Monday, March 26, 2018

Episode 413 (3-26-18): American Toad


CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (3:17).

Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.

All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-23-18.
 

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO


From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 26, 2018.

SOUND – ~5 sec

The somewhat spooky trill you just heard is this week’s mystery sound.  Have another listen for about 10 seconds and see if you can guess what’s making this call, late at night on April 3, 2017.  And here’s a hint: hop to it, and upon you the right answer may be bes-TOWED.

SOUND - ~12 sec

If you guessed an American Toad, you’re right!  One of six species of toads in Virginia, this well-known amphibian is found throughout the Commonwealth, except for the southeastern corner, where the Southern Toad takes its ecological place.  In Virginia, American Toad breeding starts between March and April in temporary pools or ponds, where males advertise to females with mating trills lasting up to 20 or 30 seconds.  Into the breeding pools, females lay long, gelatinous strings containing thousands of eggs, which hatch in about a week into aquatic tadpoles, scientifically known as larvae.  The tadpoles complete metamorphosis into toads in about two months.  These small, still-developing juvenile toads move away from the breeding pools into woods, gardens, or cultivated fields, where they feed on a wide variety of insects, spiders, worms, and other animals.  Two or three years later, these animals will be fully developed adults capable of returning to springtime waters for breeding.

To close, we turn to something whimsical about toads: a passage about the Toad of Toad Hall, one of the animal characters in the 1908 children’s novel, The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame.   In the chapter “The Further Adventures of Toad,” the book’s conceited amphibian promotes himself with words, instead of a real toad’s trilling calls, saying:
“The world has held great Heroes,
As history-books have showed;
But never a name to go down to fame,
Compared with that of Toad!”

SOUND - ~ 3 sec

SHIP’S BELL

For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The American Toad sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., at about 11:45 p.m. EDT on April 3, 2017.

The passage quoted from Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, first published in 1908, was taken from The Wind in the Willows—An Annotated Edition, Seth Lerer, ed., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass., and London, England, 2009.  The passage is from Chapter 10, “The Further Adventures of Toad,” page 214 in this edition.

Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.   More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com.

PHOTOS
American Toad at Cowbane Prairie Preserve in Augusta County, Va., April 1, 2008.
A seasonal, temporary pool—such as American Toads might use for breeding—beside a recreation path on the edge of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, March 23, 2018.

EXTRA FACTS ABOUT THE AMERICAN TOAD


The scientific name of the American Toad, more precisely called the Eastern American Toad, in Anaxyrus americanus, formerly Bufo americanus.

Here are some points about the American Toad, excerpted from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service/Eastern American Toad,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020059&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=17612.

Physical Description

“This is a large toad ranging in size from 2 to 4.25 inches (50 to 107 mm). C olor is variable but is usually brown, gray, olive, or brick red.   There is often a light middorsal stripe.  One or two warts are present in each dorsal spot.  Large spiny warts also cover the dorsal part of the hind legs, particularly the tibia. …The chest and anterior portion of the abdomen are usually sprinkled with dark pigment. Males are smaller than females with tubercles on the first and second fingers and have dark throats.  Tadpoles range from 3/4-1 inch (1.8-2.4 cm)…; [tadpole body] is dark and somewhat flattened. Eyes are small and dorsal.  This species closely resembles the southern toad and the Fowler's toad.  These species frequently hybridize making identification difficult.”

Reproduction

“This is the earliest toad species to breed in this area.  The adults congregate in breeding pools starting in March or April.  The male mating call is a long musical trill lasting 20-30 seconds.  Approximately 6000 eggs are laid in long spiral gelatinous strings.  Eggs are externally fertilized while the male and female are joined in amplexus.  Eggs are laid in shallow pools.  Eggs hatch in about 1 week; tadpole metamorphosis occurs in about 2 months.   These transformed toads are between 7 and 12 mm long.  American toads are sexually mature in 2 to 3 years.”

Habitat

“This species is found in a wide range of habitats.  Requirements include shallow bodies of water for breeding, an abundances of invertebrate prey items, and moist hiding places.  This species is primarily nocturnal but may also be active in the late afternoon.  During the daytime, they mostly rest under logs or stones or burrow in leaf litter. This species is an effective insectivore. …This species requires shallow bodies of water for breeding, a supply of invertebrate prey items, and moist hiding places. …This species can be found in a variety of habitats including mixed mesic forests, upland hardwoods, white pine-hemlock, residential gardens, and agricultural lands.”

SOURCES

Used for Audio

Encyclopedia Britannica, “Tadpole,” online at https://www.britannica.com/science/tadpole.

John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toad of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, 2011; purchase information available online at https://www.shopdgif.com.

Bernard S. Martof, et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980.

Robert McCrum, “The 100 best novels: No 38 – The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame (1908),” in The Guardian (U.S. Edition), June 9, 2014, online at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jun/09/100-best-novels-the-wind-in-the-willows-kenneth-grahame.

J. C. Mitchell and K. K. Reay, Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Virginia, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries/Richmond (1999); available online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/Herp%20Atlases/Mitchell-Reay-Atlas.pdf, courtesy of the Virginia Herpetological Society.   (Herpetology refers to the study of amphibians and reptiles.)

New Hampshire PBS, “American Toad—Anaxyrus americanus,” undated, online at http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/americantoad.htm.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Fish and Wildlife Information Service, online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Menu=Home.Species+Information.  The entry for the Eastern American Toad is online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020059&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=17612.

Virginia Herpetological Society, “Eastern American Toad/Anaxyrus americanus, online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/eastern-american-toad/eastern_american_toad.php.

For More Information about Toads and Other Amphibians

AmphibiaWeb, online at https://amphibiaweb.org/.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), “Virginia is for Frogs,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/.  One VDGIF activity is the “Virginia Frog and Toad Calling Survey,” online at http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/frogsurvey/; it’s part of the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program, online at https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/.  These programs use the sensitivity of amphibians to water availability and quality as a tool for assessing changes or threats to aquatic systems.   For more information or to volunteer, see the Web site or contact Travis Land at travis.land@thevlm.org.

RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES

All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html). See particularly the “Amphibians” subject category.

Following are links to other episodes on Virginia frogs and toads generally:
Episode 206, 3/24/14 – Spring Serenade;
Episode 371, 6/5/17 – Virginia Herpetological Society’s “Herp Blitz”;
Episode 408, 2/19/18 – Frog and Toad Medley.

Listed below are previous episodes on specific frogs or toads:
Barking Treefrog – Episode 319, 6/6/16;
Bullfrog – Episode 74, 8/8/11;
Eastern Spadefoot – Episode 357, 2/27/17;
Green Frog – Episode 310, 4/4/16;
Spring Peeper – Episode 105, 4/2/12.

FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION 

This episode may help with the following Virginia 2010 Science SOLs:


Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
4.9 - Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.

Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme
K.7 – basic needs and processes of plants and animals.
1.5 - animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics.
2.4 - life cycles.

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
2.5 - living things as part of a system, including habitats.
3.6 - ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources.
6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; and water monitoring.

Life Science Course
LS.8 - community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships.

Biology Course
BIO.6 - bases for modern classification systems, including structures, biochemistry, and developmental stages.
BIO.8 - dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.

Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.

Following are links to previous Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels:
Episode 250 (1-26-15) – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 255 (3-2-15) – on density, for 5th and 6th grade;
Episode 282 (9-21-15) – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten;
Episode 309 (3-28-16) – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade;
Episode 332 (9-12-16) – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade;
Episode 403 (1-15-18) – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 404 (1-22-18) – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade; Episode 406 (2-5-18) – on ice on rivers, for middle school;
Episode 407 (2-12-19) – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Episode 412 (3-19-18): The 1862 Clash of Ironclads in Hampton Roads, Featuring “The Cumberland and the Merrimac” by Tom Roush


CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:14).

Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.

All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-16-18.


TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 19, 2018.

MUSIC – ~6 sec

This week, we revisit a 2012 episode featuring music about an American Civil War battle on the waters of Virginia’s Hampton Roads that was indecisive at the time but had long-term naval consequences.  Have a listen for about a minute.

MUSIC ~68 sec

You’ve been listening to part of “The Cumberland and the Merrimac,” performed by Tom Roush.  The song tells the story of a new naval era dawning—right in Hampton Roads.  On March 8, 1862, the ironclad CSS Virginia—often called the Merrimac [or Merrimack], because it was constructed upon that wooden ship’s salvaged hull—attacked a Hampton Roads blockade to restore maritime access to Richmond and Norfolk.  With its armor deflecting Union shots, the Virginia sank the USS Cumberland and forced the surrender of the USS Congress.  When the Union’s ironclad ship, the USS Monitor, arrived the next day to defend the blockade, the historic “Battle of the Ironclads” ensued.  Though no clear winner prevailed in that battle, the emergence of the Civil War ironclads forever changed naval warfare.  As for Hampton Roads, one hundred and fifty-six years later the area maintains its relevance as a hub for trade, shipbuilding, military bases, and, of course, history.

Thanks to Heather Vereb for developing and writing this episode originally in 2012.  Thanks also to Tom Roush for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with a few more seconds of “The Cumberland and the Merrimac.”

MUSIC - ~20 sec

SHIP’S BELL

For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.   In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Virginia Water Radio episode was originally written by Heather Vereb in March 2012.  The episode replaces Episode 104, 3-26-12, which has been archived.

The origin of the tune and lyrics of “The Cumberland and Merrimac” are anonymous.  The version of the song heard in this episode was arranged and performed by Tom Roush, used with permission.  The full performance of the song by Mr. Roush is available on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEY62qOSnAA.  More information about Mr. Roush is available online at http://tomroush.us/.

PHOTOS 

The following images were accessed at the Web site of the U.S. Navy/Naval History and Heritage Command, “The Battle of Hampton Roads,” online at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1.html.

“Iron versus Wood: Sinking of the Cumberland by the Merrimac. In Hampton Roads, March 8, 1862.” Oil painting by Edward Moran (1829-1901). Accessed online at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1/80-g-k-17106-iron-vs-wood.html.
“Battle between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia in Hampton Roads, Virginia, 9 March 1862.” Lithograph by Closson Blake, after a painting by W.F. Halsall. Accessed online at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1/nh-1053-battle-between-uss-monitor-and-css-virginia-in-hampton-r.html.

EXTRA FACTS ABOUT THE BATTLE OF THE IRONCLADS

Following is a description of the Battle of Hampton Roads, from the U.S. Navy/Naval History and Heritage Command, “The Battle of Hampton Roads,” undated, online at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1.html.  The Battle of Hampton Roads is the formal name for the March 1862 engagement that is also known as the “Battle of the Ironclads.”

“At mid-day on 8 March 1862, CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack, and persistently mid-identified by that name or as ‘Merrimac’) steamed down the Elizabeth River from Norfolk and entered Hampton Roads.  It was the newly converted ironclad's trial trip, a short voyage that would deeply influence naval opinion at home and abroad.

“Anchored on the opposite side of Hampton Roads were five major Union warships: the frigate Congress and large sloop of war Cumberland off Newport News, and the frigates St. Lawrence, Minnesota, and Roanoke a few miles to the east, off Fortress Monroe.  All were powerful conventional wooden men o’war.  Minnesota and Roanoke, of the same type as the pre-war Merrimack, had auxiliary steam propulsion, but the other three were propelled by sails alone, and thus were at the mercy of wind conditions and the availability of tugs.  As Virginia crossed the Roads, looking (as one witness described her) ‘like the roof of a very big barn belching forth smoke as from a chimney on fire,’ the Union ships called their crews to quarters and prepared for action.  Turning west, the Confederate ironclad shrugged off steady fire from ships and shore batteries as she steamed past the Congress.  Firing her heavy cannon into both ships, she pushed her ram into Cumberland’s starboard side.  The stricken ship began to sink, though her gun crews kept up a heavy fire as she went down....

Virginia backed clear, tearing off most of her iron ram, and slowly turned toward the Congress, which had gone aground while trying to get underway.   Confederate gunners put several raking shells into the frigate’s hull, and maintained a relentless fire as they came alongside.  After an hour’s battle, in which Congress’ crew suffered heavy casualties, she raised the white flag of surrender.  As the Confederates began to take off her crew, several men on both sides were hit by gunfire from ashore, among them the Virginia’s Commanding Officer, Captain Franklin Buchanan, who ordered Congress set afire with hot shot.  She blazed into the night, exploding as the fire reached her powder magazines about two hours after midnight.

Virginia had meanwhile made a brief demonstration in the direction of the big steam frigate Minnesota, which had also gone aground.  However, with the day’s light about to fade, the ironclad turned back toward the southern side of Hampton Roads and anchored.  Though two of her guns had their muzzles shot off and most external fittings were swept away or rendered useless, she had dramatically demonstrated the horrible vulnerability of unarmored wooden warships when confronted with a hostile ironclad, and was still battleworthy….

“At dawn on 9 March 1862, CSS Virginia prepared for renewed combat.  The previous day, she had utterly defeated two big Federal warships, Congress and Cumberland, destroying both and killing more than 240 of their crewmen.  Today, she expected to inflict a similar fate on the grounded steam frigate Minnesota and other enemy ships, probably freeing the lower Chesapeake Bay region of Union seapower and the land forces it supported.  Virginia would thus contribute importantly to the Confederacy’s military, and perhaps diplomatic, fortunes.

“However, as they surveyed the opposite side of Hampton Roads, where the Minnesota and other potential victims awaited their fate, the Confederates realized that things were not going to be so simple.  There, looking small and low near the lofty frigate, was a vessel that could only be USS Monitor, the Union Navy’s own ironclad, which had arrived the previous evening after a perilous voyage from New York.  Though her crew was exhausted and their ship untested, the Monitor was also preparing for action.

“Undeterred, Virginia steamed out into Hampton Roads.  Monitor positioned herself to protect the immobile Minnesota, and a general battle began.  Both ships hammered away at each other with heavy cannon, and tried to run down and hopefully disable the other, but their iron-armored sides prevented vital damage.  Virginia’s smokestack was shot away, further reducing her already modest mobility, and Monitor’s technological teething troubles hindered the effectiveness of her two eleven-inch guns, the Navy’s most powerful weapons.  Ammunition supply problems required her to temporarily pull away into shallower water, where the deep-drafted Virginia could not follow, but she always covered the Minnesota.

“Soon after noon, Virginia gunners concentrated their fire on Monitor’s pilothouse, a small iron blockhouse near her bow.  A shell hit there blinded Lieutenant John L. Worden, the Union ship's Commanding Officer, forcing another withdrawal until he could be relieved at the conn.  By the time she was ready to return to the fight, Virginia had turned away toward Norfolk.

“The first battle between ironclad warships had ended in stalemate, a situation that lasted until Virginia’s self-destruction two months later.  However, the outcome of combat between armored equals, compared with the previous day's terrible mismatch, symbolized the triumph of industrial age warfare.  The value of existing ships of the line and frigates was heavily discounted in popular and professional opinion.  Ironclad construction programs, already underway in America and Europe, accelerated.  The resulting armored warship competition would continue into the 1940s, some eight decades in the future.”

SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION

History.com, “Battle of the Ironclads,” online at https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-the-ironclads.

U.S. Navy/Naval History and Heritage Command, “The Battle of Hampton Roads,” undated, online at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/wars-and-events/the-american-civil-war--1861-1865/css-virginia-destroys-uss-cumberland-and-uss-congress--8-march-1.html.

RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES

All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “History” subject category.

Following are links to some other episodes on the role of waterways in the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

Revolutionary WarEpisode 168 – 7/1/13 – Revolutionary War Waters.
Episode 220, 6/30/14 – Water origins of the Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Episode 273 – 7/6/15 – Taking “The Great Road” by Timothy Seamn on an Independence Day Journey to the Virginia Peninsula and Historic Triangle.
Episode 390, 10/16/17 – History on the York River, Featuring “The Surrender of Cornwallis” by Bobby Horton.

Civil War
Episode 101, 3/5/12 – “All Quite Along the Potomac Tonight,” by Bobby Horton.
Episode 164, 6/3/13 – “Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel,” by Bobby Horton.
Episode 201, 2/17/14 – Abraham Lincoln and the James River.
Episode 223, 7/21/14 – Bull Run’s Past and Present, Featuring “Abe’s Retreat.”
Episode 318, 5/30/16 – Memorial Day’s Origin, from a Potomac River Perspective.

FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION

The episode may help with Virginia 2013 Music SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.”

The episode may also help with the following Virginia 2015 Social Studies SOLs:

Virginia Studies Course
VS.10 – knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia.

United States History to 1865 Course
USI.9 – causes, events, and effects of the Civil War.

Virginia and United States History Course
VUS.7 - knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.

Following are links to previous Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels.
Episode 250 (1-26-15
) – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Episode 255 (3-2-15) – on density, for 5th and 6th grade.
Episode 282 (9-21-15) – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten.
Episode 309 (3-28-16) – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade.
Episode 332 (9-12-16) – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade.
Episode 403 (1-15-18) – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Episode 404 (1-22-18) – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade.
Episode 406 (2-5-18) – on ice on rivers, for middle school.
Episode 407 (2-12-19)
– on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Episode 411 (3-12-18): Killdeer are Shorebirds Away from the Shore


CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:13).

Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.

All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-9-18.


TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 12, 2018.

MUSIC – ~10 sec

This week, that music from Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg opens an episode about a shorebird that’s often seen far inland.  Have a listen for about 15 seconds to a bit more music and to some mystery sounds, and see if you can guess what’s making the peeping calls.  And here’s a hint that includes a rhyme for the name: approach its nest, and you will hear this bird.

MUSIC and SOUNDS - ~16 sec

If you guessed Killdeer, you’re right!  Kildeer are known for using calls and a pretended broken-wing ploy to draw predators away from their nest.  The Killdeer is one of nine North American species of plovers, six of which occur in Virginia.  In fact, Killdeer have been studied by Virginia Tech researchers to help learn about Piping Plovers, a federally threatened and endangered species.

Killdeer are named after their characteristic calls, which one may hear by day or night.  In past centuries the bird has been called “kildee” (again, for its call) as well as Chattering Plover and Noisy Plover, because of its reputation as an especially vocal bird.  Plovers are considered shorebirds, but the Killdeer is the least shore-connected member of the plover family.  The species is found in many open habitats with low vegetation, such as mudflats, gravel bars, and meadows, and in many human-generated areas like construction sites, graveled roads or rooftops, and lawns.   But, according to Cornell University’s “Birds of North America Online,” even in dry habitats Killdeer are “most often found near water of some sort, even if it is a lawn sprinkler.”

While Kildeer sometimes feed in water on aquatic organisms, and they’re considered good swimmers, they more commonly feed on the ground, running along and then stopping quickly to seize a variety of insects and other invertebrates.  Writing in the 1800s about this running ability of Killdeer, John James Audubon noted, “On the ground their speed is such that it has become proverbial, and to ‘run like a Kildee,’ is to move with the utmost possible agility.”

Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use this week’s sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs. Thank also to Timothy Seaman for this week’s original music, and we close with a few more seconds of “Killdeer in Action.”

MUSIC - ~23 sec

SHIP’S BELL

For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close the show.   In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“Killdeer in Action” was composed for this episode of Virginia Water Radio by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, Va., on March 6-7, 2018.  Click here to hear the full version (1 min./42 sec.).  More information about Mr. Seaman is available online at http://timothyseaman.com/en/

The sounds of Kildeer were taken from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott, whose work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/.

Thanks to Chelsea Weithman for information on Virginia Tech research use of Killdeer, provided in a personal communication on March 7, 2018.  As of spring 2018, Ms. Weithman is a master’s degree student in the Virginia Tech Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation.  Information about that department’s shorebird research is available online at http://vtshorebirds.fishwild.vt.edu/.

Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewart Scales that opens and closes this episode.   More information about Mr. Scales and the group New Standard, with which Mr. Scales plays, is available online at http://newstandardbluegrass.com.

PHOTOS

Kildeer Plover (now known as Killdeer) painting originally published between 1827 and 1838 by John James Audubon in Birds of America (plate CCXXV [225]), as reprinted in 1985 by Abbeville Press, New York.  Photo taken March 7, 2018, from the reprint copy (no. 6 of 350 copies printed in 1985) owned by Special Collections of Virginia Tech Libraries.  Virginia Water Radio thanks Special Collections for permission to photograph their copy and for their assistance.  Information about Birds of America is available from the National Audubon Society, online at http://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america; the Kildeer Plover entry is online at http://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/kildeer-plover.
Killdeer guarding its nest in gravel beside a service road at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge/Assateague Island National Seashore in Virginia, June 13, 2010.  Photo by Emma Kerr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), made available for public use under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license; accessed online at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Killdeer_guards_nest_(5280460952).jpg on March 8, 2018.

EXTRA FACTS ABOUT KILLDEER


The scientific name of the Killdeer is Charadrius vociferus.

Here are some points about Killdeer, excerpted from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service/Killdeer,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040119&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=17596.

Physical Description
“Average male wingspan [is] 154-167 millimeters (mm); average female wingspan [is] 147-170 mm; length [is] 228.6-279.4 mm. [S]exes look [the] same; …2 black bands; crest, lower throat and breast separated by white; rest of underparts behind lower band also white;…bill: black; legs and toes: pinkish gray to grayish yellow; chick has only one band across chest; swift, graceful, erratic flight.”

Nesting Habitat and Behavior
“[N]ests in open land habitats, pastures, golf courses, airports, gravel pits, roadsides, lawns; attracted to gravelly substrates and often nests on gravel roof tops; need some shallow water nearby; nest is a shallow depression, lined with pebbles, grasses, or weed stalks; flat white stones…and other light colored materials selectively used to line nest; select areas with little or no vegetation in the immediate vicinity of the nest on ground soft enough for digging…; tolerant of humans; ...female displays broken wing routine when flushed from the nest while male circles at a safe distance, screaming and calling; [this] injury feigning can occur as a result of young’s distress calls in addition to the sighting of a predator or human near the nest; both sexes also fly in faces of grazing livestock as they approach the nest; …bird may also pick and toss small stones and use ‘killdeer’ call; on the ground killdeer chases the intruder in a gliding run with the body horizontal, back and throat feathers ruffled, and tail spread and raised; …male is more agressive toward predators while female is more agressive toward conspecifics….”

Winter Habitat
“…[In winter more closely associated with water found along beaches, water courses, mudflats and in open fields.”

Diet
“…[F]oraging behavior: feeds in open areas, along margins of rivers lakes, and ponds, in pastures, meadows, cultivated fields; sometimes feeds in water…. If feeding in water, stands on one foot while the other is vibrated rapidly to stir up food while is pecked out of the water; …on ground, runs forward stops and suddenly seizes food from the surface rather than probing; 98% of food is gleaned insects; feeds on beetles and terrestrial insects (80%) and other invertebrates (20%); prefers beetles but also feeds on grasshoppers, weevils, caterpillars, ants, true bugs, worms, grubs, mosquitoes, ticks, crane flies, clover root curcubio, billbugs, wireworms, click beetles, corn leaf beetles, horse flies, crayfish, diving beetles, marine worms, caddis flies, dragon flies, centipedes, spiders, snails, crabs, weed seeds, grubs of June beetles exposed by ploving, clams, and aquatic worms. …[I]s active feeding in evening as well as day….”

SOURCES

Used for Audio

John James Audubon, “Kildeer Plover,” from Birds of America (1827-1838), Plate 225, accessed at the Audubon Web site, online at http://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america/kildeer-plover.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “All About Birds,” online at http://www.allaboutbirds.org; the Killdeer entry is online at https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Neotropical Birds/Killdeer,” online at https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/killde/overview.

Encyclopedia Britannica, “Plover,” online at https://www.britannica.com/animal/plover.

Merriam-Webster, “Origin and Etymology of ‘Charadrius,’” online at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Charadrius.

Merriam-Webster, “Origin and Etymology of ‘plover,’” online at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plover.

Chandler S. Robbins et al., A Guide to Field Identification of Birds of North America, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 2001.

Stan Tekiela, Birds of Virginia Field Guide, Adventure Publications, Inc., Cambridge, Minn., 2002.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “All About Piping Plovers,” online at https://www.fws.gov/plover/facts.html.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor; the Killdeer entry is online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=040119&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=17596.

For More Information about Birds

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, “Merlin Photo ID.” The application for mobile devices allows users to submit a bird photograph to get identification of the bird.  Information is available online at http://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and American Ornithologists’ Union, “Birds of North America Online,” online at http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna (subscription required).

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, “eBird,” online at http://ebird.org/content/ebird/.  Here you can find locations of species observations made by contributors, and you can sign up to contribute your own observations.

Virginia Society of Ornithology, online at http://www.virginiabirds.org/.  The Society is non-profit organization dedicated to the study, conservation, and enjoyment of birds in the Commonwealth.

Xeno-canto Foundation Web site, online at http://www.xeno-canto.org/.  The site provides bird songs from around the world.

RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES

All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).   See particularly the “Birds” subject category.

FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION

The episode may help with the following Virginia 2010 English SOLs:

Reading Theme
8.4, 9.3, 10.3, 11.3, and 12.3 – knowledge of word origins, analogies, and figurative language to extend vocabulary development within authentic texts.

This episode may also help with the following Virginia 2010 Science SOLs:

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
4.9 – Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.

Grades K-6 Life Processes Theme
K.7 – basic needs and processes of plants and animals.
1.5 - animals’ basic needs and distinguishing characteristics.
3.4 - behavioral and physiological adaptations.

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
2.5 - living things as part of a system, including habitats.
3.5 - food webs.
3.6 - ecosystems, communities, populations, shared resources.
4.5 - ecosystem interactions and human influences on ecosystem.
5.5 - cell structures and functions, organism classification, and organism traits.
6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring.

Life Science Course
LS.4 - organisms’ classification based on features.
LS.8 - community and population interactions, including food webs, niches, symbiotic relationships.
LS.9 - adaptations for particular ecosystems’ biotic and abiotic factors, including characteristics of land, marine, and freshwater environments.

Biology Course
BIO.8 - dynamic equilibria and interactions within populations, communities, and ecosystems; including nutrient cycling, succession, effects of natural events and human activities, and analysis of the flora, fauna, and microorganisms of Virginia ecosystems.

Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.

Following are links to previous Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels:
Episode 250 (1-26-15
) – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 255 (3-2-15) – on density, for 5th and 6th grade;
Episode 282 (9-21-15
) – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten;
Episode 309 (3-28-16) – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade;
Episode 332 (9-12-16) – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade;
Episode 403 (1-15-18) – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 404 (1-22-18) – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade; Episode 406 (2-5-18) – on ice on rivers, for middle school;
Episode 407 (2-12-19) – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.

Monday, March 5, 2018

Episode 410 (3-5-18): Virginia Electricity Regulation and Water


CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:42).

Transcript of audio, notes on the audio, images, and additional information follow below.

All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 3-2-18.


TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 5, 2018.

SOUND AND VOICE – ~8 sec – “It is a huge piece of legislation. It is monumental.”

That’s the sound of an electricity transmission line and a comment heard on February 8, 2018, in the Commerce and Labor Committee of the Virginia House of Delegates, where the “huge and monumental” legislation under discussion was House Bill 1558, on regulation of electric utilities.  What’s the water story to this big and important bill about electric utility regulation?

The answer starts with connections between water and energy in general.  Here are four.   First, substantial water is used in producing energy.  Second, energy is used in providing water.  Third, energy production can generate solid or liquid wastes that affect water.  And fourth, fossil fuel-based energy production generates air pollutants that can eventually affect water.  All of these water impacts are affected the energy source used to produce electricity, whether it’s fossil fuels, nuclear, solar, wind, hydropower, or something else.

Now, back to electricity regulation.  In Virginia, this involves regulation primarily of two companies, Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power, which are allowed exclusive service territories in the Commonwealth, and are therefore considered regulated monopolies.  Regulation is by the State Corporation Commission, or SCC, and the General Asssembly sets the laws that determine the SCC’s authority.  A key part of that authority is the timing of SCC reviews of the rates, charges, facilities, and service provision of the regulated monopolies.  Those reviews involve the determination of what the SCC is to consider in the “public interest,” and the determination of what costs by the utilities are “reasonable and prudent.”

House Bill 1558, and the companion bill, Senate Bill 966, change the review periods that were set in legislation passed in 2015. The bills also make public interest or reasonable cost determinations on three issues relevant to connections between water and energy: investments in renewable energy, energy efficiency (including weatherization), and grid modernization, including putting transmission lines underground to protect against storm damage.  Much of the discussion of these bills centered on how utility investments in those areas would be addressed in SCC review of electricity rates and potential refunds to customers.

As of March 1, House Bill 1558 had passed both houses but with somewhat different versions; and Senate Bill 966 had passed both houses in the same version.  The long and complicated bills attracted lots of attention, proposals for changes, and contrasting assessments, and they’ll likely be among the most significant legislation of this General Assembly.  For more information about these bills, visit the Virginia Legislative Information System, online at lis.virginia.gov; or contact your local delegate or state senator.

We close with one more comment from the February 8 House committee discussion, which helps explain why utility rate bills get so much attention:

CLOSE – ~8 sec – “Monopoly utility rate-making is an esoteric area of the law, but it has a profound impact on the lives and pocket-books of Virginians.”

SHIP’S BELL

For more Virginia water sounds, music, and information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call us at (540) 231-5463.  Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.   In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Voices heard in this episode were from speakers at the February 8, 2018, meeting of the Virginia House of Delegates’ Committee on Commerce and Labor.  The audio excerpts were derived from posted video of the meeting, online at http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=1179&viewMode=2.  In that video, discussion of HB 1558 begins at about 3:28 p.m. (the time of day is shown under the video) and the discussion of this bill continues for about 1 hour and 27 minutes.

The first voice heard in this episode of Virginia Water Radio is that of Dana Wiggins of the Southern Poverty Law Center, from her testimony beginning at about 4:18:08 p.m.   The second voice heard in this episode is that of Virginia Deputy Attorney General Samuel Towell, from his testimony beginning at about 4:07:35 p.m.

A 26 min./13 sec. audio excerpt (produced by Virginia Water Radio) of that discussion is available at this link.

Archives of all video from the Commerce and Labor Committee in 2018 are available online at http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/agendas/agendaDates.php?id=H14&ses=181#.  For more on video from the Virginia General Assembly, please see below under “Sources/For More Information about the Virginia General Assembly.”

Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com.

PHOTO
Delegate Terry Kilgore (R-1st) ) (center) preparing to testify on HB 1558 (which he sponsored) at the Virginia House of Delegates Commerce and Labor Committee meeting on February 8, 2018. Image captured from Virginia General Asesmbly video of the meeting, online at http://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00304/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2?fk=1179&viewMode=2.

EXTRA FACTS ABOUT HOUSE BILL 1558 AND SENATE BILL 966 IN THE 2018 VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Information on HB 1558 is online at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=181&typ=bil&val=hb1558; information on SB 966 is online at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=181&typ=bil&val=sb966.  Summaries of the bills are available at those links.

HB 1558 passed the House on February 13, 2018; a somewhat different version passed the Senate on March 1.

SB 966 passed the Senate on February 9; a somewhat different version passed the House on February 26, and the House version was passed by the Senate on February 28.  As passed by both houses, this bill differed somewhat from HB 1558 as passed by the House on February 13.

These bills would change the electric utility review structure for the State Corporation Commission that is currently in effect (as of March 2018) that was established by the 2015 Virginia General Assembly in SB 1349, Electric utility regulation; suspension of regulatory reviews of utility earnings.  The 2015 bill barred the SCC from conducting a biennial review of Dominion Virginia Power for the five test periods beginning January 1, 2015, and ending December 31, 2019, and of Appalachian Power for the four test periods beginning January 1, 2014, and ending December 31, 2017 (those time periods are known as “the Transitional Rate Period”).

SOURCES

Used for Audio

Appalachian Power Company, online at https://www.appalachianpower.com/.

Evans B. Brasfield, “Regulation of Electric Utilities by the State Corporation Commission,” William and Mary Law Review, Vol. 14/Issue 3 (1973), available online at http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/wmlr.  The specific link to the PDF is http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2629&context=wmlr.

Dominion Energy, online at https://www.dominionenergy.com/.

Virginia Legislative Information System, online at http://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm.  This site provides access to all bills considered by the Virginia General Assembly in 2018 and in past sessions back to 1994.

Virginia State Corporation Commission/Division of Public Utility Reguation, “Energy Regulation in Virginia,” online at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/power/index.aspx; and “Electric Companies Regulated by the SCC,” online at https://www.scc.virginia.gov/pur/elec/reg_cos.aspx.

News Media Items on Electric Utility Rate Bills in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly
(listed from most recent to oldest)


With few remaining detractors, bill overhauling utility regulation advances, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/26/18.

Pending Va. law will affect utility bills for a decade. Here’s what you need to know, Washington Post, 2/21/18.

Utility overhaul passes House, but with a big amendment to address “double dip,” Richmond Times-Dispatch, as published by Roanoke Times, 2/13/18.

Electric utility regulation bill advances in both chambers, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/8/18.

State regulators say proposed utility overhaul still limits ability to issue refunds, lower rates, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/7/18.

Utility bill a riddle wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma [commentary], Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/6/18.

‘White smoke’ on Dominion Energy regulatory overhaul; bill could advance quickly, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 2/5/18.

Bill to undo controversial utility rate freeze faces unfriendly panel Monday as Dominion-favored plan is developed, Richmond Times-Dispatch, 1/13/18.

For More Information about the Virginia General Assembly

The General Assembly’s Web site, http://virginiageneralassembly.gov/index.php, offers several useful features, including member lists, session calendars, live video of floor sessions, and information on legislative processes.

The Legislative Information System (LIS) Web site, http://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm, provides lists and summaries of all bills, searchable by topic, member, committee, etc.

Live video streams and archived video of floor sessions are available at http://virginia-house.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3 for the House and http://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3 for the Senate.

Committees are key parts of the General Assembly process. Legislation about water or about activities that can affect water may be assigned to any of several standing committees, most of which meet weekly during the General Assembly session.  As of 2018, live streaming and archived video of committee meetings are available.  Information on live streaming of House committee meetings is online at https://publications.virginiageneralassembly.gov/display_publication/209; archives of previous meetings are available via the Web pages for each committee, which can accessed via the LIS site.  Video of Senate committee meetings (both current and archived) is available online online at http://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3.

Virginia Water Central News Grouper posts relevant to the Virginia General Assembly are available online at https://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/?s=Virginia+General+Assembly.  A post about the electric utility regulation legislation in the 2018 Assembly is online at https://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/water-in-the-2018-virginia-general-assembly-electric-utility-rate-review-bills/.

RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES

All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).

Following are links to previous episodes on the Virginia General Assembly:
Episode143, 1/7/13 – Music for the Past and Present of the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 147, 2/4/13
– Committees Guide the Flow of Bills in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 196, 1/13/14
– The Virginia Legislature on its 396th Opening Day, January 8, 2014;
Episode 247, 1/5/15
– January Means State Budget Time in the Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 252, 2/9/15
– Voting on Water in the 2015 Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 297, 1/4/16 – Water’s on the Agenda—along with a Whole Lot Else—When the Virginia General Assembly Convenes;
Episode 302, 2/8/16 – Voting on Water in the 2016 Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 350, 1/9/17 – Old English Music Helps Preview the Old Dominion’s 2017 General Assembly;
Episode 353, 1/30/17 – Voting on Water in the 2017 Virginia General Assembly;
Episode 359, 3/13/17 – Subcommittees are Where Many Proposed Virginia Laws Start to Float or Sink;
Episode 402, 1/8/18 – The Virginia Legislature Begins Its 400th Year in 2018;
Episode 405, 1/29/18 – Voting on Water in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly.

Following are links to some other episodes on connections between water and energy:
American Power Suite – Episode 316, 5/16/16;
Hydroelectric power – Episode 170, 7/15/13;
Natural gas – Episode 380, 8/7/17;
Solid-waste recycling, energy, and water – Episode 240, 11/17/14;
Water quality and coal – Episode 97, 1/30/12; Episode 98, 2/6/12; Episode 99, 2/13/12.

FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION

This episode may help with the following 2010 Science SOLs.

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
6.9 – public policy decisions regarding the environment.

Earth Science Course
ES.6 – renewable vs. non-renewable resources (including energy resources).

The episode may also help with the following 2015 Social Studies SOLs.

Virginia Studies Course
VS.10 – knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia.

Civics and Economics Course
CE.1 – social studies skills that responsible citizenship requires.
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.

Government Course
GOVT.1 – social studies skills that responsible citizenship requires.
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.
GOVT.15 – role of government in Va. and U.S. economies, including examining environmental issues and property rights.

Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/.

Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels:
Episode 250 (1-26-15) – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 255 (3-2-15) – on density, for 5th and 6th grade;
Episode 282 (9-21-15) – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten;
Episode 309 (3-28-16) – on temperature regulation in animals, for kindergarten through 12th grade;
Episode 332 (9-12-16) – on dissolved gases, especially dissolved oxygen in aquatic habitats, for 5th grade.
Episode 403 (1-15-18) – on freezing and ice, for kindergarten through 3rd grade;
Episode 404 (1-22-18) – on ice on ponds and lakes, for 4th through 8th grade.
Episode 406 (2-5-18) – on ice on rivers, for middle school;
Episode 407 (2-12-19) – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.