Newsletter: March 2007

From the Executive Director

We are now accepting applications for 2008 Fellowships. Many thanks to those of you who have already sent in nominations. Please be sure to help us spread the word and attract great candidates, especially from Canada and Mexico. The Call for Applications closes on April 16th.

Planning is underway for the All-Cohorts training being held at Stanford from September 6th - 9th. Your feedback is critical to make this training a success. Please take the time to respond to the email you received recently from our staff regarding your top choices for sessions.

Join us in welcoming new staff working with the Leopold Leadership Program. Ashley Simons recently joined the Woods Institute as the Assistant Director of Training and Outreach. Many of you know you know of Ashley's great work for COMPASS. She will serve as an advisor to the Leopold Leadership Program. Clare Baldwin, a recent Stanford graduate, joins our team as an outreach associate. She brings strong writing skills coupled with a solid understanding of scientific issues. Over the next six months, she will focus on strengthening existing communications vehicles including the Web site and newsletter while also exploring opportunities to expand communications to broader audiences.

The Program is increasing our role in linking Fellows with decision-makers and opinion shapers by strengthening infrastructure and building relationships. The Web site serves as a key mechanism. We recently completed upgrades to our site to highlight and improve the search function for external audiences. Also, we will soon provide access to a Fellows only section of the site, which we hope you find useful. We are also facilitating new outreach opportunities for Fellows. We will be in DC later this month meeting with a variety of congressional and agency staff to explore opportunities for the Woods Institute to increase engagement at the federal level. Leopold Leadership Fellows will be prominently highlighted as part of those efforts. In partnership with MIT, Duke and the University of Michigan, the Woods Institute is sponsoring Congressional briefings on Climate Change in late March. 2000 Fellow Chris Field will be a presenter. In the next few months, we will initiate discussions with key NGOs including The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense, and Natural Resources Defense Council to identify opportunities for collaboration. Stay tuned for more information.

-- Debbie Drake Dunne

--- Featuring honors, awards, accomplishments, activities, and major publications by or highlighting ALLP Fellows.

• Peter Alpert, 2004
  Associate Professor, Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

  • Peter was appointed to the Invasive Species Advisory Committee that advises the National Invasive Species Council, a federal interagency group led by the Department of the Interior. During his three-year term as a committee member, Peter, along with the 29 other members of the committee, will be responsible for advising the secretaries of State, Defense, Transportation, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security and the administrators of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Air and Space Administration, U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Trade Representative on invasive species. Members of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee include representatives from the scientific, conservation, agriculture communities, state and tribal governments and industry organizations.

    
    For more information about the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, visit: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/council/advisory.shtml

  
  
• Edward Barbier, 2005
  John S. Bugas Professor of Economics, University of Wyoming

  • Ed was one of fourteen authors (including ALLP Fellows Enric Sala, Emmett Duffy, and Fio Micheli) of a paper published in the November 3, 2006 issue of Science about the impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. The paper was covered by more than 500 media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, FOX News, and Al-Jazeera. National fishery ministers of several nations, as well as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued public comments on the paper. Ed and the other authors were interviewed and quoted in many of the articles.

    
    Worm, B., E.B. Barbier, N. Beaumont, J.E. Duffy, C. Folke, B.S. Halpern, J.B.C. Jackson, H.K. Lotze, F. Micheli, S.R. Palumbi, E. Sala, K.A. Selkoe, J.J. Stachowicz, and R. Watson. 2006. Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787-790.

  
  
• Andrew Dessler, 2006
  Associate Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University

  • Andy co-authored an op-ed piece that was published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday, Feb. 11 on climate change and the findings of the IPCC's Forth Assessment report. The piece reviews the report's findings and discusses potential impacts of a 2 to 5 degree Fahrenheit summer season warming in Texas over the next few decades that could result in more frequent and severe droughts, as well as potentially stronger hurricanes and sea level rise affecting the 600-mile Texas coastline. Andy and his co-author urge readers to take steps to conserve energy and move to renewable energy sources.

    
    In early January, Andy participated in a panel for new members of Congress and their staffs called "An Orientation to the Scientific Landscape." Other presenters during the session included ALLP trainers David Goldston, formerly staff director of the House Science Committee, and journalist Juliet Eilperin who covers the environment for The Washington Post. Andy's talk was titled "What Science Can Contribute to the Policy Discussions on Climate Change." The event was sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, American Meteorological Society and The Pew Center on Global Climate Change.

    
    Andy also traveled to Nashville in early January to take part in a two-day training led by Al Gore as part of program called The Climate Project. The Climate Project was developed to train 1,000 people to give presentations on climate change based on the slide show that Gore uses in the movie An Inconvenient Truth. Andy wrote about his experience at the training and about his participation on the panel for new members of Congress on his blog and also for the Web site "Gristmill: The environmental news blog". See http://sciencepoliticsclimatechange.blogspot.com for links to Andy's writings.

  
  
• Scott Doney, 2004
  Senior Scientist, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

  • Scott was one of three guests on National Public Radio's Open Source with Christopher Lydon in January. The episode, called "Global Warming: Oceans" covered changes in the acidity, temperature and water circulation patterns in the ocean believed to be caused by global warming.

    
    Lydon, C. "Global Warming: Oceans." National Public Radio: Open Source with Christopher Lydon, January 31, 2007.

    
    To read more about the program, visit: http://www.radioopensource.org/global-warming-oceans/

  
  
• Emmett Duffy, 2006
  Professor of Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science; Department of Biological Sciences, The College of William and Mary

  • Emmett was one of fourteen authors (including ALLP Fellows Ed Barbier, Enric Sala, and Fio Micheli) of a paper published in the November 3, 2006 issue of Science about the impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. The paper was covered by more than 500 media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, FOX News, and Al-Jazeera. National fishery ministers of several nations, as well as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued public comments on the paper. Emmett and the other authors were interviewed and quoted in many of the articles.

    
    Worm, B., E.B. Barbier, N. Beaumont, J.E. Duffy, C. Folke, B.S. Halpern, J.B.C. Jackson, H.K. Lotze, F. Micheli, S.R. Palumbi, E. Sala, K.A. Selkoe, J.J. Stachowicz, and R. Watson. 2006. Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787-790.

  
  
• Jonathan Foley, 2000
  Director and Gaylord Nelson Distinguished Professor of Environmental Studies and Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin

  • Jonathan is the lead author of the February issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment cover story on the impacts of forest degradation in the Amazon basin. The review paper, with co-authors including Leopold Leadership Fellows Ruth DeFries and Jonathan Patz, examines how widespread deforestation of this biologically rich and diverse ecosystem has negative effects including the loss of carbon storage in forests and soils; disruption of hydrological systems that regulate water balance and river flows; disruption of the regulation of regional and global climate systems; and diminished capacity to help curb the spread of infectious diseases.

    
    Foley, J. et al. 2007. Amazonia revealed: forest degradation and loss of ecosystem goods and services in the Amazon Basin. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 5 (1):25-32.

  
  
• Lisa Graumlich, 1999
  Director and Professor, School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson

  • Lisa left her position as the Executive Director of Big Sky Institute at Montana State University to become the Director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Arizona, Tucson in January 2007. As Executive Director of BSI since 2001, Lisa developed an integrated program linking science, education and decision making in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

    
    According to the UA School of Natural Resources' Web site, Lisa plans to use a similar interdisciplinary approach, linking science, institutional analysis, and policy making to develop deeper collaboration with individuals and units across the University of Arizona campus and across the region.

    
    See: http://bsi.montana.edu/node/312 and http://ag.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/srnr/facinfo.pl?LAST=Graumlich&FIRST=Lisa%20J. for more information.

  
  
• Steven Handel, 2001
  Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University

  • Steven was interviewed about restoring the landscapes on top of closed landfills on National Public Radio's All Things Considered on February 7. The show discussed alternate models of restoration, making use of native vegetation, for the Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain Avenue landfills in Brooklyn, New York. On the show, Steven discussed his previous work on a major landscape restoration project at the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island, and how tree roots penetrating the impermeable cap wasn't an issue. After three years, the Department of Sanitation concurred. Today, trees are a major part of the $20 million restoration of the Pennsylvania Avenue and Fountain Avenue landfills.

    
    To read a transcript of the show or download an MP3, visit: http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/73332

  
  
• David Hart, 2005
  Director, Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Environmental and Watershed Research; Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maine

  • David is one of the key leaders of The Environmental Solutions Initiative (ESI), a new program to connect the diverse expertise and problem-solving capacity in the University of Maine system to Maine's need for more effective environmental policies and practices. ESI invites all stakeholders to consider the common goals of creating a strong economy, robust communities, and a clean environment.

    
    For more information about ESI, see: http://www.umaine.edu/waterresearch/esi/default.htm

  
  
• Mark Hixon, 1999
  Professor, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University

  • Mark was unanimously elected chair of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee in October 2006. The Committee advises the Departments of Commerce and the Interior on the development and implementation of a national system of marine protected areas. Thirty Committee members are appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, and serve four-year terms. They represent a broad stakeholder community, including scientists, academia, commercial fishermen, anglers, divers, state and tribal resource managers, the energy and tourism industries, and environmentalists. Nine federal agencies are also represented by non-voting ex-officio members of the Committee.

    
    Mark has continued his outreach efforts on marine protected areas, global warming's effects on the ocean and the need for ecosystem-based fisheries policies. Highlights of his many presentations over the past few months include a lecture on the effects of global warming on land and sea ice at an EPA and OSU global warming workshop for high school teachers and a presentation on ecosystem-based fisheries science at the annual meeting of the Western Society of Naturalists.

    
    For more information about the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, see: http://mpa.gov/mpafac/fac.html

  
  
• Elisabeth Holland, 2005
  Senior Scientist, Biogeosciences Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research

  • Beth was one of the lead authors of the 7th Chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis released February 2, 2007. Within the 7th chapter, "Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry," Beth wrote about the carbon cycle, atmospheric chemistry, land surface, and biogeochemical cycles. As a result of her involvement with the IPCC, Beth was interviewed by a number of media outlets, including the Quality News Network, National Public Radio, The New York Times, and the Boston Globe, among others.

    
    For more information about Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis, see: http://www.ipcc.ch/

  
  
• Richard Knight, 1999
  Professor, Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University College of Natural Resources

  • Rick is co-editor of a new book published in February by Johnson Press called Home Land: Ranching and a West That Works, a collection of writings on ranching and conservation in the West.

    
    Rick is also a lead organizer for a conference titled "People and Land in a New Century: A Blueprint for Conservation That Works." Scheduled for April 3-5, 2007 at Colorado State University, the conference aims to bring together conservation practitioners, academics, NGOs, students, and others interested in conservation to explore new methods and models for conservation that works on the ground. Rick will be a featured speaker, as will ALLP trainer Curt Meine. For details, see: http://www.warnercnr.colostate.edu/plnc/

    Pritchett, L., R. L. Knight, and J. Lee. 2007. Home Land: Ranching and a West That Works. Boulder: Johnson Press.

  
  
• Jack Liu, 2001
  Rachel Carson Chair in Ecological Sustainability; Director of the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability; Professor, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

  • Jack is the author of a Web page on the PBS Web site about China's environmental future. On the Web page, Jack discusses environmental issues in China including air pollution, diminishing biodiversity, fisheries depletion, invasive species, land degradation, soil erosion, and water pollution and shortages. He describes the problems, traces their origins, considers their future, and proposes solutions. The Web page also includes a forum where readers can post comments. The Web page is a companion piece to a PBS series called "China from the Inside," which originally aired in January 2007.

    
    Link to Jack's essay on the PBS Web site: http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/nature/environment.html

  
  
• Margaret Lowman, 2006
  Professor, Department of Biology and Environmental Studies; Chair, Environmental Studies, New College of Florida

  • Meg was featured in the November 21, 2006 issue of The San Diego Union-Tribune in an article titled "Viewing the world from the canopy." The article follows Meg and her two sons through the Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, Florida and suggests public treetop walks as a way to return the American public to the outdoors.

    
    Louv, R. "Viewing the world from the canopy," The San Diego Union-Tribune, November 21, 2006.

    
    Read the article at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/louv/20061121-9999-lz1e21louv.html

  
  
• Fiorenza Micheli, 2004
  Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Stanford University Hopkins Marine Station

  • Fio was one of fourteen authors (including ALLP Fellows Emmett Duffy, Ed Barbier, and Enric Sala) of a paper published in the November 3, 2006 issue of Science about the impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. The paper was covered by more than 500 media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, FOX News, and Al-Jazeera. National fishery ministers of several nations, as well as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have issued public comments on the paper. Fio and the other authors were interviewed and quoted in many articles.

    
    Worm, B., E.B. Barbier, N. Beaumont, J.E. Duffy, C. Folke, B.S. Halpern, J.B.C. Jackson, H.K. Lotze, F. Micheli, S.R. Palumbi, E. Sala, K.A. Selkoe, J.J. Stachowicz, and R. Watson. 2006. Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787-790.

  
  
• Susanne Moser, 2005
  Research Scientist, Institute for the Study of Society and Environment, National Center for Atmospheric Research

  • Susi is co-editor with Lisa Dilling of the University of Colorado-Boulder of a new anthology from Cambridge University Press titled Creating a Climate for Change: Communicating Climate Change and Facilitating Social Change. A unique anthology of essays, empirical case studies, and interdisciplinary syntheses, the book presents fresh ideas for fostering dialogue and social engagement on climate change. Drawing on diverse scholarship and practical experience, Creating a Climate for Change takes stock of the opportunities and challenges of communicating climate change, offers suggestions for improvement, and debunks common myths.

    
    Susi also gave several briefings during the late fall of 2006 to staff of the California State Assembly and several legislative committees, the California Coastal Commission, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and the Public Policy Institute of California. She also spoke on science-policy communication and interaction at the Annual Meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

    
    In January 2007, Susi attended one of Al Gore's climate change communication training sessions for 1000 volunteers. Through connections made by ALLP, Susi was asked to evaluate the training and provide feedback to Gore's Climate Project to inform future trainings.

    
    Moser, S.C. and L. Dilling. 2007. Creating a Climate for Change: Communicating Climate Change and Facilitating Social Change. Cambridge University Press.

    
    More information about the anthology can be found at: http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521869232

  
  
• Nalini Nadkarni, 2004
  Member of the Faculty, Department of Environmental Studies, Evergreen State College

  • Nalini is the co-author and main character of a recent children's book called Rain Forest. The book, part of the Kingfisher Press Voyages series and published in September 2006, is written for children ages 9-12 and was selected among nearly 300 applicants as one of the "Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 for 2007." The book follows Nalini as she climbs from the forest floor to the canopy and encounters different plants and animals, "from anteaters to pitcher plants, from piranhas to bromeliads."

    
    Also, to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and active environmental engagement with people who might not have positive or protective attitudes about nature, Nalini initiated the Moss-in-Prisions project. Articles she wrote about the project were featured in the January 2007 issue of Orion magazine and in the October 2006 issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. Describing the project in Orion, Nalini wrote that she needed people who met three criteria: long periods of time to observe and measure mosses, large areas in which to lay out moss flats, and fresh ideas. Nalini and her students worked with the staff and prisoners to develop a protocol for growing different canopy-dwelling mosses in captivity and provide an alternative to collecting wild-grown mosses for landscaping and other uses.

    
    Johnson, J. and N. Nadkarni. Rain Forest. Kingfisher Press, 2006.

    
    Nadkarni, N. M. 2007. The Moss Shall Set Them Free. Orion. January/February, pages 7-8.

    
    To read the article online, see: http://www.orionmagazine.org/pages/om/07-1om/SacredandMundane.html

    
    Nadkarni, N. M. 2006. The Moss-in-Prison project: disseminating science beyond academia. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 4 (8):442-443.

  
  
• Debbie Niemeier, 2005
  Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Director, John Muir Institute of the Environment; Associate Vice Chancellor, Office of Research, University of California, Davis

  • Deb was quoted in the Science section of The New York Times on December 19, 2006 about the difficulties faced by women in science. In the article she discussed the importance of mentors and networks, and how to answer questions about family during the interview process for faculty and tenure positions.

    
    Dean, C. "Women in Science: The Battle Moves to the Trenches," The New York Times, December 19, 2006.

    
    The article is available to NYT subscribers online at: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/science/19women.html?ref=science

  
  
• Jonathan Patz, 2005
  Associate Professor, Department of Health Sciences and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison

  • Jonathan was a plenary speaker at the annual conference in early February of the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington, D.C. The theme of the conference was "Integrating Environment and Human Health" and Jonathan was a member of a panel discussing global disease patterns and their relationship to environmental factors, such as climate change.

    
    Late last year, Jonathan was quoted in the Hartford Courant on the spread of malaria to the African uplands. The article, "As Climate Changes, Malaria Rises In Africa - In Altitude," focuses on the sudden increase of malaria cases in the Kenyan uplands. In the article, Jonathan confirms that mosquitoes require a minimum temperature "envelope" in which to breed, a temperature the article cites at anything over 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Jonathan also points to a recent finding by his colleagues that a small temperature increase can cause a disproportionately large increase in a mosquito population, but cautions that other factors, such as deforestation and population growth can also cause an explosion in mosquito population.

    
    Hanley, C.J. "As Climate Changes, Malaria Rises in Africa - In Altitude," The Hartford Courant, December 18, 2006.

  
  
• Adina Paytan, 2006
  Assistant Professor, Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University

  • Adina partnered with Mary Lou Zoback from Risk Management Solutions to write an op-ed in Nature published on February 22 titled "Crossing boundaries, hitting barriers: Interdisciplinary research may be lauded but it's not yet rewarded." The op-ed argues that while interdisciplinary research is encouraged - and appreciated by the scientific community - institutions do not reward it with promotions and tenure. The op-ed suggested remedies that included interdisciplinary review committees and more time for interdisciplinary researchers to reach tenure milestones.

    
    Adina was featured in the January 24, 2007 issue of The Stanford Daily in an article titled "Paytan preaches power of passion for ocean." The article profiles Adina's role at Stanford, her love of the ocean, and her mentoring of students. In addition to providing opportunities for them academically, she encourages them to "think about what [they] are doing rather than [follow] inertia...learn about [themselves] first. [They] are losing a lot and compromising [themselves] if [they] don't follow [their] dreams."

    
    Adina was also featured in The Stanford Daily in November for a program she started called GeoKids. Adina was inspired after organizing a field trip for her daughter's first-grade class, part of whose curriculum was geology. GeoKids now holds 15 sessions a year for first-grade science classes from the Palo Alto Unified School District. In addition to introducing elementary school students to geology, it introduces Stanford students to teaching and outreach.

    
    Paytan, A. and M. L. Zoback. 2007. Crossing boundaries, hitting barriers: Interdisciplinary research may be lauded but it's not yet rewarded. Nature 445:950.

    
    Meyer, V. "Paytan preaches power of passion for ocean," The Stanford Daily, January 24, 2007.

    
    Hardin, L. "For first graders, geology not just a rocky road: Environmental Sciences Professor brings Palo Alto students to Stanford," The Stanford Daily, November 15, 2006.

    
    To read the article about Adina's work at Stanford, visit: http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2007/1/24/paytanPreachesPowerOfPassionForOcean

    
    To read the article about GeoKids, visit: http://pangea.stanford.edu/research/paytanlab/projects/GeokidsStanfordDailyNov152006.htm

  
  
• Volker Radeloff, 2005
  Associate Professor, Department of Forest Ecology and Management, University of Wisconsin, Madison

  • Volker participated in a one-hour live call-in radio show with WILL-580 AM, the public radio affiliate at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. The show, titled "When People and Nature Collide," aired during the week of November 13 and focused on the wildland-urban interface. Volker reported that it was a fun experience and "rewarding to see that radio hosts are starting to wonder about the wildland-urban interface and the effects of housing growth."

    
    Last October, Volker was interviewed by John Pomfret of the Washington Post on the wildland-urban interface issue. In the article, Volker discusses the rate of development and what that means in terms of wildfires. Volker's comments were put in terms of the loss of life for firefighters and whether or not federal, state, and local governments should limit development.

    
    To listen to the radio show, go to: http://www.will.uiuc.edu/am/focus/archives/06/061113.htm

    
    Pomfret, J. "As Houses Rise in the Wild, So Do Fire Concerns," Washington Post, October 30, 2006.

  
  
• Christopher Reddy, 2006
  Associate Scientist, Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

  • Chris wrote an op-ed that was published in the Providence Journal Bulletin on December 14, titled "Fix the Earth before revisiting moon." In the op-ed, Chris wrote that NASA's announcement that it would build a permanent base camp on the moon by 2024 was attacking a "scientific/technologic problem that is non-threatening, unimaginative, and nearly cosmetic in lieu of focusing attention on problems like AIDS, climate change, and energy resources here on Earth." Chris argues that directing resources to solving problems like AIDS, climate change, and energy resources will yield more direct returns and is necessary if we hope to pursue scientific exploration such as building a permanent base camp on the moon.

    
    Reddy, C.M., "Fix the Earth before revisiting moon," Providence Journal Bulletin, December 14, 2006.

  
  
• Denise Reed, 2006
  Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New Orleans

  • Denise was a speaker during a panel presentation called "New Orleans and Katrina: Environment and Health Causes and Consequences" at the annual conference of the National Council for Science and the Environment in Washington, D.C. in early February. Denise, who chairs the technical board of the Coastal Restoration and Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST) program, spoke of the scientific basis for restoring wetlands systems on the Gulf Coast and the need to consider ecological, cultural, social and economic perspectives in developing plans to rebuild New Orleans.

    
    You can learn about the NSCE conference at: http://www.ncseonline.org/2007conference/cms.cfm?id=1573

  
  
• Robert Richmond, 2004
  Research Professor, Kewalo Marine Laboratory, Pacific Biomedical Research Center, University of Hawaii, Manoa

  • In September 2006, Bob received an NSF Grant from the Division of Undergraduate Education titled "Partnership for Advanced Marine and Environmental Science Training for Pacific Islanders" to enhance the environmental science programs in the six regional community colleges in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau.

    
    In October 2006, Bob traveled to Capitol Hill where he served as one of the three representatives for the American Society for Limnology and Oceanography in an effort organized by the Consortium for National Science Funding to increase the NSF budget. He met with both Hawaii Congressmen Neil Abercrombie and Ed Case, as well as the senior staff for Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka to discuss the importance of NSF to Hawaii, the region, and the nation, in funding environmental research and education. As a result of his visit to Capitol Hill, Bob was able to host Congressman Abercrombie at his lab and discuss a variety of marine conservation issues.

    
    Bob was also a "spontaneous" participant in a panel of Fellows during a Leopold Leadership program workshop at the EcoHealth One conference in Wisconsin in early October. Other Fellows on the workshop panel included Andy Dobson, Jonathan Foley and Volker Radeloff.

  
  
• Enric Sala, 2005
  Professor and Deputy Director, Center for Marine Biodiversity, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego

  • Enric was named one of eight National Geographic Society Emerging Explorers for 2007. The Emerging Explorer's Program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration while still early in their careers. The Emerging Explorers each receive an award of $10,000 to assist with their research and to aid further exploration.

    
    Enric was also one of fourteen authors (including ALLP Fellows Ed Barbier, Emmett Duffy, and Fio Micheli) of a paper about the impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. The paper was covered by more than 500 media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, FOX News, and Al-Jazeera. National fishery ministers of several nations, as well as the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have issued public comments on the paper.

    
    As a result of the paper, Enric was interviewed by Avui (in Catalan), La Vanguardia, El Pais, El Periodico, El Correo, La Voz de Galicia, and La Voz de Asturias, all Spanish newspapers. He was also interviewed by Radio Nacional de España (Spain's public radio), Radio Galega Ona, Catalana Radio Barcelona, Catalunya Radio (Catalan public radio), Catalunya Informacio (24h news station), Radio Lloret Onda Cero Cadena, SER Radio Canada (Canada, in French), and Radio Paris International (French), as well as TVE (Spanish public TV), TV3 (Catalan public TV), Els Matins (live morning show), and 6 (private channel).

    
    For more information about the National Geographic Society Emerging Explorers, see: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/emerging/esala.html

    
    Worm, B., E.B. Barbier, N. Beaumont, J.E. Duffy, C. Folke, B.S. Halpern, J.B.C. Jackson, H.K. Lotze, F. Micheli, S.R. Palumbi, E. Sala, K.A. Selkoe, J.J. Stachowicz, and R. Watson. 2006. Impacts of biodiversity loss on ocean ecosystem services. Science 314:787-790.

  
  
• William Schlesinger, 1999
  Dean and James B. Duke Professor of Biogeochemistry, Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University

  • Bill will leave his position as the dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University in June to become president of the Institute for Ecosystem Studies, an international ecosystem research organization based in Millbrook, New York. Bill has been at Duke for 25 years and dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences since 2001. His upcoming move was featured in the "Newsmakers" section of Science magazine on November 3, 2006.

    
    In October, Bill was a guest speaker for the Environmental Solutions Initiative at the University of Maine, an effort organized in part by 2005 Fellow David Hart.

    
    Newsmakers. Science 314: 1521.

    
    For more information about the Institute for Ecosystem Studies and the appointment, see: http://www.ecostudies.org/press/Schlesinger.html, http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/news/ns-billleaving.html, and http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol314/issue5805/newsmakers.dtl.

  
  
• David Secord, 2004
  Director, Program on the Environment; Research Associate Professor, School of Marine Affairs; Adjunct Associate Professor, Biology Department, University of Washington Seattle

  • In April, Dave will leave his position as director of the Program on the Environment at the University of Washington to become a Program Officer for Alaska and British Columbia for the Seattle-based Wilburforce Foundation, a science-based funder of wilderness conservation in large terrestrial ecosystems of Western North America. Dave has been at the University of Washington for more than 10 years.

    
    For more information about the Wilburforce Foundation, see: http://www.wilburforce.org/

  
  
• Sandra Shumway, 2001
  Adjunct Professor-in-Residence, Department of Marine Sciences, Avery Point at the University of Connecticut

  • Sandy, along with Fellow Susan Williams and Advisory Board member Barry Gold, was selected as a 2006 Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Sandy was selected in the Biological Sciences section. AAAS Fellows are selected by their peers for their "meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications."

    
    For more information about the Fellows and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, visit: http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/2006.shtml

  
  
• Diana Wall, 1999
  Professor and Senior Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University

  • Diana was featured in the November 21, 2006 issue of The New York Times in an article titled "An Antarctic Ecosystem Shows Signs of Trouble as a Tiny Worm Turns." The article features Diana and her colleagues at work studying nematodes in the Antarctic Dry Valleys and discusses the role of Antarctic nematodes in carbon cycling and how a regional temperature change is affecting their ability to function. The article also discusses the global carbon cycle in relation to soil invertebrates and microbes.

    
    Haag, A.L. "SCIENTIST AT WORK/DIANA H. WALL; An Antarctic Ecosystem Shows Signs of Trouble as a Tiny Worm Turns," The New York Times, November 21, 2006.

    
    The article is available to NYT subscribers online at: http://nytimes.com/2006/11/21/science/21prof.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref&oref=slogin

  
  
• Susan Williams, 2000
  Director, Bodega Marine Laboratory, University of California

  • Susan, along with Fellow Sandy Shumway and Advisory Board Member Barry Gold, was selected as a 2006 Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Susan was selected in the Biological Sciences section. AAAS Fellows are selected by their peers for their "meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications."

    
    For more information about the Fellows and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, visit: http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/2006.shtml

--- Featuring honors, awards, accomplishments, activities, and major publications by or highlighting members of the ALLP Network.

• Ann Bartuska, Advisory Board Member

  Ann testified before the House Appropriations' Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee on February 16, 2007. Ann's testimony was on the Forest Service Research & Development budget for 2008.

• Barry Gold, Advisory Board Member

  Barry was selected as a 2006 Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Barry was selected in the Societal Impacts of Science and Engineering section. AAAS Fellows are selected by their peers for their "meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications."

  
  For more information about the Fellows and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, visit: http://www.aaas.org/aboutaaas/fellows/2006.shtml

• ALLP Network Members at the AAAS meeting

  The Leopold Leadership Program was very well represented in scientific symposia and press conferences at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco Feb. 15 through 19. Fellows who presented about their research during symposia included Mark Hixon and Diana Wall (1999), Pamela Matson (Scientific Director) and Roz Naylor (2000), John Largier and Jack Liu (2001), Brian Helmuth, Carlos Martinez del Rio and Susi Moser (2005), Selina Heppell and Julia Parrish (2006). ALLP past and current advisors and trainers including Rosina Bierbaum, Sharon Dunwoody, Paul Ehrlich, Jane Lubchenco, Hal Mooney, Michael Rodemeyer and Steve Schneider presented and, in several cases, organized sessions. Jane, Julia and Selina were on panels during press conferences and Jane introduced plenary speaker Susan Solomon, chair of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. COMPASS team members Nancy Baron and Jessica Brown were hard at work behind the scenes helping scientists, including ALLP network members, prepare for press conferences and media interviews. Next year's AAAS meeting is scheduled for Feb. 14 - 18 in Boston. Proposals for symposia are due May 2, 2007.

--- A listing of selected upcoming meetings, conferences and other events of interest provided in order of date. Check the ALLP web site "Resources" section for a longer list of upcoming meetings of various professional societies and associations.

• People and Land in a New Century: A Blueprint for Conservation That Works
  April 3-5, 2007 Lory Student Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins
  Sponsors: Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State University; Sand County Foundation; The Quivira Coalition
  Information: http://www.warnercnr.colostate.edu/plnc/
  
  • Scientists, students, NGOs, government agencies, consultants, and practitioners are invited to participate in this conference that will address the changing face of natural resources management. Organized by 1999 Fellow Rick Knight.
  
  
• Ecology and Health: People and Places in a Changing World
  November 30-December 3, 2007 Melbourne, Victoria
  Sponsors: Asia-Pacific Eco Health Conference
  Information: http://www.deakin.edu.au/events/ecohealth2007
  • This meeting seeks to build on and explore further some of the key issues surrounding the interdependent relationships of humans and their environments. Professionals from the social and biological sciences including health promotion, environmental health, sociology, urban planning, economics, conservation, environmental management and environmental policy will be able to share knowledge and ideas.
  
  
• Resilience 2008: Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation in Turbulent Times
  April 14-16, 2008 Stockholm, Sweden
  Sponsors: Resilience Alliance, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, International Council for Science, Centre for Transdisciplinary Environmental Research, Stockholm Environment Institute, Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics
  Information: http://www.resilience2008.org/
  • The aim of "Resilience, Adaptation and Transformation in Turbulent Times - Preparing for Change in Social-Ecological Systems" is to bring together scientists working with the complex dynamics of interconnected social-ecological systems and to present, discuss, and if possible, summarize the current understanding of resilience, adaptability and pathways of transformation in such systems. Representatives from government, business and other major actors will be invited to discuss the challenges facing societal development, and together with scientists propose directions to pursue and pathways to avoid.

--- A selection of publications, web sites, organizations, and other resources. The items in this section are provided for further information from a variety of sources. The Aldo Leopold Leadership Program takes no responsibility for content or accuracy and does not necessarily endorse any of the sites, products, or organizations listed.

• ESA News and Views Blog
  • http://www.esa.org/esablog/?p=13

    Last fall, the Ecological Society of America (ESA) launched one of the first professional science blogs. According to the ESA Web site, the News and Views Blog features a series of ecological discussions based on journal articles and posts by ecologists and others on current issues or events in ecology. ESA is seeking to expand the discussion beyond established ecologists and especially hopes to include students - of all levels - the more diverse the input, the healthier the debate. Recent postings have been on topics including invasive species, biofuels and climate change.

• Planet Ark
  • http://www.planetark.org/index.cfm

    Planet Ark works to show people the many ways they can reduce their day to day impact on the environment - at home, at work and in the community. The Web site includes links to Planet Ark Campaigns, Reuters Daily World Environment News, Reuters Environment News Pictures, Daily World Environment News, Planet Ark News Archive Search Engine, Planet Ark Direct, and Greeniology: The Ultimate Eco Guide Book. The issues Planet Ark is involved with range from National Tree Day, the biggest tree planting event in Australia, to a worldwide program to recycle used printer cartridges.

• World Resources Institute president Jonathan Lash's views on environmental trends in 2007
  • http://www.wri.org/newsroom/newsrelease_text.cfm?nid=376

    On December 19, 2006, Jonathan Lash, along with World Resources Institute (WRI) climate director Dr. Jonathan Pershing and energy expert Dr. David Jhirad, gave a presentation to journalists at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Among other environmental issues, they discussed what role the new Congress will play in climate change, how alternative fuels such as ethanol will play out in 2007, and what developments and innovations will be significant internationally. The briefing transcript, PowerPoint presentation, audio record of the briefing, and audio record of the question and answer session are all available online at the link above.

--- A selection of grants, fellowships, job postings and other items of interest.

• Encyclopedia of Earth seeks additional contributors
  
  • 
    The Encyclopedia of Earth (EoE), a new comprehensive source of information related to the environment that emphasizes the interactions between the Earth and society, is seeking additional contributors. The EoE is created by a community of approved experts and is intended to aid the general public in obtaining trustworthy information regarding the issues and sciences surrounding the environment. The public site was launched in September 2006 with the help of 309 authors and 132 topic editors, including 2006 Fellow Emmett Duffy. See http://www.eoearth.org/eoe/about for details about the EoE.
    
    If you would like more information about possible roles in the EoE, contact: Alejandra Roman at eoe@earthportal.net; Phone: 202-207-0015.
    
    You may also fill-out and submit a Contributor Form online at: http://www.eoearth.org/eoe/contribute
    
    Source: National Council for Science and the Environment listserv, November 16, 2006
  
  
• Whole Terrain
  Submission deadline: April 2007
  • 
    Antioch University New England's nationally-acclaimed journal of reflective environmental practice is currently accepting submissions relevant to this year's theme: Where is nature? The full Call for Submissions is available on the Web at: http://www.wholeterrain.org/issue_15/default.cfm
  
  
• STAR Grants from EPA
  Application deadline: April 19, 2007
  • 
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is accepting proposals for a program called Science to Achieve Results (STAR) within the National Center for Environmental Research. The grants are designed to study the relationship between anthropogenic stressors (within ecosystems), changes in host and/or vector biodiversity, and infectious disease transmission using an interdisciplinary approach. STAR will fund one or more investigators for up to $750,000 over three years.
    For details and application information, see: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2007/2007_biodiversity_health.html
  
  

--- Brief updates on policy issues relating to environmental science

• Call for action on climate change heats up in all sectors
  • Legislators, grassroots groups and a coalition of NGOs and businesses are calling for the federal government to take action this year to curb carbon emissions and implement policies to address global warming. In Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has set a deadline of July 4 for passage of climate and energy legislation by the House, and has established a Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Though the Select Committee does not have legislative authority, it will gather and develop information that will help the House give these issues the legislative priority they demand.
    
    In the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee recently held hearings on the issue and committee chair Senator Barbara Boxer also wants legislative action soon, but has not set a deadline. More than 75 bills have been filed in both houses of Congress on renewable energy and development of alternative energy sources, improved automobile efficiency, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and tax credits to encourage adoption of green technologies and reductions of carbon emissions. The most visible bill at the moment is co-sponsored by Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Barak Obama (D-IL) and others and calls for a cap-and-trade program intended to dramatically reduce emissions by 2050. Stayed tuned to see which legislation gains momentum. (You can search for bills by subject at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/bills/ or at http://thomas.loc.gov/).
    
    Meanwhile, a new coalition of environmental NGOs and business interests called the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (US CAP -- http://www.us-cap.org/) is calling on the federal government to act quickly to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and author Bill McKibben is among the leaders of a network of grassroots groups planning a series of events across the country on April 14 to mark "National Climate Action Day" (http://www.stepitup07.org).
    
    Sources: Samuelsohn, D. Key House Dems question Pelosi's summer deadline. Online at Environment and Energy Daily February 14, 2007; Kintisch, E. 2007. New Congress May Be Warming Up to Plans for Capping Emissions Science 315: 444; http://www.stepitup07.org; Information from legislation tracking conducted by Government Affairs staff of the Woods Institute for the Environment.

• A federal budget, at long last
  • Congress in mid-February ended a protracted and difficult appropriations process for fiscal year 2007, finally passing a full-year continuing resolution that provides level funding for most federal agencies for the rest of the fiscal year, which began last October 1. The end result for science was largely positive, considering the possible alternate scenarios. The National Science Foundation is getting a smaller increase than was originally proposed in both the President's original budget proposal and an earlier version passed by the House, while the National Oceanic and Atmospheric and Administration (NOAA) received almost level funding, avoiding dramatic cuts in its budget called for by an earlier version of a bill passed by the House. One major positive development: the year-long continuing resolution does away with "earmarks" for legislators' pet projects, in many cases allowing agencies more freedom to direct a larger percent of their budgets to core research programs. Considering the tight financial constraints throughout government, the end result of the FY 07 budget indicates bipartisan support in Congress for science funding.
    
    For more information, see the Web sites of the National Council for Science and the Environment and the AAAS R&D Budget and Policy program: http://www.ncseonline.org/Updates/cms.cfm?id=1632 and http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/.
    
    Sources: Gibbons, A. 2007. NSF Enjoys a Heartfelt Ending To a Difficult Budget Year. Science 315: 1062-1063; Listserv of the National Council for Science and the Environment, March 1, 2007. "Final Outcome of Federal Funding for Environmental R&D in FY 2007"