06 December 2012

BES Quarterly Meetings - Save the Date



New things for the New Year: 

  • Our Baltimore Ecosystem Study quarterly meetings were originally titled “science” meetings and later changed to “research” meetings.  For 2013 we are changing the title of our quarterly meetings to “project” meetings.  This evolution in the title of our meetings is significant in that it should reflect the growth and integration of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study as well as the transition from sanitary to sustainable city.  This includes effective use of the sustainability concept, the theory of resilience with its adaptive cycle, and the three new crosscutting theories (the urban stream dis/continuum; urban metacommunity dynamics; and locational choice theory).  It also acknowledges our increased interaction with the arts.
  • Two of our quarterly meetings will be 1.5 days in length rather than one day.  This will allow time for both the selected topics as well as greater clarity and understanding of the BES III conceptual structure, integration of the three new theories and how it relates to the specifics we are doing.  This is key for a successful mid-term review by NSF.


So please mark your calendars now for our January meeting.

24 January 8:30 am to 4:00 pm: The role of environmental education in the sustainability of the Baltimore urban ecosystem
Location: University of Maryland Baltimore County, Room 206, Technology Research Center (TRC)

25 January 8:30 am to 12:30 pm: BES III conceptual structure
Location: USGS conference room

The agenda will be circulated as soon as available.  We look forward to seeing you there.

You can also mark your calendars for the BES Quarterly Project Meeting 11 & 12 April (topics: BES & the Arts; BES Integrative Themes)

26 November 2012

Dr. Emma Rosi-Marshall Named Director Designate of BES



Dr. Rosi-Marshall will be the next Director of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, Long-Term Ecological Research project, a role that is targeted to begin in 2016.  At this time, we hope that BES would be entering its next phase of support as an NSF-funded Long-Term Ecological Research project.  Dr. Rosi-Marshall is an Associate Scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, where she has been on the staff since 2009.  Her expertise in stream ecology, and her interests in the presence and role of pharmaceutical and personal care products in streams caused us to invite her to become a member of BES, and she has become an enthusiastic contributor to the program.

Her research interests are described on the Cary Institute web site:
“Dr. Rosi-Marshall conducts research on factors that control and influence ecosystem function in human-dominated ecosystems.  Freshwater is one of our most vital and threatened resources; understanding how human-driven global change impacts freshwater ecosystem function is essential.  Dr. Rosi-Marshall's research focuses on several aspects of human modifications to freshwater ecosystems such as land use change and restoration, widespread agriculture and associated crop byproducts, urbanization and the release of novel contaminants, and hydrologic modifications associated with dams.”

Dr. Rosi-Marshall earned the PhD from the University of Georgia in 2002.  She conducted Post-doctoral research at the University of Notre Dame, and was on the faculty of Loyola University of Chicago between 2004 and 2009, where she rose to the rank of Associate Professor.  More information on Dr. Rosi-Marshall’s career and interests can be found on the Cary Institute web site at http://www.caryinstitute.org/science-program/our-scientists/dr-emma-j-rosi-marshall

It is important to have overlap in the leadership of LTERs.  This is why I am happy that Dr. Rosi-Marshall has agreed to be the next director of BES.  Long-term studies are intended to observe, experiment on, and model ecological processes over long periods of time.  This is because many processes in which organisms, environment, and social phenomena interact unfold slowly.  In some cases, the complex and indirect interactions in human-natural systems only become clear when some unusual event occurs, or when a new comparison is conducted.  Long-term studies are a research platform allowing these crucial and impactful changes to be understood.  Dr. Rosi-Marshall in her new role in the project, will participate in the Project Management Committee, and will be closely involved in the decision making processes in BES.  The substantial period of overlap during which Dr. Rosi-Marshall will learn the ropes of BES and of the LTER Network is important for continuity. 

Dr. Peter Groffman will continue to serve as Deputy Director after the planned 2016 transition, and I anticipate substantial overlap in the official Co-Principal Investigators and members of BES through that transition.  I am delighted that Dr. Rosi-Marshall has agreed to perform this crucial role in the sustainability of BES.

21 November 2012

The BES Urban Lexicon Goes Live!



Want to know what a technical term in urban ecology means?  Want to understand some of the key concepts used to link social, biological, and physical sciences along with social and cultural concerns in the broader urban realm?  Then have a look at the BES Urban Lexicon:  http://besurbanlexicon.blogspot.com/

Use the navigation pane on the left to find an alphabetical list of the entries.  Click on the one you want to read, and you’ll be taken there.

Various members of the BES community have contributed definitions and examples.  If there are terms you think we should cover, please get in touch with Holly Beyar, Project Facilitator at beyarh@caryinstitute.org

Happy reading!

10 September 2012

Baltimore Ecosystem Study Annual Meeting October 24-25



Dear Members, Collaborators and Friends of the Baltimore Ecosystem Study:

You are invited and encouraged to attend the 2012 Baltimore Ecosystem Study (BES) Long-Term Ecological Research Program Annual Meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, 24-25 October and the Community Open House and Greening Celebration on 24 October.

The Annual Meeting is designed to share the technical scientific results of the project with BES researchers, educators, local, state and federal agency representatives while also being open to the media, and interested community members.  The Community Open House is an informal venue to share non-technical project information and results with teachers, students at all grade levels, community members, media, and regional decision makers.

Annual Meeting:
The fourteenth BES Annual Meeting will be held at the Cylburn Arboretum Vollmer Visitor Center at 4915 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21209.  Here is a link to directions and a map: http://tinyurl.com/cylburn-map

The Annual Meeting talks will start promptly at 8:30 am on Wednesday including Keynote Speaker Professor Sherry Olson, author of the BES Book of the Year, “Baltimore: The Building of an American City.”  After lunch there will be a poster session followed by afternoon talks.  The Community Open House will begin at 6:00 pm.  The Thursday session will begin at 8:30 am, ending at noon.  Breakfast will be available both days beginning at 8:00 am for those who purchase meal tickets.


Those who have research results gathered as a part of, or particularly relevant to, the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, are invited to present a 15-minute talk or a poster summarizing the results.  If you would like to present your research at the meeting, please submit your 250-word abstract by Friday 12 October.  The abstracts will be published on the BES website as well as in the program booklet.  You can include one graphic or table with your abstract.  Please submit your abstracts electronically using the online form here: http://tinyurl.com/bes-2012-am-reg.  This is a strict deadline, so be sure your abstract reaches us by 12 October.

The final program of talks and posters will be posted via the BES website - http://beslter.org shortly before the meeting.

New This Year:
As an enhancement to our poster session we will start it off with each poster presenter coming up to the podium and showing a slide of their poster.  Two minutes will be allotted for each presenter to say just a few very brief words about their poster.  This will be followed by presenters standing with their posters for more in-depth talks with attendees.  This will give an opportunity for each poster to be highlighted and allow for those interested in further discussion to talk with the presenter at their poster.

As an opportunity to link science and art, our BES Artist-In-Residence, Lynn Cazabon will have a photo exhibit of her work up during the meeting.

Annual Meeting Parking:
There is free parking available at the Arboretum.  The Vollmer Center is a reasonable walk from the #1 bus stop.

Annual Meeting Meals:
Coffee will be available for all attendees. Pre-paid breakfast and lunch will be available onsite on the first day and breakfast on the second day.  Time allotted for lunch will be one hour. We encourage you to register and pay for your meals in advance. There will be very few extra meals available if you sign up at the door.  You can also bring a bag lunch. Options for local dining close by are limited.  The costs below are to cover your food and drink.  There is no fee to attend the meeting.

The options are:
Breakfast Day 1: $ 8.50
Lunch Day 1: $14.00
Breakfast and Lunch Day 1: $22.50
Breakfast Day 2: $ 8.50
Breakfast both days and Lunch Day 1: $31.00

Descriptions of the meals are included on the registration form.  See below.

You can either pay by credit card through the registration form or by check payable to "Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies."  Checks should be mailed to Holly Beyar, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, PO Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545.  You will be given tickets for your pre-paid meals along with your name tag when you arrive at the meeting.

Meeting Registration:
All Annual Meeting attendees and participants will need to register by Wednesday 17 October. Here is a link to the form: http://tinyurl.com/bes-2012-am-reg .   If you have any questions, please contact Holly Beyar at (845) 677-7600 x210 or beyarh@caryinstitute.org.

Community Open House and Greening Celebration:
The eleventh Community Open House and Greening Celebration will follow the Annual Meeting on Wednesday evening 24 October from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Cylburn Arboretum Vollmer Visitor Center.

The Community Open House and Annual Greening Celebration is a joint gathering by BES and the Parks and People Foundation.  This event highlights community involvement in various greening activities such as community gardens.  It is also an opportunity for community members to meet and talk with BES researchers in a less formal setting to learn more about BES.  The event will feature non-technical displays and handouts.  Please contact Valerie Rupp at Parks & People, 410-448-5663 x114 or valerie.rupp@parksandpeople.org with any questions about the Open House, or if you would like to submit a non-technical poster or other display.

I encourage all participants and collaborators in the Baltimore Ecosystem Study to present a talk or poster at the Annual Meeting, as well as to attend the Open House in order to promote communication and mutual understanding in this spatially, topically, and institutionally very diverse study.

Sincerely,

Steward T.A. Pickett,
Project Director

Maryland Water Monitoring Council 18th Annual Conference



The Maryland Water Monitoring Council will hold its 18th Annual Conference at the Maritime Institute, North Linthicum, Maryland, on Thursday, December 6, 2012.  Please click HERE for information on registration, vendor space, directions and more.  Early bird registration ends November 16.

Are you interested in giving a talk or presenting a poster? The deadline for the First Call for Papers is September 30.  Speaking of posters, this year we are extending a special invitation to high school and undergraduate students to present posters on their water-related research.  An award of $50 will be presented to the best student poster! Click HERE for the Scoring Criteria for Student Posters.  For more information on this student poster session, contact Dr. Sonja Schmitz (sschmitz@ccbcmd.edu).

If your agency or non-profit organization would like to exhibit at the Conference at no extra charge, contact Dan Boward by email at dboward@dnr.state.md.us  by November 1 with your request.  A limited number of tables is available.


Dan Boward
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources
Monitoring and Non-tidal Assessment Div.
580 Taylor Ave.; C-2, Annapolis, MD  21401
410.260.8605 (tel.)
410.260.8620 (fax)