Environment

YMCA Hosts Wilderness Teen Leadership Program

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Participants in the YMCA’s outdoor leadership program. Courtesy photo
 

Courtesy photo

YMCA News:

All northern New Mexico youth are welcome to join an outdoor leadership program that features overnight backpacking trips.

The Family YMCA’s Boys/Girls Outdoor Leadership Development (BOLD/GOLD), a wilderness-based teen leadership program is hosting several 4-night, 5-day backpacking trips in Bandelier’s backcountry. Registration forms are available at the Espanola and Los Alamos YMCA teen centers, but must be turned in to the Los Alamos Read More

July Night Sky Show At Nature Center Planetarium

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The Milky Way. Photo by Elena Giorgi

PEEC News:

Visit moons, planets, stars and other celestial objects and learn more about what is visible in the night sky this month during a night sky show, 7-7:45 p.m. Friday, July 1 in the planetarium at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

This program is ideal for stargazers who want to learn more. View star clusters, nebulae, double stars and other objects with binoculars this month.

Because there are just 50 seats in the planetarium, visitors are asked to purchase tickets at the Los Alamos Nature Center or call to reserve a seat. These programs typically Read More

Bee Deaths Threaten Summer Picnics And Barbecues

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No bees, no food conference. Courtesy photo
 
ENM News:
 
ALBUQUERQUE ― Chile, watermelon and juicy tomatoes are among the summer staples at risk if bee colonies continue to collapse at unprecedented rates, beekeeper Tyler Schutte and Environment New Mexico said at a conference Thursday..

Bees pollinate most of the world’s most common crops, including seasonal favorites such as peaches, asparagus, and cherries. But the U.S. is losing about a third of its bee colonies each year, alarming beekeepers, farmers and chefs along with environmental advocates. Environment

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Lightning Starts Small Fire At Valles Caldera Preserve

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The Valles Caldera National Preserve. Courtesy photo

VCNP News:

JEMEZ SPRINGS – A new wildland fire is burning in the Valles Caldera National Preserve. The Big Hat fire, discovered after last week’s thunderstorms, is estimated to be approximately two acres in size.

It is located on Banco Bonito, east of the staging area in the southwestern portion of the preserve. The fire, caused by lightning, is creeping through pine needles and surface fuels, occasionally flaring up in jackpots of dead and downed wood; the entire fire area is in a portion of the preserve’s forest that had been thinned over Read More

Consent Order Governing Legacy Cleanup At Los Alamos Finalized

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NMED News:
 
SANTA FE ― The New Mexico Environment Department signed and finalized the Consent Order between the State of New Mexico Environment Department and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management office, which will guide and govern the cleanup of legacy waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
 
“The new Consent Order will accelerate the pace of environmental restoration activities in and around Los Alamos,” New Mexico Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn said. “While the previous version of the Consent Order allowed valuable investigative
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Gardeners Take Over Nature Center Tuesday

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Visit the Los Alamos Nature Center Tuesday to learn valuable tips on gardening. Photo by Siobhan Niklasson

PEEC NEWS:

Green-thumbed gardeners will be taking over the Los Alamos Nature Center at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The Master Gardeners, Los Alamos Garden Club and Summit Garden Club will all gather at the nature center to share valuable information and answer questions related to gardening. This event is free and open to the public.

This fun evening will take place at the Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Road. It is free to attend, and no registration is required. For more information about this Read More

CCNS Challenges EPA To Terminate LANL Outfall From Clean Water Act Permit

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CCNS News:
 
Outfall No. 051 at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a discharge pipe connected to the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility (RLWTF). 
 
After November 2010, the RLWTF became a zero-liquid-discharge system. Since then LANL has been using a Mechanical Evaporator System (MES) to evaporate treated water into the air, and nothing has been discharged through the Outfall. Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) still includes Outfall 051 in the Clean Water Act permit that it issues to LANL. 
 
This has a serious
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A Starry Night At PEEC Honors Sen. Martin Heinrich

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‘A Starry Night in Seville’ includes an auction with items ranging from sculptures and paintings to a weekend in a cabin and a hike to see petroglyphs. This road runner sculpture is on its way to the auction. Courtesy photo
 

PEEC News:

Everyone who’s in town July 2 is in for a treat. Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is partnering with Pig + Fig and Pajarito Brewpub to create a special dinner 5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday July 2 at the Los Alamos Nature Center.

Sen. Martin Heinrich will be honored as PEEC celebrates nature at this Spanish-inspired evening, A Starry Night Read More

Alert: Snakes Are Out, Active And Biting Dogs

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A horned rattlesnake. Courtesy/wikipedia

News Alert:

Christine DuBois asked the Los Alamos Daily Post to alert the community about recent incidents of snakes biting dogs on local trails.

Her dog was bitten by a rattlesnake just northwest of Mitchell Trail Head at around 5:15 p.m. Friday. The snake did not warn before it struck her dog in the back leg. She rushed him to Smith Veterinary Hospital in Santa Fe where he received two vials of anti venom. While still unsure as to his prognosis, the vet was hopeful.

In another recent incident, a local search and rescue dog was bitten by a rattle snake June Read More

Los Alamos Nature Center: How To Find The Right Volunteer Opportunity

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Christa Tyson is the volunteer coordinator at PEEC. Courtesy photo
 

Natali Steinburg has volunteered at PEEC since 2005. Courtesy photo
 

By CHRISTA TYSON 
PEEC Volunteer Coordinator
 
In the midst of political season, I like to remind people of an anonymous quote that has stuck with me over the years; “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”
 
There are numerous volunteer opportunities available
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