian, nonreligious schools in the Commonwealth established by a baccalaureate public institution of higher education.”The Secretary of Education is directed to study the practice of collecting student debts for public institutions of higher education. The RISE Foundation of Waynesboro is allocated $250,000 for preventive services for at-risk youth. Around $9.5 million over two years will go to support the implementation of the Virginia Literacy ActChesterfield County Public Schools would get $1.364 million over two years to help establish a recovery high school for students in “early stages of recovery from substance use disorder or dependency.”Here are some economic development and tourism items:There’s $66.7 million in funding over two years to support biotechnology in Virginia, including up to $18 million for the University of Virginia Institute of Biotechnology “to accelerate biotechnology commercialization, genomics and gene therapies, drug delivery technologies and biomanufacturing facilities in the Commonwealth over the next five fiscal years through incentives designed to attract 150 research scientists.”The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be allocated $125,000 to the Virginia Wine Board to breeding vinifera-style wine groups “with a specified focus on combining vinifera fruit quality with downy mildew resistance, with an objective of commercializing the resulting variety within 10 to 15 years.”There’s $700,000 to hire seven inspectors for regulating hemp products and investigating possible violations. This is related to changes in the already adopted rules for hemp and marijuana.Nine million would be spent over the next two years for the Governor’s Motion Picture Opportunity Fund.The Frederick County Economic Development Authority will get $5 million to help develop sites that can “support the growth of small aerospace, avionics, and unmanned systems companies in Planning District 7.”  Matching funds would need to be provided within a year. Virginia Tech would receive $2.5 million to “create a unique, world-class future truck research and development center in Southwest Virginia.”Nelson County would get $250,000 to support the planning of a Vietnam War and Foreign Conflicts Museum. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton would get a $250,000 grant for renovations. Thirty million in funding for a new Solar Loan and Rebate program has been eliminated. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority would get $2.5 million in FY24 for a grant program to spur development in the offshore wind industry. There’s $200,000 for a feasibility study whether a new inland port should be built in either southwest Virginia or the Lynchburg area. There’s $2 million for an international sailing event called OpSail250. Environmental items:There’s $575,000 in new funding for an invasive species detection program.The Department of Conservation and Recreation would get $350,000 for creation of an environmental literacy plan. The Dam Safety, Flood Prevention and Protection Assistance Fund would get an additional $10 million, matching a $10 million appropriation from the state’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act. DCR would also get $1 million to study of harmful algae blooms on Lake Anna. The phased ban on polystyrene containers would be delayed five years until July 1, 2028Another $320,000 would go to monitor groundwater for the presence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).The Department of Wildlife Resources gets $400,000 over two years for a program to restore freshwater mussels across Virginia.Here are some land use items:The Department of Housing and Community Development is directed to develop a model lease for manufactured home parks in collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, and to conduct a feasibility study of these parks as a “source of affordable housing for Virginians.” Just over $11 million for planning for a Center for the Arts at the University of Virginia has been deferred. For more on how we got to here, some other articles: After months of wrangling, Virginia has a budget deal. What’s in it?, Virginia MercuryLawmakers to vote on budget, won’t take up stadium bill, Associated PressVirginia budget proposal includes new marijuana crime, WUSA 9Supervisors to appoint Planning Commissioner for White Hall DistrictThree candidates are awaiting to see if they will be the one selected to represent the White Hall District on the Albemarle Planning Commission. Jennie More resigned in April before the end of her second term.Supervisors will meet today at 1 p.m. and will make their appointments at 6 p.m. after a closed session. They will also select a new non-voting member to represent the University of Virginia. The previous holder of that position, Luis Carazana, was elevated to be the at-large commissioner. Unlike the Board of the Supervisors, there are seven members of the Planning Commission. The applicants for the White Hall seat are Marc McKenney, Lonnie Murray, and Elizabeth Wachtneister. Murray is an elected member of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation Board.Second shout-out: The Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign It’s getting close to the end of springtime, and one Patreon subscriber wants you to know the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Campaign is a grassroots initiative of motivated citizens, volunteers, partner organizations, and local governments who want to promote the use of native plants. Did you know that National Pollinator Week is June 20th-26th this year? There are many ways to celebrate and learn more about our native pollinators, and here's a great one to start with: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is hosting an in-person/virtual Pollinator Power Symposium on June 23rd, and there is an excellent line up of speakers scheduled for the day! There are plenty of resources on the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives Facebook page, so sign up to be notified of lectures, plant sales, and more! Partnership briefed on potential vision for regional transitWork is nearing completion on a conceptual study for how public transport  might work better across the entirety of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. Today the Board of Supervisors will get an up close look at the $350,000 Regional Transit Vision.Last week, an appointed body consisting of elected officials and transit officials got an update on the Regional Transit Vision. “The project is a collaborative effort to evaluate and establish a clear long term vision for transit service in the region, and not just the urbanized area but also the rural areas surrounding Charlottesville and Albemarle County,”  said Tim Brulle of AECOM is the project manager for the vision plan. If you’re unfamiliar with planning, you should know that any plan needs a vision statement to provide an overarching purpose. “To develop, design, and provide transit in the Charlottesville area in a manner that reflects a collaborative, inclusive, and equitable process representing needs in both rural and urban areas,” Brulle said. The purpose is to reduce reliance on personal vehicles for multiple reasons and outcomes, and to provide a way to get around for people without access to one. But how to make that work? Scudder Wagg with Jarrett Walker + Associates presented one vision concept that assumed the region had access to new revenues from a transportation authority similar to one in the Richmond area. This is known the “constrained “ vision. “So basically if you applied a similar funding structure there to your region, how many dollars and if you put most of those dollars to transit, what could it produce?” Wagg asked. “It’s about $26 million a year.”Such an authority would take enabling authority from the General Assembly and would build off of existing services. Wagg also presented a vision that assumed no limits on transit funding. For instance, that would allow for expansion of demand responsive service to seven days a week, as well as fixed-route transit to places that currently don’t have it such as Scottsville, Ruckersville, Lovingston, and Palmyra. This “unconstrained” vision would come with a hefty price tag. “So there’s no defined limit when we were designing a network that we collectively with staff and others at the table felt would help you achieve those goals and the total annual estimate of that network is about $70 million a year to give you some sense of scale,” Wagg said. Most of that cost is in personnel with drivers and mechanics, as well as a additional vehicles. It takes people to run a transit system, and another way to measure one is through service hours. Wag said Charlottesville Area Transit has about 94,000 service hours a year, Jaunt operates 37,000 for a total of 131,000 service hours for the general public. The unconstrained vision includes potential collaboration with the University of Virginia whereas the constrained vision does not their role into account. The partnership isn’t in charge of the purse strings, so today’s conversation before the Board of Supervisors will yield more of a sense of whether there’s an appetite to pursue additional funding and if so, where to direct it. Jarrett Walker + Associates helped redraw the bus system in the Greater Richmond area, and CAT Director Garland Williams was there at the time.“The majority of the emphasis was actually put on frequency and our ridership jumped 22 percent,” Williams said. “Then the second piece was to look at once the frequent service is in, how can you readjust networks to adjust travel times.” Williams said that the same model could be applied here. A microtransit pilot in Albemarle is a year away from happening and depends on award of funding from the Commonwealth Transportation Board.“It will be awarded and the starting of it will be acquisition, development of the program, software acquisition, things that have to happen before the actual buses are on the ground,” said Trevor Henry, the assistant county executive. The regional transit study is separate from a $150,000 governance study about that will suggest how to actually move forward with setting up new structures to actually run the enhanced service, be they constrained or unconstrained visions.Watch the Regional Transit Vision presentation here: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Recent media reports have pointed out deepening environmental and health concerns caused by plastic and microplastic pollution. Robert Hale, a professor in the Department of Aquatic Health at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science joins Rick Pantaleo for the Science Edition of Press Conference USA to talk about these issues.

The final day of the month, and the final day of 2022’s first quarter. A lot has happened so far, and there’s still a lot more to go. Mathematically we are 24.66 percent of the way through the year, and for those who want to take the long view, we are 21.25 percent of the way through the 21st Century. It all adds up in this installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement and I’m your host, Sean Tubbs. Sign-up for free for as much material as I can manage to write! Payment is optional but very much supports continued production!On today’s program:People are warned to not come into contact with water in an urban stream in Charlottesville due to high levels of E. coli bacteriaThe director of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority is hopeful Crescent Halls can be reopened this year Charlottesville City Council will meet three days in a row beginning with tonight’s budget work sessionThe Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority gets an update on capacity in Albemarle’s northern growth areaFirst Patreon-fueled shout-out goes to the Charlottesville Area Tree StewardsIn today’s first Patreon-fueled Public Service Announcement, the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards are preparing to hold their first in-person tree sale since 2019. On April 9 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards will open up their tree nursery at the Fontaine Research Park and will sell saplings of native trees, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources for between $5 and $15. There will be large trees from Birch to Sycamore, smaller trees from Blackgum to Witch Hazel, and shrubbery! Visit charlottesvilletreestewards.org to learn more!High bacteria levels in urban streamCharlottesville is warning the public to stay out of Pollocks Branch between Elliott Avenue and Rockland Avenue due to elevated levels of E. coli. Pollocks Branch is a waterway that travels south from downtown Charlottesville and is one of many locations monitored by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance.“E. coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria and when it is found in water, it is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste contamination which can cause disease or illness,” reads an announcement from the city. City officials are investigating the situation and advise that no one touches the water. Pollocks Branch runs underground from the Downtown Mall and underneath the Ix Art Park before daylighting at Elliott Avenue where it flows into Moores Creek. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality certifies the Rivanna Conservation Alliance’s monitoring efforts as a Level III which means the data can be used for official scientific purposes. The RCA has been monitoring bacteria since July 2012. Charlottesville City Council to hold retreat this weekendThe Charlottesville City Council will meet in-person for the first time in over two years tomorrow when they convene at CitySpace for a retreat. A limited amount of public spaces are available, but the event can be viewed via Zoom.The two-day retreat will be facilitated by the Virginia Institute of Government, a branch of the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia. On the agenda is a facilitated discussion of City Council goals and strategies, as well as an item called “Identify and Build Consensus for Priorities and Actions Items.” The retreat begins tomorrow at 4 p.m. and on Saturday at 10 a.m. (Friday meeting info) (Saturday meeting info)Tonight Council will meet at 6 p.m. for a budget work session. Read previous coverage courtesy of this Tweet thread. CHRA Director wants Crescent Halls reopened by AugustOn Monday, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s Board of Directors voted to approve a $12 million budget for the fiscal year that begins tomorrow. They also learned that at least one revenue source for the current fiscal year is coming in much lower than had been anticipated. The CRHA had expected there would be some residents at Crescent Halls while it was renovated, but a flood last summer changed the plan.“There was some knowledge as to what was going to happen but obviously with the flood it created a different wrinkle and deficit,” said Mary Lou Hoffman, CRHA’s finance director. The CRHA had budgeted $291,049 in yearly rent from Crescent Halls but only received $122,745. The building is currently unoccupied as crews work to renovate all apartments. CRHA Executive Director John Sales said the original plan had been to do to the renovation in stages and the budget had expected 70 units would be occupied at all times. “After that we emptied half the building and put them in hotels,” Sales said. However, Sales said insurance would not cover that expense long-term because the units that had been damaged were going to be renovated anyway. “Then we started having the conversation with the residents that were living in the building about the conditions of the building with half of the building being empty, the work that was going on on the other side with the walls being town down, applianced ripped out, and just the morale and how depressing it was living in a building with only four floors occupied and only half of those units occupied,” Sales said. Sales said some residents were moved to other public housing sites and others were given housing vouchers. The CRHA lost revenue not only from rent but from subsidies from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Sales said the project needs to be completed on time. “So I’ve been pushing the contractor that we’re not changing that August date,” Sales said. “We have to make that date work.”Sales said the first phase of South Street also needs to come online on time in order to meet the revenues that HUD officials are expecting. The federal agency considers CRHA to be a troubled agency. When Crescent Halls does come back online, not all of the units will be considered public housing units by HUD. Sales said the units will remain affordable. “At Crescent Halls you’re going to have your traditional public housing units, but then you’re also going to have the project-based voucher units where they will be higher rents but they’ll be subsidized with the voucher,” Sales said. Sales said under the vouchers, tenants would only have to pay thirty percent of their income toward rent.“So we can charge $1,000 for a one-bedroom unit while not impacting what the resident that is living in that unit can actually afford because the voucher is going to subsidize their rent above their 30 percent,” Sales said. “So if they make $1,000, their rent is going to be $300. The voucher would cover the $700.”For the public housing units, the CRHA can only charge what the tenant is able to pay. CRHA Board members also asked City Councilor Michael Payne to ask Council to waive the payment in lieu of tax that CRHA pays to the city each year. Payne said he would bring up the matter at tonight’s budget work session. See also: Public Housing projects move forward after Council talks on CRHA financial sustainability, CCDC property tax liability, October 4, 2022Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority turns 50 this JuneThe government entity responsible for providing drinking water and collecting and treating sewage will officially have to ask the state of Virginia for permission to continue existing. “Authorities are authorized for 50 years and then they have to be reauthorized,” said Bill Mawyer, the executive director of the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority.The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority received its original authorization in June 1972, marking the 50th anniversary of the decision to create an authority to provide basic essentials for a growing urban community. “So a part of our celebration will be submitting resolutions to the Albemarle Board of Supervisors and City Council to reauthorize the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority,” Mawyer said.The RWSA owns and operates facilities that serve the urban ring around Charlottesville as well as Scottsville and Crozet. Mawyer said the Beaver Creek Reservoir has recently been treated to bring down levels of algae. “It is the earliest we’ve seen that we’ve had an algae bloom at any of our reservoirs since our current staff have been around,” Mawyer said. “In the long term, we plan to have a hypolimnetic oxygenation system which is a pipe that goes along the bottom of the reservoir that bubbles air into the water and helps to oxygenate it to minimize the conditions that are conducive to algae blooms.”That pipe will be installed as part of the upgrade of the Beaver Creek Dam scheduled to take place next year. Another major capital project is a proposed waterline to connect drinking water from the Observatory Water Treatment Plant to other portions of the urban water system in Albemarle’s growth areas. Some have expressed concern about the route preferred by staff. RWSA officials have been meeting with neighborhood groups to explain its purpose and to discuss its path through the Fry’s Spring neighborhood along Cherry Avenue, 6th Street NE, and East High Street before connecting to a waterline that serves Pantops. “So the plan is that we’re going to collect all the information and feedback from the neighborhoods, assess it, get any feedback that Council may provide us or the Board of Supervisors and assimilate all that data and come back to the RWSA Board at the June meeting for the final location of the waterline,” Mawyer said. The project has an estimated cost of $31 million and may be further informed by the completion of a master plan for water infrastructure. Second shout-out goes to the JMRL Friends of the Library In today's second Patreon-fueled shout-out! Lovers of used books rejoice! The Friends of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library is back again with their annual Spring Book Sale opening this Saturday through Sunday, April 10! The Friends of the Library sale will once again take place at Albemarle Square Shopping Center from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. There’s a special preview for members tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and there’s still time to volunteer! Visit jmrlfriends.org to learn more! See you there! Planning for additional homes and businesses in northern Albemarle The RWSA Board of Directors were also briefed on whether there is enough capacity in Albemarle’s northern growth area to support additional homes such as at the University of Virginia’s North Fork Discovery park. There are also hundreds of homes coming online at Brookhill, RST Residences, North Fork, and other developments under construction. “What we’re looking at now is that these significant utility demands that are being proposed may force one of two options,” said Jennifer Whitaker, the RWSA’s chief engineer. “One is to accelerate the utility plan or require some phasing so that we don’t have an unmet need in the future.” According to a demand study from July 2020, current demand for the whole system is at 10.4 million gallons a day (MGD) and capacity can provide a safe yield of 12.8 MGD. “Every ten years we try to take a very strong look at what we know as a community about growth and development and use within our community and then we also take a look at what’s going on in our reservoirs,” Whitaker said. “We try to look at how the raw water supply and the finished supply match up.”Whitaker said there is enough water through 2060 as long as several parts of the Community Water Supply Plan are built by 2035. They are construction of a pipeline to connect the South Fork Rivanna and Ragged Mountain Reservoir and the raising of the pool at the Ragged Mountain Reservoir. Northern Albemarle is served by the North Fork Rivanna Water Treatment Plant which Whitaker said can effectively treat one million gallons a day. There’s a demand of about a half million gallons a day. The RWSA is planning to decommission the plant but has to first connect that area to water from the South Fork Rivanna Water Treatment Plant.  “Some of the growth demand at the North Fork Research Park and another northern Albemarle areas, the need has picked up and we’re now looking at that plan and trying to figure out how to sequence it to meet that need,” Whitaker said. Wastewater flows via gravity to the Moores Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant and Whitaker said improvements to what’s known as the Powell Creek Interceptor are currently slated for some time between 2045 and 2065. “As we evaluate future growth in this area we’re looking at potentially having to accelerate that as well,” Whitaker said.Whitaker said the RWSA is working with the University of Virginia Foundation and the county as a rezoning for the North Fork park makes its way through the approvals process. They’ve asked for a maximum potential of 1,400 homes there. UVA has announced that some of these units will count toward UVA President Jim Ryan’s goal to build up to 1,500 affordable housing units. “Ultimately we will be able to serve all of it but the question is how quickly will we allow them to bring that online,” Whitaker said. The other two locations for affordable housing are on Fontaine Avenue at the Piedmont housing site as well as Wertland Street. There was no action at the meeting, but certainly a lot to pay attention to into the future.Support Town Crier Productions!Special announcement of a continuing promo with Ting! Are you interested in fast internet? Visit this site and enter your address to see if you can get service through Ting. If you decide to proceed to make the switch, you’ll get:Free installationSecond month of Ting service for freeA $75 gift card to the Downtown MallAdditionally, Ting will match your Substack subscription to support Town Crier Productions, the company that produces this newsletter and other community offerings. So, your $5 a month subscription yields $5 for TCP. Your $50 a year subscription yields $50 for TCP! The same goes for a $200 a year subscription! All goes to cover the costs of getting this newsletter out as often as possible. Learn more here! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Lynn Taylor, president of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, describes in this episode of “Who's Counting?” how thousands of Virginians,  who saw disturbing irregularities in Virginia's 2020 presidential election, decided to […]

Lynn Taylor, president of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy, describes in this episode of “Who's Counting?” how thousands of Virginians,  who saw disturbing irregularities in Virginia's 2020 presidential election, decided to […]

Is it a tempest in a teapot, a mirage, or evidence of real trouble at the Supreme Court?  It's Maskgate this week with a deep dive into Nina Totenberg's accusations against justice Gorsuch.  That, plus Trump loses at the high court, and Ted Cruz sets up a win.  All that plus and interview with Caleb Taylor from the Virginia Institute for Public Policy on what to expect from the newly installed Governor and legislature in there.  From LibertyNation.com

Dr. Ruth Brown is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University and an expert practitioner of state-of-the-art data science tools and the founder of the HOPE Lab. She is also the Co-Founder and Senior Advisor at Aigora. Dr. Ruth Brown-Ennis received her Ph.D. in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University.   Her general research interests focus on better understanding the interplay between environmental and biological factors in the development of depression, anxiety, and traumatic stress and using these findings to improve mental health care. She has a particular interest in the role of these factors in people with developmental disabilities.   Dr. Ruth Brown on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-brown-ennis/   HOPE Lab website: https://rampages.us/hopelab/     To learn more about Aigora, please visit www.aigora.com

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:18).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 12-17-21.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of December 20, 2021. MUSIC – ~14 sec - - Lyrics: “When the rains come, when the rains come, is it gonna be a new day?” That's part of “Rains Come,” by the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Va.-based band The Steel Wheels, from their 2019 album “Over the Trees.”  It opens an update of a previous episode on the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan—an effort to prepare for and adapt to sea-level rise, recurrent flooding, and impacts of climate change.  As in the earlier episode, we set the stage with part of “Cypress Canoe,” by Bob Gramann of Fredericksburg, Va., from his 2019 album “I Made It Just for You.”  The song's a commentary on the current and potential impacts of sea-level rise, and in the part you'll hear, the story-teller bemoans a lack of planning and action to avoid or reduce such impacts. Have a listen for about 20 seconds. MUSIC – ~18 sec – Lyrics: “Half of a city awash in the tides; when I think of what happened, it tears my insides. Oh, we could've been smarter, we could've have planned, but the world caught a fever, infected by man.” Facing current and predicted impacts to coastal areas from sea-level rise and recurrent flooding, Virginia has started planning.   On December 7, 2021, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced completion of Phase One of the Coastal Resilience Master Plan.  Work on the plan started about four years ago accelerated after the November 2020 release of a planning framework identifying guiding principles and specific steps to complete the plan.  Since then, a technical study, the work of a technical advisory committee, and input from some 2000 stakeholders have helped form the plan. The 266-page plan covers the area of Virginia from the Fall Line to the Atlantic coastline, which includes about six million residents.  For those areas, the plan identifies vulnerabilities to, and impacts from, current and expected sea-level rise and increased flooding.  It focuses on ways the Commonwealth can increase resilience, which the plan defines as “the capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazards to minimize damage to social well-being, health, the economy, and the environment.”  A Coastal Resilience Database compiled for the plan includes over 500 examples of projects to adapt to changing conditions and of initiatives to build capacity in information, skills, and tools.  Funding for such efforts may come from various sources, but one key source is the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 and using money accrued from the auction of carbon allowances. Implementation of the plan will be managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation in cooperation with the Commonwealth's Chief Resilience Officer and the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection.  Phase Two of the plan, with more data and project information, is to be completed by 2024, and updates to the whole plan are supposed to occur every five years. According to the plan's impact assessment, between now and 2080 Virginia is projected to face large increases in residents exposed to coastal flooding, in flood property damage, in roadway miles exposed to chronic flooding, and in losses of tidal wetlands, dunes, and beaches.  As Gov. Northam stated in a December 7 letter accompanying the plan's release, the plan provides a “clearer picture of the scope and scale” of these challenges, catalogs current resilience efforts, and identifies gaps in actions and in information.  Here's hoping Virginia puts its Coastal Resilience Master Plan to good use. Thanks to The Steel Wheels and to Bob Gramann for permission to use this week's music, and we close with about 10 more seconds of Mr. Gramann's “Cypress Canoe.” MUSIC – ~11 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 This Virginia Water Radio episode is a follow-up to Episode 552, 11-23-20. “Cypress Canoe,” from the 2019 album “I Made It Just for You,” is copyright by Bob Gramann, used with permission.  More information about Bob Gramann is available online at https://www.bobgramann.com/folksinger.html.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 552, 11-23-20. “Rains Come,” from the 2019 album “Over the Trees,” is copyright by The Steel Wheels, used with permission.  A July 2019 review by Americana Highways of this album and track is available online at https://americanahighways.org/2019/07/09/review-the-steel-wheels-over-the-trees-is-primary-rhythms-and-organic-melodies/.  More information about The Steel Wheels is available online at https://www.thesteelwheels.com/ and in a July 2015 article at http://whurk.org/29/the-steel-wheels.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 552, 11-23-20. 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 Map of the four master planning regions, with their respective and the planning district commissions (PDC) and regional commissions (RC), in the “Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, Phase I,” December 2021. Map from the plan document, page 9, accessed online https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/crmp/plan. Chart of population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the four master planning regions identified in the “Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, Phase I,” December 2021. Image from the plan document, page 24, accessed online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/crmp/plan. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRGINIA COASTAL RESILIENCE MASTER PLAN, PHASE I Following is an excerpt from the December 7, 2021, news release from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's office, Governor Northam Releases Virginia's First Coastal Resilience Master Plan; Virginia takes monumental action to build a resilient coast, combating climate change and rising sea levels. “HAMPTON—Governor Ralph Northam today released the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, providing a foundational and fundamental step towards protecting Virginia's coast. “Virginia's coastal areas face significant impacts from rising sea levels and increased storm flooding.  The Commonwealth, regional and local entities have to take meaningful and continuous action to ensure the long-term sustainability of Virginia's coastal resources and communities. … “Earlier this year, the Commonwealth worked with 2,000 stakeholders to build the Coastal Resilience Master Plan.  This plan documents which land is exposed to coastal flooding hazards now and into the future, as well as the impacts of those future scenarios on coastal Virginia's community resources and manmade and natural infrastructure. “The Master Plan concluded that between 2020 and 2080: the number of residents living in homes exposed to extreme coastal flooding is projected to grow from approximately 360,000 to 943,000, an increase of 160%; the number of residential, public, and commercial buildings exposed to an extreme coastal flood is projected to increase by almost 150%, from 140,000 to 340,000, while annualized flood damages increase by 1,300% from $0.4 to $5.1 billion; the number of miles of roadways exposed to chronic coastal flooding is projected to increase from 1,000 to nearly 3,800 miles, an increase of nearly 280%; and an estimated 170,000 acres, or 89%, of existing tidal wetlands and 3,800 acres, or 38%, of existing dunes and beaches may be permanently inundated, effectively lost to open water. “The Coastal Resiliency Database and Web Explorer is a publicly available database that shows the impact of coastal flood hazards, current and proposed resilience projects, as well as funding sources.  This database will serve as a vital tool to support resilience efforts at the state, regional, and local levels. … “The Commonwealth intends to develop successive updates of the Master Plan on at least a five-year cycle, managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in consultation with the Chief Resilience Officer, the Special Assistant to the Governor for Coastal Adaptation and Protection, and the Technical Advisory Committee. “The next phase of the Master Plan is anticipated by 2024, will aim to address recommendations of the TAC to broaden the analysis of natural hazards by including rainfall-driven, riverine, and compound flooding, expand and improve the inventory of resilience projects, by continuing to add efforts and working with project owners to better understand the benefits of projects, and extend this critical work beyond the coastal region to encompass statewide resilience needs. …” SOURCESUsed for AudioVirginia Governor's Office News Release, Governor Northam Releases Virginia's First Coastal Resilience Master Plan; Virginia takes monumental action to build a resilient coast, combating climate change and rising sea levels, December 7, 2021. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, December 7, 2021, letter accompanying release of the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan, online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/crmp/document/CRMP-Gov-Letter.pdf. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Community Flood Preparedness Fund Grants and Loans,” online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/dam-safety-and-floodplains/dsfpm-cfpf. Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Plan,” online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/crmp/plan.  The full document and a two-page summary are available on the page.   “Resilience” is defined in the Master Plan “Introduction” on page 5; the areas covered by the plan are identified in the “Introduction” on page 9; who's coordinating the plan is identified in the “Introduction” on page 6. Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS), online at http://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm. See particularly the following bills related to recurrent coastal flooding: 2014 HJ 16 and SJ 3, calling for formation of the Joint Subcommittee to Formulate Recommendations for the Development of a Comprehensive and Coordinated Planning Effort to Address Recurrent Flooding; 2016 HJ 84 and SJ 58, continuing the work of the joint subcommittee formed in 2014 and changing it to the Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding;2016 SB 282, establishing the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund;2020 HB 22 and SB 320, continuing the Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Community Flood Preparedness Fund;2020 HB 981 and SB 1027, establishing a carbon allowances trading program for Virginia and providing that some of the revenue from the sale of carbon allowances go to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. For More Information about Sea Level Rise, Coastal and Tidal Flooding, and Resilience John Boon et al., “Planning for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding,” Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), October 2008, online (as PDF) at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/legacy/icccr/_docs/coastal_sea_level.pdf. City of Alexandria, Va., “Flood Mitigation,” online at https://www.alexandriava.gov/special/waterfront/default.aspx?id=85880. City of Norfolk, Va., “Flood Awareness and Mitigation,” online at https://www.norfolk.gov/1055/Flooding-Awareness-Mitigation. City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works, “Sea Level Wise,” online at https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/comp-sea-level-rise/Pages/default.aspx. Coastal Resilience, online at https://coastalresilience.org/. Coastal Resilience/Virginia is online at https://coastalresilience.org/category/virginia/. Sandy Hausman, “Online Tool Helps Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change,” WVTF FM-Roanoke, Va., 10/11/18, 2 min./34 sec. audio https://www.wvtf.org/post/online-tool-helps-coastal-communities-plan-climate-change#stream/0. This is a report about the Virginia Eastern Shore Coastal Resilience Mapping and Decision Support Tool. Joey Holleman, “Designing for Water—Strategies to Mitigate Flood Impacts,” Coastal Heritage, Winter 2019, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, online at https://www.scseagrant.org/designing-for-water/. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “Sixth Assessment Synthesis Report,” online at https://www.ipcc.ch/ar6-syr/.  Sea level rise is addressed in the “Physical Science Basis” section (by Working Group I), online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i/. The IPCC “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate,” September 2019, is online at https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/. Rita Abou Samra, “Alexandria is already often waterlogged. How will it adjust to climate change?” 9/13/18, for Greater Greater Washington, online at https://ggwash.org/view/69058/alexandria-is-already-often-waterlogged-how-will-it-adjust-to-climate-change. SeaLevelRise.org, “Virginia's Sea Level Is Rising—And It's Costing Over $4 Billion,” online at https://sealevelrise.org/states/virginia/. U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (US CLIVAR), “Sea Level Hotspots from Florida to Maine—Drivers, Impacts, and Adaptation,” April 23-25, 2019, workshop in Norfolk, Va., online at https://usclivar.org/meetings/sea-level-hotspots-florida-maine. Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “U.S. Sea Level Report Cards,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/index.php. Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Recurrent Flooding Study for Tidewater Virginia,” 2013, available online (as a PDF) at http://ccrm.vims.edu/recurrent_flooding/Recurrent_Flooding_Study_web.pdf.  This study was significant in the Virginia General Assembly's formation in 2014 of the Joint Subcommittee to Formulate Recommendations for the Development of a Comprehensive and Coordinated Planning Effort to Address Recurrent Flooding. Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)/Center for Coastal Resources Management, “Climate Change and Coastal Resilience,” online at https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/research/climate_change/index.php.  This site includes a 40-second video on sea level rise in Virginia and a 40-second video on nuisance flooding. Wetlands Watch, “Dutch Dialogues—Virginia: Life at Sea Level,” online at http://wetlandswatch.org/dutch-dialogues. William and Mary Law School/Virginia Coastal Policy Center, 7th Annual Conference: “The Three P's of Resilience: Planning, Partnerships, and Paying for It All,” November 15, 2019, Williamsburg, Va., online at this link. 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 “Weather/Climate/Natural Disasters” subject category. Following are links to some previous episodes on climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal flooding in Virginia. Episode 231, 9-15-14 – Climate change impacts in Virginia National Park Service units, including Assateague Island National Seashore. Episode 441, 10-8-18 – on sea-level rise and citizen measurement of king tides. Episode 494, 10-14-19 – on sea-level rise and coastal flooding. Episode 511, 2-10-20 – on sea-level rise and the Saltmarsh Sparrow. Episode 552, 11-23-20 – on the Virginia Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework. Episode 602, 11-8-21 – on photosynthesis, including its relationship to climate change. 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 Systems 4.4 – Weather conditions and climate have effects on ecosystems and can be predicted. Grade 6 6.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment. 6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life Science LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth Science ES.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. ES.11 – The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic system subject to long-and short-term variations. ES.12 – The Earth's weather and climate result from the interaction of the sun's energy with the atmosphere, oceans, and the land. Biology BIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems. 2015 Social Studies SOLs Virginia Studies Course VS.10 – Knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. United States History: 1865-to-Present Course USII.9 – Domestic and international issues during the second half of the 20th Century and the early 21st Century. Civics and Economics Course 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 Course WG.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.18 – Cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve problems and settle disputes. Virginia and United States History Course VUS.14 – Political and social conditions in the 21st Century. Government Course 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 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. 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.

J. Christian Adams of the Public Interest Legal Foundation is in court with the Virginia Institute for Public Policy over 300 requests for absentee ballots that were missing something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 39 - Assessing Traumatic Brain Injuries from Toxic Mold Exposures with Dr. David RossDr. David Ross is the Director of the Virginia Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).  He completed medical school and residency in psychiatry at VCU.  After that, he finished a fellowship in neuropsychiatry (with a focus on schizophrenia research) at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, where he stayed on the faculty for several years.  In 1997, he returned to VCU where he joined the full-time faculty.  In 2001, he founded the Virginia Institute of Neuropsychiatry (VIN).He is board-certified in 3 areas:  (1) General Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; (2) Neuropsychiatry by the United Council on Neurologic Subspecialties; and (3) Brain Injury Medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.  He is a nationally recognized clinician, educator, researcher and forensic expert.He and his colleagues at VIN pioneered the application of NeuroQuant® (FDA-cleared software for measuring MRI brain volume) in patients with traumatic brain injury.  He invented a method for estimating brain volume the moment before injury in order to improve the understanding of the effects of brain injury on brain volume.To consult with Dr. David Ross, visit: http://www.vaneuropsychiatry.org/contact-us/ If you've been affected by mold and want to contribute to our efforts, visit our Patreon or GoFundMe page to donate today.Patreon - patreon.com/exposingmoldGoFundMe - gofund.me/daf1233eTranscript: https://bit.ly/3jcTiGn Click here to obtain this show's resources page: https://bit.ly/3vndHgJ Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YoutubeSponsors: Michael Rubino, The Mold Medic and  All American Restoration,  the first and only mold remediation company in the country specializing in remediating mold for people with underlying health conditions or mold sensitivities. They've quickly become the most recommended remediation company  from doctors and mold inspectors nationwide. Pick up your copy of Michael Rubino's book, “The Mold Medic: An Expert's Guide on Mold Remediation, " here: https://amzn.to/3t7wtaU Support the show (https://www.gofund.me/daf1233e)

From LibertyNation.com - Scott Cosenza and Jonathan Haines from the Virginia Institute for Public Policy talk Virginia state issues gone national and CNN's Sanjay Gupta's destruction at the hands of Joe Rogan.  All that, plus a rundown of the draft report from the Biden commission on the Supreme Court.

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast.  In this program we're going to get a preview of the 2021 Agricultural Relations Council Annual Meeting. Providing the details is Kristy Mach, Corner Window Communications and Executive Director of ARC. Kristy walks us through the program and speakers as well as the annual business meeting and awards program. The second day will be tour day to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Colonial Williamsburg. There will be lots of networking opportunities as well. The meeting if for agricultural public relations professionals of all kinds and levels of experience.

It's a fish-eat-plankton world out there! On this episode we unravel the marine food web with Dr Debbie Steinberg from The Virginia Institute of Marine Science and Dr Colleen Durkin from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. What a great one to listen to on the National Science Week school's theme of Food: Different by Design.  Grab your resource pack: https://www.go2qurious.com/resources 

Sea turtles have been roaming the world's oceans for millions of years. The Atlantic loggerhead (Caretta caretta) is one of just a few that use our estuary, especially in the lower Bay. But like all wandering sea turtles, they have an air of mystery about them and are difficult to trace. Join John Page Williams as he introduces us to some of the mysterious sea turtles that visit the Bay and what more science is trying to learn about them. If you'd like to learn more about these gentle giants, begin by reading the book Time of the Turtle by Jack Rudlow. Report any dead or stranded turtles immediately to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences at https://www.vims.edu (www.vims.edu). https://www.cbf.org/news-media/multimedia/podcasts/chesapeake-almanac/transcript-sea-turtles-in-the-bay-podcast.html (TRANSCRIPT) If you liked this episode, please give us a thumbs up and share your comments, it really helps us to spread these seasonal stories to new listeners. Subscribe to our Chesapeake Almanac playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZl3AavpVQS882rCUi-CREBsfPEPgN0mf (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZl3AavpVQS882rCUi-CREBsfPEPgN0mf). Or subscribe on your favorite podcast platform or visit our podcast page at https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac (https://www.cbf.org/ChesapeakeAlmanac). Chesapeake Almanac is provided by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Saving the Bay through Education, Advocacy, Litigation, and Restoration. Find out more about our work to save the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed's rivers and streams, and what you can do to help, at https://www.cbf.org (https://www.cbf.org). These readings are from John Page Williams, Jr.'s book, Chesapeake Almanac: Following the Bay through the Seasons. The publication is available in print at https://www.amazon.com/Chesapeake-Almanac-Following-Through-Seasons/dp/0870334492/ref=sr_1_1 (Amazon.com). Content copyright © John Page Williams, Jr. All rights reserved. Support this podcast

With the summer heat in full swing, your local energy nonprofit, LEAP, wants you and yours to keep cool. LEAP offers FREE home weatherization to income- and age-qualifying residents. If you’re age 60 or older, or have an annual household income of less than $74,950, you may qualify for a free energy assessment and home energy improvements such as insulation and air sealing. Sign up today to lower your energy bills, increase comfort, and reduce energy waste at home!On today’s show:An uptick in COVID cases continues throughout VirginiaCouncil approves Fontaine Avenue streetscape design and extra funding for Meadow Creek Valley trail Charlottesville Area Transit continues route change public input session while Albemarle gets ready for theirs Today the seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases in Virginia is 671 and the seven-day percent positivity has increased to 4.3 percent. As of today, 53.6 percent of Virginians are fully vaccinated, and do keep in mind that this number includes people under the age of 12 who cannot yet receive a shot. From June 19 to July 18 this year, there have been 8,012 new cases of COVID in Virginia and 97.09 percent cases are in people not fully vaccinated. There have been 25 deaths, and all but two were in people not fully vaccinated.Dr. Costi Sifri is the director of hospital epidemiology at the University of Virginia. “I think we’re fortunate in Charlottesville and Albemarle and our surrounding communities because we have a relatively high vaccination rate and we are also in a state that is one of those minority of states that vaccine rates that are above 50 percent and that’s provided some barriers to widespread transmission of Delta,” Dr. Sifri said. Dr. Sifri acknowledged the uptick in cases, but said other parts of the country are experiencing much steeper climbs. Source: Virginia Department of HealthThe Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission has been granted $2 million to spend on affordable housing projects. The funding comes from a statewide initiative from Virginia Housing called Resources Enabling Affordable Community Housing in Virginia, or REACH. Earlier this month, the agency announced it would spread $40 million around the state. Nonprofit groups, developers and others will be able to apply for the funding to help finance new construction. “This funding puts the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership (CVRHP) and the TJPDC in a strong position to be able to contribute to affordable housing solutions through the development of new rental, homeowner, and/or mixed-use housing opportunities,” said Christine Jacobs, the interim director of the TJPDC. The TJPDC has received funding for planning projects related to housing, but this is the first time the regional agency will play a role in the financing.  Details to follow, and we’ll learn more at the TJPDC’s meeting on August 5. Work on the replacement of the Belmont Bridge is picking up. Beginning today, flagging crews will periodically halt the flow of traffic while work is conducted to relocate utility lines. “The contractor is undergrounding electrical as well as telecommunication lines to accommodate the future pedestrian underpass under 9th/Avon Street between South Street and Monticello Road,” reads a release sent out Friday afternoon.More information about how construction will be conducted will be given out at an information meeting on August 11. Materials for an appearance before the Charlottesville Board of Architectural Review in August 2019*Today’s main segment consists on a lot of catch-up items from last week. Charlottesville will seek additional funding to implement a plan to build a trail along Meadow Creek through the City of Charlottesville. Trails planner Chris Gensic told Council the details last week on a Transportation Alternatives grant opportunity offered by the Virginia Department of Transportation. “The grant the parks department is pursuing is to construct a long awaited portion of an [Americans with Disabilities Act] accessible the Meadow Creek valley from the Michie Drive area up to the Virginia Institute of Autism at Greenbrier Drive and also around the corner to Greenbrier Park,” Gensic said. The city will use $135,000 from an already-funded capital account for trails to match federal dollars that come through VDOT for a total of $675,000.“That’s on top of about $375,000 we already have for this particular project,” Gensic said. “Costs have gone up over the years so we’ve determined we’re going to need this extra money for this particular project in Meadow Creek.” Council approves Fontaine Avenue streetscape designCouncil also approved the design for the $11.7 million Fontaine Avenue Streetscape, a project funded by VDOT’s Smart Scale in 2017 that is working through the long process from idea to construction. Kyle Kling is a transportation planning manager for the City of Charlottesville.“In January of 2020, Council accepted the Planning Commission’s recommendation that this project’s conceptual design was found to be in accordance with the city’s Comprehensive Plan,” Kling said. But what is the project, and what will it do for the half-mile stretch of Fontaine Avenue from city limits to where the roadway becomes Jefferson Park Avenue? Owen Peery is an engineer with design firm RK&K. “In line with the City of Charlottesville’s overall transportation goals, the project seeks to make Fontaine Avenue a complete street which should produce accommodations for all users,” Peery said. “Ensuring safe passage for pedestrians and bicyclists, understanding that this serves as a gateway corridor into the city and ensuring the impression is attractive and improving access to local facilities and ensuring these facilities are easily accessed by pedestrians, bicyclist, and transit users.” Final design will continue while property is acquired for public right of way, and construction would begin sometime in 2023. Councilor Michael Payne had a question about something not in the plan. “I’ve been reading through some of the community feedback and there are a couple of people who have raised the question of why these aren’t protected bike lanes with bollards or some kind of physical separation between the bike lane and the road where cars are,” Payne said. Kling said the main reason is the need to keep the travel lanes accessible to emergency vehicles given the presence of the Fontaine fire station. “We felt that if we were to put 11-foot travel lanes out there with some type of separated facility restricting access, it would make it more challenging for those vehicles to travel the corridor when needed,” Kling said.The other reason is the presence of lots of driveways along the roadway, which would need to be closed. Mayor Nikuyah Walker asked City Manager Chip Boyles to ask the University of Virginia to contribute financially if there are any cost overruns. Specifically, she suggested the city could ask to transfer some of UVA’s $5 million commitment for the fourth phase of West Main Street. “There’s a lot of traffic in that area due to their work too that maybe that could be transferred,” Walker said. “I think its a conversation that is worth having,” Walker said. Materials for the May Design Public Hearing included a video drive-through of the road post construction. Visit the project website to review the info.Limited options to assist GreyhoundAt the very end of the meeting, City Councilor Heather Hill asked if the city would be playing any role in the plight of Greyhound, which has closed its station on West Main Street but still picks up passengers on the street.  “I just want to acknowledge to the public that we’re hearing the frustrations,” Hill said. “The most recent comment that came today was around the role our own bus station could play as a housing location for those stops.”City Manager Chip Boyles said he is concerned about the situation.“A lot of our citizens utilize Greyhound to travel,” Boyles said. “We are very limited in what we can do because it is a private carrier and a private service.”Boyles said the city has been asked to provide a shelter, but they can’t do so on private property without a landowners’ permission. Still, he is trying to work out a solution.“We would love to talk with Greyhound,” Boyles said. “I know that they have inquired. The last that we heard was that they were just looking for someone to take over the service.” For many years, the city helped subsidize Greyhound but stopped the practice beginning with the FY2014 budget. Two other intercity bus services travel through Charlottesville, though both go north to rather than southeast to Richmond. These are the Piedmont Express run by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and Megabus. Both of those services utilize a stop at Arlington Boulevard and Barracks Road. Charlottesville completes transit public input sessionsKeeping on the transit theme, last week Charlottesville Area Transit held the second of two public input sessions on upcoming route changes. The presentation on July 21 was the same as five days earlier. This time the first question came from Jane Colony Mills, the executive of the food pantry Loaves and Fishes.“We are located down Lambs Road at the intersection of Hydraulic and Lambs,” said Mills. “We serve probably 25 to 30 percent of Charlottesville’s population but if you don’t have a vehicle they can’t get to us.” The nearest bus line is Route 5, and it’s about three quarters of a mile away from the nearest stop on Commonwealth Drive. “I was out doing registration today and there are just numerous people who have to catch rides or figure out other ways of accessing our services because they can’t get here on public transport,” Colony Mills said. Another person on the call wanted to know if service could be restored to Albemarle Square, which has a new tenant in a new grocery store. CAT Deputy Director Juwhan Lee explained why there are no bus routes there anymore.“The property owner actually asked us to leave the property and so until they invite us back in, we will not able to serve the property directly,” Lee said. The route changes will have to be approved by Council before going into effect.At the same time, Albemarle County and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission begin the public input component of the a study about ways to expand transit in urban Albemarle, with the goal of increasing service to Route 29 north of the Rivanna River, to Pantops, and to Monticello. Tonight’s meeting deals with service in the north and begins at 6 p.m. (meeting info)For more information on the proposed route changes, visit the CAT site This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow bio in her own words. "Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow is a native of Philadelphia, PA. She received her early education in the public schools of Philadelphia and her Bachelor of Arts from Eastern University. With an innate ability to inspire people from all walks of life, she remains committed to her Christian walk, ministry and her education. With a thirst to better understand the Word and will of God, she enrolled in the Master of Divinity program as a Kern Scholar at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University and graduated in 2008. While attending STVU, Rev. Gerow received a certificate in Congregational Pastoral Care from the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Inc. In 2013, she completed a certificate program in Theology at the Princeton Theological Seminary. While in the process of certificate completion, she was the first student to become a mentor to the following cohort members. Most recently, Rev. Gerow received her designation from the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches as a Registered Corporate Coach. She is rock solid in her faith, yet her mind is open to new opportunities to understand and exercise her faith. Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow is an itinerant preacher, conference speaker, seminar instructor and retreat facilitator. In 2018, she launched ever evolving efforts through Tamieka Nicole Enterprises geared toward helping other women in leadership roles, both in the church and in the marketplace. She assists women in acquiring skills that will aid them in clarifying their vision for the successful melding of personal and professional lives. She helps women across the continental United States to strategize and organize through workshops, webinars, coaching etc. This proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the doting mother of Kennedy Noelle and Keon Nicholas Xavier; and God Mother to Joscelyn Renee-Alice. Inspired by Luke 4:18, she is often heard saying, “I must be faithful to this moment in time that God has given me. I recognize that the anointing on my life is tied to the needs of others; someone somewhere is counting on what God has placed inside of me.” You can follow Rev. Gerow on IG @revmsmom. "Please feel free to email Solomon & Jamila Jefferson at info@itsnothowyoustartbuthowyoufinish.com for comments, questions, etc. 

Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow bio in her own words. "Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow is a native of Philadelphia, PA. She received her early education in the public schools of Philadelphia and her Bachelor of Arts from Eastern University. With an innate ability to inspire people from all walks of life, she remains committed to her Christian walk, ministry and her education. With a thirst to better understand the Word and will of God, she enrolled in the Master of Divinity program as a Kern Scholar at Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology, Virginia Union University and graduated in 2008. While attending STVU, Rev. Gerow received a certificate in Congregational Pastoral Care from the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Inc. In 2013, she completed a certificate program in Theology at the Princeton Theological Seminary. While in the process of certificate completion, she was the first student to become a mentor to the following cohort members. Most recently, Rev. Gerow received her designation from the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches as a Registered Corporate Coach. She is rock solid in her faith, yet her mind is open to new opportunities to understand and exercise her faith. Rev. Tamieka Nicole Gerow is an itinerant preacher, conference speaker, seminar instructor and retreat facilitator. In 2018, she launched ever evolving efforts through Tamieka Nicole Enterprises geared toward helping other women in leadership roles, both in the church and in the marketplace. She assists women in acquiring skills that will aid them in clarifying their vision for the successful melding of personal and professional lives. She helps women across the continental United States to strategize and organize through workshops, webinars, coaching etc. This proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is the doting mother of Kennedy Noelle and Keon Nicholas Xavier; and God Mother to Joscelyn Renee-Alice. Inspired by Luke 4:18, she is often heard saying, “I must be faithful to this moment in time that God has given me. I recognize that the anointing on my life is tied to the needs of others; someone somewhere is counting on what God has placed inside of me.” You can follow Rev. Gerow on IG @revmsmom. "Full episode scheduled to be released Friday, July 2, 2021. Please feel free to email Solomon & Jamila Jefferson at info@itsnothowyoustartbuthowyoufinish.com for comments, questions, etc. 

Virginia's thriving oyster farming industry means the shellfish can be eaten year-round. But wild oysters in the Chesapeake Bay region remain in a struggle to survive. Now, scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science have discovered the oysters are evolving to resist a deadly parasite variant outbreak that began 35 years ago. Pamela D’Angelo […]

JT asks Caleb Taylor from the Virginia Institute for Public Policy to explain why workers should be "con" when it comes to the "PRO Act" See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Intersections in Public Service, Media Team Intern Cassie Deering covers an interview between Virginia Institute of Government's Associate Director, Charles Hartgrove and the founders of the Appalachian African American Cultural Center, Ron and Jill Carson. Since the killing of George Floyd in May of 2020, the topics of race and police brutality have become a prominent discussion in America. Jill and Ron Carson discuss their anti-racism workshops, and the importance of Black leadership in rural areas. Together, they explore how we can come to confront racism by preserving Black history. Click here to watch the original interview. Hosts: Charles Hartgrove, Cassie Deering Guests: Ron and Jill Carson Editor: Cassie Deering Project Manager: Claire Downey Music Credits: Air Hockey Saloon by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under an Attribution License. http://chriszabriskie.com/licensing

How does such a tiny thing like phytoplankton cause such a huge impact on the health of the ocean, aquatic animals, and even humans? Devin Burris from Mote Aquarium and Savannah Mapes from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science answer these questions and more on this week's episode of Aquadocs.

Click to listen to episode (4:18) Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImages SourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-28-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of August 31, 2020. SOUND – ~5 sec This week, that sound of a Humpback Whale’s song opens an episode about water-related mammals. In scientific classification, or taxonomy, mammals are one class of vertebrates, that is, the animals with internal backbones. Other vertebrate classes are fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.  While many mammals—including humans—live primarily on land, some other species are aquatic, meaning they actually live in water, while others are semi-aquatic, meaning they spend time both in water and on land.  As of August 2020, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources’ Fish and Wildlife Information Service listed 149 mammal species and subspecies known to occur in the Commonwealth, including 30 marine mammal species. To give you a chance to see what you know about various aquatic or semi-aquatic mammals that are found in Virginia or in ocean water off Virginia’s coast, here's a short quiz of five questions.  After each question, I’ll play a ticking timer for about three seconds to give you time to think before I give the answer. 1. What semi-aquatic mammal with a long tail like a rudder can remain submerged for as long as 15 minutes?  TIMER SOUND - ~3 seconds  - That’s the muskrat. 2. What weasel-like, semi-aquatic mammal makes distinctive slides through mud or snow?  TIMER SOUND - ~3 seconds - That’s the river otter. 3. What small semi-aquatic mammal, whose name rhymes with shoe, is found near fast-flowing rocky streams, feeds on aquatic insects and small fish, and is in turn eaten by larger fish such as trout and bass?  TIMER SOUND - ~3 seconds – That’s the water shrew. 4. What long-eared semi-aquatic mammal swims well and is found only in marshes and swamps?  TIMER SOUND - 3 seconds - That’s the marsh rabbit. 5. What aquatic mammal, listed on the federal endangered species list, is the largest living species of mammal?  TIMER SOUND - 3 seconds – That’s the Blue Whale. From gigantic whales to small shrews, aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals exhibit a wide range of sizes, shapes, adaptations to water, behaviors, and ecological functions. Thanks to the National Park Service for the Humpback Whale sound.  We close by letting three water-related mammals have the last calls.  Here are about 15 seconds of sounds of a beaver tail splat, an otter at a wildlife center, and an underwater recording of Atlantic Spotted Dolphins. Thanks to Freesound.org contributors for the otter and dolphin sounds. SOUNDS - 15 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 show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Humpback Whale sounds were taken from a National Park Service recording (“Humpback Whales Song 2”) made available for public use on the “Community Audio” page of the Internet Archive Web site, at http://www.archive.org/details/HumpbackWhalesSongsSoundsVocalizations. The otter sounds were recorded by user Motion_S (dated March 5, 2014) and made available for public use by Freesound.org, at online at https://freesound.org/people/Motion_S/sounds/221761/, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.  For more information on Creative Commons licenses, please see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/; information on the Attribution License specifically is online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin sounds were recorded by user geraldfiebig (dated March 25, 2017) and made available for public use by Freesound.org, at online at https://freesound.org/people/geraldfiebig/sounds/385796/, under the Creative Commons Universal/Public Domain 1.0 License.  For more information on Creative Commons licenses, please see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/; information on the Public Domain License specifically is online at https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. 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 Humpback Whale at Moss Landing in California; date not identified. Photo by Wade Tregaskis, made available for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 License (information about this Creative Commons License is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/).  Image accessed from the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Discover the Chesapeake/Humpback Whale,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/humpback_whale, 8-31-20.Marsh Rabbit, location and date not identified. Photo by Perry Everett/iNaturalist, made available for use under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License (information about this Creative Commons License is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.  Image accessed from the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Discover the Chesapeake/Marsh Rabbit,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/marsh_rabbit, 8-31-20.River Otter, location and date not identified. Photo by Tom Koerner/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, made available for use under Creative Commons Attibution 2.0 Generic License (CC BY 2.0; information about this Creative Commons License is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en_GB).  Image accessed from the Chesapeake Bay Program, “Discover the Chesapeake/River Otter,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/river_otter, 8-31-20. SOURCES Used for Audio Biology Online, “Aquatic,” online at https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/aquatic. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Mammals,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/mammals/all.Aquatic mammals specifically are online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/mammals/aquatic.Semi-aquatic mammals specifically are online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/all/mammals/semi-aquatic. Encyclopedia Britannica, “Mammal,” online at https://www.britannica.com/animal/mammal/Classification; and “Vertebrate,” online at https://www.britannica.com/animal/vertebrate. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web/Vertebrates,” online at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vertebrata/. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “List of Native and Naturalized fauna of Virginia,” as of April 2018, online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/. Mammals are online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Report+BOVA&lastMenu=Home.Species+Information&tn=.1&geoArea=&sppName=&geoType=None&geoVal=no+selection&sppTax=05&status. Marine mammals are online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Report+BOVA&lastMenu=Home.Species+Information&tn=.1&geoArea=&sppName=&geoType=None&geoVal=no+selection&sppTax=12&status. WorldAtlas, “Examples of Semi-aquatic Animals,” online at https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/examples-of-semiaquatic-animals.html. For More Information about Mammals in Virginia and Elsewhere Richard A. Blaylock, The Marine Mammals of Virginia, Virginia Sea Grant Publication VSG-85-05, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 1985, online (as a PDF) at https://www.vims.edu/GreyLit/VIMS/EdSeries35.pdf. iNaturalist, “Mammals of Virginia, Maryland, and the Carolinas,” online at https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/8061. D.W. Linzey, The Mammals of Virginia, McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Va., 1998. National Park Service, “Shenandoah National Park/Mammals,” online at https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/mammals.htm. Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Chesapeake Bay Mammals,” online at https://www.vims.edu/test/dlm/critters/mammals/index.php. 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 Mammals subject category. For episodes on other animals, see the following subject categories: Amphibians; Birds; Fish; Insects; Invertebrates Other Than Insects; and Reptiles. Following are links to some other episodes on animals’ behavioral and physiological adaptations. Animals’ ways of getting water – Episode 531, 6-29-20. Sounds of animals – Episode 524, 5-11-20. Temperature in animals – Episode 309, 3-28-16. 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. 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. 6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment. Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme K.7 – basic needs and processes of plants and animals. 1.5 – animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics. 3.4 – behavioral and physiological adaptations. Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats. 3.5 – food webs. 3.6 – ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources. 4.5 – ecosystem interactions and human influences on ecosystems. 6.7 – natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Virginia watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring. Life Science Course LS.4 – organisms’ classification based on features. LS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships. LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments. LS.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Biology Course BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. 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 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. 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.

On this episode of Intersections in Public Service, Media Team Intern Anna Miller interviews her local town councilman Chuck Anderson from Vienna, Virginia. They discuss the local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter Movement as well as how to advocate for change on the local level. This episode was made in partnership with the Virginia Institute of Government, whose goal is to help communities build governance, capacity, and to develop local government leaders across the Commonwealth and beyond. To find out more go to: VIG's website Host: Anna Miller Guest: Chuck Anderson Project Manager: Claire Downey Music Credits: Air Hockey Saloon by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under an Attribution License. http://chriszabriskie.com/licensing

Click to listen to episode (4:40) Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra Information SourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-14-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIOFrom the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of August 17, 2020. This episode is a revised repeat of an episode from April 2013.MUSIC – ~ 19 secThat’s part of “A Song for the Sea,” by the Richmond, Va.-based band Carbon Leaf.  The music opens an episode about Virginia’s famous connection to the sea—the Chesapeake Bay—and a wireless, floating system for getting current data and historical information about the Bay.  Have a listen for about 55 seconds to a recording from that system.VOICE - ~56 sec – “Welcome to NOAA’s First Landing buoy, part of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System. … This buoy lies on a shoal in the Chesapeake’s mouth, approximately halfway between the junction of the Thimble Shoals and Baltimore channels, and east of the middle section of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  The first landing buoy sits at the crossroads of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. Weather and water conditions at this intersection reflect the dynamic daily interplay of Earth’s third-largest estuary and her second-largest ocean. … In this location, the First Landing Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System buoy anchors the lower end of the buoy system.  It provides fascinating observations on both water quality and weather conditions, assisting many users, from pilots handling large ships, to anglers in small boats, and even tourists driving across the Bridge-Tunnel.”You’ve been listening to excerpts of a recording from the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System, or CBIBS, about geography at the First Landing buoy near Cape Henry, Virginia.  Sometimes called “smart buoys,” these buoys provide current weather and water conditions at ten Bay locations, from the Susquehanna River’s mouth near Havre de Grace, Maryland, to Cape Henry.  Begun in 2007 and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, CBIBS buoys collect meteorological, oceanographic, and water-quality data and relay that information through wireless technology to users of the system’s Web site or related mobile apps.  Along with the data measured at the buoys, CBIBS offers geographic, historical, and seasonal information for each buoy location, both in text and in audio recordings like the one you just heard.  This information helps interpret the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, a water trail marking Smith’s explorations of the Bay and area rivers from 1607 to 1609.Whether you’re venturing out on the waters of the Chesapeake, or you have a land-based interest in Bay data, geography, or history, you can get information from CBIBS online at buoybay.noaa.gov or via mobile apps for the system.Thanks to Carbon Leaf for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “A Song for the Sea.”MUSIC – ~ 21 sec - “Sail, sail, sailor beware,” then instrumentalSHIP’S BELLVirginia 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 show.   In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThis Virginia Water Radio episode replaces Episode 159, 4-29-13.“A Song for the Sea,” from the 2013 album, “Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle,” is copyright by Carbon Leaf and Constant Ivy Music; used with permission of Constant Ivy Music.  More information about Carbon Leaf is available online at https://www.carbonleaf.com/band-bio; at https://www.facebook.com/carbonleaf/; and in Carbon Leaf still going strong after 26 years, by Mike Holtzclaw, [Newport News] Daily Press, 3/14/19. The voice excerpts were taken from the online audio file, “Geography,” for the First Landing buoy in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS), online at https://buoybay.noaa.gov/locations/first-landing#quicktabs-location_tabs=1.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.IMAGESImage of a Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) buoy and its components. Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration CBIBS Web site, “About the Buoy Technology,” online at https://buoybay.noaa.gov/about/about-buoy-technology.Map showing the 10 Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) buoy locations, as of August 2020. Image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration CBIBS Web site, “About the System,” online at https://buoybay.noaa.gov/about/about-system. Abbreviations for locations, from north to south, are as follows:S = Susquehanna River, near Havre de Grace, Md.;SN = Patapsco River, near Baltimore, Md.;AN = Annapolis, Md., at the mouth of the Severn River;UP = upper Potomac River, near Washington, D.C.;GR = Gooses Reef, in the Bay channel off the mouth of the Little Choptank River in Maryland;PL = Potomac River, at the river’s mouth near Point Lookout, Md.;SR = Stingray Point, at the mouth of the Rappahannock River near Deltaville, Va. (Middlesex County);YS = York Spit, in the York River near Perrin, Va. (Gloucester County);J = James River, near Jamestown Island (James City County, Va.); andFL = First Landing, near Cape Henry, Va. (City of Virginia Beach).EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY INTERPRETIVE BUOY SYSTEM (CBIBS) AND THE CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH CHESAPEAKE NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAILThe following information is quoted the CBIBS Web site, “About” page, online at https://buoybay.noaa.gov/about, as of 8-17-20.“You set out in your kayak from a canoe launch somewhere along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay—the same geography traveled by Captain John Smith some 400 years ago.  As the first English settler to fully explore the Chesapeake Bay, Smith traveled more than 2,000 miles during the summer of 1608 in an open ‘shallop’ boat with no modern conveniences.“But your trip is quite different. While you are also in an open boat, you are equipped with a cell phone and waterproof maps of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail—the first water trail in the National Park Service's National Trail System—giving you many advantages that the early explorers didn't have.“In particular, you have access to NOAA's Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS), a network of observation buoys that mark points along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.  These on-the-water platforms merge the modern technologies of cellular communications and internet-based information sharing.  You can pull out your cell phone and check out real-time weather and environmental information like wind speed, temperature, and wave height at any of the buoys.  Unlike John Smith, you know what's ahead of you, and can decide on an alternative plan to strike out for a landfall closer to home—protected from the elements and sheltered from the growing waves on the Bay.“Not only do these ‘smart buoys’ give you real-time wind and weather information, they can to tell you something about John Smith's adventures during his 1608 voyage.”SOURCESUsed for AudioChesapeake Conservancy, “About the [Captain John Smith Chesapeake] Trail,” online at https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/what-we-do/explore/find-your-chesapeake/about-the-trail/; and “History of the Trail,” online at https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/what-we-do/explore/find-your-chesapeake/about-the-trail/history-of-the-trail/.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), “Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS),” online at http://buoybay.noaa.gov/.National Park Service, “Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail,” online at https://home.nps.gov/cajo/index.htm.For More Information about the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay Program, online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/.Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson, Life in the Chesapeake Bay, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Md., 2006.Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Bay Info,” online at https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/index.php.RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODESAll 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. Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay. Bay Barometer and other reports – Episode 305, 2-29-16.Bay environmental conditions as of 2019-20 – Episode 537, 8-10-20.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.Submerged aquatic vegetation (“Bay grasses”) – Episode 325, 7-18-16FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATIONFollowing 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.2013 Music SOLsSOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2010 Science SOLsGrades K-6 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic Theme1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, and 6.1 – Gathering and analyzing data.Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, and cost/benefit assessments).Grades K-6 Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems Theme4.6 – weather conditions, phenomena, and measurements.5.6 – characteristics of the ocean environment (ecological, geological, and physical).Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme6.7 – natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Virginia watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring.Grades K-6 Matter Theme6.5 – properties and characteristics of water and its roles in the human and natural environment.Life Science CourseLS.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.Earth Science CourseES.8 – influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia, with reference to the hydrologic cycle.ES.10 – ocean processes, interactions, and policies affecting coastal zones, including Chesapeake Bay.ES.12 – weather and climate.Biology CourseBIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.Chemistry CourseCH.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts.Physics CoursePH.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts.PH.2 – analyzing and interpreting data.2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 History Theme1.2 – Virginia history and life in present-day Virginia.1.3 – stories of influential people in Virginia history.Grades K-3 Geography Theme1.6 – Virginia climate, seasons, and landforms.2.6 – environment and culture of three Indian peoples: Powhatans, Lakotas, Pueblos.Virginia Studies CourseVS.1 – impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history.VS.2 – physical geography and native peoples of Virginia past and present.VS.3 – first permanent English settlement in America.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.USI.3 – early cultures in North America.USI.4 – European exploration in North America and western Africa.Civics and Economics CourseCE.6 – government at the national level.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.Virginia and United States History CourseVUS.2 – early European exploration and colonization and interactions among Europeans, Africans, and American Indians.VUS.4 – Major pre-Revolution events.Government CourseGOVT.1 – skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision-making, and responsible citizenship.GOVT.7 – national government organization and powers.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 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade.Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school.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.

Click to listen to episode (4:59) Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.)Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-7-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of August 10, 2020.This week, we focus on the Chesapeake Bay, and we start with some original music composed for that large, historic, and complex body of water. Have a listen for about 30 seconds.MUSIC – ~32 sec – instrumentalYou’ve been listening to part of “Chesapeake Bay Ballad,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at Lamont School of Music in Denver.  A ballad is a song that tells a story, and the Chesapeake is rich in stories. One long, complicated Chesapeake story is the condition of the Bay’s water quality, habitats, and aquatic life, as told in various periodic reports by universities, government agencies, and other groups.A recent overall look at Chesapeake environmental conditions was the May 2020 edition of the annual Chesapeake Bay Watershed Report Card from the University of Maryland’s Center for Environmental Science.  Like some other Bay health reports, this assessment generates a condition score ranging from zero to 100 by comparing various indicators to established goals.  The 2020 Maryland report examined Bay waters data available in 2019 [Note not in audio: the report released in May 2020 is called the 2019 report] for dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll, water clarity, aquatic grasses, and the benthic, or bottom-dwelling, community.  The overall score was 44, considered by the report as a “C-.” For comparison, the score in 2019—that is, for data from 2018—was 47; the highest score since 1986, when this record began, was 55 in 2002, and the lowest was 36 in 2003.  In their news release about the 2020 report, the Maryland Center asserted that low scores were believed due in part to unusually high rainfall and river flows in 2018 and 19.  The 2020 Maryland report also, for the first time, generated an index score for the overall Bay watershed, that is, beyond the Bay waters.  At that level, the score was 60; the highest scoring sub-watershed was the Upper James in Virginia, at 72; the lowest was the Lower Eastern Shore in Maryland, at 42.Besides the Maryland Center’s annual report, the Chesapeake Bay Program produces a yearly “Bay Barometer” report; the Chesapeake Bay Foundation produces a biennial “State of the Bay” report; various groups produce reports on individual Bay aspects, such as Blue Crabs and aquatic grasses; and real-time updates on the goals of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement are available from the Bay Program’s “Chesapeake Progress” Web site.These sources, and more besides, are among the many tellers of the Chesapeake Bay’s story.Thanks to Torrin Hallett for composing this week’s music for Virginia Water Radio, and we close with the final 15 seconds of “Chesapeake Bay Ballad.”MUSIC – ~18 sec – instrumentalSHIP’S BELLVirginia 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 the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS“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, and a 2020 graduate in Horn Performance from Manhattan School of Music in New York.  As of 2020-21, he is a performance certificate candidate at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.  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.  To hear the complete piece (51 seconds), please click here. 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.IMAGESSummary charts for Chesapeake Bay waters (upper) and watershed (lower) from the “2019 Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card” (covering data through 2019; published in May 2020), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.  Images accessed from the report PDF, page 3, online at https://ecoreportcard.org/site/assets/files/2265/2019_chesapeake_bay_watershed_report_card-1.pdf, as of 8-10-20.SOURCESUsed for AudioKarl Blankenship, Chesapeake’s grasses hard hit by heat, high flows in 2019; SAV in higher salinity water fared the worst, Bay Journal, 7/8/20.Karl Blankenship, Heavy rains clobbered water quality, but it wasn’t a total washout, Bay Journal, 7/10/20. Cambridge Dictionary [Cambridge University], “Ballad,” online at https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ballad.Chesapeake Bay Foundation, “State of the Bay 2018,” online at https://www.cbf.org/about-the-bay/state-of-the-bay-report/.Chesapeake Bay Program, “Bay Barometer,” March 2020 (for 2018-19 data), online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/publications/bay_barometer_health_and_restoration_in_the_chesapeake_bay_watershed_2018_2.Chesapeake Bay Program, “Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement” (signed June 16, 2014), online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/what_guides_us/watershed_agreement.Chesapeake Bay Program, “Chesapeake Progress,” online at https://www.chesapeakeprogress.com/.Rachel Felver, This year’s Bay Barometer sets a different type of foundation for Bay restoration, Chesapeake Bay Program, 3/25/20.Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “Eyes on the Bay,” online at http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/.  See http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/eyesonthebay/whatsitmean.cfm for “Data Available for Viewing” (dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, turbidity, algal blooms, and temperature).  See http://eyesonthebay.dnr.maryland.gov/eyesonthebay/links.cfm for links to other Bay water-quality data and information sources.Jake Solyst, Annual Bay report card notes overall watershed health is faring better than the Bay itself, Chesapeake Bay Program, 5/20/20 news release.University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, “Chesapeake Bay & Watershed Report Card,” online at https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/publications/ (as a PDF) and at https://ecoreportcard.org/report-cards/chesapeake-bay/.For More Information about the Chesapeake Bay and its ConditionKarl Blankenship, Chesapeake crab population shows resiliency just in time for ‘price war,’ Bay Journal, 5/28/20. Chesapeake Bay Program, online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/.Jeremy Cox, Mercury widespread in Chesapeake Bay headwaters fish, Bay Journal, 7/2/20.  This article refers to the following reference: James J. Willacker et al., Mercury bioaccumulation in freshwater fishes of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Ecotoxicology, Vol. 29, No. 4 (May 2020), pages 459-484; accessed online at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32239332/ (subscription may be required).Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson, Life in the Chesapeake Bay, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Md., 2006.Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “2020 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey,” online at https://dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/Pages/blue-crab/dredge.aspx.Timothy Wheeler, Maryland's wild oyster harvest doubles from last year, Bay Journal, 6/16/20.Timothy Wheeler, PCB cleanup makes uneven progress, Bay Journal, July 2020.Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Bay Info,” online at https://www.vims.edu/bayinfo/index.php; and “SAV Monitoring and Restoration,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/index.php.RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODESAll 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.Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay. Bay Barometer and other reports – Episode 305, 2-29-16Bay 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.Submerged aquatic vegetation (“Bay grasses”) – Episode 325, 7-18-16Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin Hallett for Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music.“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. “Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode 440, 10-1-18, on E-bird. “Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year’s Water” – used in Episode 349, 1-2-17, on the New Year. “Rain Refrain” – used most recently in Episode 455, 1-14-19, on record Virginia precipitation in 2019. “Spider Strike” – used in Episode 523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders.“Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 489, 9-9-19, on storm surge and Hurricane Dorian. “Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey.FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATIONFollowing 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.2013 Music SOLsSOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2010 Science SOLsGrades K-6 Earth Resources Theme3.10 – impacts on survival of species, including effects of fire, flood, disease, and erosion on organisms; effects of human activity on air, water and habitat; and conservation and resource renewal.4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, and cost/benefit assessments).Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats.3.5 – food webs.3.6 – ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources.4.5 – ecosystem interactions and human influences on ecosystems.6.7 – natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Virginia watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring.Life Science CourseLS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships.LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments.LS.10 – changes over time in ecosystems, communities, and populations, and factors affecting those changes, including climate changes and catastrophic disturbances.LS.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.Earth Science CourseES.6 – renewable vs. non-renewable resources (including energy resources).ES.8 – influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia, with reference to the hydrologic cycle.ES.10 – ocean processes, interactions, and policies affecting coastal zones, including Chesapeake Bay.Biology CourseBIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.2015 Social Studies SOLsGrades K-3 Geography Theme1.6 – Virginia climate, seasons, and landforms.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.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.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 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade.Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school.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.

Click to listen to episode (5:20) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImageSources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 5-8-20.TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of May 11, 2020. MUSIC – ~8 sec – instrumental This week, that opening of “All Creatures Were Meant to Be Free,” by Bob Gramann of Fredericksburg, Va., sets the stage for an episode filled with mystery sounds of creatures related to water and found in Virginia.  This episode is designed especially for Virginia K-12 students whose science curriculum includes learning about the Commonwealth’s living creatures, also called organisms.  I’ll play a few seconds of sounds of 12 animals, ranging from tiny to tremendously large.  After each one, I’ll tell what the animal is and a little bit about its occurrence or habitat in Virginia. I hope you know ‘em all!  Here goes. One.  SOUND - ~ 4 sec.  Several species of mosquitoes are common in Virginia and breed in a variety of still-water habitats. Two.  SOUND - ~4 sec.  Deer flies, which annoy and bite during their flying adult stage, inhabit wetlands, ponds, marshes, or streams in their immature stages. Three.  SOUND - ~5 sec.  The Atlantic Croaker, one of many fish species known to make sounds, occurs along Virginia’s coastline and in the Chesapeake Bay in warm weather. Four.  SOUND - ~ 4 sec.  Gray Tree Frogs are a common and sometimes loud amphibian found throughout Virginia. Five.  SOUND - ~ 5 sec.  American Toad breeding in Virginia starts between March and April in temporary pools or ponds, where males advertise to females with long trills. Six.  SOUND - ~7 sec.  The American Bullfrog is Virginia’s largest frog, found all over the Commonwealth in ponds, lakes, and still-water sections of streams. Seven.  SOUND - ~3 sec.  Belted Kingfishers are fish-catching birds found around streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and estuaries. Eight.  SOUND - ~6 sec.  The Laughing Gull is one of 16 gull species whose occurrence has been documented in Virginia, out of 20 gull species known in North America. Nine.  SOUND - ~4 sec.  The Red-winged Blackbird is often seen, and distinctively heard, around ponds, marshes, streams, and other wet areas. Ten.  SOUND - ~6 sec.  Populations of the Bald Eagle have recovered dramatically in recent decades and our national symbol can now often be spotted along Virginia’s rivers. Eleven.  SOUND - ~3 sec.  American Beavers, now found across Virginia after reintroduction starting in the 1930s, smack their paddle-like tail on the water as a defensive behavior to protect a colony’s territory. And twelve.  SOUND - ~8 sec.  The Humpback Whale, which can be seen during migrations along Virginia’s coastline in winter, uses it song for breeding or other communication. Thanks to Freesound.org for the mosquito sound; to Rodney Rountree for the Atlantic Croaker sound; to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and to Lang Elliott for the bullfrog sound; to Lang Elliott again for the Laughing Gull and Bald Eagle sounds; and to the National Park Service for the whale sound.  Thanks also to Bob Gramann for permission to use his music.And thanks finally to all Virginia students for their efforts to keep learning through an unusually challenging spring 2020. 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 show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “All Creatures Were Meant to Be Free,” from the 1995 album “Mostly True Songs,” is copyright by Bob Gramann, used with permission.  More information about Bob Gramann is available online at https://www.bobgramann.com/.  This music was used by Virginia Water Radio previously in Episode 465, 3-25-19. The mosquito sound was recorded by user Zywx and made available for public use on Freesound.org, online at https://www.freesound.org/people/Zywx/sounds/188708/, under Creative Commons License 1.0 (public domain).  More information on this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/. The deer fly sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio deer fly in Blacksburg, Va., on July 3, 2014. The Atlantic Croaker sound was from Rodney Rountree’s “Fish and Other Underwater Sounds” Web site at http://www.fishecology.org/soniferous/justsounds.htm; used with permission. The Gray Tree Frog sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on June 10, 2011. The American Toad sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on April 3, 2017. The American Bullfrog sound was from “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads” CD, copyright 2008 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and Lang Elliott/NatureSoundStudio, used with permission.  Lang Elliott’s work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. The Belted Kingfisher sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on January 19, 2018. The Laughing Gull and Bald Eagle sounds 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 Elliott’s work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. The Red-winged Blackbird sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on April 9, 2017. The American Beaver sound was from a video recording by Virginia Water Radio at Toms Creek in Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., on June 2, 2012.  A 23-second segment of that video is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mulEJhKGhl0. The Humpback Whale sound was taken from a National Park Service recording (“Humpback Whales Song 2”) made available for public use on the “Community Audio” page of the Internet Archive Web site, at http://www.archive.org/details/HumpbackWhalesSongsSoundsVocalizations. 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. IMAGE White-headed Eagle (a name formerly used for the Bald Eagle) painting originally published between 1827 and 1838 by John James Audubon in Birds of America, Plate XXXI (31), as reprinted in 1985 by Abbeville Press, New York.  The painting includes what Audubon called a Yellow Catfish caught by the bird.  Photo taken June 29, 2017, from the reprint copy (no. 6 of 350 copies printed in 1985) owned by Special Collections of Virginia Tech Libraries.  Virginia Water Radio thanks Special Collections for permission to photograph their copy and for their assistance.  Information about Birds of America is available from the National Audubon Society, online at https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america. SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION AmphibiaWeb, online at https://amphibiaweb.org/. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Croaker,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-croaker. Robert A. Blaylock, The Marine Mammals of Virginia (with notes on identification and natural history), Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 1985; online (as a PDF) at https://www.vims.edu/GreyLit/VIMS/EdSeries35.pdf. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Atlantic Croaker,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/S=0/fieldguide/critter/atlantic_croaker. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “All About Birds,” online at http://www.allaboutbirds.org. Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and American Ornithologists’ Union, “Birds of North America Online,” at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna (subscription required). Eric Day et al., “Mosquitoes and Their Control,” Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication ENTO 202NP, 2016, online (as a PDF) at https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/ENTO/ENTO-202/ENTO-202-PDF.pdf. Nonny De La Pena, What’s Making that Awful Racket? Surprisingly, It May Be Fish, New York Times, 4/8/08. 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, Richmond, 2011. Bernard S. Martof et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980. National Aquarium, “A Blue View: Fish That Make Sound,” 2/16/16, online at https://www.aqua.org/blog/2016/February/Fish-That-Make-Sound. Chandler S. Robbins et al., A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001). Rodney Rountree, “Soniferous Fishes,” online at http://www.fishecology.org/soniferous/soniferous.htm. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), “Virginia is for Frogs,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/. Virginia Department of Health, “Frequently Asked Questions about Mosquitoes,” online at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-epidemiology/frequently-asked-questions-about-mosquitoes/. Virginia Herpetological Society, online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/index.html.  Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles. 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. J. Reese Voshell, Jr., Guide to Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America, McDonald & Woodward Publishing, Blacksburg, Va., 2002. 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 following subject categories: Amphibians, Birds, Fish, Insects, and Mammals. Following are links to other episodes about the creatures featured in this episode. Mosquitoes – Episode 78, 9-5-11. Deer flies (and other true flies) – Episode 484, 8-5-19. Atlantic Croaker (and other sound-making fish) – Episode 77, 8-29-11. American Toad – Episode 413, 3-26-18. American Bullfrog – Episode 74, 8-8-11. Belted Kingfisher – Episode 224, 7-28-14. Laughing Gull (and other gulls) – Episode 518, 3-30-20. Red-winged Blackbird – Episode 364, 4-17-16. Bald Eagle – Episode 375, 7-3-17. American Beaver – Episode 477, 6-17-19. Whales – Episode 399, 12-18-17. 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 of information, or other materials in the Show Notes. 2013 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.” 2010 Science SOLs Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme 2.5 – living things as part of a system, including habitats. 6.7 – natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Virginia watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring. Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme 4.9 – Virginia natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms. Life Science Course LS.8 – community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships. LS.9 – adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments. Biology Course BIO.8 – dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems. Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to other 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 403, 1-15-18 – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade. Episode 404, 1-22-18 – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade. Episode 406, 2-5-18 – on ice on rivers, for middle school. 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.

In August 1997, sixteen-year-old William Jenkins was on his second day of work at a fast-food restaurant in suburban Richmond, Virginia when the restaurant was robbed at closing time. While cooperating fully with the robber, William was shot and died instantly. His father, Bill Jenkins, quickly found that there were virtually no readily available resources that could answer his many questions as a survivor of a traumatic loss. He began looking for help and found it, after a fashion, scattered in the bookstores, on the Internet, and in support groups and agencies. But nowhere was there a single, concise, practical, and eminently useful resource for bereaved families written by victims for victims containing the advice and guidance that he and his family needed following their loss. Several months later, using the information he had collected for his own personal well-being, this experienced teacher and speaker sat down to write the book that he should have received the night he was notified of his son’s death, What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. This landmark book on grief and bereavement quickly became an important resource for families dealing with the sudden or traumatic death of a loved one and the caregivers who work with them. Now, a recognized expert on victims and trauma, Bill has served on the boards of directors for Murder Victims for Human Rights, the National Coalition of Victims in Action, and is the founder, along with his wife, Jennifer Bishop, of IllinoisVictims.org, a statewide victim rights watchdog group. He is also active in many other victims’ rights and support activities and organizations, has been an instructor with the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, leads seminars on victims’ perspectives for national organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Organization of Victim Assistance, and Parents of Murdered Children and also addresses local and regional conferences for law enforcement and victim advocates. He and his wife also speak at victim impact panels for youthful offenders and in support of funding for programs for children and young people that are proven to decrease crime. In 2006, Bill received the Edith Surgan Victim Activist of the Year award from the National Organization of Victim Assistance, a singular honor that recognizes to his expertise in the field and his commitment to making society more sensitive to victims’ rights and needs. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious John Gillis Leadership Award by Parents of Murdered Children. Bill has also written a full-length play, Hearts Full of Tears, that has been produced by two professional theatre companies so far. It deals with the emotional struggle of a family dealing with the shooting death of their teen-aged son. Critical and audience reviews have been very positive. Returning to his educational roots and love of biology, his latest research is in the neurobiology of trauma and stress, how our brains respond to traumatic experiences, and what treatments are most helpful to victims and their families. He hopes that his own personal perspective and unique voice using the latest authoritative scientific discoveries will help victims understand how their brains respond to crisis and inform caregivers how best to help trauma victims in their work. Bill is a professional artist and educator at the college level for over 25 years, he currently teaches and designs for the theatre program at Dominican University near Chicago, IL. You can buy the book What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. By clicking on the title link.

In August 1997, sixteen year-old William Jenkins was on his second day of work at a fast- food restaurant in suburban Richmond, Virginia when the restaurant was robbed at closing time. While cooperating fully with the robber, William was shot and died instantly. His father, Bill Jenkins, quickly found that there were virtually no readily available resources that could answer his many questions as a survivor of a traumatic loss. He began looking for help and found it, after a fashion, scattered in the bookstores, on the Internet, and in support groups and agencies. But nowhere was there a single, concise, practical, and eminently useful resource for bereaved families written by victims for victims containing the advice and guidance that he and his family needed following their loss. Several months later, using the information he had collected for his own personal well-being, this experienced teacher and speaker sat down to write the book that he should have received the night he was notified of his son’s death, What to do When the Police Leave: A Guide to the First Days of Traumatic Loss. This landmark book on grief and bereavement quickly became an important resource for families dealing with the sudden or traumatic death of a loved one and the caregivers who work with them. Now, a recognized expert on victims and trauma, Bill has served on the boards of directors for Murder Victims for Human Rights, the National Coalition of Victims in Action, and is the founder, along with his wife, Jennifer Bishop, of IllinoisVictims.org, a statewide victim rights watchdog group. He is also active in many other victims’ rights and support activities and organizations, has been an instructor with the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine, leads seminars on victims’ perspectives for national organizations such as the National Center for Victims of Crime, the National Organization of Victim Assistance, and Parents of Murdered Children and also addresses local and regional conferences for law enforcement and victim advocates. He and his wife also speak at victim impact panels for youthful offenders and in support of funding for programs for children and young people that are proven to decrease crime. In 2006, Bill received the Edith Surgan Victim Activist of the Year award from the National Organization of Victim Assistance, a singular honor that recognizes to his expertise in the field and his commitment to making society more sensitive to victims’ rights and needs. In 2019, he was awarded the prestigious John Gillis Leadership Award by Parents of Murdered Children. Bill has also written a full-length play, Hearts Full of Tears, that has been produced by two professional theatre companies so far. It deals with the emotional struggle of a family dealing with the shooting death of their teen-aged son. Critical and audience reviews have been very positive. Returning to his educational roots and love of biology, his latest research is in the neurobiology of trauma and stress, how our brains respond to traumatic experiences, and what treatments are most helpful to victims and their families. He hopes that his own personal perspective and unique voice using the latest authoritative scientific discoveries will help victims understand how their brains respond to crisis and inform caregivers how best to help trauma victims in their work. Bill is a professional artist and educator at the college level for over 25 years, he currently teaches and designs for the theatre program at Dominican University near Chicago, IL.

Guests: Lynn Taylor, Virginia Institute for Public Policy; & Scott Cosenza, LibertyNation.com

This episode includes conversations with a parent of a student on the autism spectrum and two autism experts. Dr. William Therrien from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia discusses specifics about supporting students on the spectrum with reading and writing skills, and Lauren Haskins from the Virginia Institute of Autism offers recommendations for improving student participation in the classroom.

Producer/Host: Natalie Springuel Guest Co-producers for this show: Corina Gribble, Ela Keegan, and Katie Clark, College of the Atlantic students Maine coastal and ocean issues: Stories from the nation’s island-based working waterfronts Key Discussion Points: 1. Year-round island communities in Maine, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Great Lakes all share the need for an active working waterfront for survival. 2. Interviews recorded at the National Working Waterfront Symposium in May 2018 3. Stories from island residents, fishermen, municipal officials, a marine suveyor and others about the importance of ferry service, a good relationship with the adjoining mainland, parking. 4. Demographic changes are moving many island working waterfronts from fisheries based to tourism based. Guests: Matthew Preisser, Lansing, MI, Lake Coordinator, Michigan Office of the Great Lakes Steve Train, Long Island, ME, Commercial Lobsterman Duke Marshall & Mark Nelson, Smith Island, MD, Smith Island United Russ Brohl, South Bass Island, OH, Retired Ship Captain, Member of the Port Authority Peter Huston, South Bass Island, OH, Filmmaker Donald McCann, Fleets Island, VA, Marine Surveyor, Virginia Institute of Marine Science Andy Dorr, Vinalhaven, ME, Vinalhaven Town Manager Hattie Train, Long Island, ME, Undergraduate, University of Maine, and Commercial Lobsterman The post Coastal Conversations 11/23/18 first appeared on WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives.

Directors at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science discuss how local community colleges and high schools can meet the increasing demand for workers within the aquaculture industry.

On today’s episode of Brandstorm, we welcome Jason McDevitt and Kirk Havens from GreenOps Ammo. Jason and Kirk discuss the journey of bringing their biodegradable shotgun wads to market, and how both hunters and environmentalists are in favor of their mission. GreenOps AmmoJason McDevitt is the CEO of GreenOps Ammo, a Virginia-based start-up intent on moderating or eliminating the environmental footprint left behind by plastic shotgun refuse through their patented, biodegradable wads. Kirk Havens is a co-founder of GreenOps Ammo, and is also director of the Coastal Watershed Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Kirk explains that he and Jason have been working to decrease marine pollution, particularly involving plastics, for about 10 years. What Is a Shotgun Wad?Historically, the job of a shotgun wad has been to separate the shot from the powder of a shotgun shell. Once fired, wads exit the gun along with the shot, and travel downfield approximately 20-50 yards. Though these wads were once biodegradable and made from cardboard, cork and felt, the 1960s saw the advent of plastic shells and wads. These plastic versions had enhanced functionality, such as barrel protection and converting the energy created with the barrel into shot velocity. By the 1980s, plastic shells and wads were universal. As Jason explains, nothing to date matches their performance, but GreenOps Ammo is working to change that. Pollution Issues from Plastic WadsWith most hunters shooting over water or into dense brush, plastic wads are impossible or impractical to find and retrieve. In addition to polluting our planet, these wads create a separate set of issues in water, where plastic floats and tends to pick up other organic pollutants. Marine animals can be subject to injury or death by ingesting even small fragments of plastic. Kirk says GreenOps was approached by hunters and sportsmen with growing concerns over the effect plastic wads have on wildlife. There have also been concerns from property owners who hunters lease land from, cranberry bog farmers who fear crop contamination and cattle farmers, whose herd could potentially ingest plastic wads. How GreenOps Ammo is DifferentJason and Kirk see "bioplastics" (or biodegradable plastics) as a solution for this problem. GreenOps shotgun wads break apart after leaving the barrel, providing a cleaner release of the shot. Because the biodegradable wad breaks into smaller fragments, it becomes harder to find, creating less visual pollution and less chance for wildlife to devour it. GreenOps wads, unlike their plastic counterparts, will not exist on land or in water for decades or centuries, and will sink in a pond or lake versus floating or washing up to the surface. Instead, they break down to small organic compounds that are then assimilated into nature's carbon cycle. Barriers, Competition and FundingJason explains that while nearly everyone in the hunting ammunition industry has tried and failed to create a biodegradable wad that performs as well as its conventional plastic models, it isn't for lack of trying. The need is great as single-use plastics are likely to see regulation or an outright ban from legislators in the coming years. GreenOps Ammo has yet to approach national retailers, but as instead talked to smaller independent distributors and is planning to attend hunting trade shows, talk to hunting clubs and outfitters, and look for potential brand ambassadors. Though Jason and Kirk are currently seeking investors, non-dilutive grant funding (funds received without giving away any ownership of the company) has made it possible for GreenOps to develop its biodegradable shotgun wads. They are currently concluding a round of funding and are focused on raising additional capital. As federal ammunition regulations are daunting for a company of any size, Jason and Kirk are hoping their start-up can make a deal with a strategic partner overseas. They are confident in the great response they've received from beta testers of their wads. GreenOps Ammo is distributing a limited supply of biodegradable shotgun wads this year and are shooting for wider distribution in 2019. Contact GreenOps Ammo: Web: www.greenopsammo.com Instagram: @GreenOpsAmmo

Join Brother Craig with a full agenda, with visits from The Leadership Institute founder and President, Morton Blackwell; filmmaker, Joel Gilbert with his new documentary, "Trump: The Art of the Insult"; and, a Virginia legislative update from Caleb Taylor of the Virginia Institute for Public Policy.

Caleb Taylor of The Virginia Institute for Public Policy shares a legislative update of the activity of the Virginia General Assembly. The Virginia Institute for Public Policy is an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization committed to the goals of individual opportunity and economic growth. Learn more at http://www.virginiainstitute.org/.

Journal Club is a weekly, informal, ted-style presentation series for Arts & Sciences and Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) graduate students to share their research, practice speaking skills, and interact with other grads from an array of different fields. This week, Andanda Menon(Biology) will introduce us to how ecological change is impacting sperm and the future of sexually reproducing life.

Journal Club is a weekly, informal, ted-style presentation series for Arts & Sciences and Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) graduate students to share their research, practice speaking skills, and interact with other grads from an array of different fields. This week, Fasil Alemante(Operations Research) will introduce us to Twitter's Hashflag and how and why it is used in the twittersphere. http://fasilalemante.com/

Journal Club is a weekly, informal, ted-style presentation series for Arts & Sciences and Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) graduate students to share their research, practice speaking skills, and interact with other grads from an array of different fields. This week, Aaron Albrecht (Public Policy) will speak on old-time fiddle music and its connections to politics and history.

Journal Club is a weekly, informal, ted-style presentation series for Arts & Sciences and Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) graduate students to share their research, practice their speaking skills, and interact with other grads from an array of different fields. This week, Kayla Meyers (American Studies) will introduce us to Ted Cruz's bizarre campaign posters and the complicated reasons behind their appropriation of black culture and the (coded) black body.

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed is a beloved character marker of Virginia. It doubles as a resource and means of leisure, but is no stranger to environmental struggle. Today, we're joined by some of the top researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to discuss the results of recent studies on nitrogen cycles and organisms that could lead to a cleaner bay. And later, the Norfolk Naval Station is 100 years old. We'll discuss its history and how you can join the centennial celebrations. Join us at 440-2665. Councilwoman Andria McClellan - is a City of Norfolk Councilwoman representing Superward 6. She is a sponsor of the civic fair "Engage Norfolk." Deborah Bronk - is the Moses D. Nunnally Distinguished Professor of Marine Science and Department Chair of Physical Sciences at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Mark Luckenbach - is a Professor of Marine Science and the Associate Dean of Research and Advisory Services at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Captain Douglas Beaver - is a Commanding Officer at Naval Station Norfolk Joe Judge - is the Curator of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum

There’s a small town in Idaho where prostitution was practiced openly—in effect, decriminalized. The practice was tolerated, even embraced, until 1991. Heather Branstetter has been interviewing local residents, discovering who the madams were and what they did to cultivate widespread public acceptance of their work. Plus: If you’ve ever had a coworker write nasty or demeaning emails, undermine your credibility, or give you the silent treatment, you’ve experienced workplace incivility. Dan Davidson and Danylle Kunkel say it affects the bottom line and should be included in performance reviews. Later in the show: In our series about STEM education, we ask: what does a scientist look like? Male or female, short or tall, black, or brown? We talk to four young scientists about their outreach project at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. And: Fewer than 2% of physical science degrees—like physics and chemistry—went to African-Americans in 2009. Considering African-Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers are shockingly low and they’re getting lower. Plus: We hear about what might be keeping American girls out of laboratories, and Laura Puaca explains the WWII history of Edna the Engineer.

Cochineal, a parasitic insect native to Mexico, is the source of a vibrant red dye called carmine, which Spain’s Conquistadors encountered for the first time in 1519. We talk with Amy Butler Greenfield, author of A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire, about the history of this highly sought-after commodity that eluded pirates, scientists, and kings. Plus: When restoring priceless works of art, conservators often want to know the origins of the paint. Chemist Kristen Wustholz (College of William & Mary) works with art curators to trace the molecular “fingerprints” of rare paint pigments and has produced a technique that allows precise chemical analysis from a single near-microscopic particle excised from the painting. And: Nuclear physicist Gail Dodge (Old Dominion University) has taken a leading role in atom-smashing experiments. Dodge, who won an Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, is also devoted to growing the number of women in a field that is still dominated by men. Later in the show: In 2009, fewer than 2% of physical science degrees—like physics and chemistry—went to African-Americans. Considering African-Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers are shockingly low. And they’re getting even lower. In the second episode of our ongoing series about STEM education, we ask: what does a scientist look like? Short, tall, black, brown, male or female? We talk to four young scientists about their outreach project at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. We also hear about what might be keeping American girls out of laboratories, and Laura Puaca (Christopher Newport University) explains the WWII history of Edna the Engineer.

There’s a small town in Idaho where prostitution was practiced openly—in effect, decriminalized. The practice was tolerated, even embraced, until 1991. Heather Branstetter (Virginia Military Institute) has been interviewing local residents, discovering who the madams were and what they did to cultivate widespread public acceptance of their work. Plus: If you’ve ever had a coworker write nasty or demeaning emails, undermine your credibility, or give you the silent treatment, you’ve experienced workplace incivility. Dan Davidson and Danylle Kunkel (Radford University) say it affects the bottom line and should be included in performance reviews. US Navy Cryptanalytic BombeLater in the show: In our series about STEM education, we ask: what does a scientist look like? Male or female, short or tall, black, or brown? We talk to four young scientists about their outreach project at William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science. And: Fewer than 2% of physical science degrees—like physics and chemistry—went to African-Americans in 2009. Considering African-Americans make up 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers are shockingly low and they’re getting lower. Plus: We hear about what might be keeping American girls out of laboratories, and Laura Puaca (Christopher Newport University) explains the WWII history of Edna the Engineer.

The economic downturn is hitting home with more and more young adults living with their parents after high school or college graduation. We'll talk about young adult's 'failure to launch' with certified family therapist Marie Donlan of Tidewater Psychotherapy Services and Dr. John Allen, Director of the Virginia Institute of Development in Adulthood (VIDA) at UVA and co-author of Escaping the Endless Adolescence: How We Can Help Our Teenagers Grow Up Before They Grow Old. We'll also be joined by personal finance maven Jane Bryant Quinn to get her advice on how to handle the financial issues that crop up in multi-generation households.