Crosscut profiles the Witt Winter Garden in the Washington Park Arboretum and Coenosium Rock Garden at the South Seattle Community College Arboretum, both great mid-winter garden destinations.  Read more here. 

High levels of radiation surrounding the site of the partial meltdown at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan appears to be driving off or killing birds, a new study suggests. Read more here. 

Initial results from timber projects in Oregon indicate it’s possible to retain old trees, protect watersheds and wildlife and still provide jobs, according to forestry professors Jerry Franklin, of the UW, and Norm Johnson of Oregon State University.  Read more here. 

Monday’s “Social Media for Scientists” event, a part of the “Beyond the Ivory Tower” series (check out their news coverage here!), engendered great discussions about how and why scientists may engage in social media to communicate their research. University of Hawaii’s Christie Wilcox presented her experience as a scientist engaging with social media, focusing on “why every lab should tweet”. Following, COMPASS/SAFS Adjunct Instructor Liz Neeley shared her expertise about why scientists should care about social media in general. 

Last year’s winter storms in the northeastern US were due partly to the Arctic Oscillation. This year’s mild weather is also related.  How? Read more here.