- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
On a chance encounter, Quincy Hansen of Arvada, Colo., and Noah Crockette of Sacramento, both recipients of the global Coleopterists Society's Youth Incentive Awards, recently met for the first time. Beetle mania reigned. Reigned supreme.
Quincy, 15, won the 2016 Coleopterists Society Award, junior category, and Noah, 18, won the 2015 Coleopterists Society Award, senior category. The society launched the awards program in 1989 “to recognize young people (grades 7-12) studying beetles.”
Quincy was at UC Davis to try out for a spot on the U.S. Under 16 National Football Team roster. “If I make the team, I'll be playing football internationally for the United States,” he related. “While I was at UC Davis, I wasn't going to miss the chance to check out the entomology department and the Bohart Museum, so I stopped by.”
Said Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator: “He knew all about Noah, so there was a little hero worship.”
Quincy, a 10th grader this fall at Faith Christian Academy High School, Arvada, submitted his successful grant proposal on “Survey of Coccinellidae of Adams County Colorado: Species Population Density, Seasonality, Weather Effects, Etc., Especially in Agricultural Areas.” He said his grant involves “seeing how they change throughout the summer in the presence of different variables.”
Noah's grant proposal was titled “Survey of the Dung Beetles of Stann Creek, Belize.”
Both Quincy and Noah have been interested in insects as long as they can remember.
Said Noah: “I have always been interested in bugs but my interest in entomology started in sixth grade. “I mostly became interested in insects through my internship at the Bohart and participating in the undergraduate UC Davis Entomology Club (open to all interested persons). Before then I had only known that I was interested in zoology and started going to the Ent Club after learning about it from talking to (UC Davis forensic entomologist and club advisor) Robert “Bob” Kimsey at UC Davis Picnic Day. After attending the club for awhile, Danielle Wishon (club president and entomology major) and Bob got me connected with the Bohart to start the internship from which my interest grew.”
Noah, a 2017 graduate of The Met Sacramento High School, plans to enroll in Cornell in the fall of 2018. “They gave me a one-year transfer contract so I am now spending a year at community college until I can go to Cornell in the fall of 2018,” he said. “I'm not sure exactly what I want to do career wise yet. I know for sure I want to major in entomology at Cornell. After that, I think that I would like to continue on with entomology and work in research. I also really love venom so I have also thought about going into venom research but would like to grow more familiar with it before considering it more.”
What are some of the things they've done, in and out of entomology?
Noah served as an intern for the past seven years at the Bohart Museum. He's collected insects twice in Belize on Bohart-affiliated collecting trips “where I was able to get field work experience in entomology as well as herpetology and ornithology.” The trips were led by Fran Keller, assistant professor, Folsom Lake College, and David Wyatt, an entomology professor at Sacramento City College. Keller, who holds a doctorate in entomology from UC Davis mentored Noah and showed him the ropes--along with the bugs, bats, butterflies, birds and frogs.
“My last trip to Belize was when I completed my Coleopterists Society project in which I designed and constructed 12 baited pitfall traps which I used to survey the dung beetle species on the property as well as determine their preferred bait, between human feces, pig feces, chicken manure, rotten chicken, and rotten fruit,” Noah said.
Noah's other endeavors: “I've also gotten the chance to teach an entomology class to elementary students during my freshman year and organize a museum day at Shriners Hospital for Cildren for my senior project.”
Outside of entomology, Noah's interests include hiking, kayaking and birdwatching. “I really love the outdoors,” he said. “Last year after my trip to Belize I was also given the opportunity through my school to go on a month-long backpacking and kayaking trip through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in Alaska. I also played rugby for C.K. McClatchy High School during my senior year which was a fun experience and I now plan on continuing with the sport. At home I like to keep reptiles and invertebrates--mostly tarantulas--as pets and enjoy collecting zoology related books and objects.”
Do they have a favorite insect?
“That's a hard one,” said Quincy. “I have several that I might consider my favorite, but at the moment I'm going to say that Asbolus verrucosus - the blue death-feigning beetle, is my favorite insect.”
And Noah? “I have a tendency towards scarab beetles. I particularly like the tribe Cyclocephalini, the masked chafer beetles. “I really like that they are a Dynastines like the Hercules beetles but lack any sort of horns or other glitzy features. Even though they are small and brown, I love the subtle beauty of the markings which remind me of the Rorschach ink tests.
Lynn Kimsey, director of the museum and UC Davis professor of entomology, plans to include "The Beetle Boys' encounter at the Bohart" in her news newsletter. Coincidentally, her major professor, the late Richard M. Bohart, for whom the Bohart Museum is named, also played football--on the UC Berkeley team.
Commenting on the meeting at the Bohart: “Noah was kind enough to show me through the massive beetle collection UC Davis possesses,” Quincy said. “I feel like we bonded pretty well over a shared interest in insects, and I think we both had a good time sharing information and checking out the specimens. When we'd had our fill looking through everything from Lycids to Lucanids we moved our attention to non-beetle insects. We had a pretty good time, and Noah was, of course, very knowledgeable and kind.”
Noah delighted in meeting a fellow beetle enthusiast. “At first it was surprising to me that he knew who I am and that he was familiar with my scarab work in Belize. As I talked to Quincy more, I became very impressed with his knowledge and passion for entomology. I helped him look through the collection, and I could see how much he loves the science from the evident fact that he has studied and practiced entomology driven purely by his own interest.”
“He was very familiar with many of the groups I showed him even though he had not necessarily seen them before which further proved his continuous study of the field. Back when I applied to the Coleopterist Society Youth Incentive Award, I wondered what other high schoolers would have the interest or familiarity with the society to apply for the award," Noah said. "Meeting Quincy, I finally got to see who else would apply to the grant. I am glad to see that there are other young students who choose to immerse themselves in the field of insect research that I have learned to love so much. I am sure he will do great on his project and succeed in his future goals in the field.”
Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator, said the Coleopterists Society's awards should encourage other youth to apply. Recipients hail from all over the world, from California to Kenya. The organization pledges to provide up to $600 each year.
The objectives of the Youth Incentive Award, as listed on the society's website, are to:
- provide encouragement and assistance to young beetle enthusiasts (grades 7-12).
- promote the study of beetles, the most diverse group of insects, as a rewarding lifelong avocation or career.
- provide opportunities for young people to develop important life skills such as leadership, cooperation, communication, planning and conducting a scientific study, grant writing and managing funds.
- provide some financial support to enrich activities or projects.
- Author: Rebecca Snell
Over 70 people attended the Quincy Woody Biomass Utilization Workshop last week. Numerous speakers included Forest Service personnel, private forest managers, the wood processing industry, academia and regulators.
The agenda started with discussions related to the forest resource and management and then looked at existing markets. We then focused on opportunities for biomass utilization in the local area. The session on environmental considerations looked at the impacts of fuels reduction treatments and forest management on forest health, biodiversity, soils and air quality. We concluded with a look at a number of funding opportunities for projects.
The in-woods part of the field tour schedule had to be canceled due to the unseasonal rain. However, we were able to visit the Sierra Pacific Industries Quincy sawmill. The excellent tour included the large log sawmill and also the recently reopened small log mill. Finally we toured the onsite power plant.
Presentations are now available online at http://ucanr.org/biomassquincy2010. A summary presentation of the main workshop is available here.
- Author: Rebecca Snell
WOODY BIOMASS UTILIZATION WORKSHOP
MAY 25 & 26th, 2010
Mineral Building, Plumas-Sierra County Fairground, Quincy, CA
Agenda Topics
* Northen Sierra Biomass Supply Potential
* Biomass Utilization, Markets & Challenges
* Potential for Biomass Utilization Diversification
* Biomass Utilization Funding Opportunities
* Biomass Harvest & Environmental Considerations
Who Should Attend:
This workshop will be of interest to:
-public, private & tribal forest managers
-policy makers
-natural resource professionals
-loggers
-biomass contractors
-interested businesses
-utility companies
-interested citizens
Full information including online registration is available here:
http://groups.ucanr.org/WoodyBiomass/Woody_Biomass_to_Energy_Quincy/
- Author: Gareth J Mayhead
SPI announced yesterday that they will be closing their Quincy small log sawmill on May 4 2009. This will result in the loss of 150 jobs. The company blames continued litigation against Forest Service projects and the downturn in the lumber market for the closure.
This represents a significant loss of processing capacity in Northern California and removes a market for the small diameter logs that come from restoration projects. It will also have a significant economic and social impact. A neighbouring large log sawmill and cogeneration plant will remain operational.
Redding's Record Searchlight has a further information on the story.
Below is the text from the SPI press release:
For Immediate Release
March 2, 2009
Contact: Mark Pawlicki 530-378-8000
Sierra Pacific Industries Announces Mill Closure at Quincy, California – Blames Environmental Litigation and Market Conditions
Anderson, CA – Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) today announced it will close its small-log sawmill located in Quincy, California on May 4, 2009. According to SPI, the challenging lumber market combined with litigation over timber harvests on nearby national forest lands were the primary drivers behind the decision to close the plant.
“We are deeply saddened over this announcement, as many hard-working, dedicated employees who have been with the company for a long time will be unemployed” said area manager Matt Taborski. “The reduced availability of national forest timber resulting from litigation forced SPI to transport logs over long distances at greater cost to keep the mill running,” he added. “Today’s lumber prices are not sufficient to cover these increased costs. To make things worse, environmental litigation has not only reduced the mill’s raw material supply, but also increased the risk of wildfires in the area” he continued.
This mill is part of a two-mill complex – one cutting small diameter logs and the other cutting large diameter logs into lumber for domestic consumption. About 150 employees will be affected by this closure. Approximately 160 will remain employed at the large-log facility and biomass electric generation plant.
The Quincy mills rely in large part on the sale of national forest timber for their raw material. Sierra Pacific constructed the small-log mill when it appeared the Herger-Feinstein Quincy Library Group Forest Recovery Act (QLG) would pass in Congress. That law, approved in 1998, promoted tree thinning on national forest timberlands to reduce the threat of wildfires while providing raw material for local manufacturing. It was anticipated that the QLG Act would result in the harvest of enough small diameter trees to run the mill.
Unfortunately, environmental activists have brought a series of appeals and lawsuits against these projects, drastically reducing the amount of timber available for harvest. Overall, the Forest Service has been able to achieve less than 20% of its QLG sawlog sales target due to appeals and litigation. Nearly two-thirds of the current year’s timber sale program is enjoined or withheld from sale pending the outcome of litigation.
Workers at the Quincy mills are represented by the Carpenter’s Industrial Council. Employees and union representatives were informed of the mill closure during meetings today. Sierra Pacific spokesman Mark Pawlicki stated “SPI will consider affected employees for other potential opportunities within the company for those who are interested in relocating or transferring.”
Sierra Pacific Industries is a third-generation family-owned forest products company based in Anderson, California. The firm owns and manages nearly 1.9 million acres of timberland in California and Washington, and is the second largest lumber producer in the U.S. Sierra Pacific is committed to managing its lands in a responsible and sustainable manner to protect the environment while providing quality wood products for consumers.