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Guillette lecture to explore pollution-birth defect link |
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Are chemical contaminants in the foods we eat, in the products we put into and on our bodies and in our lakes and rivers causing birth defects in humans?
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Louis J. Guillette Jr., an internationally recognized reproductive biologist who has spent 25 years studying sexually stunted alligators and other wildlife from polluted waters in Florida and around the world, says a growing body of research shows those chemicals - including trace amounts often found in lakes and rivers -- do cause birth defects, both in animals and humans.
On Sept. 14, Guillette, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Medical University of South Carolina, will deliver the third in a series of lectures sponsored by the Freshwater Society and the University of Minnesota's College of Biological Sciences.
Guillette's lecture, aimed at a general audience, will be titled: Contaminants, Water and Our Health: New Lessons from Wildlife.
A panel of Minnesota experts on environmental contaminants will appear with Guillette.
The lecture will be at 7 p.m. in the theater of the St. Paul Student Center on the University of Minnesota's campus. The lecture, funded by an endowment honoring former university president Malcolm Moos, is free and open to the public. But seating is limited, and registration is required. To register, click here.
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Read more: Guillette lecture to explore pollution-birth defect link
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Water and the environment: Week of Aug. 29 |
The EPA is floating a new draft strategy for improving water quality nationwide. Invasive cattails are out-competing native cattails throughout Minnesota. And CNN this week broadcast a long profile of Windom farmer Tony Thompson, focusing on his efforts to lessen his farm's contribution to pollution responsible for a "Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico. Read these articles and others on water and the environment. Go to the Freshwater Society Blog in the menu above, or click here.
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Open houses set on Lake Minnetonka zebra mussels |
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Lake Minnetonka, Minnehaha Creek and several downstream lakes -- Meadowbrook, Nokomis and Hiawatha - have been formally designated as "infested waters" because of zebra mussels found in Lake Minnetonka in July.
And two open houses have been scheduled to allow Lake Minnetonka residents and lake users to ask
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Read more: Open houses set on Lake Minnetonka zebra mussels
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Freshwater at the State Fair |
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Take advantage of the State Fair - Thursday, Aug. 26, through Labor Day, Sept. 6 - to learn more about water and the environment and to meet some of the KARE-Channel 11 contributors to the Freshwater Society's award-winning Minnesota Weatherguide Environment calendar.
Three Freshwater publications will be given away in the water section of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's Eco Experience. The three publications are:
- A bookmark listing some surprising facts about water - Did you know 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water? - and tips on things you can do to protect water.
- A brochure describing how organizations and groups of neighbors can fight phosphorus pollution and excess algae in lakes and rivers by conducting Community Clean-Ups For Water Quality.
- A fact sheet on how individuals can protect groundwater.
In addition, there will be regular drawings for Freshwater rain gauges, designed to help homeowners avoid wasting water on their lawns.
The Eco Experience, which this year features an exhibit on electric vehicles, is at Randall and Cosgrove streets, in the northeast corner of the fairgrounds.
The Weatherguide calendar will be on sale at the KARE-Channel 11 booth. During the Fair, the calendar will be available at a reduced price of $16. KARE meteorologists Johnathan Yuhas, Sven Sundgaard and Belina Jensen will be available occasionally to autograph calendars. For a schedule of their appearances, click here. |
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Lecture on common carp set Sept. 18 |
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Common carp
Photo: Minnesota DNR
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Asian carp, those giant, jumping fish that have moved up the Mississippi River in recent years and are threatening to enter the Great Lakes at Chicago, get all the media attention these days. But common carp, the kind that first were introduced into Minnesota lakes in about 1900, do immense damage to lakes and native plants, fish and wildlife every year.
The Rice Creek Watershed District will host a public workshop on common carp, and their effect on wildlife and water quality from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, in the auditorium of Mounds View
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Read more: Lecture on common carp set Sept. 18
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Follow the rules for safe disposal of drugs |
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For years, we've been told to dispose of old medicines by flushing down the toilet or pouring them down a drain. That's outdated advice. To learn how you should dispose of drugs, view the latest Water Minute video produced by the Freshwater Society for 2010 - The Year of Water.
Other Water Minute videos, broadcast on KARE-Channel 11 TV, describe the massive waste that results from over-watering of U.S. lawns and gardens, and the pollution that pours off roofs, sidewalks and driveways and ends up in lakes and streams. View all the Water Minute videos. |
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Find out how much water you can save |
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Do you know how much water you use each day? Take the Water Audit here and find out! This tool will take you through a series of questions about the most common things we use water for and at the end you will find out your typical water use. You will also find a list of ways to conserve water. Start saving today and we will be adding up the savings from around the state!
We also have a Water Audit Curriculum for teachers with an online tool for students. To get the curriculum and find out more, click here. |
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Tour the Mississippi on your computer |
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What's your favorite view of the Mississippi River?
The Friends of the Mississippi River organization is seeking input on a new video project that offers on-line panoramic views of the Mississippi River Critical Area, a state-protected corridor from Dayton to Hastings.
To view the videos, created in Google Maps, and to post a comment, click here.
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Read more: Tour the Mississippi on your computer
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 Freshwater Society sponsors checkmylake.org
Look up maps, water-quality data and links to fishing information for Minnesota lakes
For Kids
Nature Notes
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August 29 - September 4
Wild grapes and plums offer delicious snacks to hikers. Common nighthawks, flocks of American robins, many warbler species and monarch butterflies can all be observed heading south. Baltimore orioles leave to spend the winter in Central America, migrating at night. Insects singing through the nigh include snowy tee crickets, cone-headed grasshoppers, katydids and black field crickets. Photo by Kathryn Fischer
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