Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Episode 496 (10-28-19): The Chesapeake Bay Commission Turns 40 in 2020

Click to listen to episode (4:40)

Sections below are the following:
Transcript of Audio
Audio Notes and Acknowledgments
Images
Sources
Related Water Radio Episodes
For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.).


Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-25-19.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 28, 2019.

SOUNDS and MUSIC (instrumental) - ~20 seconds

This week, the sounds of waves, shorebirds, and the traditional tune “East Virginia,” performed by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, set up a Virginia water geography question: what large water body is connected to those sounds and to Virginia from east to west?

That’s the Chesapeake Bay, whose watershed in Virginia stretches from the eastern coastline to the western mountains.  Now here’s a more difficult question: what organization that’s deeply involved in Bay restoration turns 40 years old in 2020?  Have a listen for about 25 seconds to more of “East Virginia,” and see if you know that organization.

MUSIC (instrumental) -~27 seconds

If you guessed the Chesapeake Bay Commission, you’re right!  Formed in 1980, the Commission is a key partner in efforts to restore the water quality, aquatic life, and economic vitality of the Chesapeake.  The Commission’s 21 members include five legislators each from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania; those states’ governor’s cabinet members responsible for natural resources; and three citizen representatives.  The Commission is particularly involved in legislative aspects of Bay restoration, both in the states and at the federal level, including through the federal Farm Bill.  It works to coordinate policies among the Bay jurisdictions through shared research and information, and through participation in multi-jurisdictional Bay agreements in 1983, 1987, 2000, and 2014.

Today, after decades of work, and with the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load process ongoing, the Commission’s Web site notes that Bay restoration continues to face, quote, “daunting challenges,” and that “sufficient resources [and] equitable policies” are needed to “keep the restoration effort on track.”

The Commission continues its part of that effort at its next quarterly meeting on November 7th and 8th, 2019, in Baltimore.

Thanks to Timothy Seaman for permission to use part of “East Virginia.”  And to acknowledge the Chesapeake Bay connection across Virginia, we close with a Shenandoah River musical reference. Here’s part of “The Deep Blue Green,” by Andrew VanNorstrand [from his 2019 album, “That We Could Find a Way To Be”].

MUSIC - 33 seconds – Lyrics:“I went searching around the bend
The Shenandoah, river of my dreams.
And if I ever reach the end
I’m gonna fall back into the deep blue green.”


SHIP’S BELL

Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.   In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The waves sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio at the Chesapeake Bay on Kent Island, Maryland, June 22, 2010.

The shorebirds sound was taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Digital Library, http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/; the specific audio file was “Shore birds close,” online at https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/audio/id/66/rec/8.

The version heard here of “East Virginia,” from the 2006 album, “Jamestown: On the Edge of a Vast Continent,” is copyright by Timothy Seaman and Pine Wind Music, used with permission.  More information about Timothy Seaman is available online at https://timothyseaman.com/en/.

“The Deep Blue Green,” from the 2019 album “That We Could Find a Way to Be” is copyright by Andrew VanNorstrand, used with permission.  More information about Andrew VanNorstrand is available online at https://www.andrewvannorstrand.com/.

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.

IMAGES

Chesapeake Bay looking north from Cape Charles, Va. (Northampton County), October 6, 2007.


Vessels seen from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, October 7, 2007.


Vessels, cormorants, and gulls viewed from Kent Island, Md., September 22, 2010.

SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION

Chesapeake Bay Program (CPB), online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/:
“Bay Program History,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/bay_program_history;
“Chesapeake Executive Council,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/group/chesapeake_executive_council;
“Partners,” online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/who/partners.

Chesapeake Bay Commission, online at http://www.chesbay.us/ (this page was the source of the phrases quoted in this episode's audio).  Members of the Commission are listed online at http://www.chesbay.us/members.htm.  Information on the Commission’s Nov. 7-8, 2019, meeting in Baltimore is available online (as a PDF) at http://lis.virginia.gov/191/oth/Agenda.CBC.1107-0819.pdf.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Chesapeake Bay TMDL,” online at https://www.epa.gov/chesapeake-bay-tmdl.

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 “Community/Organizations” and “Rivers, Streams, and Other Surface Water” subject categories.

Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay.

Episode 115, 6-18-12 – on the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Watershed Implementation Plan Phase II.
Episode 140, 12-10-12 – on Captain John Smith’s exploration of the Bay.
Episode 279, 8-24-15 – on oysters and nitrogen in the Bay (part 1).
Episode 280, 9-7-15 – on oysters and nitrogen in the Bay (part 2).
Episode 305, 2-29-16 – on the Bay Barometer and other assessment tools.
Episode 325, 7-18-16 – on submerged aquatic vegetation.
Episode 326, 7-25-16 – on estuaries generally.
Episode 475, 6-3-19 – on the Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load Watershed Implementation Plan Phase III.

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

The episode—the audio, extra information, or sources—may help with the following Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).

2013 Music SOLs

SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.”

2010 Science SOLs

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
4.9 – Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.
6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, cost/benefit assessments).

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
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.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.

Earth Science Course
ES.8 – influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia, “with reference to the hydrologic cycle.”
ES.10 – ocean processes, interactions, and policies affecting coastal zones, including Chesapeake Bay.

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.

2015 Social Studies SOLs

Virginia Studies Course
VS.1 – impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history.
VS.10 – knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia.

United States History to 1865 Course
USI.2 – major land and water features of North America, including their importance in history.

Civics and Economics Course
CE.6 – government at the national level.
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.

World Geography Course
WG.2 – how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.
WG.3 – how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants.
WG.4 – types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources.
WG.18 – cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve problems and settle disputes.

Virginia and United States History Course
VUS.14 – political and social conditions in the 21st Century.

Government Course
GOVT.7 – national government organization and powers.
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy process 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 333, 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, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.
Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Episode 495 (10-21-19): Exploring the Virginia Outdoors Plan

Click to listen to episode (5:16)

Sections below are the following:
Transcript of Audio
Audio Notes and Acknowledgments
Images
Extra Information
Sources
Related Water Radio Episodes
For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.).

Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-18-19.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 21, 2019.

MUSIC (instrumental) – ~9 sec

This week, that excerpt of “Out the Window,” by No Strings Attached, sets the tone for an episode on Virginia’s comprehensive plan for outdoor recreation, land conservation, and open-space planning.  Have a listen for about 40 seconds to some more of the music, along with a series of outdoor mystery sounds, and see if you know the name of this plan.

MUSIC (instrumental) and SOUNDS - ~41 sec

If you guessed the Virginia Outdoors Plan, you’re right!  You heard sounds of hiking, a waterfall visit, boating, fishing, and a winter-time river swim for charity.  Those are a small sample of the many ways that Virginians visit, view, and experience the outdoors.  The Virginia Outdoors Plan is the Commonwealth’s guide to identifying and managing outdoor recreation resources, activities, needs, and challenges.  The plan is produced by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, or DCR, every five years.  The first plan was developed in 1965; the most recent update is the 2018 edition, published in February 2019.  Some of the topics covered in the 2018 plan are land and water outdoor resources, the economics of recreation, connections between recreation and health, and funding issues in recreation and land conservation.

In recent years the DCR has also had a Virginia Outdoors Demand Survey done by university partners, most recently in 2017.  That survey’s findings on citizens’ current outdoor activities and needs were used in developing the Outdoors Plan.  One highlight of the survey is its list of Virginians’ top outdoor activities by percent of households participating: the top five currently are visiting natural areas, driving for pleasure, walking for pleasure, visiting parks, and swimming in pools.

This fall, the DCR is gathering information on the Outdoors Plan through a series of public input sessions in each of the state’s 21 planning districts or regions.  Running from October 10 to December 5, the meetings are aimed to help the DCR learn what’s happening with the 2018 plan and to identify trends that may be relevant to developing the next plan in 2023.

The most recent Outdoors Demand Survey found that having access to outdoor recreation opportunities was “very important” to 70 percent of respondents, and protecting natural areas was “very important” to almost 82 percent.  The ongoing process of the Virginia Outdoors Plan helps guide efforts towards those two goals, and the public meetings this fall give you a chance to contribute your views.

Thanks to No Strings Attached for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 25 more seconds of “Out the Window.”

MUSIC (instrumental) – ~22 sec

SHIP’S BELL

Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  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

Virginia Water Radio thanks Julie Buchanan, of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, for providing information for this episode.

“Out the Window,” part of “Waters of Babylon/Out the Window,” from the 1999 album “In the Vinyl Tradition Volume II, is copyright by No Strings Attached and Enessay Music, used with permission.  More information about No Strings Attached is available online at http://www.enessay.com/index.html.

The sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio, as follows:

Hiking footsteps on the New River Trail in Pulaski County, Va., August 31, 2013;
Falls Ridge waterfall in Montgomery County, Va., March 8, 2014;
Boat on Claytor Lake in Pulaski County, Va., August 31, 2013;
Fishing lure and line, June 23, 2016;
Special Olympics “Polar Plunge” into the New River at Radford, Va., January 29, 2011. (For more information about this annual event, please see http://polarplunge.com/.)

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.

IMAGES

Cover of the 2018 “Virginia Outdoors Plan.”  Image accessed at Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Web site for the Plan, https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/vop, 10/22/19.


Charts of the top ten outdoor recreation activities in Virginia in the 2017 Virginia Outdoors Demand Survey (upper figure) and the top five activities in 2006, 2011, and 2017 surveys (lower figure).  Charts from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, “Virginia Outdoors Plan,” pages 2.2 and 2.4, accessed online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/vop, 10/22/19.

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT THE VIRGINIA OUTDOORS PLAN

In October, November, and December 2019, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is holding a series of public meetings on the Virginia Outdoors Plan.  The DCR is working with Virginia’s planning district commissions and regional councils to review outdoor recreation and land conservation initiatives related to the Outdoors Plan.  The DCR intends to hold public meetings in every Virginia planning district or region.   According to the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall notices for these meetings (hyperlinked below), “The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will review and discuss the Virginia Outdoors Plan (VOP) and will seek input regarding what is happening in each region with regard to outdoor recreation and land conservation.  DCR further seeks to discover trends that will help to shape the next VOP.”  The contact for regional meetings in 2019 is Michael Fletcher, Board and Constituent Services Liaison, 600 East Main Street, 24th Floor, Richmond, 23219; michael.fletcher@dcr.virginia.gov; (804)786-8445.

The 2019 meeting schedule is as follows:

10/10/19, 12 p.m., at the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission, 400-E Kendrick Lane in Front Royal (Warren County).
10/14/19, 12 p.m., at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, 407 East Water Street in Charlottesville.
10/15/19, 10 a.m., at the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission, 224 Clydesway Drive, Lebanon (Russell County).
10/16/19, 10 a.m., at the Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission, 125 Bowden Street in Saluda (Middlesex County).
10/21/19, 3 p.m., for the Commonwealth Regional Council, at Prince Edward Community Library, 1303 West 3rd Street in Farmville.
10/22/19, 10 a.m., at the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, 3040 Williams Drive in Fairfax.
10/29/19, 10 a.m., at the Northern Neck Planning District Commission, 457 Main Street in Warsaw (Richmond County).
10/30/19, 2 p.m., at the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission, 313 Luck Avenue, SW, in Roanoke.
10/31/19, 10 a.m., for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, at 1 Franklin Street in Hampton.
11/4/19, 10 a.m., at the West Piedmont Planning District Commission, 1100 Madison Street in Martinsville.
11/5/19, 1 p.m., at the Lenowisco Planning District Commission, 372 Technology Trail Lane, Duffield (Scott County).
11/5/19, 2 p.m., at the Central Virginia Planning District Commission, 828 Main Street in Lynchburg.
11/6/19, 10 a.m., at New River Valley Regional Commission, 6580 Valley Center Drive in Fairlawn (Pulaski County).
11/7/19, 10 a.m., for the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, at the BRITE Transit Facility, 51 Ivy Ridge Lane in Fishersville (Augusta County).
11/12/19, 11 a.m., at the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, 9211 Forest Hill Avenue in Richmond.
11/13/19, 12 p.m., at the Crater Planning District Commission, 1964 Wakefield Street in Petersburg.
11/14/19, 10 a.m., for the Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, at Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Seaside Hall, 39 Atlantic Avenue in Wachapreague.
11/14/19, 10 a.m., at the George Washington Regional Commission, 406 Princess Anne Street in Fredericksburg.
11/20/19, 10 a.m., at the Southside Planning District Commission, 200 South Mecklenburg Avenue in South Hill.
11/21/19, 2 p.m., at the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, 1021 Terrace Drive in Marion (Smyth County).
12/5/19, 10 a.m., at the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission, 420 Southridge Parkway, #106, in Culpeper.

SOURCES USED FOR AUDIO AND OFFERING MORE INFORMATION

James Ellis et al., “2017 Virginia Outdoors Demand Survey,” available online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/document/vop-app-02-outdoors-survey.pdf.  The survey was prepared for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Project 17.003, December 2017.  Survey highlights are available in the DCR’s 2-page “Virginia Outdoors Plan Summary 2018,” online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/document/vop-summary-infographix-2018.pdf.

Woodrow Grizzle III, Virginia Releases New Outdoor and Conservation Plan, Lee Daily Register [Lee County, Va.], 2/13/19.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), “Virginia Outdoors Plan,” online at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/vop.   The 2018 plan is available at this site.  A copy of a slide show about the 2013 plan is available online (as a PDF) at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/Portals/0/DEQ/CoastalZoneManagement/Reports/2014cpw-Poole.pdf.  The February 13, 2019, letter by Va. Gov. Ralph Northam introducing the 2019 plan is available online (as a PDF) at https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/recreational-planning/document/vopnortham.pdf.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), “Virginia Outdoors Plan Mapper,” online at http://consapps.dcr.virginia.gov/dnh/vop/vopmapper.htm.

Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, “Meetings,” online at https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/meetings.cfm?time=future.  Meetings are listed by date.  Public input meetings in 2019 by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) on the Virginia Outdoors Plan in run from October 10 to December 5.

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 “Community/Organizations” subject category.

Following is a link to another episode on a Virginia statewide plan, the Wildlife Action Plan:
Episode 153, 3-25-13.

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

The episode—the audio, extra information, or sources—may help with the following Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).

2013 Music SOLs

SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.”

2010 Science SOLs

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
4.9 – Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.
6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, cost/benefit assessments).

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
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.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.

Earth Science Course
ES.6 – renewable vs. non-renewable resources.

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.

2015 Social Studies SOLs

Grades K-3 History Theme
1.2 – Virginia history and life in present-day Virginia.

Grades K-3 Geography Theme
1.6 – Virginia climate, seasons, and landforms.

Grades K-3 Economics Theme
2.8 – natural, human, and capital resources.

Virginia Studies Course
VS.1 – impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history.
VS.10 – knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia.

Civics and Economics Course
CE.1 – skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision-making, and responsible citizenship.
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.

World Geography Course
WG.1 – skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision-making, and responsible citizenship.
WG.2 – how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.
WG.3 – how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants.
WG.4 – types and significance of natural, human, and capital resources.
WG.18 – cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve problems and settle disputes.

Government Course
GOVT.1 – skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision-making, and responsible citizenship.
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy process 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 333, 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, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school
Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Episode 494 (10-14-19): Exploring Sea-level Rise and Coastal Flooding with “Cypress Canoe” by Bob Gramann

Click to listen to episode (5:36)

Sections below are the following:
Transcript of Audio
Audio Notes and Acknowledgments
Images
Extra Information
Sources
Related Water Radio Episodes
For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.).

Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-11-19.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 14, 2019.

MUSIC – ~ 7 sec – instrumental

This week, music by a Fredericksburg, Va., singer-songwriter opens an episode about a sea change affecting many coastal and tidal areas.  Have a listen for about 30 more seconds.

MUSIC - ~30 sec

“My folks lived in Old Town when I was a kid.
Cycling past tourists, that’s what I did.
At the end of King Street, there was a palace for art.
Watching the buskers there game me my start.
I still like to visit those places I knew
So I paddle around in my cypress canoe.”


You’ve been listening to part of “Cypress Canoe,” by Bob Gramann, from his 2019 album, “I Made It Just For You.”  The song imagines a time in Old Town Alexandria, Va., when there’d be so much water that one would need a canoe to travel to places formerly on land.  The song’s humor and exaggerated images aim to get listeners thinking about the real and serious impacts of climate change and, particularly, sea-level rise.

Sea-level rise is attributed to a combination of a warming climate and, in some areas including Virginia, land subsidence that increases the relative rise.  In Virginia, sea-level rise is contributing to increased coastal flooding that goes by various names, including “recurrent flooding,” “high-tide flooding,” or “sunny day flooding,” all referring to flooding not associated with major storms.  Virginia’s Hampton Roads is considered one of the U.S. areas most vulnerable to the impacts of sea-level rise, both because of the level of rises and the population at risk.

Mr. Gramann’s song is one artistic response to sea-level rise.  Responses aimed to reduce its impacts are often called resilience.  Let’s explore some resilience efforts in Virginia.

The General Assembly has had a joint subcommittee on coastal flooding since 2014.

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science, or VIMS, published a 2013 report on recurrent flooding in Tidewater Virginia, and VIMS is continuing work in education and research.

The Nature Conservancy and several partners have developed a coastal resilience mapping and decision support tool; Virginia’s Eastern Shore is one area where it’s being applied.

Hampton, Newport News, and Norfolk participated in Dutch Dialogues-Virginia, a 2015 workshop on water-management strategies with experts from the Netherlands.

Norfolk’s efforts include citizen input and communication, a coastal flood study, regional partnerships, and stormwater projects.

The Resilient Hampton initiative seeks to improve resilience through engineering, urban design, environmental restoration, and community development.

Virginia Beach is developing a “Comprehensive Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Response Plan.”

And back in Alexandria, a flood-mitigation project for the city’s waterfront would create an elevated promenade designed to attract commerce and function as a seawall.

Efforts like these will be on the agenda in November 2019 at the annual conference of William and Mary’s Coastal Policy Center, when the theme will be “The Three P's of Resilience: Planning, Partnerships, and Paying For It All.”  One might add persistence, as sea-level rise and recurrent flooding appear to be long-term parts of Virginia coastal life.  According to a 2008 VIMS report, that will affect “transportation, infrastructure, military installations, marine ecosystems, agriculture, human health, and recreation.”

Unlike the images in “Cypress Canoe,” it’s no exaggeration that Virginia has a lot at stake in responding to sea-level rise.

Thanks to Bob Gramann for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “Cypress Canoe.”

MUSIC – ~19 sec

“But ‘til then I’ll remember the home of my youth
As I paddle around in my cypress canoe.”


SHIP’S BELL

Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water.

AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

“Cypress Canoe,” from the 2019 album “I Made It Just for You,” is copyright by Bob Gramann, used with permission.  More information about Bob Gramann is available online at https://www.bobgramann.com/folksinger.html.

Virginia Water Radio thanks Daniel McLaughlin, Virginia Water Resources Research Center and Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, for his help with this episode.

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.

IMAGES

Tidal flooding in the harbor in Annapolis, Md., October 12, 2019. Photo by Paul Raflo, used with permission. For more on tidal flooding that day in Annapolis, Alexandria (Va.), and other areas along the Potomac River or Chesapeake Bay, please see Jason Samenow, Tropical Storm Melissa and hunter’s moon lead to tidal flooding along Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, Washington Post, 10/13/19.


Graph of mean sea level at Sewalls Point, Va., on the Potomac River, from 1928 to 2007.  Image taken from John Boon et al., “Planning for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding,” Virginia Institute of Marine Science, October 2008, online (as PDF) at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/legacy/icccr/_docs/coastal_sea_level.pdf.

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT HIGH TIDE FLOODING

The following information was taken from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “U.S. ties record for number of high tide flooding days in 2018; New report cites El Nino and sea level rise as factors for expected increase in 2019,” News Release, 7/10/19.

“Coastal communities across the U.S. continued to see increased high tide flooding last year, forcing their residents and visitors to deal with flooded shorelines, streets and basements—a trend that is expected to continue this year.  The elevated water levels affected coastal economies, tourism and crucial infrastructure like septic systems and stormwater systems, according to a new NOAA report.  The report, 2018 State of High Tide Flooding and 2019 Outlook [online as a PDF at this link], documents changes in high tide flooding patterns at 98 NOAA tidal gauges along the U.S. coast that are likely to continue in the coming years.”  …High tide flooding, [see more at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/nuisance-flooding.html], often referred to as ‘nuisance’ or ‘sunny day’ flooding, is increasingly common due to years of relative sea level increases.  It no longer takes a strong storm or a hurricane to cause flooding in many coastal areas.”

SOURCES

Used for Audio

John Boon et al., “Planning for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding,” Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), October 2008, online (as PDF) at https://www.vims.edu/research/units/legacy/icccr/_docs/coastal_sea_level.pdf.  This is the VIMS report quoted near the end of this episode’s audio.

City of Alexandria, Va., “Flood Mitigation,” online at https://www.alexandriava.gov/special/waterfront/default.aspx?id=85880.

City of Hampton, Va., “Dutch Dialogues,” undated, online at https://hampton.gov/3466/Dutch-Dialogues.

City of Norfolk, Va., “Flood Awareness and Mitigation,” online at https://www.norfolk.gov/1055/Flooding-Awareness-Mitigation.

City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Works, “Comprehensive Sea Level Rise and Recurrent Flooding Response Plan,” online at https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/public-works/comp-sea-level-rise/Pages/default.aspx.

Coastal Resilience, online at https://coastalresilience.org/. Coastal Resilience/Virginia is online at https://coastalresilience.org/category/virginia/.

Sandy Hausman, “Online Tool Helps Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change,” WVTF FM-Roanoke, Va., 10/11/18, 2 min./34 sec. audio https://www.wvtf.org/post/online-tool-helps-coastal-communities-plan-climate-change#stream/0.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), “Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate,” September 2019, online at https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/home/.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “U.S. ties record for number of high tide flooding days in 2018; New report cites El Nino and sea level rise as factors for expected increase in 2019,” News Release, 7/10/19.

Rita Abou Samra, “Alexandria is already often waterlogged. How will it adjust to climate change?” 9/13/18, for Greater Greater Washington, online at https://ggwash.org/view/69058/alexandria-is-already-often-waterlogged-how-will-it-adjust-to-climate-change.

SeaLevelRise.org, “Virginia’s Sea Level Is Rising—And It’s Costing Over $4 Billion,” online at https://sealevelrise.org/states/virginia/.

U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability Program (US CLIVAR), “Sea Level Hotspots from Florida to Maine—Drivers, Impacts, and Adaptation,” April 23-25, 2019, workshop in Norfolk, Va., online at https://usclivar.org/meetings/sea-level-hotspots-florida-maine.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Sea Level Report Cards,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/products/slrc/index.php.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), “Recurrent Flooding Study for Tidewater Virginia,” 2013, available online (as a PDF) at http://ccrm.vims.edu/recurrent_flooding/Recurrent_Flooding_Study_web.pdf.  This study was significant in the Virginia General Assembly’s formation in 2014 of the Joint Subcommittee to Formulate Recommendations for the Development of a Comprehensive and Coordinated Planning Effort to Address Recurrent Flooding.

Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)/Center for Coastal Resources Management, “Climate Change and Coastal Resilience,” online at https://www.vims.edu/ccrm/research/climate_change/index.php.  This site includes a 40-second video on sea level rise in Virginia and a 40-second video on nuisance flooding.

Virginia Legislative Information System (LIS), online at http://lis.virginia.gov/lis.htm. See particularly the following:
2014 HJR 16 and SJR 3, calling for formation of the Joint Subcommittee to Formulate Recommendations for the Development of a Comprehensive and Coordinated Planning Effort to Address Recurrent Flooding;
2016 HJ 84 and SJ 58, continuing the work of the joint subcommittee formed in 2014 and changing it to the Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding;
2016 SB 282, establishing the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund.

Wetlands Watch, “Dutch Dialogues—Virginia: Life at Sea Level,” online at http://wetlandswatch.org/dutch-dialogues.

William and Mary Law School/Virginia Coastal Policy Center, 7th Annual Conference: “The Three P’s of Resilience: Planning, Partnerships, and Paying for It All,” November 15, 2019, Williamsburg, Va., online at this link.

For More Information about Sea Level Rise and Responses

John A. Church et al., “Sea Level Change,” Chapter 13 of Climate Change 2013—The Physical Science Basis, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/sea-level-change/.  The full Physical Science Basis report, from the IPCC Working Group 1, is online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/.  The physical science report is part of the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report in 2013-2014, online at https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar5.  A “2014 Synthesis Report” of the Fifth Assessment is online at https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/syr/.

Joey Holleman, “Designing for Water—Strategies to Mitigate Flood Impacts,” Coastal Heritage, Winter 2019, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, online at https://www.scseagrant.org/designing-for-water/.

Jason Samenow, Tropical Storm Melissa and hunter’s moon lead to tidal flooding along Potomac and Chesapeake Bay, Washington Post, 10/13/19.

Sarah Vogelsong, Septic system failures expected to increase in coastal Virginia, Bay Journal, 7/29/19.

Sarah Vogelsong, Shoreline industry poses hazards as sea level, floods increase, Bay Journal, 8/27/19.

Sarah Vogelsong, The most important profession fighting sea-level rise you’ve never heard of, Virginia Mercury, 10/2/19.  This article discusses the role of landscape architects in responding to the stormwater challenges increased by sea-level rise.

For More Information about Cypress Canoes and Cypress Trees

Barbara Corbellini Duarte, When a canoe is more than a boat, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 4/6/16.

Chesapeake Bay Program, “Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), online at https://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/bald_cypress.

Hardwood Manufacturers’ Association, “Cypress,” online at http://www.hardwoodinfo.com/specifying-professionals/species-guide/species-guide-a-g/cypress/.

Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, “Virginia Tech Dendrology/Baldcypress,” online at https://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=117.

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 Weather/Natural Disasters subject category.

Following is a link to a previous episode on tidal flooding.

Episode 441, 10-8-18 – related to “king tides.”

Following are links to some other episodes on flooding other than tidal flooding.

Episode 272, 6-29-15 – in Madison County in 1995.
Episode 328, 8-8-16 – on flash flooding.
Episode 442, 10-15-18 – on historic-record water level marker dedication at New River.
Episode 486, 8-19-19 – in Nelson County in 1969.

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

The episode—the audio, extra information, or sources—may help with the following Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).

2013 Music SOLs

SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.”

2010 Science SOLs

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
3.10 – impacts on survival of species, including effects of fire, flood, disease, and erosion on organisms.
4.9 – Va. natural resources, including watersheds, water resources, and organisms.
6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decisions, hazard mitigation, cost/benefit assessments).

Grades K-6 Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems Theme
5.6 – characteristics of the ocean environment (ecological, geological, and physical).
6.8 – organization of solar system and interaction of bodies, including gravity, lunar phases, tides, space exploration.

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
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.10 – changes over time in ecosystems, communities, and populations, and factors affecting those changes, including climate changes and catastrophic disturbances.
LS.11 – relationships between ecosystem dynamics and human activity.

Earth Science Course
ES.1 – current applications to reinforce science concepts.
ES.8 – influences by geologic processes and the activities of humans on freshwater resources, including identification of groundwater and major watershed systems in Virginia, “with reference to the hydrologic cycle.”
ES.10 – ocean processes, interactions, and policies affecting coastal zones, including Chesapeake Bay.
ES.11 – origin, evolution, and dynamics of the atmosphere, including human influences on climate.

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.

2015 Social Studies SOLs

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

Civics and Economics Course
CE.7 – government at the state level.
CE.8 – government at the local level.
CE.10 – public policy at local, state, and national levels.

World Geography Course
WG.2 – how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface, including climate, weather, and how humans influence their environment and are influenced by it.
WG.3 – how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants.
WG.18 – cooperation among political jurisdictions to solve problems and settle disputes.

Virginia and United States History Course
VUS.13 – changes in the United States in the second half of the 20th Century.
VUS.14 – political and social conditions in the 21st Century.

Government Course
GOVT.8 – state and local government organization and powers.
GOVT.9 – public policy process 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 333, 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, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.
Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.

Monday, October 7, 2019

Episode 493 (10-7-19): Planning and Practicing an Escape During Fire Prevention Week 2019

Click to listen to episode (4:15)

Sections below are the following:
Transcript of Audio
Audio Notes and Acknowledgments
Images
Sources
Related Water Radio Episodes
For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.).


Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 10-4-19.

TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO


From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of October 7, 2019.  This week we revisit the topic of an October 2017 episode.  We start with a series of mystery sounds related to a national safety campaign held every October.  Have a listen for about 25 seconds and see if you can guess a dangerous phenomenon for which water is the usual remedy.

SOUNDS - ~26 sec – Smoke alarm, fire alarm announcement, fire hydrant pressure test. The fire alarm announcement was as follows: “Attention! Attention! A fire emergency has been reported in the building. Please walk to the nearest exit and evacuate the building. Do not use the elevator.”

If you guessed fire, you’re right!  You heard a home smoke alarm, a fire-emergency announcement, and a fire-hydrant pressure test.  All are aspects of the constant and complicated challenge of preventing fires or protecting people and property when fires do occur.

Fire safety by individuals, families, businesses, and communities is the focus of Fire Prevention Week, which in 2019 runs October 6-12.  Sponsored annually since 1922 by the National Fire Protection Association, or NFPA, the observance always includes October 9, the date when the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 did most of its damage.  NFPA sets a central theme for each year—this year it’s Not Every Hero Wears a Cape. Plan and Practice Your Escape!TM The organization also provides many educational items, particularly for school children. One of the learning tools this year is a fire-escape checklist. Here are some points from that list. *In your home, have working smoke alarms on every level, in every sleeping room, and outside each sleeping room.
*Know the sound of the smoke alarm, test alarms once a month, and replace them at least every 10 years.
*Have an escape plan with two ways out of each room and an outside meeting place, and practice the plan.
*Know how to call the fire department quickly.|
*Keep exits clear.
*And when you hear an alarm, get out of the building.

The check-list and other educational resources are available online at nfpa.org; resources particularly for preschool through grade 5 children are available at sparkyschoolhouse.org.

During Fire Prevention Week and all year round, education and preparedness can help reduce the times we hear this sound:

SOUND – ~ 8 sec - Fire engine siren.

Thanks to Freesound.org for the fire engine sound, and a special thanks to firefighters everywhere.

SHIP’S BELL

Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  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

The smoke alarm sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio at a Blacksburg residence on October 4, 2017.

The fire alarm sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio at Cheatham Hall on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg on November 20, 2017.

The fire hydrant pressure test sound was recorded by Virginia Water Radio on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg on March 10, 2017.   Thanks to the Virginia Tech Facilities Department and to Liberty Fire Solutions of Salem, Va., for allowing recording and photographing of the testing and for providing information about the test.  See the Images section below for a photo and more information.

The fire engine sound (dated April 6, 2016) was recorded by user logancircle2 and made available for public use by Freesound.org, online at https://freesound.org/people/logancircle2/sounds/342182/, under the Creative Commons 0 License.  For more information on Creative Commons licenses, please see http://creativecommons.org/; information on the 0 License specifically is online at https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0.

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.

IMAGES

Image from the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) for Fire Prevention Week in 2019. Reproduced from the NFPA’s website, https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Preparedness/Fire-Prevention-Week/Educate, copyright by the NFPA, not for commercial use.


Fire-hydrant pressure testing heard in this episode, being done by a staff member of the Virginia Tech Facilities Department in Blacksburg on March 10, 2017.  The test was to see whether sprinklers in a nearby building would have enough pressure to function in the case of the hydrant being used fully during a fire.

EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT FIRE SAFETY

The following information was taken from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs, “Fire Prevention Week,” online at https://www.vafire.com/fire-prevention-week/, 10/4/19.

“In 2018 there were 61 civilian fire deaths in Virginia. Don’t become part of the statistic—are you ready if the unthinkable occurs?

“According to the Department of Homeland security, only 71% of Americans have a home escape plan and only 47% of Americans have practiced their plan.  The Fire Prevention Week theme for 2019 is Not Every Hero Wears a Cape, Plan and Practice Your Escape.

“Preparation is vital to surviving a home fire.  Every household should create a fire escape plan and practice the plan.  Don’t just practice in the daylight, practice at night, with the lights off, and with your eyes closed, because it is important that you are able to safely navigate to an exit even in sub-optimal conditions

“Your home escape plan should include [the following};
A map of your home with all doors and windows;
Two ways out of every room;
Smoke alarms marked;
Meeting place marked.

“Also make sure to account for any household members that may need additional assistance exiting in the event of an emergency.  This includes any children, as well as disabled individuals or household members with limited mobility.”

SOURCES

Used for Audio

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
*“Fire Prevention Week,” online at http://www.nfpa.org/public-education/campaigns/fire-prevention-week/about-fire-prevention-week;
*“Fire Escape Check List” image, online (as PDF) at https://www.nfpa.org/~/media/files/fpw/educate/2019/FPW19Checklist.pdf;
*“Public Education,” online at http://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education This pages offers links to many public education tools, such as safety tip sheets, school lesson plans, and information targeted to specific kinds of buildings.
*“Sparky School House,” online at http://sparkyschoolhouse.org/;
*Video library, online at https://www.youtube.com/user/nfpadotorg;
*You Tube channel, online at https://www.youtube.com/user/nfpadotorg.

Virginia Department of Fire Programs, online at https://www.vafire.com/. “Fire Prevention Week” link is https://www.vafire.com/fire-prevention-week/.

For More Information about Fire Awareness and Safety

American Red Cross, “Home Fire Safety,” online at https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/fire.html.

National Safety Council, “Keep Your Home and Family Safe From Fire,” online at https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/fire.

National Weather Service, “Fire Weather Page,” online at https://www.weather.gov/rlx/fireweather.

U.S. Fire Administration, “Fire Prevention and Public Education,” online at https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/. This information is particularly for fire departments.

Virginia Department of Forestry, “Fire Situation Report,” online at http://dof.virginia.gov/fire/index.htm.

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 Weather/Natural Disasters subject category.

Following is a link to a previous episode for Fire Prevention Week.
Episode 389, 10-9-17.

Following are links to some other episodes on safety issues.
Boating safety: Operation Dry Water and Boating under the Influence – Episode 270, 6-15-15
Boating safety: Safe Boating Week – Episode 111, 5-21-12 and Episode 370, 5-29-17.
Dock safety – Episode 131, 10-8-12.
Earthquake drills – Episode 388, 10-2-17.
Flash flooding – Episode 328, 8-8-16.
Storm surge – Episode 385, 9-11-17.
Tornado preparedness – Episode 463, 3-11-19.
Tropical storm preparedness – Episode 474, 5-27-19.
Weather watch/warning messages – Episode 470, 4-29-19.
Winter preparedness – Episode 448, 11-26-18.

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

The episode—the audio, extra information, or sources—may help with the following Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).

2010 Science SOLs

Grades K-6 Earth Resources Theme
6.9 – public policy decisions related to the environment (including resource management and conservation, land use decision, hazard mitigation, cost/benefit assessments.

Grades K-6 Living Systems Theme
6.7 - natural processes and human interactions that affect watershed systems; Va. watersheds, water bodies, and wetlands; health and safety issues; and water monitoring.

2015 Social Studies SOLs

Grades K-6 Civics Theme
K.10 – good citizenship.
1.10 – good citizenship.
2.11 – good citizenship.
3.11 – good citizenship.

Civics and Economics Course
CE.1 – skills for responsible citizenship.

Government Course
GOVT.1 – skills for responsible citizenship.

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 333, 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, 2-12-18 – on snow chemistry and physics, for high school.
Episode 483, 7-29-19 – on buoyancy and drag, for middle school and high school.