When: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Where: Batdorf & Bronson Coffee House, 516 Capitol Way S. Olympia, WA, phone (360) 786-6717.
Batdorf & Bronson has three locations in Olympia. Science Café meets in the downtown coffee house on Capitol Way.

On-street parking is available on Legion, Capitol Way, Columbia Street, and Water Street. After 6 p.m., there is parking available at Heritage Bank on Columbia Street between 5th and Legion.

Our presentation this month is An Overview of the Science of Brewing Beer

Many people think of beer brewing as the point at which science and art intersect. Indeed, both biology and chemistry play perfectly crucial roles in beer brewing. However, it is the brewer’s understanding of these that allow him or her to manipulate the ingredients and brewing process in such a way that will create a unique product that still fits within the guidelines of a particular beer style. In an overview of the science of brewing, we will discuss each of the four crucial ingredients in beer (water, malt, yeast, and hops) and their role in the brewing process. This will include how and why they are used and their effect on the brewing process and finished beer.

Adam Orrick is the Brewmaster at the Grove Street Brewhouse in Shelton (South First Street and Grove Street). Adam received the “International Diploma in Brewing Technology” from the Siebel Institute in Chicago and the Doemen’s Academy in Munich.

Click here for more information about the Olympia Science Café.

Coming on Tuesday, July 13: The Unknown Sea: Flotsam Above, Snarks Below by Curtis Ebbesmeyer, Ph.D.

Internationally recognized oceanographer and author (along with Eric Scigliano) of the recent Smithsonian book Flotsametrics and the Floating World

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners will hold a Public Hearing on May 27th regarding proposed changes to the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan and the Tumwater/Thurston County Joint Plan.

May 27
5:30 pm
Thurston County Courthouse Complex, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Olympia, WA 98502 in Room 152

The proposed amendments will affect the transportation element of the plan, as well as the land use and zoning of property in the southern unincorporated portion of the City of Tumwater’s Urban Growth Area.

The southwest portion of the City of Tumwater Urban Growth Area has a number of unique environmental challenges that have been identified and studied. These include high groundwater flooding episodes in the Salmon Creek Basin, area wetlands and the presence of sensitive species. Potential amendments to Zoning and the Urban Growth Area boundary are being considered. Properties removed from the Urban Growth Area would be redesignated to a rural zoning designation. More information on the Tumwater Southwest UGA Resizing and Land Use Analysis project is available in the Permit Assistance Center located at the address below, or online at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/tumwater-uga-analysis/index.htm.

The City of Tumwater adopted the Tumwater 2025 Transportation Plan in 2007. The City of Tumwater and Thurston County are seeking to include the plan as part of the Tumwater/Thurston County Joint Plan for the unincorporated portion of the City of Tumwater Urban Growth Area. More information is available online at www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/jointplanamendment/

Also under consideration is a site specific amendment to change the land use and zoning for property located at 3040 93rd Avenue SW from Single Family Low Density Residential to Light Industrial.

The public hearing will begin at 5:30 pm May 27th at the Thurston County Courthouse Complex, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Olympia, WA 98502 in Room 152. Written comments may be submitted in lieu of testimony. Please submit written testimony to Thurston County Planning, Attention: Jeremy Davis, until 4:00 P.M. on the 27th. More information is available in hard copy in the Thurston County Permit Assistance Center or online at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/comp_plan/comp_plan_hearings.html

Contact: Jeremy Davis, Associate Planner, 360-754-3355 x 7010 or davisj@co.thurston.wa.us

Avoid mosquito bites and get rid of mosquito habitat near your home

OLYMPIA — Spring is here and many Washingtonians are gardening, hiking, and heading outdoors for fun. It’s also time to start thinking about West Nile virus prevention. The easiest and best way to avoid infection is to prevent mosquito bites.

Last year was Washington’s most active year for West Nile virus – 38 human illness cases were identified in the 2009 season, with exposures in either eastern Washington or out of state. The first death in Washington from the virus was also reported in a Yakima County resident.

“The warm, wet spring season in our state marks the start of mosquito-breeding season, so it’s vital to get rid of the habitat mosquitoes favor around your home,” said Gregg Grunenfelder, assistant secretary for the Department of Health. “A good early season strategy is to reduce mosquito breeding habitat before the bugs get started.”

You can avoid mosquito bites in two primary ways – habitat reduction and personal prevention. Keep mosquito populations lower by getting rid of water that collects around the yard in old flower pots, waste tires, or cans, and keep water fresh in bird baths, pet dishes, and stock troughs. Simple personal protection steps will make it harder for mosquitoes to bite you. Wear long-sleeve shirts, pants, and hats in mosquito-infested areas; use an effective repellent on exposed skin when mosquitoes are most active. Make sure screens fit tight; fix or replace broken screens.

West Nile virus was detected in 72 horses, 22 dead birds, one dog, and 346 mosquito samples in the state in 2009. Half of all the horses infected died or were euthanized. There is a vaccine for horses; contact a veterinarian for more details (http://agr.wa.gov/News/2010/10-07.aspx).

The virus is spread by infected mosquitoes. Most people bitten by an infected mosquito won’t have any symptoms. Some may develop mild symptoms, such as fever or headache that go away without treatment. The virus is most dangerous for people with weak immune systems and those over 50. In some cases, people may develop meningitis or encephalitis; some neurological effects can be permanent.

Monitoring for the virus – including dead bird and mosquito testing – resumes this spring. The information helps state and local health agencies identify unusual increases or clusters of bird deaths. People can report dead birds (www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/WNV/reportdeadbird.html) using the agency’s dead bird reporting system, or by contacting their local health agency (www.doh.wa.gov/LHJMap/LHJMap.htm).

More information about West Nile virus is available by calling the agency’s West Nile virus information line, 1-866-78-VIRUS (1-866-788-4787). Updates are also posted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/WA_DeptofHealth).

Washington State Department of Health
Contact:  Allison Cook, Communications Office 360-236-4022
Gordon MacCracken, Communications Office 360-236-4072
 
The conversation about West Nile Virus is already continuing on the GriffinNeighbors online discussion group. Are you a member? If you live in the Griffin School District, email our webmaster and request an invitation to subscribe to the GriffinNeighbors online discussion group. It’s free.

Every year, around this time, all those yellow flags – those scotch broom flowers – come out to wave. Next will come the seeds and, next year, more scotch broom. There are noxious weeds and then there’s scotch broom. Now is an excellent time of year to get serious about reducing the amount of scotch broom on your property.

So, responsible rural property owners want to know: What makes scotch broom so bad?

Scotch broom is a prodigious seed producer. The seeds have hard coats enabling them to survive in the environment for up to 80 years. Once established, scotch broom forms dense brush fields over six feet tall. The brush fields diminish habitat for grazing animals, such as livestock and native animals. Areas of dense brush shade out and kill native grassland plants in invaded areas, and favor invasion by other woody, non-grassland plant species.

Scotch broom prevents reforestation, creates a high fire hazard, renders rangeland worthless and greatly increases the cost of maintenance of roads, ditches, power and telephone lines. Wildlife suffers as the growth becomes too dense for even quail and other ground birds to thrive. Being slightly toxic and unpalatable it is browsed very little by livestock.

If you cut your trees, so that a lot of sunlight reaches the ground, you’ve probably now got scotch broom to cut.

How do you eradicate scotch broom?

There are two schools of thought, those who say pull out the whole plant and those who will tell you, if you’re clever and your timing is right, all you need are a pair of lopping shears.

From the School of Pulling Out the Plant, we get these instructions:

Pull out the entire plant, including roots. When the soil is moist, small plants can be pulled easily by hand. Winter and spring are good seasons to do this.

Larger plants must be removed with a tool such as a Weed Wrench. Be sure to remove the entire plant. Broken stems re-sprout and are much harder to remove for the next person. Plants can be left where pulled.

One of the benefits of being a member of the Griffin Neighborhood Association is members can rent our Weed Wrench.

Not yet a member of the GNA? Dang, what are you waiting for?! Click here to join online.

From the School of Cutting Broom in Bloom, we get these instructions:

First, cut broom in bloom. Use loppers or small saws and cut broom right at ground level.

Broom puts all of its energy into making flowers. If you cut it while in bloom, it will most likely die in the summer’s dry heat.

If you have to make a choice, go after single plants and small infestation to prevent its spread.

If the broom is huge, cut off as many of the branches as you can. If the broom is small and not blooming, you can return and cut it next year when it blooms.

It is most important to not let the broom go to seed! Cut before June 17 (this date is from Vancouver Island’s “BroomBusters” web site, so it’s probably earlier, down here in the South Sound).

CUT DOWN ALL YELLOW FLOWERS so that they can not turn into seeds. Each scotch broom plant can produce 2,000 to 3,500 seed pods – which burst open, shooting seeds into adjacent soil. If you cut them while in bloom – no seeds!

HERBICIDES applied in the spring when new leaves are present are another effective control tool, but always remember to read the labels carefully and exercise extreme care when applying chemicals, especially near waterways.

DO NOT BURN SCOTCH BROOM! When exposed to fire, its seeds burst from their seedpods. Also, the smoke from burning scotch broom is actually toxic and may seriously irritate the respiratory tracts of you, your family, or your neighbors.

TAKE SCOTCH BROOM TO THE DUMP. The best way to get rid of scotch broom, once it is cut, is to take it to Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center.

The Thurston County Noxious Weed Control Agency offers the following information and services to the public: Educational presentations, plant identification especially those that may be noxious weeds, consults on your property, prescriptions for specific noxious weed problems and what the county approves for its own use, free disposal of designated noxious weeds at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery centers, and limited use of a manual removal tool called the wrench. Also available are many informational brochures and pamphlets as well as several videos.

So, responsible homeowner, get out there and cut your scotch broom!

This month the Science Café of Olympia takes on the topic of “Radiation Basic through Spent Nuclear Fuel.”

When: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Where: Batdorf & Bronson Coffee House, 516 Capitol Way S. Olympia, WA, phone (360) 786-6717.

Batdorf & Bronson has three locations in Olympia. Science Café meets at the downtown coffee house on Capitol Way.

On-street parking is available on Legion, Capitol Way, Columbia Street, and Water Street. After 6 p.m., parking is available at Heritage Bank on Columbia Street between 5th and Legion.

Against the backdrop of global climate change, nuclear power has come back into the public consciousness. While there are many aspects to this discussion, the single most challenging issue, both politically and technically, is spent nuclear fuel. Using spent nuclear fuel as a context, we will discuss radiation and radioactive material, and their effects on people and the environment.

Our presenter this month is Mike Brennan. He has been a Radiation Health Physicist for the State of Washington Department of Health for 19 years. He is a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander, having served in the submarine community for 20 years. He has a degree in Nuclear Engineering and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of Washington.

Coming in June: “The Science of Brewing Beer” by Adam Orrick, Brewmaster, Grove Street Brewhouse.

We welcome comments and suggestions on topics, speakers, and how we can improve our meetings. Also, please feel free to pass this notice on to like-minded friends.

Science Café of Olympia provides an informal atmosphere where people both with and without scientific background can meet to gain a better understanding of interesting topics in science and technology. After a brief presentation by an expert in the field, the meeting will be opened to discussions. Science Cafés are found nationwide and are loosely affiliated with the U.K.-based Cafe Scientifique, an international organization promoting public engagement with science. The Sciencecafes.org website is produced by the Science Unit of WGBH in Boston in association with Sigma Xi. Support for Science Café of Olympia is provided in part by the Puget Sound Chapter of The American Chemical Society.

For more information, visit these web pages:
http://www.sciencecafes.org/event_pages/olympia.html
http://www.cafescientifique.org/

We thank Batdorf & Bronson and its staff for welcoming us to their delightful gathering spot.

Washington Sea Grant is offering “Shellfish in Your Front Yard,” a day-long workshop that will teach participants to identify, cultivate and safely harvest shellfish on their beaches.

This free workshop is scheduled for Saturday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.at Griffin Fire Department Headquarters, 3707 Steamboat Loop N.W., Olympia.

Participants will learn about the biology of bivalve shellfish, which shellfish grow best on their beach type, and various methods for enhancing tidelands with clams, oysters and mussels. The workshop will also focus on ways to protect water quality so that harvested shellfish will be safe to eat.

Workshop instructors include local shellfish farmers and Washington Sea Grant staff. The workshop will feature classroom and on-the-beach activities. Participants should bring sack lunches, wear mud boots or beach shoes and dress for the weather.

Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. To register or for more information, contact Teri King or Janis McNeal, Washington Sea Grant, at wsgcanal@u.washington.edu or 360-432-3054.

Funding for the Bivalves for Clean Water program is provided in part through EPA Grant Number C9-00044905 to the Washington Department of Ecology from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Department of Ecology allocates and administers funding for this project. Based at the University of Washington, Washington Sea Grant provides statewide marine research, outreach, and education services. The National Sea Grant College Program is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S.Department of Commerce. http://www.wsg.washington.edu/