*Public Notice
B-W Greenway Seeks Land Trust Alliance Accreditation
The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. B-W Greenway Community Land Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for accreditation. A public comment period is now open. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how B-W Greenway Community Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/help-and-resources/indicator-practices.
To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to info@landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public
Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.
Comments on B-W Greenway’s application will be most useful by June 14, 2025.
Chautauqua Topic Voting
Nature Talk by Nancy Bain
November 2024
AN ENTROPIC STORY
In case you missed it, 2024 marks the 200-year anniversary of the discovery of the Second Law of Thermal Dynamics—aka entropy. Although science is not my forte, I’m intrigued by the concept of entropy because it tells the story of life on earth. It says that heat always flows hot to cold. In turn, if a cold object is nearby, thermal energy will flow naturally to it until equilibrium is established. At the heart of this narrative is the relationship between Earth and her creatures and transformation.
I began to think of entropy after the November election and finding myself sapped by all the political conflict and its forces—online, newspaper, TV, on and on. Entropy is about how disorder increases in all things over time and our nation seems to be in this phase. But we can always work toward better relationships and think of ways that will bring better days ahead, can’t we? Well, I needed to get outdoors to find stories that would speak to resilience and endurance
Since I’m a birdwatcher, when I’m outside I always look skyward. It’s still migration season, and I hope to spot a Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). These large birds (three pounds/six-foot wing span) depend upon entropy to keep alive. Yet, I’m heartened that their numbers are increasing, unlike half of other North American bird species that are in precipitous decline. TVs are an enduring animal. As an ancient species harking back to the Miocene Epoch, they lived alongside the arrival of the earliest hominids. Being around for such a long time certainly tells us they’ve developed a relationship with Homo sapiens and will continue to thrive.
As I looked about, the skies were clear of bird life and I knew I wouldn’t see any TVs. My books say that our local birds have gone south by now (some TVs overwinter in Asheville, NC), although records also show a departure date for some in mid-November. Then a coincidence pops up. Although not a TV, I see an airplane and am reminded of how the Wright brothers worked out one of their biggest airplane-invention problems of achieving stability once airborne. They studied how TVs (they called them buzzards, which TVs are not) used their wings and tails to control their flight. And that was all they needed to solve the problem by inventing wing-warping, a mechanism that controls for yaw. Only from Mother Nature do we learn these things.
Further research finds TVs’ graceful soaring is due to the entropic principle of thermals—the natural tendency of heat energy to waft up from warm patches of ground. Thus, TVs save energy by flying in tight circles within the thermals so they can scope the landscape for the carrion they seek. A disadvantage is that when it rains, they become grounded. Still, they thrive.
An interesting fact I never knew is that TVs are related to cranes and storks, which made me think of the fables about storks bringing home newborn babies. Those accounts come to us via ancient Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythologies and later the folklore of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. Although we know much more about science and laugh at the naivete, still, we find the stories exciting, absorbing and affirming to read. They warm our imagination and instill in us wonder and awe.
Energy, Einstein said, can neither be created nor destroyed but only transformed. Studying TVs, we see how they’ve mastered the principle of entropy and kept up an equilibrium that’s simply astonishing. When I look to our nation’s political future, I hope we’re gearing up for a possible transformation. There will be challenges ahead. But I believe that Mother Earth’s resources promise us a better future. Happy birthday, Second Law!
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About B-W Greenway
B-W Greenway is a nonprofit organization powered by the citizens, volunteers, members and community leaders committed to protecting, preserving, and promoting the natural world.
Mission
To protect and restore the land and water resources between the Beaver Creek and Wenrick Wetlands while balancing human and wildlife needs.
Vision
A lasting corridor of green spaces that protect and enhance the natural and agricultural resources supported by a community working together
What is a Land Trust?
A Land Trust permanently protects natural areas by partnering with landowners to place conservation easements on their properties. A conservation easement gives legal assurance that the property's natural quality will be preserved in perpetuity.
