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Deutsch Wins Presidential Award
ST. PAUL, Minn.--Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan presented the President's Call to Service Award to U.S. Forest Service employee Doreen Deutsch at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 64th Annual Honor Awards Ceremony in Washington, DC on Wednesday, September 12. A full-time office automation assistant in the St. Paul Field Office of the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry, Doreen volunteers at the Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings, MN. The Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award was presented to the employee who served for 500 hours or more with a qualifying organization over the 12-month period ending June 30, 2011. (USDA photo by Lance Cheung)
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Wyland Window on Water in the Northeast
DURHAM, N.H.--Through a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Forest Service and the Wyland Foundation, water education programs are being conducted during September. The Foundation's 1,000-square-foot mobile Clean Water Challenge is taking a 10-stop East Coast tour designed to inspire water conservation and natural resource appreciation. The tour is an extension of FOCUS (Forests, Oceans, Climate - and US)--a joint venture of the Wyland Foundation, Forest Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
After studying the pond on the Prescott Farm day camp in Laconia, N.H., campers and staff painted a mural showing pond features. This mural will be displayed in the Farm-A-Rama building at the Big E to help promote a painting that marine life artist Wyland will do with children on September 29. The Big E is the annual fair for the New England States held in West Springfield, MA.
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Fewer Trees Dying in Nation's Forests
WASHINGTON--The number of dead trees on 750 million acres of public and private forests across America is on the decline for the second straight year, with most of the reductions seen in western states where bark beetles have infested millions of trees, according to a September 10 news release by the U.S. Forest Service.
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Visit the National Forests for Fall Color
WASHINGTON--Fall colors are about to burst all over the country. "Autumn is a wonderful time of the year to plan a trip to see the beauty of your national forests," said Tom Tidwell, Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. "As tree experts, we have incredible resources on our Web site to help you plan a great adventure this fall season." More information.
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Behind the Forest Service Shield: Winnie Owens
 Winnie Owens "wears many hats" in her work for the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry (NA S&PF).
Her position title says administrative program specialist, though she spends much of her time working on civil rights matters. Her title in this latter role is civil rights manager.
She said she gets a great deal of satisfaction from her work. "I like how you're helping people and making them aware of their rights and special programs. I'm also providing a venue for people if they have concerns," she said. Read More
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Urban Forest Strike Team-Task Specialist Training
ST. PAUL, Minn.--The U.S. Forest Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Massachusetts Tree Wardens and Foresters Association is sponsoring an Urban Forest Strike Team workshop on November 7-8, 2012, in Detroit, MI. Urban forest strike teams provide professional recovery services to communities after ice storms, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. The program was initially developed by the U.S. Forest Service and State forestry agencies in the Southern United States, and is now being implemented in the Northeast and Midwest. Training for task specialists involves five online courses in addition to a 2-day workshop. Applications for this workshop are due on October 1, 2012. More information.
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Free Electronic Field Trips--Wetlands
During the 2012-13 school year, WetlandsLIVE: A Distance Learning Adventure will provide a year-long emphasis on wetlands featuring a series of free live Webcasts. Wetlands provide a vital link between water and land and important benefits to people and the environment. Wetlands help regulate water levels within watersheds, improve water quality, reduce flood and storm damage, provide important fish and wildlife habitat, support fishing and other recreational activities, and provide inspiration. Wetlands are natural wonderlands of great value. WetlandsLIVE gives teachers and students a fun, informative, and interactive way to learn about wetlands.
Save these dates for free electronic field trips for students in grades 4 - 8:
October 10, 2012; Wading into Wetlands. What exactly is a wetland? How does it function to benefit wildlife and people? We'll visit some special wetlands on the east and west coasts to learn about wetland ecology, watersheds, their importance to migrating fish and birds, and much more.
March 8, 2013; Wetland Connections. Birds, fish, and other migratory species don't recognize state or international borders and need wetlands and habitats located in many states and countries in order to survive. Learn how wetlands are connected.
May 9, 2013; Discover Wetlands. May is American Wetlands Month. See what students are doing to learn about, help, and engage in their local wetlands. Visit the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, which contains the largest contiguous wetlands on the Pacific Coast of North America.
Questions? Contact Kristy Liercke at lierckkx@pwcs.edu or by calling (800) 609-2680. WetlandsLIVE is brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, Prince William Network, and many other sponsors and partners.
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Short Course on Carbon Available to Land Managers
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.--"Forest and Grassland Carbon in North America: A Short Course for Land Managers" is now available on DVD as a Northern Research Station general technical report, and online through the U.S. Forest Service's Climate Change Resource Center.
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September--Time to Prepare and Take Care
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.--September is National Preparedness Month and National Cholesterol Education Month. Make sure you are ready for an emergency. Do you have an emergency kit for your home, office, and car? Do you have a plan for what you and your family will do and where you will go? For guidance on how you can prepare, visit www.Ready.gov.
September is also the time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater your risk for heart disease and having a heart attack. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources. (Source: Community Health News You Can Use, Sept. 2012, Vol. 9, Issue 9, Crozer-Keystone Health System)
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Sustainable Operations Tip--Take the Net Zero Waste Challenge
By Sherri Wormstead
 DURHAM, N.H.--Ashton Hargrave of the U.S. Forest Service's Sustainable Operations Western Collective Net Zero Team recently challenged the joint Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry - Northern Research Station Sustainable Operations Team to work towards net zero waste. According to the Zero Waste International Alliance, zero waste emulates sustainable natural cycles where all discarded materials are designed to become resources for others to use; products and processes are designed and managed to avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials; and all resources are conserved and recovered, not burned or buried.
Commercial companies are also on the quest for net zero waste. Since it is difficult to achieve 100% zero waste, however, businesses and communities that achieve over 90% diversion of waste from landfills and incinerators are considered to be successful.
The company that manages the headquarters offices in Newtown Square, PA, has the waste and recyclables collected by a landfill-free service that uses advanced recycling techniques and an energy-from-waste (EfW) resource recovery facility.
Other NA S&PF and NRS locations are also on the way to minimizing waste disposed in landfills due to local Green Team efforts to recycle more types of materials, and by starting composting at several offices.
We all can do more to towards achieving this goal of zero waste, for example:
- When purchasing, think about the full life of products and go for those with less packaging that are recyclable and are made out of recycled material.
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Every time you reach to throw something away, quickly ponder two questions: (1) Can I or someone else reuse this item? (2) Can this item be recycled or composted instead?
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Encourage coworkers to recycle and compost as much as possible. If you are aware of programs that your office could take advantage of to increase recycling, let your Green Team and local leadership know about it.
- If your office does not have a composting program, consider setting one up.
Make it a habit!
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