Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Climes They Are A-Changin'...
How will our changing global climate affect Grand Portage?
This is a question that we in the Environmental and Natural Resources departments are trying to answer. Notice that it is no longer a question of if the climate is changing but how much and how fast. The people that know are the ones that are out in the woods and on the waters every day; hunters, fishermen, foresters, gatherers, resource professionals, and anyone else that enjoys being outside and can observe nature. Elders are a particularly good source of information on how plant and animal communities are changing.
I am only in my forties and I have seen major changes in the local climate and ecology. One example is the ice cover on Grand Portage Bay. Back in the 1970's I would watch as great blocks of ice were sawed from the bay, loaded onto trucks parked on the ice, and put up in sawdust to last the summer. The bay would freeze early in winter and stay frozen for weeks. Now the bay hardly freezes long enough to create ice safe enough to skate or snowmobile on, much less park a truck. Recent research at UMD has shown that Lake Superior is warming very rapidly and ice cover is decreasing. Another example is how more southern animals that were unheard of or uncommon here in previous decades are becoming regular sightings. Now we are seeing cardinals, raccoons, wood ticks, and more. I have even heard about opossums being found up near Bemidji and armadillos in Illinois. It is not so much higher daytime high temperatures that are allowing this northward migration as lack of cold enough low temperatures for long enough periods.
More worrying is the plight of our local moose population. Grand Portage is on the southern edge of moose range, and we are already seeing increases in moose mortality. Moose become stressed if summer temperatures get too high, which leaves them less time to forage and build up strength for winter, which leads to them being more vulnerable to winter ticks and predation by wolves. We are monitoring the health and numbers of our moose closely.
Climate change will be a recurring theme on this blog, since it is one of the biggest challenges we and our fellow species face right now. If you know of anyone, particularly elders, who have stories about how the climate is changing and how it used to be please send me an e-mail at soberg@boreal.org or call me at the Trust Lands office - 218-475-2415 ex 35.
This is a question that we in the Environmental and Natural Resources departments are trying to answer. Notice that it is no longer a question of if the climate is changing but how much and how fast. The people that know are the ones that are out in the woods and on the waters every day; hunters, fishermen, foresters, gatherers, resource professionals, and anyone else that enjoys being outside and can observe nature. Elders are a particularly good source of information on how plant and animal communities are changing.
I am only in my forties and I have seen major changes in the local climate and ecology. One example is the ice cover on Grand Portage Bay. Back in the 1970's I would watch as great blocks of ice were sawed from the bay, loaded onto trucks parked on the ice, and put up in sawdust to last the summer. The bay would freeze early in winter and stay frozen for weeks. Now the bay hardly freezes long enough to create ice safe enough to skate or snowmobile on, much less park a truck. Recent research at UMD has shown that Lake Superior is warming very rapidly and ice cover is decreasing. Another example is how more southern animals that were unheard of or uncommon here in previous decades are becoming regular sightings. Now we are seeing cardinals, raccoons, wood ticks, and more. I have even heard about opossums being found up near Bemidji and armadillos in Illinois. It is not so much higher daytime high temperatures that are allowing this northward migration as lack of cold enough low temperatures for long enough periods.
More worrying is the plight of our local moose population. Grand Portage is on the southern edge of moose range, and we are already seeing increases in moose mortality. Moose become stressed if summer temperatures get too high, which leaves them less time to forage and build up strength for winter, which leads to them being more vulnerable to winter ticks and predation by wolves. We are monitoring the health and numbers of our moose closely.
Climate change will be a recurring theme on this blog, since it is one of the biggest challenges we and our fellow species face right now. If you know of anyone, particularly elders, who have stories about how the climate is changing and how it used to be please send me an e-mail at soberg@boreal.org or call me at the Trust Lands office - 218-475-2415 ex 35.
Monday, July 7, 2008
A Little About Myself
This post is from July, 2008 - for current posts click here
I suppose I should give everyone a little background information about me.
I am an enrolled member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa(Anishinaabe), and grew up here on the Grand Portage reservation. I spent a lot of time out on Lake Superior with my dad, who was a captain on the Grand Portage - Isle Royale route.
I have always loved the outdoors, and when an opportunity to return to school and study at Prescott College presented itself I knew I had to take it. Prescott is a great school for environmental studies as it is very field-oriented and gave me a chance to do hands on science in a variety of ecosystems. The school has a field station in Kino Bay, Mexico on the Sea of Cortez where I took the photo of the two Orcas below (look for the juvenile's breath). I was also able to study Tropical Biology in Costa Rica, and other courses took me all over t
he western United States. I graduated with a BA in Natural History and Ecology in December of 2006.
Soon after graduation I returned home and as luck would have it a position as Air Quality Specialist opened up at the Grand Portage Environmental Department, and here I am. There has been a lot more to learn on the job, and I am constantly learning more as I go.
I suppose I should give everyone a little background information about me.
I am an enrolled member of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa(Anishinaabe), and grew up here on the Grand Portage reservation. I spent a lot of time out on Lake Superior with my dad, who was a captain on the Grand Portage - Isle Royale route.
I have always loved the outdoors, and when an opportunity to return to school and study at Prescott College presented itself I knew I had to take it. Prescott is a great school for environmental studies as it is very field-oriented and gave me a chance to do hands on science in a variety of ecosystems. The school has a field station in Kino Bay, Mexico on the Sea of Cortez where I took the photo of the two Orcas below (look for the juvenile's breath). I was also able to study Tropical Biology in Costa Rica, and other courses took me all over t
he western United States. I graduated with a BA in Natural History and Ecology in December of 2006.Soon after graduation I returned home and as luck would have it a position as Air Quality Specialist opened up at the Grand Portage Environmental Department, and here I am. There has been a lot more to learn on the job, and I am constantly learning more as I go.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Welcome To The Air Quality Blog!
This Post is from July, 2008. For the latest posts click this link.Boozhoo!
Welcome to the new Air Quality Blog. With it I hope to keep you informed about news and issues relating to outdoor air, indoor air problems, climate change, pollutants, and how these things can affect our health and the health of the ecosystem we depend on.
I will also be posting information on wind power and other alternative energy sources, and ways to conserve energy (and money) at home.
I am sure I will think of other interesting and entertaining things to post as I go along, and I welcome comments and suggestions for links, posts, etc.
miigwech!
Tribal Healthy Homes project targets indoor air quality
Grand Portage has changed a lot since this photo was taken in 1921. All of the homes pictured have long since been removed, replaced by newer homes that are now themselves seeing mold and other air quality issues affecting the health of our people.
Tribal Healthy Homes is a brand new program to improve air quality and the health of people living in your home or apartment. Funding is now available to identify mold and moisture problems, air quality and other health risks, and eliminate those problems from your home.
And Tribal Healthy Homes pays for all repairs done to your home! That’s right, there is no cost to participate, but you must contact us.
If your home has mold or other air quality issues you may qualify for this free program. Stuart Oberg, Grand Portage Air Quality Specialist, is waiting to hear from you. Projects will start the summer of 2008. To see if you qualify call Stuart at 475-2415 extension 35
or stop by Trust Lands at 27 Store Road.
The View from Home
NOTE: This post is from July 2008 - to see current posts click here.
If you just need a glimpse of Grand Portage simply click on this link to view our haze cam situated on top of the Grand Portage Community Center. The Haze Cam captures a new image every 15 minutes. This particular shot was taken at 10:30 AM on July 3, 2008.
The Grand Portage Haze Cam link also provides current weather conditions and constantly updates visibility and air quality information. Save it to your favorites.
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