wildlands

Everyman’s Right to access

This would never go over in the US, where private property rights trump most others. [Hat tip to WalkingRaven.]

Everyman’s right – environment.fi

Everyman’s right in brief [without first obtaining permission from a landowner]

Everyone may:

  • walk, ski or cycle freely in the countryside, except in gardens, in the immediate vicinity of people’s homes, and in fields and plantations which could easily be damaged
  • stay or set up camp temporarily in the countryside, a reasonable distance from homes
  • pick wild berries, mushrooms and flowers, as long as they are not protected species
  • fish with a rod and line
  • row, sail or use a motorboat on waterways, with certain restrictions;  swim or wash in inland waters and the sea
  • walk, ski and fish on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea

You may not:

  • disturb other people or damage property
  • disturb breeding birds, or their nests or young
  • disturb reindeer or game animals
  • cut down or damage living trees, or collect wood, moss or lichen on other people’s property
  • light open fires on other people’s property, except in an emergency
  • disturb the privacy of people’s homes, by camping too near them, or making too much noise, for example
  • leave litter
  • drive motor vehicles off road without the landowner’s permission
  • fish or hunt without the relevant permits

Everyman’s right is working well

According to a study, landowners, hikers and authorities agree that everyman’s right is working well. Everyman’s right is considered extremely important in Finland and not many problems are related to its use. Retaining the right as it is is seen as important.

Everyman’s right – environment.fi

sky

“the actual day of exactly 12 hours of daylight won’t occur until the 26th”

The Sky This Week, 2011 September 20 – 27 — Naval Oceanography Portal

The word "equinox" implies that the length of day and night are equal on the 23rd, but since the Sun isn’t a point source of light and we view it at sunrise and sunset through a refractive atmosphere the actual day of exactly 12 hours of daylight won’t occur until the 26th. From then until March 16 next year the nights will be longer than the days.

The Sky This Week, 2011 September 20 – 27 — Naval Oceanography Portal

Chaco, daytrips, newmexico

Experience the Chaco Phenomenon with John Kantner

Experience the Chaco Phenomenon with John Kantner

October 14, 2011

Chaco Canyon National Heritage Park

Join Chacoan Scholar, John Kantner and NM Wild for a day-long tour of Chaco Canyon National Historic Park. Chaco is one of the most spectacular areas in New Mexico. Its combination of natural beauty and cultural significance justifies its Wold Heritage status, making it beloved by visitors the world over. Dr. Kantner’s insights from years of research will inspire our imagination to travel into the ancient past as we stop at sites like Pueblo Bonita and Casa Rinconada. We will also be joined by NMWA Executive Director, Steve Capra who will brief us on the current status of the Proposed Chaco Canyon Wilderness Proposal and oil and gas drilling threats in the area.

The tour will take approximately three and a half hours. A shuttle will pick participants up in Bernalillo, New Mexico, early on the morning of October 14 and shuttle guests to the park. We will enjoy a hearty lunch at the visitors center before embarking on our tour. At the end of the day, we will have a chance to go to the visitor’s center and bookstore before the shuttle takes guests back to Bernalillo early that evening.

Trip Cost: $100 per person (includes shuttle round-trip shuttle from Bernalillo to the park entrance fees and lunch)
To sign up, or for more information: E-mail Demis Foster or call 505-216-9719.

About John Kantner:
John is an anthropological archaeologist. His research ranges from Spanish Colonial historic sites in New Mexico and Georgia to pre-Hispanic traditions of southern Central America, to early nomadic sites of the southern plains. He is currently seeking to understand the Chaco Canyon phenomenon and its impact on the prehistory of the American Southwest, an interest explored in his most recent book, The Ancient Puebloan Southwest.

To read more about John and his work go to: http://www.sarweb.org/kantner/index.html

sky

The Harvest Moon early 9/12/11 (watch at sunset 9/11, too)

Full Moon occurs on the 12th at 5:27 am Eastern daylight Time. Since this Full Moon falls closest to the autumnal equinox it is almost universally known as the Harvest Moon. This tradition comes down to us from farmers in Medieval Europe, who took advantage of the unusual geometry of the Moon’s orbit and their high northerly latitude to help them bring in their crops for the winter. At this time of the year the Moon’s orbit intersects the eastern horizon at a shallow angle for Northern Hemisphere observers. The farther north you go, the shallower the angle appears. The net effect of this is that over the course of several nights around the time of the Full Moon Luna appears to rise just a few minutes later on consecutive nights. Most of the U.S. the difference is between 25 to 35 minutes later on successive nights, but in northern Europe the difference is only 10 minutes per night. In the Nordic countries above 62 degrees north latitude the Moon actually rises earlier on successive nights around the time of Full Moon. The "extra" light provided by the rising Moon thus allowed farmers to work well past sunset to harvest their fields, thus giving this particular Full Moon its very appropriate name in sky lore.

wolves

Wolves may aid recovery of Canada lynx, a threatened species

Wolves may aid recovery of Canada lynx, a threatened species

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2011) — As wolf populations grow in parts of the West, most of the focus has been on their value in aiding broader ecosystem recovery — but a new study from Oregon State University also points out that they could play an important role in helping to save other threatened species.

In research published in Wildlife Society Bulletin, scientists suggest that a key factor in the Canada lynx being listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act is the major decline of snowshoe hares. The loss of hares, the primary food of the lynx, in turn may be caused by coyote populations that have surged in the absence of wolves. Scientists call this a "trophic cascade" of impacts.

The increase in these secondary "mesopredators" has caused significant ecosystem disruption and, in this case, possibly contributed to the decline of a threatened species, the scientists say.

"The increase in mesopredators such as coyotes is a serious issue; their populations are now much higher than they used to be when wolves were common in most areas of the United States," said William Ripple, a professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at OSU.

Wolves may aid recovery of Canada lynx, a threatened species

Uncategorized

A vile beast stalks the woods: a pathetic human being

Somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico, one or more disgusting people are dedicated to destroying wolves – to slaughtering, murdering, extinguishing the creature who lived here before us and have every right to recover in some of their historic range. I can only hope that these idiots step in a leg-trap or shoot one another.

Another Wolf in Pack Killed

Alpha Female’s Body Discovered

By Rene Romo

Journal Southern Bureau

LAS CRUCES — A wolf pack in Arizona that lost three wolves in the last 14 months under suspicious circumstances has suffered another blow: the death of the alpha female.

Arizona Game and Fish Department personnel found the body of the Hawks Nest pack alpha female, identified as AF1110, Monday evening in the pack’s territory in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

No obvious cause of death could be found during a preliminary examination, and the wolf’s carcass was sent to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., for a complete necropsy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the 13-yearold Mexican wolf recovery project, described the Hawks Nest alpha female as one of the most consistent breeding females in the last few years.

The alpha female in the spring whelped at least six pups, which had weaned. The pack was one of three in Arizona whose territory was scorched in June by the massive Wallow Fire, but the pups managed to survive the blaze’s march through the forest.

In June and July 2010, the Hawks Nest alpha male and another adult male from the pack were killed in cases that are under investigation.

In April, a young male that had wandered away from the Hawks Nest pack’s traditional territory in Arizona was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound near Grants.

After her mate was killed, the alpha female had formed a bond with another adult male earlier this year, wildlife officials said. The remaining members of the pack continue to feed the alpha female’s surviving pups, according to Fish and Wildlife.

The wild population of endangered gray wolves in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico numbered 50 at the end of 2010, an increase from the previous year but still well below the 100 wolves that biologists estimated would inhabit the recovery area by 2006. Illegal poaching was the primary cause of wolf deaths in 2010, when five wolves were shot.

Federal and state agencies, along with a variety of conservation groups, have pledged a total of $58,000 for information leading to the conviction of anyone responsible for illegally killing a Mexican gray wolf.

We make a mistake accepting the cold, dispassionate scientific notation for these animals. Let’s give each wolf a heroic, noble name and report: Hero shot down by villain.

newmexico, wildlands

Bitter Lake: A Southern New Mexico oasis is drying up – The Santa Fe New Mexican

Bitter Lake: A Southern New Mexico oasis is drying up – The Santa Fe New Mexican [hat tip dangerousmeta}

ROSWELL — Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge in north Roswell is known as an oasis in the desert, providing vital wetlands in an arid environment to thousands of migratory birds and endangered species and plants.

But the oasis is drying up due to exceptional drought conditions, the worst drought category possible, that still persist in southeast New Mexico, Bitter Lake biologist Jeffrey Sanchez said in a recent interview.

Wetlands are at an all-time low capacity, just below 50 percent, and the refuge has received a mere half-inch of rain since the beginning of the year, drastically low compared to its usual lush 12 inches of rainfall per year, Sanchez said.

"It is the driest year so far, and it shows in the wetlands," Sanchez said. "I haven’t seen any documentation of the wetlands being this dry in the past."

Bitter Lake: A Southern New Mexico oasis is drying up – The Santa Fe New Mexican

Anasazi

Anasazi? Ancestral Puebloans?

Anasazi: What’s in a name? — High Country News

So, what name should we use? There is no simple answer. These people were Ancestral Puebloan, Hisatsinom, and Anasazi. And they were none of these.

Anasazi: What’s in a name? — High Country News

[hat tip to NewMexiKen for bringing this topic up]

I particularly like the first comment in which Jeffrey calls these ancients “The Castle Builders of the High Desert.” Accurate.

I continue to use Anasazi for continuity with a century of documentation. I mean no offense; take none.

newmexico, wildlands

Hopewell Lake Service Project | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

Hopewell Lake Service Project | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

Hopewell Lake II – New Mexico, August 21-26
Moderate, car camping in a developed campground, Carson National Forest (USFS)
Elevation: 9,000-10,000’

Come spend Great Outdoors Week in the northernmost section of the CDT in NM and help build a new section of the CDT in this scenic area of the Carson National Forest, near the NM-CO border. This section features spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife plus a convenient developed campground which we will use as our basecamp camp, offering fishing opportunities and non-motorized boat recreation. There is no cost for participating, and each volunteer will receive a tshirt and goodie bag. Talented crew chefs will be providing delicious meals each day for volunteers. 4 spots still are available, to register, please click here or call 303-278-3177.

Hopewell Lake Service Project | New Mexico Wilderness Alliance

sky

August 1st is Lammas, one of the traditional “cross-quarter” days of the ancient Celtic calendar.

The Sky This Month, 2011 July 27 – August 23 — Naval Oceanography Portal

August 1st was Lammas, one of the traditional "cross-quarter" days of the ancient Celtic calendar. Traditionally this date marked the middle of the summer season and was the first of several harvest festivals celebrated in medieval northern Europe. Today it is the only cross-quarter day that is not observed in some form in the English-speaking world. Don’t fear that summer is almost gone, though, since the actual mid-point of the season falls one week later on August 7th.

The Sky This Month, 2011 July 27 – August 23 — Naval Oceanography Portal

birds

Great bird photos from BirdWatching Magazine

Friday photos: Owls – BirdWatching Field of View – BirdWatching Magazine: birdwatching hotspots, bird identification, bird photos, bird feeders

Burrowing Owl: MiaM photographed this wing-flapping Burrowing Owl as it tried to balance on a branch in Antelope Island State Park in Utah.

Friday photos: Owls – BirdWatching Field of View – BirdWatching Magazine: birdwatching hotspots, bird identification, bird photos, bird feeders