- Author: Robert J Keiffer
If you have been following these posts, then you know that the Rod Shippey Education Facility and Field Lab is in mid-construction phase. Part of the mission and goal of the new building is to create a teaching tool in itself ... with incorporated examples of passive heating and cooling by design, the use of cedar siding milled from sustainable forests at the UC's Blodgett Forest, and by using reclaimed or recycled materials where possible.
Here you see Shawn Tibor, the UC Ag and Natural Resources (ANR) Director of Facilities, who specializes in architecture and construction, standing next to some huge reclaimed Douglas Fir timbers. These 14" x 14" timbers (and larger) were salvaged from the old Pacific Lumber Company buildings at Scotia CA by North Cal Wood Products Inc. and will be re-sawn to 10" x 10" x 23 feet for use at the "Shippey Building" construction site.
North Cal Wood Product's Inc. is donating 25% of all the material needed for the project. It is such donations that will bring this project to a completion so that the facility can be used by the entire North Coast community for years to come.
- Contributor: USGS Open-File Report 2011-1277 & Env.Science & Tech.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
The UC Hopland Research & Extension Center has one of two National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) sites in the UC system that weekly monitors precipitation quality. Using the structure of the NADP, the US Geological Survey (USGS) looked at numerous measurements of radionuclide wet depositions over North America from over 167 NADP sites before and after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Station incident of March 12, 2011. I am not sure if the UC-HREC CA-45 NADP site was one of the selected sample sites.
From the period of time from March 12 through April 5, 2011, wet-only precipitation samples were analyzed for fission-product isotopes, and variable amounts of Iodine 131, Cesium 134, and Cesium 137 were detected at about 21% of the sampled NADP sites. Radioactive iodine and cesium are often some of the largest contributors to human radiation doses after a nuclear reactor accident.
The bottom map shows NADP sites where the USGS detected 137 Cesium in rainwater samples. The dot size shows relative deposition amounts. Fallout amounts measured in these samples were well below any level of public concern.
Methods and results of the study are documented in USGS Open-File Report 2011-1277.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
Well, the weather gods have been favorable upon the construction project for the Rod Shippey Education Facility and Field Lab at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center. Unfortunately the lack of winter rains has HREC standing at 50% of normal rainfall for the year ... which is not very good for range forage production.
Progress continues on the new building, with much of the framing and roof sheathing done. Today the "Cross Parallam roof beams" are being set into place over the entrance lobby area.
These cross beams will support an inverted roof that will collect rainwater runoff and allow it to "dump" off each end where it can be collected for gray-water usage. The building design incorporates sustainability, resulting in an integrated design approach that teaches about the virtues of environmental stewardship on a daily basis.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
There are about 60 species of manzanitas in all, ranging from prostrate, ground-hugging species to small trees up to 16 feet tall. All belong to the genus Arctostaphylos and are in the family Ericaceae. The generic name is derived from arkto (meaning bear) and staphyle (meaning grape) most probably because of the American black bears' affinity to eating the berries in the fall.
Five species can be found at the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center ... they are: A.canescens (Hoary Manzanita), A.glandulosa (Eastwood manzanita), A.Manzanita (Common Manzanita), A.stanfordiana (Stanford manzanita), and A. viscida (white-leafed manzanita). One important rare subspecies also occurs here... the Sonoma Manzanita (A.c.sonomensis).
Being an early bloomer, the white or pinkish bell-shaped flowers can be found as early as January, and the flowers' nectar provides an important food source for over-wintering hummingbirds.
- Author: Robert J Keiffer
At the UC Hopland Research & Extension Center a native and dioecious plant occurs that has flowers concentrated in inflorescences which cascade downward. While the Fremont's Silk Tassel (Garrya fremontia) blooms in January and February, the male plants are much more showy, with gray-green catkins up to many centimeters in length.
In the family Garryaceae, there are six species that are native to California, and cultivars have been developed for use as a popular ornamental shrub. It was first introduced into cultivation as early as 1860. Its dark leathery evergreen leaves and long catkins that dangle like white or dull green tassels makes it popular amongst gardeners. The purple berry is consumed by numerous bird species.
Native to the Coast Ranges from southern Oregon to Santa Barbara, CA, it grows in rather barren soil from coastal zones to inland chaparral lands from 0 to 7500 feet elevation. Seeds of the genus were first collected in 1828 by David Douglas (of Douglas fir fame), but the generic name is after Nicholas Garry who was secretary of the Hudson's Bay Company. The common name and the specific epithet are derived from John C. Fremont.
