New Plant Hardiness Zone Map
 The 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones.
For the first time, the map is available as an interactive GIS-based map, for which a broadband Internet connection is recommended, and as static images for those with slower Internet access. Users may also simply type in a ZIP Code and find the hardiness zone for that area.
No posters of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map have been printed. But state, regional, and national images of the map can be downloaded and printed in a variety of sizes and resolutions from the Web site.
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WERC Project Highlighted on District of Columbia Tour
The National Capital Urban Timber Recovery Project diverts urban trees from landfills for use as lumber and in woodworking. It is a grant project of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments with NA S&PF's Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC). This and many of the other projects highlighted during a tour of the District's urban forest were supported in part by the U.S. Forest Service's State and Private Forestry grants, in partnership with the DC government or nongovernmental organizations. DC State Forester Monica Lear recently hosted U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell and Forest Service staff in a tour of the District for the National Association of State Foresters.
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FIA Symposium Planned for October in Baltimore, MD
 October 2012 will mark the 20th anniversary of the Report of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). This report expanded the focus of the national forest inventory in the United States to include monitoring of the forest resource trends on a more frequent time interval. In recognition of this milestone, the theme of the 2012 FIA Science Symposium is "Moving from Status to Trends." For more information about the symposium and the call for papers, visit the symposium Web site.
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International Year of the Bat
Bats are vital to healthy ecosystems and human economies worldwide. As primary predators of night-flying insects, bats consume enormous quantities of agricultural pests and reduce the need for chemical pesticides. Yet these wonderfully diverse and beneficial creatures are among the least studied and most misunderstood of animals.
BatsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure is offering an exciting, free education program to bring bat conservation to life in your classroom and community. Check out all of the resources at the BatsLIVE Web site and share this information with your colleagues. Read more.
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