A Rufus Hummingbird was found this winter in Ohio.  How don’t they freeze?

Winter Hummingbird from Wildlife Matters on Vimeo.

I’m so proud that I went to a college that participates in a program like this.  These are the kind of things that we need to start doing more of.

With the rains over the weekend I was curious to see if Anglin Falls was flowing.  I hadn’t been there in a couple of years and was looking for an excuse to go.   It was not flowing as much as I had hoped but it was still very peaceful.

History

Dedicated Dec. 10, 1996, John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest State Nature Preserve in Rockcastle County protects a 123-acre wooded gorge with a rich spring floral display. The preserve honors John B. Stephenson, the former president of Berea College who enjoyed the area’s beauty and solitude and worked hard to preserve the forest surrounding Anglin Falls. Long open to the public, the preserve will remain a significant source for education, interpretation and inspiration for the people of Kentucky and the students and faculty of Berea College.

• Features – Anglin Falls (75 feet), spring wildflower display, Anglin Creek, forested gorge.
• Access – one-mile foot trail over uneven terrain, moderate to strenuous
• Activities – hiking, nature study, birding, etc.
• Directions – Rockcastle County. From Exit 76 on I-75, go east 3.5 miles on KY 21 to the center of Berea. Turn right at the light (staying on KY 21), past the Boone Tavern, and travel another 5 miles. Turn right (south) on to US 421 and travel 2.6 miles. Turn right on Burnt Ridge Road and travel .2 miles, then left on Himanns Fork Road and travel 3.4 miles. Look for a red brick house on the right (box 530); approximately one-tenth of a mile past the house make a sharp left turn down a steep hill on to Anglin Falls Road.  Travel .9 miles on Anglin Falls Road to a sign that says “Anglin Falls” next to a mailbox marked “542 R2″. Turn left and travel .2 miles to the parking area/trail head.

NaturePreserves.ky.gov

Media

[nggallery id=1]

Here is what me and my co-workers did on Earth Day.  50 bags… not too bad eh?

WASHINGTON – Kentucky Utilities Company has agreed to pay a fine of $1.4 million and spend about $135 million on new pollution controls for violations of the Clean Air Act at one of its power plants, the Environmental Protection Agency said on Tuesday.

Under the agreement, Kentucky Utilities, a unit of E.ON US, will cut emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides at its E. W. Brown Generating Station in Mercer County, Kentucky, by more than 31,000 tons per year.

The company will also install controls to reduce particulate matter emissions by approximately 1,000 tons per year.

Source: PlaneTark.org

For the first time ever during a campaign, both presidential candidates urged a moratorium on mountaintop removal mining. This once-regional issue now has the attention of the nation. Help us build on this momentum to end this destructive practice.

In his first 100 days as President, Mr. Obama has the power to stop most current mountaintop removal mining. Here’s how:

• Reverse the Bush Mine Waste Giveaways: In the 11th hour, the Bush administration weakened the Stream Buffer Zone, allowing companies to dump mine waste into streams and rivers, worsening an earlier Bush ruling that has accelerated the pace of mountaintop removal coal mining.

• Enforce the Law: The coal industry has routinely ignored the Clean Water Act and the Stream Buffer Zone Rule. President Obama should demand that these and other rules be enforced, and hold the EPA, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement, and the Army Corps of Engineers accountable.

• Urge Congress to Pass the Clean Water Protection Act: The Clean Water Protection Act is necessary to both permanently protect clean drinking water for many of our nation’s cities and to protect Appalachian coalfield residents who face frequent catastrophic flooding and pollution as a result of mountaintop removal.

• Prioritize Appalachia in America’s Clean Energy Future: Some mountaintops in Appalachia have huge wind power potential and would be more beneficial in that regard than as flattened landscape. President Obama should make Environmental Impact Assessments and economic analyses mandatory as part of his New Energy for America Plan. With finite and declining coal reserves and jobs, Obama needs to ensure Appalachia receives attention and support in the Administration’s new energy plan that includes $150 billion dollars invested in green, union jobs.