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Hidden world of deep snow explored in new High Desert Museum exhibit, ‘Under the Snow’
The Under the Snow exhibit at High Desert Museum opens Dec. 17. Learn more here!
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — In the depth of winter, a deep layer of snow quiets the High Desert’s forests. But under the surface, a secret world comes to life. A new High Desert Museum exhibit dives into the snow, where voles, shrews, insects and porcupines build a matrix of tunnels to survive the winter and hide from the predators that lurk just above the surface.
Under the Snow opens at the Museum on Saturday, Dec. 17. The original exhibit explores the “subnivium” environment, what scientists call this seasonal habitat. In the subnivium, the temperature stays a toasty 32-degrees Fahrenheit, which protects plants and animals from the winter’s frigid temperatures.
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Warmup so far not fueling big growth on 114,000-acre Cedar Creek Fire, now 20% contained
The current warming trend hasn’t yet spurred any major growth of the Cedar Creek Fire. Learn more here.
OAKRIDGE, Ore. (KTVZ) — So far, a warming and drying trend has not made for any major growth of the Cedar Creek Fire, which has topped 114,000 acres but has reached 20% containment, officials said Sunday.
Here’s Sunday’s update:
Cedar Creek Fire
September 25, 2022
Daily Update at 8:30 AMCedar Creek Fire Quick Facts
Size: 114,104 acres
Contained: 20%
Start Date: August 1, 2022
Origin: 15 miles east of Oakridge, Oregon
Cause: Lightning
Total personnel: 1,817
Resources: 44 engines, 28 crews, 68 heavy equipment, 9 helicopters
West Zone Operations: Overnight, the ridgelines and higher elevations areas (above 4,000 ft) experienced lower humidity and…
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New baby otter debuts Wednesday at High Desert Museum’s Autzen Otter Exhibit
A new, baby North American river otter will make its debut Wednesday at the High Desert Museum. Find out more here.
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — High Desert Museum visitors will have their first official opportunity to see the new, baby North American river otter on Wednesday, when he joins two other otters full-time in the Autzen Otter Exhibit.
The museum will celebrate the addition of the male pup, now approximately 5 1/2 months old, at 2:30 pm. Visitors will be able to view the pup, who is yet to be named, as well as the other two male otters in the museum’s care, Brook and Pitch. Naturalists will be at an Otter Fodder Interpretation Station to share interesting scientific facts about…
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First Whale Sanctuary in North America to Open in 2023
New efforts to create a safe haven for whales are being made in Nova Scotia. Enjoy this read!
Original article by Paige Bennett of EcoWatch
A new sanctuary for whales is coming to North America. In Nova Scotia, The Whale Sanctuary Project recently celebrated opening day for the Operations Centre for the nonprofit’s upcoming whale sanctuary, which will be the first of its kind in North America.
The sanctuary is planned for Port Hilford Bay in Nova Scotia and will include 110 acres of habitat for the whales. This amount of space will be ideal for about eight whales. The organization wanted to find a spot that would offer plenty of interesting and enriching surroundings for the whales and…
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Crows are self-aware just like us, says new study
Check out this article by Robby Berman and the Big Think about how crows and the rest of the corvid family are more human-like than once thought! Have a happy Monday!
Crows and the rest of the corvid family keep turning out to be smarter and smarter. New research observes them thinking about what they’ve just seen and associating it with an appropriate response. A corvid’s pallium is packed with more neurons than a great ape’s.It’s no surprise that corvids — the “crow family” of birds that also includes ravens, jays, magpies, and nutcrackers — are smart. They use tools, recognize faces, leave gifts for people they like, and there’s…