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Growing Shiitake Mushrooms
by Duane 09 Dec '14

09 Dec '14

http://ahc.wvu.edu/remository/func-download/489/chk,ab4c0845afb9f103dbe65d9… Growing Shiitake Mushrooms Dave McGill, WVU Extension Specialist – Forestry WVU Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resources Tiffany Fegel, Forest Stewardship Outreach Education Coordinator WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design This fact sheet explains how to prepare, inoculate, and propagate shiitake mushrooms. About Shiitake Cultivation Shiitake mushrooms are part of the shiitake fungus, a species that consumes wood for energy. Cultivating shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes) can be an integral part of forest farming. These gourmet mushrooms are a non-timber forest product that can be grown in the understory of woodlands as an added money-maker resource or in a backyard for personal use. See the link above for the details ......

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Successful tree planting
by Duane 09 Dec '14

09 Dec '14

STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL TREE PLANTING BY DAN MAGILL Well it is the Autumn Season again with winter just around the corner and now is a good time to start planning woodland improvement activities such as planting trees in the upcoming Spring Season. Although this may seem too far ahead of time to get things rolling for Spring-time tree planting, there are several steps to accomplish successful tree planting, growth, and survival. Choosing the right site in woodlands or fields is important because different tree species require distinct site conditions like aspect, soil type and moisture, shade and sunlight conditions, terrain (bottom land, ridge-top, stream-sides) etc. Conducting a soil test for type, pH, moisture and nutrient levels is also one of the most crucial activities that should be conducted to insure successful tree planting, growth, and survival. Additionally, newly planted trees will need to be protected from damage from deer and rabbit browsing, and even bears that will often break off the trees either from curiosity or the bears are trying to get food such as nuts or fruits, or trying to get insects from the tree roots. It is likewise a good idea to order trees well ahead of time such as in autumn to insure the desired tree species to plant can be obtained for the Spring-time planting season. In WV, the Clements State Tree Nursery is currently taking tree orders for the autumn 2014 or spring-time 2015 planting season and the online store-front at:http://www.wvcommerce.org/ClementsNursery, allows customers to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Deliveries start the week of Thanksgiving. The Clements State Tree Nursery can also be reached at 304-675-1820 Duane Nichols, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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'Bat-nav' system enables three-dimensional manoeuvres : Nature News & Comment
by Duane 04 Dec '14

04 Dec '14

http://www.nature.com/news/bat-nav-system-enables-three-dimensional-manoeuv… 'Bat-nav' system enables three-dimensional manoeuvres The brains of bats have a neuronal 'compass' that enables them to navigate in three dimensions. The discovery, published in Nature on 3 December, explains the long-standing mystery of how bats — and perhaps other mammals such as monkeys, which do not fly but swing between branches — manage to orient themselves in the air as well as on the ground. The ‘bat-nav’ system is “surprising — but also surprising in its beauty”, says May-Britt Moser, a neuroscientist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, who shared this year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of a two-dimensional navigation system in the brains of rats. Computational neuroscientist Andreas Herz, from the University of Munich in Germany, adds that the simple elegance of the neural coding that makes up the compass has wider implications for how the brain computes. These systems are not 'compasses' in the sense that they detect the geomagnetic north, and in fact they are not sensory organs at all but simply systems for keeping track of information that the brain has integrated from the senses. Smart cells In her work, Moser and her collaborators had found that rats have specialized neural cells for navigation. In particular, the researchers found, the rodents have 'head-direction' cells, contained in a brain area called the presubiculum. Different cells in the head-direction system fire depending on which direction on the horizontal plane the animal points its head. Now, Nachum Ulanovsky and his colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, have discovered that the head-direction cells in the Egyptian fruit bats that they studied are more complex than those in rats. In addition to cells that fire depending on horizontal direction, the bats also have some that fire only when the creatures move their heads up and down (change pitch) or rotate in the roll axis. To find these cells, they implanted electrodes into the presubiculum area of the bats’ brains and recorded single neurons firing. They also mounted a special head-monitoring device comprising four differently coloured light-emitting diodes arranged in a pyramid onto the bats’ heads. By comparing the neuronal firings with head movement, the researchers could determine the particular head orientation — horizontal, vertical or a combination — at which each neuron fired when the bats were crawling or flying. They found that most neurons were tuned to horizontal directions, but more than one-fifth were tuned to head pitch. This established that the bats' navigation system is fully 3-D. Only a few of the neurons correlated to head roll, however. This may be because bats do not roll their bodies much in flight, says Ulanovsky. Flipping bats The team's findings included one additional surprise, which came when the researchers observed bats performing an upside-down flip to land hanging upside down (see figure below). As expected, the firings of the pitch neurons reflected the full 180° rotation. But even though the head ended up pointing in the opposite horizontal direction than it was during flight, the horizontal-direction neurons did not reflect the flip — something that would have required them to suddenly change from, say “east” to “west”. Ulanovsky says that he stared at his data for three months before he understood that this was happening. Once the penny dropped, the scientists worked out that the bat brain was computing the signals not as latitude–longitude coordinates on a sphere — as Ulanovsky intuitively imagined three-dimensional space would be represented — but as coordinates on a torus, a figure shaped like the surface of a bagel. Jasiek Krzysztofiak/Nature As on the sphere, on the bagel surface, the longitude (green circles in the picture) still represents horizontal direction, and the latitude (red circle) pitch. But the bagel representation allows the flip to be represented without a sudden change in longitude. “It has been a humbling experience,” says Ulanovsky, laughing. It may have taken him months to understand, but now when he explains the mechanism to other people, they get it in seconds. In a related News & Views article, Moser and her Trondheim colleague David Rowland speculate that the animals' skills may be reflected in their anatomy. In rats, the head-direction cells can be imagined as a network of neurons arranged in a circle, describing the full 360° of possible directions. But in bats, Moser and Rowland write, the head-direction cells “may have connections between cells that follow a toroidal arrangement“. Scientists are divided in their expectation about whether bat nav will show up in animals such as humans, who do not fly or enjoy spending time upside down. Some, including Herz, suspect that it will not, arguing that such creatures may not need it, and that the toroidal model in any case works only for animals with little rolling movement. But Moser says that she has a feeling that it will, maybe to explain feelings of vertigo when we lose our sense of up and down, or the disorientation we sometimes feel on emerging from an underground train. “Well, we just have to find out by getting the data,” she says. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Fwd: December 6 Cheat Lake Waterfowl trip
by Duane 03 Dec '14

03 Dec '14

> From: Ella Belling > Date: December 3, 2014 7:56:02 AM EST > > Subject: Re: December 6 Cheat Lake Waterfowl trip > > I just received a call that there are hundreds of Tundra Swan at Cheat Lake this morning. Ella > >

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Winter Birding Activities.
by Duane Nichols 10 Nov '14

10 Nov '14

> Subject: Winter Birding Activities. > > Sent: Sunday, November 9, 2014 11:24:23 AM > Subject: Winter Birding Activities. > > Want to know your winter birds around Morgantown, WV? Check out these > events that are open to any interested person. > > November 11: Doren Burrell will present our Tuesday program on Winter > Birds. This will be an excellent way to prepare for the Christmas Bird > Count. The 7:00 program is at the Spruce Street United Methodist Church, > 348 Spruce Street, Morgantown, WV. > > December 6: Cheat Lake Waterfowl trip. 8:00 am at Ruby and Ketchy’s > Restaurant on Route 857 east of Cheat Lake. If you’d like breakfast > first, meet at 7:00 am. LeJay Graffious, leader, lejaygraffious(a)gmail.com. > > December 20: Morgantown Christmas Bird Count. Contact LeJay Graffious, > compiler, to volunteer at lejaygraffious(a)gmail.com. >

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Wild Ginseng, Wood Thrushes, and Climate Change: A Survival Story | West Virginia Public Broadcasting
by Duane 22 Oct '14

22 Oct '14

http://wvpublic.org/post/wild-ginseng-wood-thrushes-and-climate-change-surv… Wild Ginseng, Wood Thrushes, and Climate Change: A Survival Story By Glynis Board, WV Public Broadcasting, October 21, 2014 Some researchers at West Virginia University have discovered that wild ginseng—a native and valuable medicinal plant—could be using specific birds to catch a ride into climates for which it’s better suited. Eberly Professor of Biology at WVU, Jim McGraw, has been studying ginseng from every angle for 18 years. A simple question lead McGraw and researchers Amy Hruska and Sara Souther to ask other questions, which is lead them to discover an ecological survival story. STUDY 1: Fruit Why does ginseng bear bright red berries? “When a plant evolves fleshy fruit like that, it usually means there’s some kind of animal interaction going on, but we had no idea what that was,” said McGraw. So all around wild fruiting ginseng cameras were set, and for three years tripped by the occasional raccoon, opossum, mouse, or turkey. But there was one pretty regular visitor: the Wood Thrush, (a cousin of the Robin, actually, but with superior vocal abilities on account of a double-set of vocal chords!). McGraw says after analyzing some 900 photos, they discovered the thrushes were in fact seduced by the bright red ginseng berries. STUDY 2: A Seed Study How do seeds survive the thrushes, or do they? McGraw and researcher Amy Hruska found out there were captive thrushes living at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, and convinced the good folks there to let them feed ginseng berries to the birds. Video actually shows regurgitation of seed. The researchers observed that the birds would eat the whole berry but 5 to 30 minutes later… “They would actually sit on a branch and start flipping their bills together and a seed would pop out,” McGraw said, “And they were completely viable seeds.” So the research team found ginseng’s wild seed dispensers! STUDY 3: Thrush Tracking Where and how far do the thrushes wander? …This study is underway… Understanding thrush activity is the latest query commanding attention in the larger effort to study a threatened and valuable plant. Wild populations are increasingly rare. We know overharvesting, deer browsing, and loss of habitat are major reasons for declines. But McGraw thinks this thrush research might shed light on another threat to wild ginseng populations. “Wood thrushes, as common as they are, have actually declined by 50 percent over the last fifty years,” McGraw said. “They’re one of the poster children for major songbird decline in the Eastern deciduous forest.” Losing so many birds is very troubling because ginseng populations may well rely on thrushes not only to help disperse their seeds, but also to help them adapt to a changing climate. Wild ginseng’s range stretches from eastern Canada south through the eastern United States. But genetically, those ginseng populations vary and over ages have adapted to their specific regions. McGaw suspect thrushes will play an important role in helping ginseng survive by helping it migrate from their warming regions into cooler climates. If the birds themselves can survive. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Acquire 2 New Wildli - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather
by Duane 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

http://www.wboy.com/story/26745321/west-virginia-division-of-natural-resour… West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Acquire 2 New Wildlife Management Areas >Thursday, October 9, 2014 The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has acquired two new wildlife management areas in Preston County. “These new public lands will provide outdoor enthusiasts with additional opportunities for hunting, trapping, fishing and other wildlife-related activities. In addition, these WMAs contain important habitat types and unique wildlife species which, under the management of the Wildlife Resources Section, can be responsibly conserved into the future,” said Curtis Taylor, chief of the DNR Wildlife Resource Section in a news release. Cheat Canyon Wildlife Management Area and Fairfax Pond - Rehe Wildlife Management Area are the two areas. The Cheat Canyon Wildlife Management area can be accessed by Beech Run Road from the south and by County Route 14/4 from the north. The Fairfax Pond - Rehe near Reedsville can be accessed by State Route 92 on Arthur Road (County Route 92/1) and Dogtown Road (County Route 56/2). Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Firefighters Fight Blaze at Bio Diesel Refinery on Old Stewartst - WBOY.com: Clarksburg, Morgantown: News, Sports, Weather
by Duane 09 Oct '14

09 Oct '14

http://www.wboy.com/story/26683600/firefighters-fight-blaze-at-bio-diesel-r… Firefighters Fight Blaze at Bio Diesel Refinery on Old Stewartstown Road >Thursday, October 2, 2014 Fire crews responded to a fire at a bio diesel refinery Wednesday in Monongalia County. According to Mecca 911 dispatchers, it happened around 8:30 p.m. on Old Stewartstown Road. The fire closed down the road for a little more than three hours as crews battled the blaze. The owner was processing a batch of bio diesel when the fire ignited. The owner said he saw a fire ball, ran out and began turning off propane tanks. There was approximately 800 to 900 gallons of cooking oils and bio diesel in the fire, said the Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department. Firefighters were able to control the fire from approaching an adjacent building which contained approximately 4,000 to 5,000 gallons of unprocessed oil. The refinery generates approximately 300 gallons of bio diesel every 12 hours, said the Cheat Lake VFD. The DEP was notified about the fire. The Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department is investigating. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535. www.FrackCheckWV.net

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Blackwater River of the Cheat Watershed
by Duane 22 Sep '14

22 Sep '14

Friday, September 19, 2014 About 23,000 fish killed in Blackwater mistake DAVIS, W.Va. — An estimated 23,000 fish were killed when an automated pollution control system dumped too much hydrated lime into the Blackwater River in Tucker county, state officials said Friday. “It is a lot of fish,” said Bret Preston, fisheries chief with the state Division of Natural Resources. “It would be in the moderate to severe range.” Preston said DNR officials are still investigating exactly what went wrong with the automated system that controls the liming station, which is just upstream from Davis and is used to reduce acid pollution in the river. According to Preston, DNR officials set up four sampling stations on a nearly two-mile stretch of the river down to Blackwater Falls. They found 1,917 dead fish, mostly minnows and darters, but also several trout and smallmouth bass. “That’s not uncommon, to have most of those killed be small, nongame fish,” Preston said. Using common expansion factors, DNR officials estimated that their sample indicated about 23,000 fish in all were killed. Preston said DNR officials did find live fish, and that the pH levels in the river were going back to normal. For now, though, the liming station is shut down until DNR finishes its investigation of the incident, Preston said. - See more at:http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20140919/GZ01/140919148/1419#sthash.Rbm…

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Warburg Pincus and Antero Resources back Cheat Canyon Conservation
by Duane 15 Sep '14

15 Sep '14

http://www.pehub.com/2014/09/warburg-pincus-and-antero-resources-back-cheat… Warburg Pincus and Antero Resources back Cheat Canyon Conservation From an Article by Angela Sormani, Reuters News Service, September 15, 2014 More than $7 million has been raised to back the conservation of Cheat Canyon in West Virginia. Private funding included $2.6 million from the estate of Charlotte Ryde and a combined gift of $1 million from Warburg Pincus and Antero Resources. PRESS RELEASE The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources – allies in the permanent conservation of West Virginia’s Cheat Canyon – gathered today with funding partners and the community to celebrate this conservation success story and participate in the dedication of the canyon to the people of West Virginia. More than $7 million has been raised to preserve the canyon, an achievement celebrated by the conservationists, whitewater enthusiasts, business leaders, government officials and community members at the event. The public-private partnership that made the project a reality includes: • Private funding provided through generous gifts to The Nature Conservancy, including $2.6 million from the estate of Charlotte Ryde and a combined gift of $1 million from Warburg Pincus and Antero Resources. This $1 million gift from Warburg Pincus and Antero Resources enabled this project to move forward at a critical time. • A package of public grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and the West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund, as well as mitigation dollars. West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin stood high over the canyon at the popular overlook at Coopers Rock State Forest and formally welcomed the public to the Cheat Canyon Wildlife Management Area. Located upstream of Coopers Rock, with more than 3,800 acres of remote canyon forest surrounding seven miles of roaring whitewater, the Mountain State’s newest natural area helps to conserve: • most of the canyon not already included in Coopers Rock State Forest and Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area, and the spectacular view that people enjoy from Coopers Rock; • a section of river that has been called one of the most “ecologically intact” in the Central Appalachians by The Nature Conservancy, due to the absence of dams and the river’s connection to well-forested headwaters; • public access to seven miles of the 330-mile Allegheny Trail, which had been re-routed away from the canyon after it was closed by a previous owner – a resource for hikers, bird-watchers and other outdoor enthusiasts; • nearly all of the Cheat River used for whitewater rafting and kayaking, from put-in to take-out, rim to rim, protecting the water quality and the view for the benefit of users; and • fishing opportunities for smallmouth bass, as well as hunting opportunities for deer, turkey, bear and squirrel. “The conservation efforts we celebrate today are a result of the decades of work and millions of dollars in investments from those in our local communities, public agencies and conservation groups,” Gov. Tomblin said. “When we work together to support these public-private partnerships, we are providing further opportunities to create areas for West Virginians to enjoy all of the natural beauty our state has to offer.” Cheat Canyon is a deep gorge through which the Cheat River flows from Rowlesburg in Preston County, on its way to Cheat Lake in Monongalia County, not far from Morgantown. Known mostly as a whitewater hotspot, the Cheat River draws tourists from throughout the Eastern U.S. And a warm water fishery continues to make a remarkable recovery as water quality issues upstream are addressed. Cheat Canyon also is significant because of its rich diversity of plants and animals – from black bear and bobcat in its forests to uncommon bats and green salamanders in its caves to large-flowered Barbara’s buttons along the river. More than ten endangered, threatened, or globally rare species occur in the Canyon, including the flat-spired three-toothed land snail, which exists nowhere else on earth, and the Indiana bat, both protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. Duane Nichols, Cell- 304-216-5535, www.FrackCheckWV.net

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