Happy Arbor Day – In Massachusetts, USA

Environment oriented celebrations naturally would occur in the Spring, wouldn’t they.  After all, that’s when it hits you right in the face.  Last week it was Earth Day, yesterday, in Massachusetts at least, it was Arbor Day.  Sensibly, Arbor Day is set on a state by state basis, and arrives earlier in the south than up here in (what used to be at least) the cold north.  No matter, some good things happen in New England that I’m told don’t necessarily happen in some other parts of the country.  We get a “reverse foliage” effect.  The new leaves on many of the deciduous trees start with a distinct yellow “pop.”   Others, with a more subdued red.  It last for two weeks or so, and then everything turns straight green.  Enjoy it while it lasts…  This is one of my favorite trees, the Lancer Oak, on the grounds of Worcester State University.  It is thought to be one of the oldest trees in the City of Worcester.  Click on the image for a better view.

The Extreme Ice Survey

(Mobile readers, as I feared, wordpress is not embedding the video in a fashion that will make it visible for you.  On my iPhone, it doesn’t appear.  My apologies.  Can’t be helped I’m afraid.  If you’re interested, track down the old lap top and have a look.)

As we contemplate today Western Pennsylvania getting hit by a blizzard (no kidding, check the weather channel, it’s true), it occurred to me that it might be useful to say a bit more about Earth Day.  Climate photography has many inherent challenges, not the least of which is the fact that climate change unfolds over time. We do of course have an app for that, time lapse photography.  One of my favorite environmental photographers, James Balog, established on-going time lapse monitoring of a number of the most threatened glaciers in the world, creating what he subsequently described as The Extreme Ice Survey.  He and his colleagues set up cameras at  strategic locations around the glaciers and equipped them for extended time lapse work.  This meant protecting and powering a large number of Nikons, mostly D200′s I believe.  If you click on the link above, you will see before your very eyes, the impact of global warming.  Massive glaciers are melting at an alarming pace.  Alarming?  Yes, remember he’s only been collecting imagery for five years. Have a look. Meanwhile, I’ve embedded a promo here that will give you an idea. James is also a film maker and his an exciting film on the Extreme Ice Survey out this year.

Photographers take note.  How can we be more creative and useful in documenting what is important about the natural world and how it is changing?

How Warm Is It?

Being laid up with a cold is bad for one’s photography, but does provide opportunities to think.  It’s very warm.  Almost frighteningly so, for the most part.  But how unusual is this?  Naturally I was drawn to my catalogue of images from this time last year and the results were fairly surprising.  These are from late March, and early April, 2011.  The first is from Hadwen Arboretum, March 28.  It had snowed a few weeks earlier, but the snow was gone and the ground was largely bare.

From Grafton, Massachusetts, on April 2.  Getting some fog as the humidity rises in the air and the warmer temperature nears the dew point.  The evaporation of what’s left of the snow is helping in the formation of the fog I would guess.

So it was starting to get warm last year maybe two or three weeks later than this year, but still, in spite of all the snow we had in the winter of 2010-11, the warm up was relatively speedy.  If you really want to know how things stand, here is a chart of the global temperature published by (and courtesy of ) NASA.  This is a measure of the overall temperature from around the globe, so local fluctuations, which are considerable, are largely smoothed out.  This is a measure of climate, rather than weather.  You can find the link to NASA’s press release here.

Notice anything?

Where’s Winter?

We were out at the Quabbin Reservoir this morning and there may have been a few images worthy of posting as a result, we’ll see.  It’s been a very tough winter for capturing anything at all compelling.  A creative drought just like the dry air.  Where is winter anyway?  I shouldn’t complain since I have to drive an hour to work and in the snow that is not fun!  (Now watch, in just a week or two, we will be inundated and it will be my fault.)  You can’t judge climate by local weather so is this a harbinger of things to come?  Unclear.  I did note that the Department of Agriculture recently released new plant/crop growing “hardiness” guidelines that reflect our warming earth.  The USDA divides the country into zones based in part on average temperatures.  They have moved every zone basically “up” one zone, confirming the observation that plants from lower latitudes are finding life more hospitable up this way.  So where did winter go?

We did have a brief taste this past week, during which we observed the all important principal with regarding to winter photography.  Get out there while it’s still snowing. We walked to Worcester State University, to visit one of our favorite trees, The Lancer Oak.  I’ve mentioned The Lancer Oak on many occasions here.  At over 125 years of age, it’s reputed to be the oldest Oak tree in the City.  It watches out over the campus on a day like this like a gigantic, patient, Overlord.

Stretching it’s arms.

And reaching for the sky.  A Lion in Winter (apologies to James Goldman).

So, where’s winter?

Happy New Year

May your water always flow…..

This coming year the environment will face, potentially, it’s gravest series of threats, ever….the Presidential and Congressional Elections in the United States.  Hopefully, the water will still be flowing next year at this time.  Those of us who care about the environment need to NOT sit this one out.