from Jane Walker and the Virginia Water Quality Monitoring Council listserv.
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Headlines:
1.) Public Comments Accepted: EPA Draft Climate Change Adaptation Implementation Plan – Comment period ends: January 3, 2014
2.) Winter Wildlife Festival – January 24-26, 2014
3.) Nominations Accepted: 2014 Erchul Environmental Leadership Award – Nomination deadline: February 14, 2014
4.) Workshop: Chesapeake Bay Stories -- Interpreting Our Shared Heritage – March 11-14, 2014
5.) 25th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium – April 8-10, 2014
6.) Save the Date: National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Virginia Environmental Educators Joint Conference – October 16-18, 2014
7.) Request for Information: Regarding Abandoned Chesapeake Bay Watershed Projects
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Feel free to forward these announcements. When forwarding, please acknowledge the Virginia Water Monitoring Council (VWMC). If you have a water-related announcement of regional or statewide interest, send it to vwmc@vt.edu and ask that it be distributed to the VWMC membership. Archived announcements are posted on the VWMC’s website: http://www.vwrrc.vt.edu/vwmc/announcements.asp. If someone forwarded this message to you, you can join the VWMC by sending your name, water-monitoring affiliation (if applicable), and contact information (email address, mailing address, and phone number) to vwmc@vt.edu. Thank you to the VWMC’s intern, Alexandra Thompson, for organizing this week’s announcements. ++++++++++++++
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2.) Winter Wildlife Festival – Event: January 24-26, 2014 – Virginia Beach, VA – This event will showcase winter wildlife around Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay. Workshops include: Oyster Restoration and Osprey Watch. Excursions include Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel & Fisherman’s Island, First Landing Nature Walk, Chesapeake Bay Boat Trip, North Landing River Birding, Beginning Birding, Nature Photography, Back Bay/False Cape Birding, and many more. To learn more, visit http://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/parks-recreation/special-events/Pages/winter-wildlife-festival.aspx. For more information, contact outdoors@VBgov.com or 757-385-4461. Hosted by the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. ++++++++++++++
3.) Nominations Accepted: 2014 Erchul Environmental Leadership Award – Nomination deadline: February 14, 2014 – This award recognizes a Virginian who has made significant individual efforts to better our environment. Nominees will be judged on the basis of vision, expertise, commitment, integrity, communication skills, accomplishments, and diplomacy. Nominees may come from any field or endeavor. The recipient will be notified in March 2014 and presented with the award on the first day of the Environment Virginia Symposium on April 8, 2014. To learn more or to submit a nomination, visit http://www.vmi.edu/content.aspx?tid=27299&id=4294973138&libID=4294973135. For more information, contact Kathy Wirtanen at wirtanenki@vmi.edu or 540-464-7361. Event hosted/sponsored by the Virginia Military Institute, VA DEQ, Virginia Environmental Endowment, VA Marine Resources Commission, and VA DCR. ++++++++++++++
4.) Workshop: Chesapeake Bay Stories -- Interpreting Our Shared Heritage – March 11-14, 2014 – Montross, VA – Theme: Westmoreland Watermen & Wildlife. This 3-day workshop includes a variety of activities to connect to the Chesapeake and its environmental and cultural heritage. Activities include bird walks, fossil hunting, and excursions to local parks and refuges. The keynote speaker, Doug Elliot, is a naturalist, herbalist, storyteller, back-country guide, philosopher, and harmonica player. To learn more, visit http://nairegion2.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/9/9/13996744/nai_region_2_spring_2014_workshop_preview_packet.pdf. For more information, contactdodie.lewis@loudoun.gov. Hosted by the National Association for Interpretation. ++++++++++++++
5.) 25th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium – April 8-10, 2014 – Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA – Theme: Collective Impact: Working Together to Create a Positive Environmental Legacy -- The program will include three plenary sessions and more than 40 breakout sessions on topics including groundwater supply and quality, energy and stormwater management and environmental policy. Early registration ends November 30, 2013. To learn more or to register, visit http://www.vmi.edu/Content.aspx?id=10737419910. For more information, contact Kathy Wirtanen at wirtanenki@vmi.edu. Event hosted/sponsored by the VA Military Institute, VA DEQ, VA Environmental Endowment, VA Marine Resources Commission, and VA DCR. ++++++++++++++
6.) Save the Date: National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Virginia Environmental Educators Joint Conference – October 16-18, 2014 – Richmond, VA – Theme: Celebrate Science Inside & Out! -- The three conference strands for the NSTA conference focus on (1) Watershed Science, (2) Partnerships and Collaborations, and (3) Integrating Science with Other Disciplines. The deadline for proposals to NSTA for possible inclusion in one of the NSTA conference strands is January 15, 2014. Proposals may also be submitted to the Virginia Office of Environmental Education (VOEE) as part of the "Get Your Nature On" thread for environmental educators. The deadline to submit a proposal to the VOEE is January 27, 2014. Additional information will appear on the NSTA (http://www.nsta.org/conferences/) and the Virginia Naturally (http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/virginia_naturally/) websites as information becomes available. ++++++++++++++
7.) Request for Information: Regarding Abandoned Chesapeake Bay Watershed Projects – Mary Gattis, Coordinator of the Local Government Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council, with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, is seeking examples of watershed protection/restoration projects that have been abandoned because of permitting delays. If you know of specific projects and are willing to share the details, contact Mary Gattis at 717-475-8390. ++++++++++++++
8.) Website: Science in the Park – http://www.jamesriverpark.org/science-in-the-park/index.php – This website provides science-focused educational materials about the geology, habitats, and flora and fauna of the James River Park System in Richmond, VA. Created by Friends of James River Park and Friends of James River. ++++++++++++++
9.) Website: Reduce Your Stormwater -- http://stormwater.allianceforthebay.org/ -- This website is designed for homeowners and small businesses interested in tackling stormwater-related issues on their property. It offers information on best management practices and suggests simple changes in habits that can help protect local water quality and create “RiverWise Communities.” Developed by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. ++++++++++++++
10.) EPA Tool: National Stormwater Calculator -- http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/wq/models/swc/ -- This desktop application estimates the annual amount of rainwater and frequency of runoff from a specific site anywhere in the United States. Estimates are based on local soil conditions, land cover, and historic rainfall records. ++++++++++++++
11.) EPA Tool: NEPA Environmental Impact Statement Finder -- http://nepassisttool.epa.gov/nepassist/eismapper/ -- This interactive map-based tool provides access to information on environmental impact statements (EIS) prepared by federal agencies, as well as EPA's comments concerning the EISs. The web tool offers multiple search methods for finding an EIS of interest. Identifying information can assist users in locating EIS documents from other repositories. Some EIS documents can be downloaded directly in PDF, as can EPA comment letters. ++++++++++++++
12.) Video Series -- Sustainability: Water -- http://www.nbclearn.com/water -- This seven-part video series examines significant challenges to managing water supply in selected regions and cities across the US. Videos feature NSF-funded scientists from a diversity of fields, geographic locations and institutions. These videos seek to advance public understanding of the impacts of human activity on the long-term health of this essential resource and the need to manage it wisely. Produced by National Science Foundation (NSF) and NBC Learn. ++++++++++++++
