2010

The Global Warming effort has been growing for many years now, and the youngest generation is being raised with a fundamental awareness of the concern. As many teenagers around the country become more active in their schools and communities, we might end up with an overwhelmingly disparate and random nation-wide picture for environmentally-active youth.

It is exactly this problem that a new mobile social networking application has been developed to address. The “iMatter 2.0” app for the iPhone, developed by match2blue, is a new platform to help connect the under-18 year community actively working for a future with a more secure climate.

Supported by the “Kids vs Global Warming” youth organization–founded by a 16-year-old–the app will allow connected youth activists to participate with citizen science observations, create their own local projects, and connect with other activists around the country who match their interests and efforts, all in real time.

“Launch of iMatter 2.0” :: openPR.com :: July 7, 2010 :: [ READ MORE ]

Kids vs Global Warming :: [ LEARN MORE ]

[ Download ] the iMatter App

As the oil creeps closer to the delicate shorelines of the Gulf Coast, conservationists are frantically trying to get a clear picture of the specific status of wildlife. A reasonable baseline of population levels will be valuable when comparing to the aftereffect of nature’s interaction with the invading oil slick.

Typical news media images focus on birds soaked in oil, and efforts are already underway to update counts of our feathers friends (learn more from the National Audubon Society). There are, of course, many other creatures lurking in the beautiful white sands of the Gulf, and they, too, will likely be challenged by the oil.

Drew Wheelan of the American Birding Association has established a methodology for reporting populations of the Ghost Crabs, which are a critical element of the food chain along the coast. Monitoring the oil’s influence on these little creatures should also help develop a better understanding of how the entire ecosystem will deal with this disaster.

Citizen science volunteers from the Gulf Coast are needed immediately to support these counting efforts… so, if you live in the area please learn more and find out how to help now…

“The Ghost Crabs Of The Gulf” :: Gulf Coast Oil Spill blog from the American Birding Association :: June 21, 2010 :: [ READ ]