Story on BBC News featuring Bryson Voirin, TREE’s student research associate:

Researchers in Panama have found the first evidence of a sloth that has been killed by an owl.

They found the body of a radio-collared three-toed sloth with lethal wounds that suggest it was hunted by a spectacled owl, which ate its organs.

Three-toed sloths are much larger than spectacled owls, a bird of prey standing around 45cm tall.

That adds to the impression that sloths are helpless on the ground, and camouflage is their main defence.

Details of the extraordinary kill are published in the journal Edentata.

Full story.

Photo essay.

Reposted from NCF.edu:

(February 4, 2010) Forest Hayes and Michael Dexter, both third year students at New College of Florida, won praise from the Friends of Myakka River Board members for creating the “Common Birds of Myakka River State Park” brochure. The brochure was originally created for New College Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Meg Lowman’s tutorial course in Ornithology.

Hayes and Dexter receive recognition.Hayes and Dexter spent a number of days in Myakka River State Park visiting various birding locations. After careful study, they selected 25 birds commonly found in the Park. All 25 birds featured in the brochure were photographed by Hayes and his father John. The text was provided by both Dexter and Hayes. The TREE Foundation was responsible for the printing and student internship award that made the brochure possible.

“We commend Messers Hayes and Dexter for their creativity, their excellent choice of birds regularly seen in the Park and for the professional look of their brochure,” said Owen Comora, president, Friends of Myakka River. ”On any given day visitors to Myakka may expect to observe all or most of the birds featured in their beautiful brochure. I’m sure their achievement has made Dr. Lowman, New College and the TREE Foundation proud,” Comora said.

Hayes is majoring in Biology and Environmental Science at New College and plans to seek a career related to research or academics. Dexter has a double major in Environmental Studies and Political Science. He hopes to pursue a career related to the environment, possibly with a public sector agency.

The brochures will be made available to new and returning members of Friends of Myakka River and to contributors to various Friends projects. Friends of Myakka River is a non-profit group established to protect, preserve and support Myakka River State Park and the “Florida Wild & Scenic” Myakka River. The Friends raise funds and provide volunteer services to improve visitors enjoyment of the park and river.

For more information on the project contact Owen Comora, president, Friends of Myakka River, at ocomora@AOL.com or call (941) 378-5166.

From the Pelican Press’ “A Sarasota Minute”:

Its observation tower rises 75 feet above the floor of the surrounding live-oak hammock, looking almost other-worldly…like something straight out of James Cameron’s film Avatar. Its 85-foot long suspended walkway sways amid the treetops…much to the delight – and sometimes trepidation – of visitors making their way across. The breathtaking view from the top stretches for miles and is unlike any other in this corner of the world.

“It” is the Canopy Walkway at Myakka River State Park. And this year marks its 10th anniversary.

Story on nhpr.org featuring Bryson Voirin, TREE’s student research associate:

After a long, lazy, food-filled weekend, we turn to the sloth. It’s an animal. It’s an insult. And the namesake of one of the seven deadly sins. Those of us who’ve watched any animal TV programs probably have an image of the sloth. Long-nosed and long-limbed, loping around and napping in the treetops.

The truth is that the sloth gets a bad rap. The languid-looking animals are faster and more agile than they get credit for.

Sloth-scientist and expert tree-climber Bryson Voirin is on a mission to revise our misconceptions about the critters. Bryson grew up in Florida, fascinated by wildlife and obsessed with the rainforests. He attended high school in Germany, but returned home to study biology and environment at the New College of Florida. There, he met Meg Lowman, a pioneer in canopy science, who took him on as a volunteer researching sloths in Panama. Before long he decided to focus his studies on arboreal mammals.

Bryson’s now 25, works with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and is pursuing his PhD with the Max Planck Institute. He joins us as part of our ongoing dedication to great young minds in science.

Below are links to news stories about the 5th International Canopy Conference 2009:

• Meet on forest canopy (Deccon Herald)
• ‘Rapid changes in ecology’ (Deccon Herald)
• Calling attention to canopies (Times of India)
• Himalayas are in danger (Bangalore Mirror)

Click on the cover thumbnail below to read one of Dr. Margaret Lowman’s latest journal articles published in BIOTROPICA. The document is in PDF format and includes Tom Lovejoy’s one page introductory editorial.

More of Dr. Lowman’s journal articles are located here.

From Herald-Tribune:

The beautiful Casey Key home of Henry and Susanne Rodriguez was the perfect setting for an intimate and fun party to celebrate the launch of the TREE Foundation, with president Gerri Aaron and executive director Dr. Meg Lowman.

The dynamic duo shared their plans to build an elaborate, multilevel tree house on the Crowley Museum and Nature Center grounds that will link children with nature.

The foundation’s mission is “Tree research, exploration and education, both locally and globally,” says Lowman. “Our flagship project was the Myakka canopy walkway, and we hope the tree house project will be a logical next step to focus on linking kids to nature through trees.”

Full story

From Sarasota Herald-Tribune:

Rounding up invasive reptiles
By CATHY ZOLLO

The signs of an iguana takeover are scattered across Manasota Key.

They strip the fruit from the sea grape trees and chew the leaves. Gone are the little brown anole lizards — themselves an introduced species — that used to scurry over the ground, and iguana tracks lead down gopher tortoise burrows.

Black spiny-tailed iguanas, known for their speed and voracious appetite, are threatening native animals, reptiles and birds — a sign of Sarasota County’s growing problem with invasive reptiles that escaped from the pet trade, gained a foothold in South Florida and are now heading north in greater numbers.

Burmese pythons and monitor lizards have also been sighted in Sarasota County.

Full article

From Orlando Business Journal:

Florida’s treasury investment managers will be required to detail their abilities to assess climate risk, under a directive from Alex Sink, the state’s chief financial officer.

Florida is the first state treasury in the United States to require investment fund managers to make such disclosures, according to a release from Sink’s office.

Under the new directive, investment managers will be required to report on climate risk as part of their semi-annual reviews. Some managers have begun planning for the potential impacts of climate risk in their portfolios, while others have more work to do and need guidance on how to assess potential climate-related financial risks when making investment decisions, the release says.

The goal is to safeguard tax dollars from the risks posed by climate change and to encourage companies to capture opportunities related to the changing climate, says Sink, who oversees the state Department of Financial Services, the state’s $20 billion in Treasury funds and serves on the board of the Florida pension fund, which has $140 billion in assets.

Sink also said she is exploring the creation of a clean energy fund in Florida. Eighteen other states have created similar funds, which invest in renewable clean energy resources, such as solar, wind and biomass, the release said.

Additionally, Sink appointed Margaret Lowman, director of environmental initiatives at New College of Florida in Sarasota, as her science adviser on matters related to climate change.

Another article: State CFO details climate change initiatives

Quote from Dr. Lowman:

“I am honored to contribute my 30 years’ experience in professional science to serve as Science Advisor for Alex Sink, our state Chief Financial Officer. Florida – now more than ever – needs both science and economics at the table to map Florida’s future. As we face challenges such as climate change, water conservation, and obtaining clean energy, I hope that the integration of science, economics and policy will insure a healthy and prosperous Florida for our children.” [Meg Lowman, 13 Nov 2007]

A conversation with Dr. Meg Lowman regarding climate change is in the Fall 2007 issue of Bay Soundings.

You can read the PDF of the article here:
Climate Change & Florida’s Future - A conversation with Dr. Meg Lowman