Posts tagged Canada
CU: Rare western bumblebees netted on Colorado’s Front Range
Sep 3rd
A survey of bumblebee populations carried out largely by University of Colorado Boulder undergraduates in undisturbed patches of prairieland and in mountain meadows above campus has turned up more than 20 rare western bumblebees, known scientifically as Bombus occidentalis.
This is the fourth summer of a planned five-year survey in Boulder County, led by biologists Carol Kearns and Diana Oliveras, both of whom teach in CU-Boulder’s Baker Residential Academic Program. The survey team, which this summer included five undergraduates along with Oliveras and Kearns, has been hunting bumblebees at nine different locations spanning low, middle and high elevations.
The first western bumblebee was netted last year at one of the low-elevation plots, located at around 5,000 feet. The same plot also was visited frequently by Kearns and Oliveras during a more general survey of all pollinators between 2001 and 2005.
“For five years we sampled fairly intensely at this one site and never found anything,” Oliveras said. “Then all of a sudden, last year, we found several bees at that one site.”
The surveyors also found western bumblebees last year at a mid-elevation site of around 8,000 feet. In all, the team found nine western bumblebees in 2012: three queens and six workers.
Because insect populations are notoriously variable from year to year, Kearns and Oliveras wanted to find the bumblebees for a second year before announcing that the western bumblebee appeared to be returning to the Front Range. This year, the team has netted more than a dozen western bumblebees at four different locations, including the same low-elevation prairie plot and all three mid-elevation meadows. The distance between the sites means that the bumblebees are likely from separate colonies.
“These are sites that are fairly far away from each other, even as the crow flies,” Oliveras said. “Within a plot, if you’re going to be conservative, you can say that all the Bombus occidentalis arose from a single colony. But between plots, that’s quite a distance for them. They wouldn’t normally be traveling that far.”
The western bumblebee was once ubiquitous across the western portion of the United States and Canada, Oliveras and Kearns said. Its northern range encompassed all of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, British Columbia and western Alberta. Its southern boundaries extended as far south as Arizona and New Mexico. The bumblebee’s range also stretched from the Pacific Ocean eastward through North and South Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado. But beginning in the late 1990s, the western bumblebee became harder and harder to find.
“They have been disappearing rapidly across the West Coast, and there have been only occasional sightings in the Rocky Mountains,” Kearns said. “People have found a few bumblebees on the Western Slope of Colorado, but we were looking for them here and we weren’t finding any.”
Several factors have been implicated in the decline of the western bumblebee, according to Kearns and Oliveras. The biggest suspect is a non-native gut parasite that may have been transmitted from commercially raised bumblebee colonies. While parasites and other diseases can kill bees outright, anything that affects the bumblebees’ food supply or nesting sites also will affect their ability to survive. That means that habitat loss, pesticides, climate change and invasive plants and animals may be contributing to the losses in western bumblebee populations.
Earlier this summer, reports that the western bumblebee had been spotted in the Seattle area were confirmed by local biologists, indicating that the bumblebees could be making a broader comeback.
The wider goal of the ongoing bumblebee survey in Boulder County is to catalog all the types of bumblebees buzzing around the area and their population size. The team has catalogued a number of different species during the last four summers, including the mountain bumblebee, the Nevada bumblebee, the two-form bumblebee and the central bumblebee, among others.
“Our whole interest in bumblebees relates to the fact that pollinators are declining, but there is no abundance data for bumblebees in this area from the past,” Kearns said. “How do you tell if something is declining if there are no abundance data? So we decided we’d get out there and we’d find out what bumblebees are here and how many.”
Each year, Kearns and Oliveras have recruited undergraduate students to help them. This summer, the undergraduate researchers were Benjamin Bruffey, Sam Canter, Sarah Niemeyer, Zoe Praggastis and Cole Steinmetz.
To see a video about CU-Boulder’s bumblebee survey visit http://youtu.be/sKryBKX-nbU. For more information on the Baker Residential Academic Program visit http://bakerrap.colorado.edu/.
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-CU-
Buff Asst. La Crosse Coach Nielsen Claims Bronze Medal At World Cup
Jul 22nd
OSHAWA, Ontario – For the ninth consecutive time since the Federation of International Lacrosse Women’s Lacrosse World Cup began in 1982, Australia is taking home a medal – its first bronze since the 1993 games.
After ending pool play with a 2-2 record, Australia entered the Championship Bracket a No. 3 seed. In the quarterfinals, Australia easily took down Scotland 26-2. In a rematch with the host team in the semifinals, Australia suffered only its second ever loss to Canada at the World Cup. With the loss behind them, Australia was determined to keep its medal-winning streak alive and was victorious in the bronze medal game, defeating England 12-6.
University of Colorado assistant lacrosse coach Hannah Nielsen has now won one of each medal in her three World Cup appearances with the Australian National Team. The Adelaide, Australia native has also earned a spot on the All-World Team at back-to-back Cups. In 2005, Nielsen scored a key goal to push Australia over the United States in the Gold Medal game. In 2009, she led the team with 12 goals and 13 assists as the Aussies fell by a single goal to the U.S. in the title game. In the 2013 games, she led the team with 24 total points, including 10 goals and 12 assists.
“I am so proud of Hannah and all she has accomplished not only in this last World Cup, but her entire lacrosse career,” CU head lacrosse coach Ann Elliott said. “To be able to play in the World Cup and represent your home country is such an incredible honor and one I know Hannah cherishes and works extremely hard for. This particular World Cup was a difficult one for Hannah as their team had to overcome the loss of one of their leaders, Jen Adams, to an ACL tear right before the tournament started. However, to watch Hannah battle through that and step up to help lead her team to the bronze medal and making the All-World Team was extremely special and I could not be more proud of all she has worked for and achieved.”
Quarterfinals (Thursday, July 18): Australia allowed just two goals against Scotland to advance to the semifinals. The No. 3 seeded Aussies stomped No. 11 seed Scotland 26-2 in the highest scoring game of the first two rounds of the Championship Bracket. Australia came out on a 9-0 run, not allowing a Scottish goal until nearly the halfway point in the first half. Scotland would not score again until the final 15 seconds of the match. Australia outshot Scotland 38-6 and forced 24 Scottish turnovers. Nielsen scored two goals and contributed a game-high four assists in the win.
Semifinals (Friday, July 19): Host team Canada marked several firsts during the 2013 World Cup. They earned their first ever win against Australia in World Cup play with a 13-12 pool play victory. In the teams’ rematch in the semifinals, Canada picked up its second, downing Australia 11-7 to advance to its first final. Just as she did in their first match-up, Nielsen tied for a team-high in scoring, netting two goals and contributing an assist. Canada dominated the offense, outshooting Australia 21-9 in the first-half alone on their way to 34 total shots, compared to the Aussies’ 28. Australia never had the lead, but Nielsen helped them get back within two late in the first half, and kept the match competitive by scoring Australia’s final two goals.
Bronze Medal Game (Saturday, July 20): Though they fell behind early against England as Sarah Taylor gave the Brits two quick goals, Australia was not content in going home empty handed. The Aussies claimed the bronze medal with a definitive 12-6 win over England. Australia led England 13-7 in both draw controls and ground balls. Nielsen tied for game-high scoring with four goals and one assist. Her first goal of the game helped the Aussies to a 4-3 lead. Her next came off a free position shot in the final minutes of the first half to help Australia take an 8-4 lead into halftime. She got the Aussies on the board again in the first 40 seconds of the second half and again with 11:19 remaining.
CU lacrosse coach Elliott was in attendance for the final three days of the tournament to support Nielsen and three other former Northwestern teammates that represented the USA.
“The World Cup is an amazing event that this year brought together 19 countries,” Elliott said. “The growth of our sport continues to amaze me.”
Australia continues to be a dominant force in women’s lacrosse, having won gold medals in 1986 and 2005 and earning four silver (1982, 1997, 2001 and 2009) and three bronze (1989, 1993 and 2013) medals. With a 19-5 championship victory this year, rival United States won its second straight and seventh overall World Cup title. In its first ever title game, Canada capped its most successful World Cup tournament with a silver medal.
About the FIL
The Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) is the international governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. The FIL currently has 45 member nations and sanctions five World Championships (women’s and men’s field, women’s and men’s U19 field and men’s indoor.) The FIL is responsible for the governance and integrity of all forms of lacrosse and provides responsive and effective leadership to support the sports’ development throughout the world.
All-World Team
Attack
Katrina Dowd – United States
Lindsey Munday – United States
Katie Rowan – United States
Dana Dobbie – Canada
Midfield
Laura Merrifield – England
Hannah Nielsen – Australia
Sarah Albrecht – United States
Stacey Morlang Sullivan – Australia
Defense
Amber Falcone – United States
Katie Guy – Canada
Alicia Wickens – Australia
Goalkeeper
Devon Wills – United States
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Marlee Horn Graduate Assistant SID University of Colorado O: 303.492.7525 C: 719.821.0689 marlee.horn@colorado.edu CUBuffs.com
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City of Boulder begins seasonal grassland raptor closures
Mar 12th
The City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is temporarily closing areas in order to protect nesting and roosting burrowing owls and osprey. Properties where burrowing owls nest will be closed from March 15 through Oct 31. Properties closed for the protection of nesting osprey will be closed from March 15 through Sept. 10. Closures may be lifted early if monitoring indicates it is appropriate.
The following property will be closed for the protection of osprey:
Axelson (northwest of Boulder Reservoir; portions closed).
The following properties will be closed for the protection of burrowing owls:
- Damyanovich/Yunker (north of Marshall Drive, between Cherryvale Road and US 36);
- Jafay/Lynch (north of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Cosslett/Knaus (South of Lookout Road and east of 75th Street);
- Kelsall (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open);
- Mesa Sand and Gravel (east of 66th Street, south of Marshall Drive); and
- Superior Associates (north of High-Plains Trail, trail remains open).
These closures were established to protect sensitive species. Burrowing owls nest in prairie dog burrows and their populations are declining in Colorado. This bird is listed as threatened by the Colorado Division of Wildlife has been listed as endangered or as a species of “special concern” in 12 US states and in Canada. Staff will be monitoring these sites and others during the spring and summer to understand more about the distribution and breeding biology of this owl on city property.
City of Boulder relies heavily on the public to respect the closures, and the cooperation of visitors to avoid these areas is greatly appreciated. Trespass violations can result in a summons with penalties up to 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.
More detailed information and maps can be found on the Open Space and Mountain Parks’ website: www.osmp.org. or call 303-441-3440.
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