On February 23, 1879, British botanist Agnes Arber was born. From her mid-teens through early career, she was able to spend time assisting plant morphologist Ethel Sargant from whom she acquired her research interest and style of investigation. Arber taught at University College, London,…
On February 1, 1811, Bell Rock Lighthouse shone its first mirrored light. On this first night, its light could be seen for over 24 km (15 mi). This is remarkable to imagine since the light originated from a single argand oil lamp with a…
On November 3, 1854, Dr. Jokichi Takamine was born in Japan. His special strengths in languages and science steered him through programs in medical school and chemistry. Along with studies at the University of Glasgow in technology and work experiences in both Japan and…
The Second Weekends of May and October are events observed twice each year as World Migratory Bird Day to focus world attention on the need to protect migratory bird populations, their habitats, and their international flyways. Through exchanges of information from people within and…
On March 8, 1712, English physician and naturalist John Fothergill was born. At the University of Edinburgh, Fothergill moved from studying to become an apothecary to studying medicine, graduating as a doctor. After being licensed to practice in London, he distinguished himself during city…
On February 9, 1865, American photographer and pioneering weather scientist Wilson Alwyn Bentley was born. After experiencing the Vermont winter snows for almost two decades, Bentley followed his passion for capturing the beauty of snowflakes for others to share. He managed to figure out…
On February 5, 1947, American astronaut Mary L. Cleave was born. Plant and soil sciences intrigued her as she grew up. She specialized in microbial ecology then concerned herself with what might be possible if she could apply scientific and engineering principles to the…
On January 13, 1957, Wham-O began production of its “Pluto Platters”, the plastic flying dish today called a Frisbee™. Invented by Fred Morrison, the lightweight and elegant airfoil becomes a vehicle of remarkable precision in the hands of a skilled hurler. Inspired by pie…
On October 5, 1911, botanist, educator, and ecologist Pierre Mackay Dansereau, CC GOQ FRSC, was born in Montréal. A working botanist-theorist, he developed defining insights into ecology through a lifetime of field research from the Alps to the Arctic and teaching at 20 universities…
On September 18, 2023, the Slumgullion Earthflow continues moving downhill from Mesa Seco… a slow, thousand-year-old journey! Produced in tectonic activity, the San Juan Mountains formed tens of millions of years ago in southwest Colorado. As climate altered the volcanic residue in the Mesa…
