Pets & Animals
CU researchers plotting the “Map of Life
0May 22, 2012
Effort could be a key to preserving rare species
A research team involving Yale University and the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a first public demonstration version of its “Map of Life,” an ambitious Web-based endeavor designed to show the distribution of all living plants and animals on the planet.
The demonstration version allows anyone with an Internet connection to map the known global distribution of almost 25,000 species of terrestrial vertebrate animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and North American freshwater fish. The database, which continues to expand, already contains hundreds of millions of records on the abundance and distribution of the planet’s diverse flora and fauna.
“We are taking 200 years of different types of knowledge coming from different sources, all documenting the locations of species around the world and compiling them in a way that will greatly enhance our knowledge of biodiversity,” said CU-Boulder Associate Professor Robert Guralnick of the ecology and evolutionary biology department, part of the Map of Life research team. “Such information could be used by any organization that needs to make informed decisions regarding land management, health, conservation and climate change.”
The initial version of the map tool being released today is intended to introduce it to the broader public, according to the researchers. It allows users to see several levels of detail for a given species — at its broadest, the type of environment it lives in, and at its finest, specific locations where the species’ presence has been documented. One function allows users to click a point on the map and generate a list of vertebrate species in the surrounding area. More functions will be added over time, according to the team.
The bryozoa fish are found in the Connecticut River
“It is the where and the when of a species,” said Walter Jetz, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale and the project lead. “It puts at your fingertips the geographic diversity of life. Ultimately, the hope is for this literally to include hundreds of thousands of animal and plant species and show how much or indeed how little we know of their whereabouts.”
A paper by Jetz, Guralnick and Jana McPherson of the Calgary Zoological Society describing the evolving Map of Life technology tool appeared in a recent issue of the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
By highlighting the known abundance and distribution of species, the researchers hope to identify and fill knowledge gaps and also offer a tool for detecting change over time. They expect the map tool will prove useful for professional scientists, wildlife and land managers, conservation organizations and the general public.
The team is using information gleaned from a wide variety of sources, including field guides, museum collections and wildlife checklists that involved scientists, conservation organizations and “citizen scientists.” The project’s success will depend on participation by other scientists and informed amateurs, and subsequent versions of the mapping tool will offer mechanisms for users to supply new or missing information about the distribution and abundance of particular species.
Snow Leopards of Tibet are nearly extinct
Jetz called the Map of Life “an infrastructure, something to help us all collaborate, improve, share and understand the still extremely limited geographic knowledge about biodiversity.” The team continues to work on several other tasks and challenges, including who will be contributing data and how information supplied by the contributors will be verified and curated.
“A small but powerful next step is to provide a means for anyone, anywhere on the globe to use their mobile devices to instantly pull up animal and plant distributions and even get a realistic assessment on the odds of encountering a particular species of wildlife,” said Guralnick, who also is the curator of invertebrate zoology at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History.
Guralnick said the Map of Life project is following in the footsteps of other knowledge repositories like the GenBank project, a National Institutes of Health-funded effort with a public database of more than 135 million gene sequences from more than 300,000 organisms that allows users to explore genes and genomes using bioinformatics tools. In the biodiversity arena, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility in Copenhagen has developed an important resource that provides access to more than 300 million records of plant and animal occurrences, which is one of the distributional databases being used by the Map of Life team.
The National Science Foundation has provided initial support for the Map of Life project. Other supporters are the Encyclopedia of Life; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature; and the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, and the Biodiversity and Climate Research Center, both in Germany.
The public demonstration version of Map of Life can be found at http://www.mappinglife.org/ and more information about the project is available at http://www.mappinglife.org/about.
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Boulder Creek duck race loaded with prizes
0May 17, 2012
25th annual EXPAND Duck Race to be held May 28; online duck sponsorship now available
The 25th annual EXPAND Duck Race will be held at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 28, at the Boulder Creek Festival®. The EXPAND Duck Race is a benefit for the Parks and Recreation Department’s EXPAND (EXciting Programs Adventures and New Dimensions) program, which provides recreational opportunities for children, youth and adults with disabilities.
Participants may sponsor ducks for $5 each and watch them race from the 9th Street Bridge to the finish near Boulder Creek next to the Main Library lawn. Online registration is now available, and is open through Sunday, May 27. Participants may also sponsor ducks at the Boulder Creek Festival®.
Dozens of prizes will be given away to the top duck finishers, including an all-inclusive, three-night stay in Cancun with airfare from Denver, courtesy of Doris Mundy Travel, Apple Vacations and Dreams Resort and Spa; $1,000 in cash from Fisher Kia & Honda of Boulder; a nine-month self defense package from Boulder Quest Center; gift certificates; and much more!
Participants do not need to be present to win. Prizes will be mailed and winners will be notified within 14 days. All proceeds benefit the EXPAND program.
For more information, a full list of prizes and to sponsor a duck, visit www.EXPANDDuckRace.org. For more information about EXPAND and the programs offered, please go to www.BoulderParks-Rec.org.
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Clothing still required at former nudie lake, however
0May 15, 2012
On-trail leash restrictions lifted at Coot Lake
Wetland closure still in effect
The temporary on-trail leash restrictions put in place for wildlife protection and nesting birds surrounding the wetland west of Coot Lake are lifted, as of Wednesday, May 16, 2012. While the wetland area itself remains closed to all activity, the trail is now under the standard Voice and Sight Control regulation. Violation of city of Boulder wildlife closure area may result in a summons by enforcement personnel.
At their March meeting, members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board recommended that staff review the status of the nesting season on May 15, and if no nesting activity was confirmed at Coot Lake, then the leash restrictions would be reviewed and potentially lifted.
As the season is still early for some species nesting such as American bitterns, monitoring reports have indicated that there have been few sightings of Northern harrier that also use wetlands as nesting areas. Staff and nearly 22 raptor monitor volunteers will continue to monitor this and other areas for potential nesting sites as the season progresses.
The Parks and Recreation Department wishes to thank the general public for compliance of wildlife related restrictions to help promote healthy and functioning habitat areas. Wetland habitat around the Boulder area supports a wide diversity of wildlife species as well as exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the year.
For more information, please contact Matt Claussen, urban resources manager, 303-413-7258.
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Bear facts: Feed them and they will come
0April 26, 2012
Pilot program increasing education and enforcement on bear attractants begins this week
The City of Boulder and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife are partnering on an Urban Black Bear Education and Enforcement pilot program that begins on Saturday, April 28. The purpose of the program is to explore the effectiveness of education and enforcement on improving the ways residential trash is secured and other bear attractants are minimized in western Boulder. The pilot neighborhood includes approximately 600 residences west of Ninth Street, north of Baseline Road and south of Arapahoe Avenue.
On Saturday, April 28, staff and volunteers will begin going door-to-door in the pilot neighborhood and provide residents with information on removing bear attractants from their property. They will also discuss the existing state and city laws requiring trash to be secured from bears. Increased enforcement of the trash regulations will begin in June.
A public open house to provide information and answer questions about the pilot program will be held on Monday, April 30, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Flatirons Elementary School, 1150 Seventh St.
Residents are encouraged to participate in an online survey to help determine effective strategies to keep bears out of trash at www.boulderwildlifeplan.net.
Some tips for preventing human-bear conflicts include the following:
- Store trash indoors or in a way that does not allow bears to scatter it. (This is required by city ordinance.)
- Store birdfeeders indoors at night from April to November.
- Store pet food inside.
- Keep BBQ grills clean.
- Keep garage and home doors closed.
For more information about the pilot program, contact Val Matheson, City of Boulder Urban Wildlife, 303-441-3004.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife offers information on how to safely coexist with bears. For more information, visit http://www.wildlife.state.co.us/bears.
If you experience problems with bears or other wildlife, call Boulder Police Department 303-441-3333 or Colorado Parks and Wildlife 303-291-7227.
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Boulder pooch poo-poo park closing for upgrade
0April 23, 2012
Valmont Dog Park closing May 7 for three-month renovation
The dog park at Valmont City Park, located at 5275 Valmont Road, will close May 7 for major renovations and improvements. The dog park is scheduled to re-open in August (contingent upon weather-related construction progress).
Improvements at the dog park will include widening parking lot access, a new entry plaza, fencing, surfacing, landscaping and water hydrants. A portion of the new park will also include an enclosed, irrigated turf area, low berms, a new 16-foot square shade shelter, and two smaller shelters. The shelters are funded by the Capital Improvement Bond passed in November 2011.
To view the construction plans for Valmont Dog Park, please visit: www.BoulderParks-Rec.org and click on the “Parks” link on the left side, and scroll down to “Dog Parks.”
While under construction, dog guardians are encouraged to use the city’s other dog parks at:
- Foothills Community Dog Park, 7th Street and Silver Lake (between Locust and Lee Hill);
- East Boulder Community Park, 55th Street and Sioux Drive (south of the Community Center);
- Howard Heuston Dog Park, 34th Street, south of Iris Avenue (un-fenced dog park – voice and sight control required).
For more information, call Jennifer Bray, Parks and Recreation, at 303-441-4160.
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Help Boulder keep an eye on the birdies
0March 13, 2012
Birds of Special Concern/Raptor Monitor Program volunteers needed
The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Resources division is seeking volunteers for its Birds of Special Concern/Raptor Monitor Program at the Boulder Reservoir, 5565 N. 51st St. Monitors should be able to work independently and have their own binoculars. Skilled birders are preferred, but some identification training will be provided for beginners.
Responsibilities include monitoring and reporting animal presence, bird behavior, nest locations, fledgling success and wildlife closure violations, and assisting with educating the public. Commitment is flexible but would preferably be from one to three hours per week, from mid-April through early August.
Training and orientation will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. For location and more information, contact Mary Malley, coordinator of volunteer services, at 303-413-7245
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Boulder Police Department partners with Crime Stoppers to curb animal abuse & cruelty
0August 12, 2011
City residents who want to report animal cruelty now have a new option, in addition to reporting the incident to police. The Boulder Police Department is partnering with Crime Stoppers to allow people to report anonymous tips about concerns, such as abuse or neglect, dog fighting and other inhumane activities involving dogs, cats or horses.
Before now, there was no specific program for animal cruelty to be reported through anonymous tips in Colorado. Crime Stoppers will offer this anonymous tip service indefinitely, and anyone in Colorado is free to use it.
Tips can be reported via phone or text messaging. Concerned residents may call 800-222-TIPS or they may text a message to CRIMES (274637). Those using the text message option should title their message “NOCO” (Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers).
Anyone suspecting that dogs, cats or horses are being abused or neglected are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers if they would prefer to make an anonymous report. The Boulder Police Department’s Animal Control Division is also available to take reports and to respond. A call to police may result in a more immediate response. The non-emergency dispatch number for BPD is 303-441-3333. As always, please call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency.
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Rats!!! Video
0January 14, 2011
Boulder Channel 1 presents your favorite rat videos. The first has gone viral this week. The second rats love cat has over 6 million views.
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Here a reason to Rock and Smile Good Day- The Click Five VIDEO
0January 8, 2011
THANKS TO aMAND lARSEN FOR THIS TURN ON
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Now Boulder its time to watch “livecast” overnight: Kittycast from Kittyville!
0November 28, 2010
Watch live video from Mark Sr’s Kittycast on Justin.tv
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Firefighters respond to apartment blaze, rescue cat
0October 21, 2010
Boulder Fire Rescue crews responded to a fire at 2805 Sundown Lane, unit 112, at the Gold Run Condominium complex at 11:23 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20. Four engines and the ladder truck with 18 firefighters and two fire chiefs were on scene. The last engine cleared at 2 p.m.
The resident of a neighboring unit called 9-1-1 at 11:20 a.m. to report an odor of smoke and the sound of a smoke alarm in an adjacent apartment. Neighbors evacuated, and no injuries were reported to residents or firefighters.
The damaged unit was occupied by two people who were not at home at the time of the fire. The fire was contained to one unit of the multi-unit wooden structure. Damage is estimated to be approximately $50,000. The apartment is uninhabitable at this time.
One cat was rescued and resuscitated using a pet CPR mask and then transported to the Humane Society for treatment. The masks were donated to the department a couple of years ago by two young girls who sold jewelry to raise money so they could purchase and provide crews with the specialized animal equipment.
Fire Marshal David Lowrey said the fire appears to be accidental in nature.
SOURCE: City of Boulder press release
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UPDATE: #BOULDERFIRE FROM THE COUNTY
0September 6, 2010
Emergency Status:
5:05 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The emergency alert notification system is not working properly. Residents in the evacuation area should NOT wait for alerts to evacuate.
5 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The incident call center at 303-413-7737 is taking information from pet owners who are concerned about animals still in the fire area. No rescues of pets are possible at this time; however, animal control officials are monitoring the situation and will start going in, using the central list, as soon as it is safe to do so. The fire is currently estimated at 3,000 acres. There are about 100 firefighters on the perimeter at this time. More resources have been requested.
4:48 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: Mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Whispering Pines in addition to previous neighborhoods.
4:15 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: Boulder County Public Health has issued the following advisory: Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people may experience some of these symptoms. Keep windows and doors closed, unless it is extremely hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.
4:10 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: Additional mandatory evacuations have been ordered for Sugarloaf Mountain, Boulder Heights and Pine Brook Hills. These mandatory evacuations join the previous ones within the original area of Bald Mountain north to Lefthand Canyon, east to County Road 83, south along Sunshine Canyon to Hwy 119/City of Boulder limits.
3:55 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Longmont Humane Society at 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont has opened and is also accepting small animals: dogs, cats and other small mammals.
3:30 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Fourmile Canyon wildfire is now estimated at 2,200 acres. Two air tankers are on standby at Rocky Mountain Regional Airport, but because of wind conditions, they cannot take off at this time. Residents are being asked to stay out of the area so that fire crews and equipment can continue to make their way to the fire.
3:25 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The evacuation area has been expanded to include several hundred homes in Boulder Heights and Pine Brook Hills. Additional road closures have been ordered to include Linden Drive, west of the city limit, and Lee Hill at Wagon Wheel Gap and Lefthand at Lee Hill Drive.
3:15 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Humane Society of Boulder Valley is providing temporary shelter to dogs, cats and small mammals displaced from their homes due to the Fourmile Canyon Wildfire. Staff will be at the shelter at 2323 55th St. in Boulder until 5 p.m. to meet families and take in animals. After 5 p.m., pet owners should contact dispatch at 303-441-3333 to make arrangements for an animal care and control officer to meet them at the shelter. More information about small animal care and shelter during this emergency is available at www.boulderhumane.org.
2:15 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: A media briefing will be held at 3:15 p.m. at the Boulder County Justice Center, 6th & Canyon Boulevard.
2:05 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The evacuation zone at this time is from Bald Mountain north to Lefthand Canyon, east to County Road 83, south along Sunshine Canyon to Hwy 119/City of Boulder limits. The fire is believed to have originated in Emerson Gulch. No cause has been determined.
2 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: Firefighters closest to the scene are reporting that about 200 acres are affected at this time, and the fire is threatening about 100 structures. They are especially focused on evacuating homes in Mountain Meadows and Mountain Pines at this time. Dispatch has used the emergency alert system to contact more than 2,500 phone numbers to notify residents of the situation and evacuation requests. A third evacuation center has been opened at New Vista High School at 20th and Baseline Road in Boulder.
1:45 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: An incident call center has been established to assist city and county residents affected by the wildfire and evacuations. Residents are asked to contact this call center at 303-413-7737 instead of calling 9-1-1 or the city and county dispatch lines unless there is a new emergency to report.
No city residents have been asked to evacuate at this time.
1:30 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The sheriff’s office has called for evacuations in the area of the Fourmile Canyon wildfire. Residents are being notified through the emergency alert system. Evacuation centers for people have been established at the North Boulder Recreation Center, 3170 Broadway in Boulder, and Nederland Community Center, 750 Highway 72 in Nederland. The Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont, is accepting large animals that are affected by the evacuations.
1:09 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Emergency Operations Center has been activated in response to the Fourmile Canyon wildfire, which is burning in Boulder County. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office will have a live briefing for the media at 1 p.m. today to provide updates on the Fourmile Canyon wildfire fire burning in Boulder County. The briefing will be held at the Justice Center, 6th & Canyon, Boulder. Commander Rick Brough is the attending PIO for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. The fire started at approximately 10:30 a.m. this morning on 4-Mile Canyon Rd. near Emerson Gulch. The following roads are closed to traffic: Lefthand Canyon, 4-Mile Canyon, Sunshine Canyon, Olde Stage, westbound SH 119 (Boulder Canyon). Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Gold Hill area, at least a 4-mile radius at this time. Evacuation centers are open at the Nederland Community Center and North Boulder Recreation Center. More information will be sent after the 1 p.m. briefing.
3:55 p.m. – The Longmont Humane Society at 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont has opened and is also accepting small animals: dogs, cats and other small mammals. The incident call center at 303-413-7737 is taking information from pet owners who are concerned about animals still in the fire area.
3:30 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Fourmile Canyon wildfire is now estimated at 2,200 acres. Two air tankers are on standby at Rocky Mountain Regional Airport, but because of wind conditions, they cannot take off at this time. Residents are being asked to stay out of the area so that fire crews and equipment can continue to make their way to the fire.
3:25 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The evacuation area has been expanded to include several hundred homes in Boulder Heights and Pine Brook Hills. Additional road closures have been ordered to include Linden Drive, west of the city limit, and Lee Hill at Wagon Wheel Gap and Lefthand at Lee Hill Drive.
3:15 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Humane Society of Boulder Valley is providing temporary shelter to dogs, cats and small mammals displaced from their homes due to the Fourmile Canyon Wildfire. Staff will be at the shelter at 2323 55th St. in Boulder until 5 p.m. to meet families and take in animals. After 5 p.m., pet owners should contact dispatch at 303-441-3333 to make arrangements for an animal care and control officer to meet them at the shelter. More information about small animal care and shelter during this emergency is available at www.boulderhumane.org.
2:15 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: A media briefing will be held at 3:15 p.m. at the Boulder County Justice Center, 6th & Canyon Boulevard.
2:05 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The evacuation zone at this time is from Bald Mountain north to Lefthand Canyon, east to County Road 83, south along Sunshine Canyon to Hwy 119/City of Boulder limits. The fire is believed to have originated in Emerson Gulch. No cause has been determined.
2 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: Firefighters closest to the scene are reporting that about 200 acres are affected at this time, and the fire is threatening about 100 structures. They are especially focused on evacuating homes in Mountain Meadows and Mountain Pines at this time. Dispatch has used the emergency alert system to contact more than 2,500 phone numbers to notify residents of the situation and evacuation requests. A third evacuation center has been opened at New Vista High School at 20th and Baseline Road in Boulder.
1:45 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: An incident call center has been established to assist city and county residents affected by the wildfire and evacuations. Residents are asked to contact this call center at 303-413-7737 instead of calling 9-1-1 or the city and county dispatch lines unless there is a new emergency to report.
No city residents have been asked to evacuate at this time.
1:30 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The sheriff’s office has called for evacuations in the area of the Fourmile Canyon wildfire. Residents are being notified through the emergency alert system. Evacuation centers for people have been established at the North Boulder Recreation Center, 3170 Broadway in Boulder, and Nederland Community Center, 750 Highway 72 in Nederland. The Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road in Longmont, is accepting large animals that are affected by the evacuations.
1:09 p.m. – Sept. 6, 2010: The Emergency Operations Center has been activated in response to the Fourmile Canyon wildfire, which is burning in Boulder County. The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office will have a live briefing for the media at 1 p.m. today to provide updates on the Fourmile Canyon wildfire fire burning in Boulder County. The briefing will be held at the Justice Center, 6th & Canyon, Boulder. Commander Rick Brough is the attending PIO for the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office. The fire started at approximately 10:30 a.m. this morning on 4-Mile Canyon Rd. near Emerson Gulch. The following roads are closed to traffic: Lefthand Canyon, 4-Mile Canyon, Sunshine Canyon, Olde Stage, westbound SH 119 (Boulder Canyon). Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Gold Hill area, at least a 4-mile radius at this time. Evacuation centers are open at the Nederland Community Center and North Boulder Recreation Center. More information will be sent after the 1 p.m. briefing.
Boulder wants an ear full on pesticide usage
0City hosts open house, invites feedback on proposed changes to pesticide use
The City of Boulder is evaluating a variety of options for improving its Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program and its use of pesticides on public lands, including city parks, open space and other municipal properties.
The public is invited to attend a presentation and open house on Thursday, March 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Panorama Room of the East Senior Center, 5660 Sioux Drive, to review and provide feedback on a variety of options that are currently being considered.
The project to update the Integrated Pest Management Program has the following goals:
Comments may be submitted at the meeting or through the comment form on the city’s website at www.bouldercolorado.gov/ipm.Materials for the meeting will be posted to the website on the day of the meeting for those unable to attend.
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