This event is a fun distraction from the winter doldrums, and also an important fundraiser for WRWA.  The show begins on Saturday, February 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continues on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.  Additional viewing hours will be from Wednesday, March 3 through Friday, March 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. The silent auction will continue on Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the reception from 5 to 7.  Bids can be placed on the art works any time during this week-long period, with the auction ending after the reception. Music will be provided by jazz guitarist John Stein.  Wine and beer provided by Westport Rivers and Buzzards Bay. 

Volunteers are needed for two-hour time slots during the week of the show, greeting guests and managing the show at the gallery. For info, or to volunteer, email Steve at outreach@wrwa.com.

Enjoy some beer from Buzzards Bay Brewing, and take an art lesson from local artists Pam Clarkson and Barbara Healy at the Shattuck Gallery on February 27, at 5 - 7 p.m.  
$35 fee - or become a WRWA member at $50 and participate for free.

We hope to see you in February!

Contact WRWA at 508-636-3016 or

outreach@wrwa.com for more information.

 

  

The nitrogen cycle is the most complex biogeochemical cycle because nitrogen can exist in several different forms. For nitrogen to be used by different life forms on Earth, it must change into different states.  

Most of the nitrogen on Earth is in the atmosphere. Approximately 80% of the molecules in Earth's atmosphere are made of two nitrogen atoms bonded together (N2). All plants and animals need nitrogen to make amino acids, proteins and DNA, but the nitrogen in the atmosphere is not in a form that they can use. The molecules of nitrogen in the atmosphere can become usable for living things when they are broken apart during lightning strikes or fires, by certain types of bacteria. Because amino acids build proteins, nitrogen is pretty important. Nitrogen also is present in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA. Life could not go on without nitrogen.

Shannon Choquette, Commonwealth Corps Service Member

It is the time of the year when the days are short, the leaves have fallen from the trees and, aside from evergreens and American Holly, there is not much green plant life outside. But if you look towards the ground, you may find what appear to be small pine trees, still lively and green in clusters on the forest floor. This small plant, lovingly referred to as Princess Pine (Lycopodium obscurum), is not a pine at all. Actually, it is more similar to ferns than to pines since it produces spores rather than cones or seeds. Spores, like seeds, are produced to create the next generation of plants. However, spores are extremely small and only contain one cell to start the new plant's life; all seeds are very large by comparison and have multiple cells that contain nutrients and energy stored to help the new plant establish. When you stumble upon a cluster, many of the shoots may be connected by an underground stem called a rhizome. Princess pine shoots grow to a maximum of 6 inches, and can take between 3 to 5 years to fully mature and produce spores. It grows in young forests all over Eastern United States.

A mature Princess Pine with spore-producing strobilus.  Photo: amc-nh.org

During the holiday season, princess pine has traditionally been collected to make Christmas wreaths, since the plant will remain green once harvested and dried correctly. Some states, such as Indiana and New York, have protected the plant from overharvesting through state laws. Generally, if you chose to harvest princess pine, there are a few guidelines that will ensure the survival of the rhizome so that new shoots may grow. You should only harvest shoots that have already produced spores (the top of the shoot is brown and dry) and should always use shears to ensure that you do not harm the rhizome or harvest young, immature shoots.

Princess pine is not only known for its use during the holidays. The spores of the princess pine are extremely small in size (33 micrometers) and have a very high fat content, which causes them to be flammable when mixed with air. For this reason, their spores have a very explosive history! As early as 1807, Lycopodium powder created from spores was used as a combustion agent in the fuel for the first internal combustion engine, created by inventor Nicophore Niepce (who also invented photography). It is no longer used in fuel, but is often used in laboratory settings that study sound waves, since they have the special quality of making sound waves visible in air because they are so small and light. Today, the most common use of the spores is in fireworks and explosives for theatrical special effects, as it produces a large but short-lived flame.

Princess Pine Fast Facts:

Princess Pine is very small and can grow to a max. of 6 inches, yet can live 5 years.