February Full Moon Rising Over Sangre de Cristo Mountains
The February full moon rising this evening over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is typically called a snow moon named after the winter snow that usually blankets the ground. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
Read More
PEEC’s March Naturalist Kits Available To Explore Animal Tracks & Signs Of Wildlife – Place Orders By 9 P.M. Sunday
Explore local animal tracks and signs of wildlife in PEEC’s March Naturalist Kit. Order by 9 p.m., Sunday at peecnature.org/events, pick up kits March 1 at the Nature Center or have it delivered. Courtesy/PEEC
Explore animal tracks and signs of wildlife in PEEC’s March Naturalist Kit. Courtesy/PEEC
PEEC News:
Help your child learn about the natural world while playing outside. Sign up now to receive the Pajarito Environmental Education Center’s (PEEC) Nature Playtime Naturalist Kit for March.
The theme for March’s kit is animal tracks and signs of wildlife and registration closes at 9 p.m. Read More
Male Lyrebirds Create ‘Acoustic Illusion’ To Snare Mates
Male Superb Lyrebird. Photo by Alex Maisey
Cornell Lab of Ornithology News:
ITHACA, NY — Famous for their uncanny ability to imitate other birds and even mechanical devices, researchers find that Australia’s Superb Lyrebird also uses that skill in a totally unexpected way.
Lyrebirds imitate the panicked alarm calls of a mixed-species flock of birds while males are courting and even while mating with a female. These findings are published in the journal Current Biology.
“The male Superb Lyrebird creates a remarkable acoustic illusion,” said Anastasia Dalziell, a Cornell Lab of Ornithology Read More
LANL: Floodplain Statement Of New Findings With Project At Technical Area 39 At Los Alamos National Laboratory
LANL News:
Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) Los Alamos Field Office has issued a Floodplain Statement of Findings for the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Project at Technical Area 39 at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos County (Statement of Findings) based on the February 2021 Floodplain Assessment.
DOE/NNSA’s Proposed Action is the replacement of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit approximately 50 feet north of structure 39-0097 on a currently paved area at Los Alamos National Laboratory Read More
LANL: Beaufort Sea Freshwater Threatens Arctic, Climate
Dye tracer released from the Beaufort Gyre region of the western Artic Ocean indicates freshwater transport through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago into the western Labrador Sea, causing freshening there. Courtesy/Francesca Samsel and Greg Abram (University of Texas at Austin)
LANL News:
The Beaufort Sea, the Arctic Ocean’s largest freshwater reservoir, has increased its freshwater content by 40 percent over the last two decades, putting global climate patterns at risk.
A rapid release of this freshwater into the Atlantic Ocean could wreak havoc on the delicate climate balance that Read More
Educational Turkey Vulture ‘Beauty’ Lands Role In New Mexico Film Production ‘Cop Shop’ In Albuquerque
‘Beauty’ and her handler Maggie Stein on the set of ‘Cop Shop’ in Albuquerque. Courtesy/NMFO
NMFO News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico film industry makes a positive impact both on and off the screen for New Mexico. Take the story of “Beauty”, a regal Turkey Vulture, under the care of New Mexico wildlife non-profit Hawks Aloft. The New Mexico production Cop Shop partnered with New Mexico wildlife non-profit Hawks Aloft to utilize Beauty in the production while agreeing to raise awareness for the vulture species.
Beauty recently made a guest appearance on the set of the contemporary action-thriller
Daily Postcard: Colorful Sunset Descends Over Golf Course
Daily Postcard: Colorful sunset falls Wednesday over Los Alamos County Golf Course. Photo by Jenn Donley Read More
LANL: A look Into Mysteries Of Proton Structure And Dynamics Of Antiquarks And Gluons
A new paper out in Nature describes unusual results from the E-906/SeaQuest experiment, showing that distributions of antiquarks are significantly different than expected, with more abundant ‘down’ type antimatter quarks than ‘up’ antimatter quarks. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
- Physics experiment explores antimatter asymmetry
A complex high-energy nuclear physics experiment, aiming to measure the contributions of antiquarks to the structure of the proton and neutron, has produced results that are the opposite of what had previously been understood about proton structure and the Read More
Local Utility Tree Trimming Begins This Week
COUNTY News:
Under contract with the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities, Allied Tree Services is scheduled to trim select trees that are interfering with power lines at various locations throughout the Los Alamos townsite and White Rock.
Crews will begin work this week and will follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
According to department officials, the tree trimming effort is to reduce power outages by removing branches and trees growing either too close to power lines or posing a risk of falling on power lines.
Trimming trees coupled with an aggressive operation and maintenance program Read More
EndeavOR New Mexico Accomplishments And Milestones
This map shows statewide endeavOR membership distribution. Courtesy/endeavOR
endeavOR News:
Farmington — EndeavOR New Mexico, the state’s Outdoor Recreation (OR) business alliance, has announced that the nonprofit has reached key milestones and achieved major accomplishments since launching in August of 2020.
During the past six months, endeavOR has surpassed 115 members from around the state comprised of outdoor recreation businesses and organizations, chambers and economic development professionals, municipalities, tribes, state & federal agencies, students and Read More
New Mexico Environment Department Files Complaint Against DOE To Speed Clean-Up Of Legacy Waste, Terminate 2016 Consent Order At Los Alamos National Laboratory
NMED Cabinet Secretary James Kenney
NMED News:
…‘Non-compliance with 2016 Consent Order causing unacceptable delays, threatening public health and the environment’
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) filed a civil complaint in First Judicial District Court against the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for failing to make progress on clean-up of contamination as required by the 2016 Compliance Order on Consent (2016 Consent Order) at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).
NMED found the DOE Los Alamos Field Office’s 2021 Plan was inadequate due to a lack of substantive Read More
Gray Skies Blanket Los Alamos
Gray skies blanket Los Alamos viewed Feb. 17 from North Mesa Road. Photo by Jenn Bartram/ladailypost.com Read More
Daily Postcard: Frost Creates Window Art In Los Alamos
Recent frost forms art resembling fern leaves on this window in Los Alamos. Photo by Kathryn Willcutt
Frost forms lines resembling snowflakes recently on this window in Los Alamos. Photo by Kathryn Willcutt
Frost creates snowflake art on this window recently in Los Alamos. Photo by Kathryn Willcutt Read More
Raven Flees Scene With Beak Full Of Bread Crust
Weekly Fishing Report: Feb. 24, 2021
By GEORGE MORSE
Sports And Outdoors
Los Alamos Daily Post
The weather should get back to near normal temperatures now that the Polar Vortex has done its damage and moved along.
It did bring some much-needed snow to the mountains, but more is needed, forecasters are already warning farmers that their irrigation water could be in short supply later this year as rivers are forecast to dry up. Reservoir water levels remain extremely low and will not be able to provide much relief.
Several lakes will open for fishing Monday, March 1, in Northeast New Mexico. Maxwell Lake 13 on the Maxwell Lakes National Read More
Daily Postcard: Sandhill Cranes, Contrail And Moon
Daily Postcard: A flock of sandhill cranes spotted flying in front of a contrail and the moon in the sky Saturday afternoon above White Rock. Photo by Nancy Ann Hibbs Read More
Daily Postcard: Sun Rising In Sky Above White Rock
Daily Postcard: View of the sun rising in the sky Friday over White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen Read More
Survey Indicates Community, DPU Agree On Goals
DPU Manager Philo Shelton
By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
During a strategic planning session held in October, the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) established new environmental goals. However, would the community support these news goals?
To get the answer, a survey was conducted in December and its results were presented to BPU in January.
During an interview with the Los Alamos Daily Post Feb. 17, Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Manager Philo Shelton explained what the new environmental goals are:
- Reach carbon neutrality in electric power by 2040.
Bull Makes It Across N.M. 4 Without Incident
A bull saunters across the curve of N.M. 4 recently between the White Rock Y and Truck Route. He actually made it to the other side without colliding with a car or truck. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com Read More
Sand Hill Cranes Soaring Above White Rock
Sand hill cranes in perfect formation Saturday flying over White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen
Sand hill cranes creating two V formations Saturday over White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen
Sand hill cranes crossing V formations overhead Saturday in White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen
Sand Hill cranes perfect large V formation overhead Saturday in White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen
Sand hill cranes almost create what looks like a bird Saturday over White Rock. Photo by Dave Lannen Read More