For the fifth year in a row, the month of June has been proclaimed “Great Outdoors Month” by U.S. President George W. Bush. Great Outdoors Month, along with Great Outdoors Week (June 9-14) highlight the beauty and uniqueness of nature in each of the fifty states. Public awareness differs in each state. Some emphasize biking and swimming; and others purely outdoor activities. Different states coordinate initiatives around the month of June to draw citizens to national and state parks and historic sites. Here in Indiana, Governor Daniels recently announced that the state would invest $19 million in new trails, part of his “Hoosiers on the Move” trails plan. This plan coincides with the INShape Indiana initiative, a 12-week program that involves more walking at work and at home. For more information on the benefits of trail development, visit the Indiana Department of Transportation’s website and the link for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Program.
Great Outdoors Month: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080530-9.html
INShape Indiana: http://www.in.gov/inshape
Indiana Department of Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Program: http://www.in.gov/indot/3512.htm
National Park Service: http://www.nps.gov/
State Parks and Reservoirs: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/
NATIONAL MOSQUITO CONTROL AWARENESS WEEK
Summer officially starts tomorrow. That means watermelon, swimming, picnics,…and mosquitoes. June 22-28, 2008 has been declared the 12th annual National Mosquito Control Awareness Week by the American Mosquito Control Association. Aside from the itchy bites, mosquitoes are problematic because they can carry diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and West Nile Virus.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) have created websites about mosquito-transmitted diseases. The CDC’s Mosquito-Borne Diseases webpage has a partial list of diseases of concern with information about the type of mosquito that carries the disease and prevalence of the disease. There is also a special section for travelers that includes outbreak alerts, destination warnings and vaccine requirements. The ISDH website focuses on West Nile Virus in Indiana. This site reports the number of cases in each county. Use the links on the left-hand side of the page to find information about handling dead birds and contacting your local board of health if you have any questions or information to provide.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offer information about controlling mosquito populations and preventing bites. The EPA’s Mosquito Control website contains tips for “bug-proofing” your yard and home, and their DEET factsheet provides safety information, including proper use of DEET for children. DNR advocates controlling mosquito populations through environmental management. According to the Wetlands Conservation Plan Factsheet, wetlands can actually help reduce mosquitoes rather than increase their numbers as popularly believed.
U.S. Center for Disease Control Mosquito-Borne Diseases: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm
Indiana State Department of Health, West Nile Virus: http://www.in.gov/isdh/23592.htm
U.S. EPA, Mosquito Control – Pesticides : http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes
U.S. EPA, Insect Repellent DEET Fact Sheet: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/deet.htm
Did You Know?… Healthy Wetlands Devour Mosquitoes: http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/hlywet.pdf
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), in an effort to lead the way in sustainable environmental stewardship, is making strides to become a more “green” institution. According to the GPO website, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has downgraded the GPO from a “large hazardous waste generator” to a small one. Both the Congressional Record and the Federal Register are printed on 40% post-consumer waste recycled paper. In a speech recently delivered in Germany on May 31st, U.S. Public Printer Robert Tapella outlined his goals for the GPO. These include using 100% recycled paper, using non-toxic inks, and moving away from tree-based fibers in paper production. In addition to using better materials and processes for paper, Tapella plans to take action within the GPO factory by reducing the light bulb wattage and taking water conservation measures. Robert Tapella’s speech, “GPO and the American Printing Industry Move Forward with Sustainable Environmental Stewardship,” is available in PDF via the GPO website.
For more general federal and state information about environmental stewardship, please use the links below.
GPO and the American Printing Industry Move Forward with Sustainable Environmental Stewardship http://www.gpo.gov/news/speeches/pp_drupa2008_prepstmt.pdf
EPA, National Center for Environmental Innovation: http://www.epa.gov/NCEI
State of Indiana Environmental Stewardship Program: http://www.in.gov/idem/4132.htm
CLEAN Community Challenge: http://www.in.gov/idem/4135.htm
Recycling Dropoff Locations in Indiana: http://www.in.gov/RecyclingDO
NATIONAL POLLINATOR WEEK: June 22-28
In recognition of the birds and the bees – and the bats and the beetles - the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proclaimed the week of June 22-28 National Pollinator Week. These animals all contribute to the production of a considerable amount of the fruits and vegetables we eat every day. The National Pollinator Week website cites that worldwide, almost 75% of all flowering plants are pollinated by animals. Honey bees in the U.S. actively pollinate an estimated $15 billion in crops each year.
This week of recognition is partly due to the decline in populations of honey bees in the U.S. While this decline is linked to loss of habitat, it is also related to natural disease in the honey bee populations. Some animals are intentional pollinators, like bees. They collect pollen from the male portion of plants and deliver it to the female part of the plant or another plant. Other animals are unintentional pollinators, like butterflies. Pollen sticks to parts of their body and is then dispersed at random. National Pollinator Week recognizes all pollinators and their contribution to our lives.
Please see the webpages featuring pollination (below) and the National Biological Information Infrastructure’s One Hundred Thousand Pollinators and Counting webpage for more information about pollination and its impact on human life.
National Pollinator Week: http://www.fws.gov/pollinators
U.S. Forest Service, What is Pollination? http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/whatispollination.shtml
Our Future Flies on the Wings of Pollinators: http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/index.shtml
One Hundred Thousand Pollinators and Counting http://tiny.cc/8Hh0J
The Pollinator Partnership: http://pollinator.org/pollinator_week_2008.htm
WE’RE COOKING NOW!
If you are looking to expand your culinary repertoire this summer, the following websites can help you find new ways to use familiar products, cook more healthfully, and explore the United States through food, whether you are cooking for 2 or 102. The Library of Congress presents a website with recipes from various countries of origin of many U.S. residents. This Recipes by Region website includes recipes from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific Islands, and the Caribbean. Recipes range from the familiar, such as apple pie, to the more exotic, such as Obe Ata, a fiery West African fish stew.
The USA.gov American Recipes website includes recipes from famous Americans such as Mamie Eisenhower, George Washington, and Laura Bush. There are also recipes for kids that double as science lessons (“Earthquakes” and “Metric Chocolate Chip Cookies”), recipes for wild game, and recipes for large groups. The “School Recipes” link takes users to the US Food and Nutrition Service Quantity Cooking website, where users can search by food group, recipe title, or meal course for recipes designed to feed a crowd. This website isn’t limited to school use – Pick up some ideas for your next Scout troop campout, family reunion, or company picnic.
INShape Indiana offers healthful recipes and links to several other sites that focus on fruits and vegetables, heart healthy meals, and ways to get kids involved in healthy ways in the kitchen. Another way to shake up your cooking plans is to try shopping in new places. You can use the Indiana Department of Agriculture-sponsored Indiana MarketMaker “Find a Business” tool to find locally grown products through venues such as Farmers Markets and wineries. Food producers can also use the “Find a Market” tool to generate a map of the state or county showing a breakdown of population by household type, education level, income or other demographic data to determine where to sell their products.
Library of Congress International Recipes: http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/ckbk/recipes_by_region.php
Famous Americans’ recipes: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Health/Recipes.shtml
US Food and Nutrition Service Quantity Cooking: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/recipes/schrecipes.htm
INShape Indiana Healthy Recipes: http://www.in.gov/inshape/2444.htm
MarketMaker: http://in.marketmaker.uiuc.edu
LIGHTNING SAFETY AWARENESS WEEK
Thunderstorms abound during the summer months. Lightning, which is produced by every thunderstorm, can be a dangerous and even deadly weather phenomenon. However, the National Weather Service can help patrons ease into awareness by way of Leon the Lion and his safety activities for kids. In observance of Indiana’s Lightning Awareness Week (June 22-28), a webpage featuring a lion-inspired motto for adults – When the Thunder Roars, Go Indoors – provides handouts, risk reduction tips, statistics, and educational tools for lightning safety. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) features Are You Ready? Thunderstorms and Lightning, a webpage which provides a map of the lightning casualty rate by state followed by useful tips for taking protective measures during thunderstorms. FEMA also features a bright webpage of lightning safety tips for children through their Disaster Connection: Kids to Kids websites – Lightning Safety By Sabrina.
Do you and your patrons ever encounter unfamiliar weather terminology? Use the National Weather Service Glossary to find definitions for over 2000 weather terms, including Lightning Channel, Lightning Discharge, and Lightning Stroke. Don’t forget to use the Indiana Weather Source on the National Weather Service’s website. Search by Indiana county or city for current weather conditions. Visit the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) Lightning Safety Awareness Booth this Wednesday, June 25th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in downtown Indianapolis on Monument Circle. This booth is part of IDEM’s two-week Ozone Knockout ’08 campaign, featuring promotions that educate the public on conserving gas and energy.
When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors! http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov
Leon the Lion safety activities: http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/kids.htm
Severe Weather Awareness, including Thunderstorms: http://www.weather.gov/om/severeweather/index.shtml
NWS Weather Fatalities by state, 1995-2006: http://www.weather.gov/os/hazstats.shtml#
National Weather Service Glossary: http://www.weather.gov/glossary
Are you Ready? Thunderstorm and Lightning: http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/thunderstorms.shtm
Disaster Connection: Kids to Kids, Lightning Safety: http://www.fema.gov/kids/sabrina.htm
JAZZ UP YOUR MONTH!
June is “Black Music Month”, as proclaimed by U.S. President George W. Bush every year since 2001. Share the tremendous contribution that African-American culture has made to American music with some of the following resources from the White House, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Use the Library of Congress Performing Arts Encyclopedia to search for sound recordings of songs and hymns written and/or performed by African-American musicians, some already popular and some historical gems waiting to be found.
Don’t forget to check out the Indiana Historical Bureau’s gift shop for works such as Jelly Roll, Bix & Hoagy: Gennett Studios and the Birth of Recorded Jazz, by Rick Kennedy; The Jazz State of Indiana, by Duncan Schiedt; and Songs of Freedom: Music from Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage, produced by Solid Light, Inc. for the Carnegie Center for Art History, Inc.
Presidential Proclamation, 2008 Press Release: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080531-2.html
African-American Band Music and Recordings, Online Collection: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/stocks/stocks-home.html
African-American Band Stocks: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200038861/default.html
African American Performers on Early Sound Recordings: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200038862/default.html
African-American Sheet Music, 1850-1920: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/sheetmusic/brown
Harry Thacker Burleigh: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200035730/default.html
Jazz and World War II: A Rally to Resistance, A Catalyst for Victory: http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=379
Jazz on the Screen: A Jazz and Blues Filmography: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/jots/jazzscreen-home.html
R. Nathaniel Dett: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200038840/default.html
Smithsonian Jazz: http://www.smithsonianjazz.org
by Katharine Springer & Jesse Lewis