ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES NEWSLETTER
February 13, 2006

In this issue:
** Upcoming ES Events: Come hear from the Janplan Mellon recipients, Commissioner McGowan kicks off colloquia series
** Campus Sustainability:  Colby is in Third Place for the Composting division of RecycleMania, student energy survey underway
** Beyond Colby:  NRCM lists 2006 Environmental Priorities for Maine legislature
** Grad School: PhD position available at Virginia Tech
** Jobs and Internships: Herp work in Michigan, Environmental Education in coastal Maine!, SCA is looking for summer field staff, & more

** Upcoming ES Events:
Wednesday, February 15
12:00 in the Fairchild Room in Dana, join us at 11:30 for lunch with the speakers
“Jan Plan Adventures: Mellon grant recipients share their experiences”
Dr. Cathy Bevier (Department of Biology) and Colby Souders’07 traveled to São Paulo Brazil to study the behavior, ecology, and physiology of treefrogs in the genus Scinax. They are hoping to learn about the patterns and evolution of variation in reproductive behavior will enhance our ability to realize what habitat requirements are necessary to preserve these species.
Jackie Rolleri interned with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) in Portland, ME.  Along with GMRI scientists, Jackie studied dietary samples from fish, crabs, and lobsters to determine what they are consuming.  The data collected will be compared to benthic core samples taken from mudflats and seagrass beds, to try and find any correlations between the organisms in those habitats and what the fish, crabs, and lobsters are eating. 

also Wednesday, February 15
7:00 in Olin 1
“Conservation in the New Millennium: the Economic Link”
Commissioner Patrick McGowan, Maine Department of Conservation
Event sponsored by the ES Program, Goldfarb Center, and the Green House

Patrick K. McGowan, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation, will speak to Conservation in the New Millennium: The Economic Link. Commissioner McGowan will address the history of land conservation in Maine; the economic impact of the tourism, recreation and forest products industries; the importance of green certification in future forestry efforts; and, future of land conservation in Maine.
Patrick K. McGowan was appointed Commissioner of the Maine Department of Conservation by Governor John Baldacci in February 2003.  The Department of Conservation is a natural resource agency whose bureaus oversee the management and protection of some of Maine's most special places: Seventeen million acres of forestland, 10.4 million acres of unorganized territory, 47 parks and historic sites and over 500,000 acres of public reserved land.  As Commissioner, McGowan has been focused on Governor Baldacci’s pledges to bring renewed cooperation to the management of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway – the River Drivers Agreement; promote positive forest management – ban liquidation harvesting and implement the Maine Forest Certification initiative; and encourage land conservation and economic development – the Maine Woods Legacy Vision.

** Campus Sustainability
RecycleMania Continues
Thank you to everyone who has shared their enthusiasm for Colby's participation in the national RecycleMania. 93 schools are competing in the event. We just completed the first week and Colby is in third place for food waste, thanks to our fantastic composting system. We are in the middle of the pack for overall recycling (and beating Bowdoin!).

Student Energy Use Survey
A student energy use survey now up on the web. This survey is sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program and the Energy Subcommittee of the Environmental Advisory Group. Its primary intent is to determine patterns of electricity use in dorm rooms at Colby College, but we are also interested in the usage patterns of students living off-campus. The results of the survey will be used to help develop strategies for working toward future energy efficiency in dorm rooms. Please take the time necessary to complete this survey, so that we will be better able to represent student opinion in decisions related to dorm energy conservation. Thank you in advance for your participation.
This survey is restricted to eligible students only. Your Active Directory login and password enables the system to identify you as an eligible student, and to prevent a student from taking the survey twice. In addition, the following information from the institutional database is used in the survey based on your login: class year, gender, dorm and major. Your survey submission will be confidential and no attempt will be made to match an individual student with a specific survey response.
We ask all students to take a moment to check out the survey via the Colby Green webpage: http://www.colby.edu/green/

** Beyond Colby

NRCM has listed their 2006 Priorities in the Maine Legislature

(a summary from their website http://www.maineenvironment.org
Boost Energy Efficiency
With high energy costs and risks of rolling black-outs this winter, now is the time to increase Maine’s energy efficiency programs. NRCM has put its full support behind a comprehensive energy efficiency bill (“An Act to Encourage Energy Independence in Maine”) introduced by Senator Phil Bartlett (D-Gorham). Passage of this bill would save tens of millions of dollars for consumers, reduce environmental harm from energy use, promote public health through reduced air pollution, and help curb Maine’s dependence on foreign fuels. At the heart of the bill is a proposal to double funding for Efficiency Maine. Housed at the Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Efficiency Maine manages statewide programs to increase energy efficiency for low income customers, businesses, homeowners, schools, and state agencies.
Reduce Mercury Pollution
Maine has been a leader in reducing mercury pollution, but there are sources that still need attention. The Legislature this year will consider a bill being developed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to reduce the allowable level of mercury emissions from smokestacks. At press time, we had not yet seen the legislation, but we will work to make sure it results in real reductions.
We also will seek passage of a bill aimed at reducing the amount of mercury pollution from used thermostats. According to the DEP, an estimated 5,600 pounds of mercury lurks in mercury-containing thermostats in buildings across the state. An estimated 180 pounds of this is discarded, landfilled, or incinerated in Maine each year.
More Money for Land Conservation
Last November, Maine people overwhelmingly supported the $10 million Land for Maine’s Future (LMF) bond. Although a good step forward, this level of funding is nowhere near enough to support the many high-priority conservation projects that will ensure future generations will experience the Maine we all know and love. Land prices are continually rising. Development pressures are becoming more intense. Special places that have been enjoyed by Mainers for generations are suddenly being marked off with “No Trespassing” signs.
Protect Significant Wildlife Habitat
Wildlife habitat is being lost every day in Maine – particularly Southern and coastal Maine – as new housing developments, roads, and “urban sprawl” march across the landscape. Maine law is designed to protect “significant wildlife habitat,” yet several important areas of habitat protection have been left out by existing state agency definitions. The Legislature last year directed Maine’s departments of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Environmental Protection to develop new rules defining significant habitats. These rules will provide important new protection for significant vernal pools, and habitat for wading birds and waterfowl, as well as nesting and feeding areas for shorebirds. The rules will return to the Legislature for final adoption. We will be joining with many other organizations in urging legislators to make these new habitat protection rules permanent.

** Grad School:
PhD Position Available Program in Urban Affairs and Planning, School of Public and International Affairs, Virginia Tech
Improving Collaborative Decision-making Through Learning Networks

Faculty in the Program in Urban Affairs and Planning and in the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech are seeking qualified doctoral applicants for the PhD in Environmental Design and Planning program who are interested in pursuing research on learning networks, an innovative collaborative approach to restoring ecological health at the landscape scale.
Specifically, we are partnering with The Nature Conservancy to examine social learning, organizational design, and diffusion of innovation within TNC's national Fire Learning Network (http://tncfire.org/training_usfln.htm). We currently have multi-year
funding to support a new candidate to join a faculty - graduate student team pursuing this research. In addition to receiving financial support, successful candidates will co-author journal articles with project PI's, receive training in grant-writing, have the opportunity to teach at the undergraduate level and attend at least one academic conference each year.
Criteria for Selection:  Background in interpretive social science research, including interviewing and discourse analysis, as well as
environment and natural resources are strongly desired.  Candidates with master's degrees in planning, environmental studies, public policy, public administration, sociology, as well as the human dimensions of natural resources or related fields are strongly encouraged to apply. Successful applicants must have strong academic credentials and be accepted into the doctoral program. Research will begin as early as summer 2006.

You may contact Bruce Goldstein via email (brugomail@yahoo.com) to discuss the position.
Information on the Urban Affairs and Planning Program can be found at:
http://www.uap.vt.edu/

** Jobs and Internships
Environmental Educator - Tanglewood
Tanglewood 4-H Camp and Learning Center's mission is to teach Maine youth and adults to be effective and caring citizens of the Earth through affordable environmental education and nature-based experiences.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Teach environmental education using creative skills, activities, games, experiments, drama, songs and stories to grades K- 12 in 1-5 day programs (day and overnight).  Programs include: Forest Ecology Adventure, Freshwater Exploration, Watershed Connections, Youth Forestry Camp, Intertidal Discovery, Building Our Human Community and Village: Creating Communities (lessons range from experiential to scientific with emphasis on appreciation of the natural world); or Winter Discover programs.
Work independently and with staff to develop and maintain teaching resources. 
Participate in staff training and daily staff meetings to plan and evaluate programs.
Contribute ideas for continual development of programs and to strengthen our teaching team.
Take part in routine tasks of cooking, gardening, cleaning and upkeep of program spaces to support the staff community.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum 1 year environmental education experience with youth
Knowledge of ecological concepts and natural history (degree in related field preferred)
Flexible, creative, enthusiastic team player
Current Standard First Aid and CPR
Ability to lead groups over various terrain
Compensation: $250.00 to $280.00 per week, plus room (optional) and partial board
Dates:  April 24th - June 9th  and/or September 4th - October 20th, 2006
Positions may also be available with our summer camp

TO APPLY: Please send cover letter, resume and names & contact information of 3 references to:
Heather Francis, School Program Coordinator
Tanglewood 4-H Camp; One Tanglewood Road; Lincolnville, ME 04849   FAX:  (207) 789-5220
Phone:  (207) 789-5805    Email:  hfrancis@umext.maine.edu
For more information visit: http://www.tanglewood4h.org


Herpetological Resource and Management
Herpetological Resource and Management seeks one to two enthusiastic undergraduate/graduate student(s) to help carry out seasonal field work conducting Amphibian and Reptile Inventorying and Monitoring in Southeast Michigan.  The applicant(s) is expected to perform or assist with the following activities: field surveys using a variety of techniques to inventory and conduct research on amphibians and reptiles on public lands; collection of environmental data at study sites; GIS/GPS habitat and species mapping; data entry into established databases; maintenance of field equipment; data compilation and creation of tables and figures for reports and publications.

The applicant must have at least 2 years of academic experience leading to a degree in biology, zoology, wildlife ecology, natural
resource conservation, or a related field, or have graduated with such a degree.  Some experience conducting field work on Midwest herpetofauna is desirable.  The applicant must have: an ability and/or willingness to learn to identify many amphibians and reptiles on sight or with the aid of field guides; an ability and/or willingness to learn how to identify frogs from their calls; knowledge of computer operation and familiarity with basic Microsoft word processing and data manipulation programs; an ability to accurately record detailed data in the field.  The applicant must be a licensed driver.  Much of the work will be outdoors, often under extremes in temperature and humidity, and during inclement weather.
Location: Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne, and Monroe counties, Michigan
Start Date: April, 2006 (flexible)
End Date: September, 2006 (flexible)
To Apply: Send a completed Resume via email (including 3 references)
to:
David A. Mifsud, M.S., PWS
Herpetologist/Wetland Ecologist
Herpetological Resource and Management
DMifsud@HerpRMan.com
HerpRMan.com
(313) 268-6189

Position: Day Camp Director

Organization: The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)
Contact: Anthea Lavallee
Email: alavallee@vinsweb.org

Description: The Day Camp Director will be responsible for the following:
1) Administering 8 weeks of summer day camps for children entering grades K through 6 (plus 2 weeks of planning in preparation for the camp season)
2) Working closely with VINS’ Director of Public Programs in the development of camp curriculum
3) Serving as a liaison between VINS and the parents of participating campers
4) Supervising high-school-aged camp counselors
5) Coordinating and conducting a camp training program for counselors
6) Working within the limits of the camps’ budgets and maintaining meticulous financial records
7) Assisting with general maintenance and clerical work
Qualifications:
1) Experience as an informal or formal science educator
2) Experience developing curriculum
3) General knowledge of New England natural history
4) Excellent organizational and communication skills
5) Dynamic approach to environmental education
6) Ability to work well on own initiative and as part of a team
7) Previous experience with children’s camps preferred
Location: Quechee, VT
Duration: June 12 through August 18, 2006
Start Date: June 12
Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., 40 hours per week
Compensation: $8-$10 per hour, depending on level of experience
Application Procedure: Send a cover letter and résumé including 3 references to:
Anthea Lavallee, Director of Public Programs
Vermont Institute of Natural Science
P.O. Box 1281
Quechee, VT 05059
Tel: (802) 359-5001 ext. 213
E-mail: alavallee@vinsweb.org

PERC Enviropreneur Camp
  The Property and Environment Research Center ("PERC") is accepting applications for a two-week Enviropreneur Camp that will be held June 14-28, 2006, in Bozeman, Montana. The program is designed for early-career environmental practitioners who are interested in learning how markets and property rights can work to solve environmental problems.
  "Future progress toward improving our environment cannot solely rely upon
environmental regulations to get the job done. Environmental leaders will
need to learn how to take advantage of market forces to provide incentis to
increase efficiencies, eliminate waste and reduce pollution," said Eric
Raffini of the EPA, a past fellow in one of PERC's enviropreneur programs.

Participants in the Enviropreneur Camp will receive a $3,000 stipend, out of which they pay their own travel expense to and from Bozeman. Lodging and meals while in Bozeman are covered. The application deadline for the Camp is February 20, 2006. More details, a preliminary schedule and on-line application are on the PERC Web site (http://www.perc.org/, click on Enviropreneur Camp) or directly at http://www.enviropreneurs.com/.
If you know someone who would be a good fit for the Enviropreneur Camp, feel free tonsp;forward this announcement to him or her, or send contact information to Carol Ferrie at carol@perc.org.

Position: Project Leaders, Seasonal Field Staff (10 positions)
Organization: The Student Conservation Association
Contact: AB Wiegand
Email: awiegand@thesca.org
Description: Join SCA as a member of our seasonal field staff!
Starting in March and July of 2006 The Student Conservation Association will be hiring project leaders to supervise our teams of Conservation Corps interns.
SCA Conservation Corps Projects address urgent environmental challenges across the U.S. Working in collaboration with public and/or nonprofit partners, these teams work on a diverse range of projects, including:

• Widland Fire Monitoring and Public Education
• Pacific Crest Trail Construction and Maintenance
• Invasive Species Management
• Native Plant Restoration and Inventory

We are looking for people experienced in outdoor leadership and willing to take on a challenge.
Positions run from 6 to 12 months and start at $25,000/year.

For more information visit the Project Leader section of the SCA Website at:
www.thesca.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=184&Itemid=814
Contact: fieldjobs@thesca.org
Qualifications: Varies with each position.
Location: Multiple Locations, USA
Duration: 6-12 months
Start Date: March and July
Compensation: $25,000/yr
Application Procedure: Send resume and cover letter to: fieldjobs@thesca.org, and let us know what website alerted you to these opportunities with the SCA. Thanks.

Beth's Schedule:
I am in Lunder 221 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.