Life Cycle of the Salmon

1. The life cycle of the salmon starts when the parent salmon spawn babies. Once big enough, the fish then partake in out migration, remembering the spot and smell of the place in which they spawned because this is the place they will come back to in the future to breed and die. Once they grow to the appropriate size, due to a change in their kidneys, salmon make the change from fresh water to salt water and head out to the ocean. They instinctually know when it is time to head back to where they started from to reproduce. This involves weeks of struggle going against the current up hundreds of miles of river.

2. I was amazed at learning that salmon go through a change that allows a change from fresh to salt water and that this process was done in the kidneys. Whenever I think of salmon I think of the National Geographic documentaries that show large bears in the middle of these rushing streams catching the salmon by hand. I never knew how much time they spent in the ocean or that most of their adult time there.

3. We should be concerned about these endangered fish species because they are one piece to a much larger puzzle. When the salmon die, it creates insects for their babies to eat, and their dead bodies provide food for other animals. Also, if the salmon were to die off, it's not just because of "overfishing". It would mean that our waterways are so damaged that they cannot support the life of a fish that has been in our water for many many years.  

Silent Streams by Douglas Chadwick

I read the article Silent Streams by Douglas Chadwick. This articles main focus was to introduce the reader to two men who, in an effort to save endangered freshwater fish, run a private hatchery in Knoxville Tennessee committed to sustaining these rare species of fish until their natural habitats are safe and unpolluted again. Chadwick does a good job of bringing to light just how dire this situation is for freshwater species and how most of the pollution damaging these ecosystems is done by humans.
I personally think it is important to know that 39% of freshwater fish species are in danger of extinction. This number is so high! It's also important to know that as humans, are the ones putting harmful chemicals and sediments into the ecosystems were once credited with sustaining so much life. Although freshwater is not the majority of water on Earth, it supports a very diverse population of life.

Composting

I watched this video, on composting and learned the step by step process that goes into the compost creation in the local bay area. To start, the trucks bring all the waste they collect curbside to a location where larger vehicles can take it to the compost facilities. In this case, the trucks are driving from the town of Oakland, or other marin or sonoma county towns, to the town of Novato. When the material from your green waste can arrives at the compost facility they dump the contents into a grinder. Then this newly ground material is piled into compost piles, which need air and water to survive. For 3 to 4 weeks air is pushed into the compost pile maintaining a temperature above 131 degrees Fahrenheit. It cures for about 2 or 3 more months and at the end of that the material is tested for pathogens and heavy metals. The compost is then screened and sold. The one thing that is important to remember if you use your green waste can (and want to aid in the compost making) is to pay attention to what you put in it. Garbage bags are too often wrongly thrown into the green can. Acceptable items include leaves, grass, food, and food soiled paper.

How Mushrooms Can Save the World

After watching, 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World, I can safely say I am blown away by the diverse range of positive effects mushrooms can have on the world. I have always had a rather opposite reaction to mushrooms, I have always been wary of them. I just remember being a child and being told never to eat, touch, or pick wild mushrooms because of how poisonous and possibly deadly they could be. I cannot believe how many good things they support. I was most surprised by the oil spill and the old growth forest organisms. The way that the mushrooms grew out of the oil spill and absorbed the oil, only to grow massively after was amazing. The findings of the rare organism in the old growth forest was something I also found very teaching. The picture of the organism itself is weird enough, the thing is huge, but when Paul Stamets begins to explain the medical potential and how he considers it an important line of defense for humans I was excited at the possibility.

Soil Solutions to Climate Problems

After watching Soil Solutions to Climate Problems, I think there are a few things I learned that are worth mentioning.

-There are more organisms in a handful of soil than there are humans on earth.
(Crazy right? No wonder soil is so important)
-We rely on soil for 95% of what we eat.
 (With agriculture ruining our soil this is an important point to remember. We are accelerating the loss of this resource.)
-When soil is damaged it releases carbon dioxide into the environment.
( This is the beginning to the climate overheating which is something I didn't know before this video. I always knew soil was important but I never realized how impactful the harm of it is in the bigger picture)
-There is not enough carbon left in the soil, more than 50% lost
(This was so disappointing, learning just how much our human behavior has damaged a crucial resource)
-Timed grazing, keeping the soil covered, planting a diverse variety of crops helps put carbon back into the soil.
(Although I'm not a large scale farmer, I practice some of these things already at the farm that I grow my families garden on. I'm glad I'm doing something that is helping instead of hindering.)

The Multiplier Effect

The multiplier effect is positive economic growth in an area due to businesses offering local jobs. The multiplier effect impacts on three levels; direct, indirect, and induced, with each "impact" positively effecting a different person, business, or community. When the multiplier effect is happening more jobs are created, along with annual income rising.