A series of forest searches by dogs specially trained to sniff out northern spotted owl pellets – the undigested bones, fur and other bits regurgitated by owls – improved the probability of finding the owls by nearly 30 percent over a series of traditional vocalization surveys. This is important, as spotted owls may be adapting to the invasion of barred owls by vocalizing less. 

“Eight years until “Glacier National Park” is just “National Park.” The ice had been the lure to get the family to go see the great glaciers before they’re gone. But I misjudged how far gone they already are. As did the scientists.”  Read more on this piece by Danny Westneat of the Seattle Times. 

Sierra Magazine, the official publication of the Sierra Club, once again placed the University of Washington in the top echelon in the country for its initiatives to operate sustainably and limit its contributions to global warming. This is the fifth year the UW has been among the top-ranked schools; it was first last year. Read more here; also check out the complete list of “cool schools”. 

Public participation in scientific research – termed “citizen science” – is growing, in numbers of projects, participants, and data points. Learn more about the exciting opportunities, as well as the challenges, that citizen science provides, and how you can get involved, here! SoundCitizen‘s Amanda Bruner is quoted.   

Big Data. A catchy name, with a shadowy similarity to phrases like Big Brother. Why is the concept of big data gaining so much attention, and what does its creation and use mean for science and society? Read up here; UW’s Ed Lazowska is cited.