UVLT Takes Hypertherm To The (Norwich) Woodshed

The Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) recently took Hypertherm North America to the the woodshed, not for punishment but for good works, as the trip was to the Norwich Woodshed. 

About a week before the annual Norwich wood bee, "UVLT took a group of Hypertherm volunteers to the Norwich Woodshed where we bucked and split 10 cords of wood together," said Alison Marchione, UVLT Programs Director in an email. "Most of those 10 cords were logs donated from the Robert Areson Conservation Area near Butron Woods/Bragg Hill roads."

Winter logging at the Robert Areson Conservation Area in Norwich. Source: UVLT.org

The Robert Areson Conservation Area is owned and managed by UVLT. Some logging was done there last winter (see picture above).


The ten cords of wood are now part of Norwich Wood Fuel Assistance Program. The program provides firewood to needy residents of Norwich and other communities in the Upper Valley to heat their homes.


UVLT Outreach and Donor Programs Coordinator Paul Balzevich said on Facebook:

WOW, what a special group. Thank you for coming out to volunteer again ... . There will be many families kept warm this winter because of the work that you all did on Friday. Your impact will be felt throughout the entire winter. TEN CORDS! IN HALF A DAY! The Firewood Assistance Program managers could not believe it, and neither could we. Just remember, Hypertherm CST workdays make a world of difference on our conserved properties and to the members of our Upper Valley community. Especially when working on projects like this.

Check out the 22 second time lapse video of the Hypertherm volunteers at work on the Facebook page of the UVLT.

The Norwich Woodshed project was part of the Corporate Volunteer Program run by UVLT. Volunteer opportunities are available for groups large and small. The UVLT website says:

UVLT staff are always looking to foster new partnerships with Upper Valley businesses. Workdays can be scheduled at any point for all seasons of the year, featuring indoor and outdoor projects, and a large variety of group sizes can be accommodated. UVLT is also exploring options to create a multifaceted experience by including team building activities, mindfulness, and environmental education in the volunteer workday.

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 Originally posted on HereCast on 10.30.19

May as ALS Awareness Month!

What is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?

ALS is a disease of the parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, motor neurons (nerve cells that control muscle cells) are gradually lost. As these motor neurons are lost, the muscles they control become weak and then nonfunctional.

The word “amyotrophic” comes from Greek roots that mean “without nourishment to muscles” and refers to the loss of signals nerve cells normally send to muscle cells. “Lateral” means “to the side” and refers to the location of the damage in the spinal cord. “Sclerosis” means “hardened” and refers to the hardened nature of the spinal cord in advanced ALS.

In the United States, ALS also is called Lou Gehrig’s disease, named after the Yankees baseball player who died of it in 1941. In the United Kingdom and some other parts of the world, ALS is often called motor neurone disease in reference to the cells that are lost in this disorder.

Who gets ALS?

ALS usually strikes in late middle age (the late 50s is average) or later, although it also occurs in young adults and even in children, as well as in very elderly people. Some forms of ALS have their onset in youth. Men are slightly more likely to develop ALS than are women. Studies suggest an overall ratio of about 1.2 men to every woman who develops the disorder.

What causes ALS?

The causes of the vast majority of ALS cases are still unknown.

What is the life expectancy in ALS?

Each person's disease course is unique. There are a number of examples of people who are leading productive and active lives more than two decades after an ALS diagnosis.

Standard longevity statistics citing an average survival time of three to five years after diagnosis may be somewhat out of date because changes in supportive care and technology — especially for breathing and nutrition — may help prolong life.

For more information:
ALSA: http://www.alsa.org

MDA: https://www.mda.org/disease/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis

Asteroid Day

Today,  June 30, 2015, is the inaugural Asteroid Day, a "global day of education and awareness about asteroids — especially those that threaten Earth."

The day marks the anniversary of the Tunguska Event in1908, when an asteroid exploded above a remote area of Siberia, leaving over 800 square miles of blown-down trees.

The Asteroid Day web site is here: http://www.asteroidday.org  or Asteroid Day.  Check it out and consider signing the petition.
Twitter: #AsteroidDay

Newsweek had an article about the asteroids on June 11, available here: We Can Save Ourselves From Earth-Killing Asteroids, But Someone Has to Pay

Planetary Radio released a pod cast today: Saving the Planet: Voices From the Planetary Defense Conference | The Planetary Society