"Summer Vacation is a time when parents realize that teachers are grossly underpaid." ~ Anonymous

In 2000, a 4 year old cancer patient named Alexandra Scott decided to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for kids with cancer. For the next four years, despite her deteriorating health, Alex held an annual "Alex's Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer" on her front lawn. Following her inspirational example, thousands of lemonade stands have been held across the country by children, schools, businesses, and organizations. In 2004 and 2005 there were over 4000 Alex's Lemonade Stands held across the country. As of May 2006, her national campaign has raised over $6 million for childhood cancer research. To find out how to organize your own Alex's Lemonade Stand, visit http://www.alexslemonade.org/

Mayflies ~ Too Much of a Good Thing?
In Kittatinning, Armstrong County, PA, they know the quality of the Allegheny River is improving. This fact becomes exceedingly clear to all area residents each year in mid-July when the town is invaded by swarms of mayflies, typical indicators of good water quality. The bugs coat streets, vehicles, and houses, and would be a much bigger problem if they didn't, in true mayfly fashion, live for only one day (hence the scientific name, Ephemeroptera)!
Check out the video at: http://kdka.com/video/?id=18174@kdka.dayport.com Photo: NYS Stream Biomonitoring Unit

New Tools and Publications

VA Wetland Restoration Toolkit

The Chesapeake Bay Alliance in partnership with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality developed Restoring Virginia's Wetlands: A Citizen's Toolkit. The Toolkit supplies the background information necessary to understand wetland functions and values, and provides useful information to Virginia's landowners on the status of wetlands, various options for the use and management of their wetlands, current regulatory protection as well as voluntary efforts, and technical and financial resources for protection, enhancement, restoration and creation projects. http://www.acb-online.org/project.cfm?vid=239 

EPA Draft Guidance to Control NPS Pollution from Hydromodification 

EPA has posted draft guidance on its website that will provide technical assistance to states, territories, tribes, and municipalities for managing hydromodification and reducing nonpoint source (NPS) pollution of surface and ground water. The document describes examples of practices that can be used to reduce NPS pollution from activities associated with channelization, channel modification, dams, and streambank and shoreline erosion. Comments must be received on or before October 16. http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/hydromod/index.htm. 

ASWM Wetland Question and Answer Guides

A series of 21 Wetland Question and Answer Guides have been published by the Association of State Wetland Managers, Inc. These question and answer guides are designed primarily for local government, land trusts and members of the public, and provide information on wetland topics ranging from organizing a wetland festival to legal advice for local governments. Each guide includes a list of questions and answers along with a selected bibliography and list of websites for readers wishing more information. http://www.aswm.org/propub/brochures2006.htm 

IWL Stream Enhancement Handbook

A Handbook for Stream Enhancement and Stewardship, prepared by the Izaak Walton League, is intended to be a basic resource for individuals, classes, organizations, volunteer groups, and communities wishing to carry out environmentally sound, cost-effective stream corridor assessment, enhancement, and stewardship programs. It will be of great value to readers who want to acquire a solid grasp of the fundamentals of assessing the physical condition and ecological well-being of streams, of what might be done to improve the stability and ecological health of stream corridors, and of implementing effective stream enhancement programs in their communities. http://www.mwpubco.com/stream.htm