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<TD class=hed2>El Nino's not the only weather maker </TD></TR>
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<TD class=hed4>Also: It's time for educators to apply for Wildlife Action grants </TD></TR></TD></TR>
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<DIV class=Byline>By BOB WASHBURN<BR>For the Monitor<BR></DIV>
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<!--Note: PublishedDate does NOT use an object file so we put a <span> here--><SPAN class=dateforstories>January 21. 2007 10:02AM</SPAN> <BR><BR></TD></TR>
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<TD class=dropcap vAlign=top>M</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>ild winter temperatures in New Hampshire and snow in Malibu, is there a responsible party to blame here? </P>
<P>If you said El Nino, you can go to the head of the class. Most people have heard something about the weather influence of El Nino and La Nina, but I bet that unless you are as fascinated by weather as I am, you never heard of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) or the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). </P>
<P>El Nino and La Nina are present at the equatorial band of the Pacific Ocean. When it's warm, it's called El Nino and when it's cold, it's called La Nina. The warming and cooling is accomplished by trade winds. When the trade winds subside, the water warms; when the trade winds increase, they have a cooling effect. Technically it is known as El Nino/Southern Oscillation ENSO. ENSO has up to an 18-month cycle and affects weather worldwide. Six months ago, a mild warming El Nino trend was detected, foretelling a mild winter. </P>
<P>There are two other influences that affect weather. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) appears to mostly influence Alaska. The range of the PDO is 10 to 20 years. The Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) is the more fascinating of the two and lasts from 20 to 60 years. </P>
<P>A recent study links the AMO to western wildfires. It seems when water temperature in the AMO increase, forest fires in the west increase, and when temperatures decline, the incidence of forest fires declines. Scientists were able to correlate tree rings from forest fires to recorded patterns of the AMO. </P>
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<TD><NOSCRIPT><A href="http://cmads.sv.publicus.com/apps/OAMS.dll/link/CM001/MEDIUMRECTANGLE/SPORTS/30065786452100360/1007/-/;IDN=1325114073;Type=3" target=_blank><IMG alt="" src="http://cmads.sv.publicus.com/apps/OAMS.dll/img/CM001/MEDIUMRECTANGLE/SPORTS/30065786452100360/1007/-/;IDN=1325114073;Type=3" border=0></A> </NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV><SPAN>How the AMO and El Nino affect our weather awaits further scientific study, but it is known that at times they complement each other, making the effects stronger. Some are claiming the AMO masks the effects of global warming during the periods of temperature decline and makes it worse when there is temperature increase. </SPAN>
<P>• • q </P>
<P>The first three months of the year allow for night hunting for coyotes, the rest of the year it is strictly during daylight hours. Montana allows for 'round-the-clock coyote hunting year round. Last weekend, Baker, Mont. - a tiny but thriving community of 1,700 - held its annual coyote calling contest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates coyotes caused $47 million in damages to the cattle industry and $10 million to the sheep industry. So you can imagine that those involved with raising sheep or cattle would be supporting such an event. The surprise reaction was kind of mixed. Shooters were organized into three-man teams with strict rules. There was also a requirement for written landowner permission. </P>
<P>If the thought behind the contest was to thin coyote numbers, it never works. In reality, over time the coyotes will replace the number taken with new coyotes. They live in numbers that will be supported by habitat. For sheer numbers, the Department of Agriculture shoots, poisons, traps or otherwise destroys 80,000 coyotes a year on public and private land. A total pool of some 200 entrants were expected, which made for a potential pool of $8,000. Baker has yet to post the results. </P>
<P>• • q </P>
<P>It is time once again for teachers interested in starting wildlife habitat projects to apply to the Homes for Wildlife Action Grant Program at NH Fish and Game. The program provides mini-grants up to $300 or $600 with matching funds for projects allowing students and educators to enhance habitat for people and wildlife. </P>
<P>The Homes for Wildlife Action Grant Program is designed to support student environmental action that can be measured in acres improved or protected for wildlife. Activities can include hands-on schoolyard or community habitat improvement or projects that influence community attitudes about maintaining or protecting wildlife habitat. </P>
<P>The grant program is funded by the Conservation License Plate fund, through the Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Program at Fish and Game. Each applicant may request up to $300 or up to $600 if a dollar-for-dollar match can be provided by the school or organization for any amount over the initial $300. A match is not required for the first $300. </P>
<P>To apply for a grant you must be a Project Home facilitator; teacher and educators trained in Project Wild; or any teacher with a member of one of these programs on a project team. </P>
<P>Examples of past projects funded by Wildlife Action Grants include: Berlin High School installed 10 bat boxes along the Dead River and planted grasses for vegetative cover in runoff areas; St. Anthony's School in Manchester used its grant to initiate "Wildlife in the City," a bird and pollinator garden with native and ornamental plants, feeders and feeding stations; at Concord's Beaver Meadow School, students established four pollinator gardens using seeds and young plants that host butterflies and other insects and birds. They also replaced six invasive burning bushes with appropriate native plants. </P>
<P>The contact person for this program is Marilyn Wyzga, Public Affairs Division at Fish and Game. Email her at mwyzga@wildlife.state.nh.us or call 271-3211. </P>
<P>• • q </P>
<P>I would be sadly remiss if I didn't mention the unfortunate passing of former mayor David Coeyman. Dave was an exceptional individual and a long-time friend. One of the projects we labored on was keeping the Broken Ground in its current state of being undeveloped broken ground. </P>
<P>It was on a dark and stormy night that the Golden Bear, Jack Nicholas, was due to unveil his design for an 18-hole golf course that would forever change the footprint of this undeveloped part of the city. Storms cancelled Nicholas's arrival. </P>
<P>Broken Ground earned its name by its many granite ledge outcroppings, swamps and other natural impediments that make hiking it a real challenge if you stray off certain trails. The city owns several large sections of land in the Broken Ground and I can think of no better memorial than to name one of the parcels after Coeymen. This action would help remind those who are using the area for recreational purposes of the man who helped keep part of the Broken Ground in a natural state. </P>
<P><I><B>(Bob Washburn can be reached at hunterscorner@aol.com.)</B></I> </P><!-- AGE OF ARTICLE -->This article is: 2 days old. <!-- AGE OF ARTICLE --></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
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<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12">Laurie Davies Adams<BR>Executive Director<BR>Coevolution Institute<BR>423 Washington St. 5th<BR>San Francisco, CA 94111<BR>415 362 1137<BR>LDA@coevolution.org<BR><A title=http://www.coevolution.org/ href="http://www.coevolution.org/">http://www.coevolution.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><A title=http://www.pollinator.org/ href="http://www.pollinator.org/">http://www.pollinator.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><A title=http://www.nappc.org/ href="http://www.nappc.org/">http://www.nappc.org/</A></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><BR></FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#000000 size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10">Bee Ready for National Pollinator Week: June 24-30, 2007. Contact us <BR>for more information at www.pollinator.org </FONT><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#004000 size=3 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="12"><BR><BR><B><I>Our future flies on the wings of pollinators.</B></I></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>