ANNAPOLIS, Md. - They've been called the Chesapeake's newest and most popular reality TV stars. Online viewers in 60 countries have watched the lives of Tom and Audrey Osprey, and the last few months have been quite dramatic. The Chesapeake Conservancy's Osprey Cam has provided real-time coverage as the avian couple built a nest, mated and laid eggs on their perch on the Bay.

According to Chesapeake Conservancy director Joel Dunn, it's been painful for some viewers to watch the nest lately, because the youngest chick seems to be struggling.

"Audrey tends to give more fish to the older chicks because they're louder, they're larger, and they can push their way to the front."

Dunn said there are no plans to intervene.

Dunn said Audrey and Tom will be here fishing and feeding their chicks for the summer. Then they head south in September. But, he added, they'll be back.

"Every Saint Patrick's Day they come back to the same nest," he declared. "And they mate for life, so that same couple will be back next year after a stint down in the tropics."

Dunn said ospreys have made an amazing rebound in the Bay since the 1950s and '60s when the chemical DDT caused severe population declines.

A link to Osprey Cam is at ChesapeakeConservancy.org.





get more stories like this via email

A new study found gas flaring in oil-producing states like North Dakota is not as effective in limiting harmful emissions when compared to long-standing estimates.

Flaring involves burning off excess natural gas which accumulates during oil extraction. The emission in question, methane, has been found to be a more powerful pollutant than carbon dioxide.

The industry has long worked under the assumption flaring at oil and gas fields is 98% effective at reducing methane, but the study reported the rate is actually closer to 91%.

Linda Weiss, a Dakota Resource Council board member from Belfield, near the Bakken oil fields, said it confirms many of her fears.

"You can't see most of these gases," Weiss pointed out. "You don't know what long-term effects they'll have on the human body."

Health experts have said long-term exposure can result in a range of health problems, including heart and breathing issues, and environmental groups say methane is a huge driver of climate change.

The study's authors now believe flaring emits five times more methane in the U.S. than previously thought. State officials have argued infrastructure upgrades have led to a smaller percentage of gas being flared in North Dakota.

The study looked at operations in North Dakota and Texas.

Jon Goldstein, senior director of regulatory and legislative affairs for the Environmental Defense Fund, said the two states are home to more than 80% of gas flaring in the U.S.

"So, those are two states that have a lot of flaring," Goldstein observed. "And that haven't done adequate measures at the state level to really curtail that practice."

He encouraged them to follow the leads of New Mexico and Colorado, which have been more aggressive in addressing the issue, including enhanced inspections.

Environmental groups hope the issue draws more attention as the Environmental Protection Agency considers tougher federal regulations.

Meanwhile, North Dakota officials said they inspect producing sites monthly and follow up to eliminate unlit flares, which, left unattended, can release unburned methane directly into the atmosphere.

A shortage of housing in New Mexico's largest cities forces many to drive hundreds of miles a day for jobs, making it harder to fight climate change, according to local experts.

As in other parts of the country, home prices and rents have increased dramatically the past two years in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. It is estimated those who commute to Santa Fe generate between 10% and 20% of the county's total greenhouse gas emissions.

Kelly O'Donnell, director of the homeownership nonprofit Homewisdom in Santa Fe, said the state has made significant progress in some areas to address climate change, but needs more commuting options.

"Decreasing the number of miles New Mexicans drive remains critical to reducing emissions and combating climate change," O'Donnell asserted. "Making it possible for more people to live in close proximity to work, shopping and services and school, is key to reducing New Mexico's automobile dependence."

The cost of living in New Mexico is 8.5% below the national average, but a survey by CityRating.com showed fewer than five active real estate listings for every 10,000 existing homes.

Camilla Feibelman, director of the Sierra Club's Rio Grande Chapter, who was born and raised in Albuquerque, said a new species of mosquito this summer further highlights the effects of climate change.

"People aren't going outside anymore," Feibelman observed. "Temperatures are changing and inviting this new species in a way that really impacts us and makes life uncomfortable. But even more devastating were the impacts of climate-driven fires this summer."

Tammy Fiebelkorn, city councilor in Albuquerque, pointed out since almost all transportation dollars in the past 70 years have been spent on building highways, traffic congestion, pollution and sprawl are no surprise.

She believes it is time to provide more ride-sharing, public transportation and fuel-efficient vehicles.

"In cities across the Southwest, we've actually prevented compact, transportation-efficient development patterns, and that's how we got to where we are today," Fiebelkorn noted. "And have people driving hours a day to get where they need to go."

New Mexico has a goal to reduce the state's greenhouse-gas emissions by 45% by 2030.

Midnight Meadows in northern New Mexico's Carson National Forest is one of 22 sites identified as "wetland jewels," and volunteers will continue their work to keep it that way starting Friday.

Restoration has been underway since 2016 to install erosion and restoration structures including Zuni bowls, one-rock dams and rock rundowns. The project, organized by the Albuquerque Wildlife Federation and the environmental group Amigos Bravos, follows the principles of "induced meandering" to hold more water on the landscape.

Shannon Romeling, projects and foundation coordinator for the group Amigos Bravos, said restoration also includes fence construction to reduce possible damage from snowmobiles.

"These wetlands contribute vital function to the ecosystem, including soil health, ecosystem diversity," Romeling explained. "Having things like trout and different sensitive species in them and one of the largest things that they provide is water storage."

The annual three-day event starts Friday and wraps up Sunday with overnight accommodations for those who stay the weekend. It's also possible to volunteer for activities on Saturday only.

Romeling pointed out a unique undertaking this year will be the creation and installation of log swales.

"These are features made from natural materials that will help to decrease damage from recreation and cattle in a sensitive fen area of the wetland," Romeling noted.

In addition to smaller hand-built structures, volunteers have helped install and repair riparian protection along Bitter Creek and adjacent wetlands.