Tom Lee Park along the Mississippi River in Memphis, a project co-designed by Kate Orff's firm. Once a city dump, the site now supports native trees and other vegetation. SCAPE

Ecosystems as Infrastructure: A New Way of Looking at Climate Resilience

12/13/2023 - By e360.yale.edu. When people think of landscape architecture, small-scale recreational spaces like urban parks, gardens, and golf courses may come to mind. MacArthur “Genius Award” winner Kate Orff has a grander and more ecologically ambitious vision. Orff, director of Columbia University’s Urban Design Program, believes that architects should do more… SEE MORE
Persistent Pollutants from Mother’s Milk Turn Dolphin Calves More Toxic Than Mom

Persistent Pollutants from Mother’s Milk Turn Dolphin Calves More Toxic Than Mom

12/12/2023 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. May raise concerns for killer whales that are closely related. When bottlenose dolphins nurse their young, they transfer toxic pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDT to their calves through their milk. New research shows that the calves end up with higher concentrations of the toxins than their mothers.… SEE MORE
Staten Island Ferry Spirit of America by WikkiCommons.

Biden Administration Announces $220 Million in Grants to Modernize Ferry Systems

12/10/2023 - By Mike Schuler. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has announced grants totaling $220.2 million to modernize the nation’s ferry systems. These grants, provided through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, aim to expand ferry service in rural communities, facilitate the acquisition of modern ferry boats (including electric… SEE MORE
Antarctic penguin

This Antarctic Penguin Sleeps 11 hours a Day—a Few Seconds at a Time

12/8/2023 - By science.org. For sleepy humans, nodding off can be inconvenient—say, during a boring lecture—or even downright dangerous, such as while driving a car. But for Antarctica’s nesting chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarcticus), these secondslong bits of shuteye known as “microsleeps” may help them survive. These mininaps net the birds about 11 hours… SEE MORE
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/wetlands/restoring-wetlands.htm

New Wetland Park in Delaware Solves Decades of Flooding Issues

12/7/2023 - From NOAA's Office of Coastal Management. The Takeaway: A formerly contaminated area in Delaware has been turned into a park that restores and enhances existing wetlands, provides a recreation area for the community, and hosts a stormwater management facility that reduces flooding. A new 1,800-foot handicap-accessible route runs through the… SEE MORE