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.”

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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

From Tampabay.com:

MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK – Standing 80 feet above the subtropical forest floor, the swamps and hardwood hammocks don’t look quite so hot and buggy. Still sweating from the short hike and climb, two kids in tow, the gentle breeze makes me forget it’s the dead of summer. But that’s the beauty of the Myakka Canopy Walkway. Even a short visit will leave you with an elevated perspective.

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From Newswise Science News:

Now ecological scientists—well positioned because of their field of study—are stepping up to do their part in getting children back to nature. The Symposium “No child left indoors: Ecologists linking young people with nature” will be held during the joint meeting of ESA and the Society for Ecological Restoration.

Read the full article

An interview with canopy expert Dr. Meg Lowman:
Canopy research is key to understanding rainforests

Interview

From ScienceCareers.org:

The decision to mesh motherhood with a nascent career as an environmental biologist wasn’t one that Margaret Dalzwell Lowman (AKA Canopy Meg) had the luxury of choosing. Rather, it was a lifestyle born out of necessity.

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Sent by the the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW · Washington DC 20460 · 202-564-4355

Contact: Suzanne Ackerman, (202) 564-4355 / ackerman.suzanne@epa.gov

Everyone has a role in protecting our environment, including members of Generation Y. EPA is tapping into their innovation and creativity in finding solutions to environmental challenges through the agency’s People, Prosperity and the Planet competition. The agency plans to award up to $1.25 million in grants that enable teams of college students to research, develop and design scientific and technical solutions to sustainability challenges that protect the environment while achieving continued economic prosperity.
EPA will award as many as 50 grants up to $10,000 each to student teams. The money will be used to research and develop sustainable solutions during the 2007-08 academic year. In spring 2008, the teams will be invited to bring their designs to Washington, D.C. to compete for EPA’s P3 Award, which includes an additional award worth up to $75,000 to further develop and implement the project in the field. The competition will be judged by the National Academy of Engineering for design innovation and technical merit along with relevant social, economic and environmental considerations that are the keys to sustainable designs.
The P3 competition is open to teams of students attending colleges, universities and other post-secondary educational institutions. Interdisciplinary teams are strongly encouraged, including representatives from multiple engineering departments and/or departments of chemistry, architecture, industrial design, economics, policy, social sciences, business, communication, etc.
The grants will be awarded for research related to the P3 (People, Prosperity, and the Planet) sustainability competition, a national student design competition launched in 2004.
Proposals must reach EPA by December 21, 2006.

Herald Tribune Article by Kazuaki Nagata

New College of Florida students and Sarasota County residents got to explore Red Bug Slough on Sept. 2 as part of a special guided tour hosted by the college.

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