Latest news with #EarthDay-themed
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Drone dumps a million baby clams in Grant-Valkaria to help cleanse Indian River Lagoon
Can a few good drones and a billion "super clams" save the Indian River Lagoon? Maybe not all by themselves, but these shellfish ways are well worth a try, according to the Indian River Lagoon Billion Clam Initiative, spearheaded by the Coastal Conservation Association Florida, a nonprofit sportfishing and marine advocacy group. A drone hovered above the lagoon in Grant-Valkaria Friday to spread 'super-clam cluster bombs' in hopes to seed a once natural defense mechanism long lost from a lagoon that's been under ecological assault for decades. Friday's drone-clam deployment was part of ongoing Earth Day-themed efforts by CCA, Duke Energy Florida, marine-products company Star brite and other conservation partners. It was a kickoff event to a weekend-long Clean Water Collective, a community conservation event. In total, they plan to deploy 4 million clams throughout the weekend. The effort continues the so-called Billion Clam Initiative, a large-scale effort led by CCA Florida in partnership with the University of Florida Whitney Laboratory and Capt. Blair Wiggins. The project, which began in 2017, uses state-of-the-art technology to deploy clams in effort to improve water quality and restore ecological balance throughout the lagoon. To date, the initiative — with the hovering help of clam-dumping drones — has put 49 million clams in the lagoon. Last year, CCA joined scientists at Hog Point, south of Melbourne Beach, to spread 3 million clams in the lagoon. For every $1 donated to the initiative, 100 clams are released in the lagoon. To help kick start the initiative, CCA Florida and the Duke Energy Mariculture Center donated $100,000 in October 2023. Clams are filter feeders that remove algae and excess nutrients from coastal waters. They can also help to blunt waves, lessening shoreline erosion. Whatever genes it takes to survive our collective waste, these clams seem to have the right stuff. They are, in the words of one researcher, "super clams." These clams would make Darwin proud. University of Florida researchers began to put the earliest batches of super clams in the lagoon at River Rocks restaurant off U.S. 1 in 2020. Todd Osborne, a biochemist at UF, had searched far and wide in the lagoon for clams with the genetic "right stuff" to survive the estuary's harsher conditions — made harsher by decades of overfertilizing, leaky septic tanks, sewer systems and stormwater runoff. He searched throughout the 156-mile-long lagoon for any clams that survived the recent years of severe algal blooms until finally striking shellfish gold several years ago: one pocket of crazy-tough clams in southern Mosquito Lagoon, where he harvested 39 palm-sized clams. They were about eight years old. A clam typically lives about 15 years According to some scientists, these bivalve superheroes could be a key to helping restore the lagoon and help solve the problem of one of Florida's worst man-made environmental messes. Our sewage, fertilizer and runoff fuels algae for clams and oysters to feed on, and despite dips in the lagoon's salt and oxygen levels and thick mats of seafoam, the baby clams transplanted from the hardy lineages in Mosquito Lagoon to a lab, then back to less healthy parts of the lagoon, are providing glimmers of hope that the "super clams" could join an army of other filter feeders to help cleanse the ailing estuary. Most local clammers stopped making a decent living in the lagoon more than three decades ago. Theories vary as to why. Some blamed the economy, others state rules that were too expensive to follow and/or all the new homes, roads and resulting runoff. But researchers point more to prolonged periods of extremes: droughts or periods when heavy rains dumping too much fresh water into the lagoon for too long. Waymer covers the environment. Reach him at (321) 261-5903 or jwaymer@ Follow him on X at @JWayEnviro. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Drones seed clams in Indian River Lagoon
Daily Tribune
23-04-2025
- General
- Daily Tribune
Bhavans - BIS commemorates Earth Day
In honour of Earth Day, Bhavans Bahrain Indian School (BIS) hosted a school-wide celebration on April 22nd , engaging students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 in a vibrant day of learning, reflection, and creativity aimed at promoting environmental awareness and action. Classrooms and hallways came alive as students across grades collaborated to create stunning Earth Day-themed board decorations. Science teachers across the school conducted engaging presentations and interactive sessions, enlightening students about climate change, renewable energy, the dangers of plastic pollution, and everyday steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint. Adding a heartwarming touch to the celebration were inspiring stories of environmental change shared by students and staff. In another interactive segment, the 'Wheel of Plantation' added an element of excitement, selecting lucky classes to plant saplings as part of BIS's ongoing green initiative. Reflecting on the celebration, BIS Directors Himanshu Verma and Ritu Verma remarked, 'Let us embrace the journey towards conscientious living. Every action we take, no matter how small, contributes to a positive impact. Through our collective efforts, we strive for a brighter, greener future.' Principal Sajj Jacob added, 'Let us be mindful of our choices and the influence they have in shaping a sustainable world for generations to come.'
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Earth Day 2025: Student artwork decorates the globe-shaped Sphere in Las Vegas
Earth Day 2025: Student artwork decorates the globe-shaped Sphere in Las Vegas Las Vegas students from elementary schools to UNLV competed to have their Earth Day-themed artwork displayed on the massive Sphere's Exosphere. Eight lucky winners got their wish on April 22. Show Caption Hide Caption Las Vegas Sphere displays winners of student artwork challenge Eight students were selected and awarded prizes as part of the second annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge. The Sphere in Las Vegas gets some homegrown imagery for Earth Day. Eight local students – all winners of the Second Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge – will have their art creations displayed on the mammoth installation's Exosphere throughout the summer, starting the night of April 22. Students from Clark County elementary, middle and high schools and from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas collectively submitted thousands of Earth Day-themed artworks for the chance to be displayed on Sphere. From those, more than 100 were entered into an online public vote, from which four winners were selected. Four additional winners were chosen by a panel of artists. "It feels so cool. Like, out of this world cool! It's super exciting that my art is going to be on Sphere," said Leena Luu, a fifth-grader at Lucille S. Rogers Elementary School, who wants to pursue a career in science, said in a news release. Her drawing of the Earth humanized the globe with a pair of pensive eyes. Las Vegas Sphere concerts: All the bands that are playing and how to get tickets Sphere Earth Day art contest rewards artists, their schools Winning elementary and middle school students get a $10,000 donation for their school's art program and tickets for their entire school to attend The Sphere Experience. The high school and UNLV winners get a $10,000 educational scholarship from Sphere. UNLV senior Gage Glass plans to use the scholarship prize towards tuition and a goal of graduating with a major in entertainment engineering and design and a minor in music technology. Glass created a verdant scene of mountains, fields, a massive tree and a river to showcase the four seasons. "It's quite incredible to have my art featured on the biggest canvas in the world after all this hard work and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it!" Glass said. For last year's contest, competitors created 4th of July-themed art to display on the Exosphere, which measures 580,000 square feet as the largest LED screen on Earth. This year, students were asked to create imagery with the theme of Earth Day. In addition to the fan vote, held during March to select four of the eight winners, another four were selected by a panel of artists including Shepard Fairey and Jen Stark, both of whom have designed art to appear on the Exosphere. "The Exosphere is an impactful platform for public art and nearly a quarter of a million votes were cast in this year's Challenge in support of the talented young student artists in our Las Vegas community," said Rich Constable, Sphere's global head of government affairs and social impact, in a statement. "We are proud to collaborate with CCSD (Clark County School District) and UNLV on this important initiative and we encourage all participants to continue to pursue their interests in the arts, science and technology." Mike Snider is a reporter on USA TODAY's Trending team. You can follow him on Threads, Bluesky, X and email him at mikegsnider & @ & @mikesnider & msnider@
CBS News
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Franklin Square in Philadelphia welcomes spring with Opening Day celebration full of family fun
Spring has officially arrived in the city, and families flocked to Franklin Square on Saturday to celebrate the park's spring Opening Day with music, crafts and plenty of sunshine. The event drew hundreds of children and their parents, many of whom joined in a pop-up dance party. Six-year-old Amelia Hammill especially enjoyed playing bubble tag. "It's fun!" she said. Her father, Matt Hammill, was grateful for the chance to enjoy the outdoors after a long, cold stretch. "Spring's finally here, and we finally got some good weather and get to have them out here and exercise and have some fun," he said. Just steps away from the dance party, little ones lined up with baskets in hand for the Hop-Along Trail, a colorful Easter egg stroll that ended with a chance to take a picture with the Easter bunny. Amy Needle, president and CEO of Historic Philadelphia — the organization behind the event — helped guide kids down the path and said the spring reopening is a special moment each year. "We're thrilled that spring feels like it's finally here! This is Franklin Square's time," she said. Four-year-old Grant Miles was among the young visitors who found joy in more than just the candy. After scooping up some treats, he ran toward the seasonal celebrity. "Good to see you, Easter Bunny!" he said. The event also included Earth Day-themed activities, with children making nature-inspired crafts such as paper birds and flowers. Families also took advantage of the park's classic attractions — playing rounds of mini golf, riding the historic carousel and pausing to take in the season's first fountain show. For those who missed the day's festivities, Zoey Lee had a simple review: "I would tell them it looks cool!"
