Wisconsin's Water Library has a large collection of DVDs on water related topics. With a wide range of subjects, such as environmental advocacy, recycling, drinking water, the Great Lakes, oceans, shipwrecks, invasive species, and weather extremes, you're certain to find something that interests you.
So all are encouraged to check out a selection this summer!
If you are a Wisconsin resident and would like to check out these DVD's or any other item, please fill out our book request form. If you are a UW student, faculty or staff, please request books or DVD's through the Library Catalog.
The legacy of conversationalist Aldo Leopold is the subject of the documentary Green Fire: Aldo Leopold And A Land Ethic For Our Time. Conceived as a partnership between The Aldo Leopold Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, and The Center for Humans and Nature, the film highlights Leopold's extraordinary career and explains how he helped shape conservation and the modern environmental movement. Leopolds's continuing influence is revealed as current projects throughout the United States are considered. The film introduces us to a number of this present day examples of Leopold's legacy; for example, urban children in Chicago learning about local foods and ecological restoration, responsible ranchers who demonstrate land stewardship in New Mexico and Arizona, and wildlife biologists who returning threatened and endangered species back to their their native landscapes.
If you are a Wisconsin resident and would like to check out this or any other book, please fill out our book request form. If you are a UW student, faculty or staff, please request books through the Library Catalog.
Earth Day evolved from a national teach-in on the environment in 1970, an idea from Wisconsin's own senator, Gaylord Nelson. He felt that attention to environmental issues was fundamental to the healthy survival of our planet and that teaching and spreading awareness would inspire action and political support. Nelson was correct and Earth Day now spans over 150 countries and was April 22 was designated International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations in 2009. UW-Madison is home to The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies which holds an annual Earth Day Conference. This video collages participants' thoughts from last year's conference.
This year Wisconsin's Water Library is proud to be collaborating with The Rosemary Garfoot Public Library (RGPL) in Cross Plains, Wisconsin's first green library, to put on a special Earth Day storyhour presentation. RGPL does have a special environmental collection that you can read about here, and these books do circulate to Madison Public libraries as well. See the Water Library's reading list on environmental activism books for kids. There is also a wealth of additional information about Earth Day at this website.
Featuring the USGS Tsunami specialist and a clip from NOAA, this quick and informative news video explains the science behind tsunamis. Some important factors include distance from the sea-floor earthquake as well as the topography of the area. The tsunami is caused by an underwater earthquake that forces the ocean floor upward and forcefully pushes the water out of the way, causing it to slam into the shore. The tsunami continues as a series of waves resulting from that undersea earthquake. The waves can be very long lasting and can travel thousands of miles, only stopping from direct impact with a land mass. NOAA and the USGS use monitoring devices to keep track of tsunami activity globally, including near the northern California coast where previous damages have been caused by tsunamis.
For further information about tsunamis, see the NOAA tsunami website. To read about some of the research that is taking place dealing with tsunamis and earthquakes, check this USGS page. The Water Library also has a few tsunami titles for adults and children, please contact us if you are interested in checking these out.
PBDEs is the quick way to refer to polybrominated diphenyl ethers, toxic compounds used in manufacturing as flame retardants. Common household items that are routinely flame retarded include mattresses, television sets and computers. Since PBDEs have been identified in nature, researchers in UW-Madison's Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology have been doing some interesting work to see what the implications may be, specifically on the Northern Leopard Frog. This UW Sea Grant video will give you a closer look.
Further information can be found in this Sea Grant news release.
Within the past month, the UW Water Resources Institute has added two new videos. Produced by John Karl, these short YouTube videos are informative and to the point, a very effective way to spread some news from the field.
The first video(above), entitled "Testing Well Water for Microorganisms," explains a simple process of water testing to check for contaminants. The goal of the project is a methodology to find the source of the contamination.
In the second video, "A New Measure of Groundwater Flow," researchers experiment with pumping hot water into a well to determine the flow of the groundwater. The hot water will disperse more quickly if the water flow is quicker. Watch this video and others on University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute's YouTube channel.
Dr. Charles Kerfoot, a researcher funded by NOAA and The National Science Foundation, isn't worried about Asian Carp. He says "by the time the carp get here, there won’t be anything left for them to eat," referring to the quagga activity that has been identified in Southern Lake Michigan.
These small European mollusks, about the size of a lima bean, have been discovered in abundance feeding on phytoplankton in Lake Michigan. A doughnut shaped collection of algae and other tiny plants was discovered in winter with the aid of NASA’s new Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS). Between 10,000 and 15,000 quagga mussels can inhabit one square meter in the soft lake bed and have been found in all of the Great Lakes. Consuming phytoplankton at a rate of five to seven times that of the production rate, the massive number of quagge are excreting enough to stimulate the growth of Cladophora algae (see the DNR article on it here). When the algae dies and decomposes, it eliminates oxygen from the surrounding waters increasing the likelihood of botulism. The predictable result from all this is a decline in lake species starting with smaller ones such as zooplankton, and then continuing on to chub and alewives, eventually leading to even the larger fish that inhabit Lake Michigan.
The Journal of Great Lakes Research has published the article on Kerfoot's research called "Approaching Storm: Disappearing Winter Bloom in Lake Michigan," which is available online, here. For an overview of the topic see the Michigan Tech News release, here.
Video of quagga mussels feeding by John Karl at UW Sea Grant.
National Geographic has posted a video of a bizarre fish found deep in the waters beneath Brazil. Scientists say there are about 30,000 known species of fish identified around the world, with many more yet to be discovered. Let's hope they don't all look like this one:
The Wisconsin Alumni Association and UW-Extension Family Living Programs offer Grandparents University each summer. This award-winning, two-day workshop is a chance for children (recommended ages 7-14) and their grandparents to come together and learn from each other in a dynamic atmosphere on the UW campus. What better way for grandparents and grandchildren to spend time together than sharing stories, reliving and creating memories, and earning a degree together from UW-Madison?
WASHINGTON - The two winners of EPA’s first-ever water quality video contest made videos that will help educate the public about water pollution and give simple steps that people and communities can take to improve water quality.
“We are delighted by the number and quality of contest submissions,” said Acting Assistant Administrator for Water Michael H. Shapiro. “This is another illustration of how new Web technologies allow people to express their passion for water quality in new and exciting ways.”
In the 30 or 60 second category, “Protect Our Water - Check Cars for Oil Leaks” submitted by Lucas Ridley of Trenton, Ga. was the overall winner. His video illustrates one easy step you can take to protect your watershed through proper motor vehicle care.
In the 1-3 minute category, “Dastardly Deeds and the Water Pollution Monster” submitted by Nora Kelley Parren of Hinesburg, Vt. was the winner. Her animated video, made entirely out of discarded paper, illustrates how polluted runoff threatens ecosystems and offers tips people can take to protect water quality. The two winning filmmakers will each receive a $2,500 cash award, and their videos are featured on EPA’s Web site.
To view the two winners' videos, as well as others, visit EPA.
During the past seven years, heaps of rotting algae have piled up on some beaches of Lake Michigan. The powerful stench turns inviting beaches into wastelands. Walking is difficult, swimming is unthinkable, and mere breathing turns the stomach.
The offending plant is Cladophora, a common filamentous green alga. Growing on submerged rocks, it looks like long green hair waving in the water. Cladophora is an important component of freshwater ecosystems, providing food and shelter for invertebrates and small fish. The recent excessive blooms in the Great Lakes, however, signal an ecosystem responding to both natural changes and human impacts.
Check out UW Sea Grant's video about the problem, its causes, and solutions.
In Wisconsin is a new DVD in Wisconsin's Water Library that focuses on the Great Lakes. The host, Patty Loew, is an associate professor in the Department of Life Science Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The DVD has two 30 minute specials that highlight how Northern Wisconsin's Lake Superior and Eastern Wisconsin's Lake Michigan affect many aspects of life throughout the entire state. A lighthouse renovation, a national park of lakeshore, and a tribal elder's long life on the lake make up the focus of Lake Superior. Lake Michigan has invasive species such as the zebra and quagga mussels affecting the lake's food webs, the city of Racine makes its once polluted beach clean again and Waukesha struggles to retrieve radium-free drinking water.
If you are a UW-Madison student, faculty, or staff, please request this book from MadCat. If you are a Wisconsin resident, please request it through Wisconsin's Water Library book request.
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