3/2 Crows, dams, BC LNG, critter AI

Crow funeral [Tony Angell]

Happy 15th Birthday, BirdNote!
Happy birthday, BirdNote. And what a better way to celebrate than sharing BirdNote's story about crows: 'Tony Angell, along with Professor John Marzluff of the University of Washington, wrote the book, Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans. Tony says, "A crow 'funeral' is where the deceased bird is surrounded by members of the same species, in significant numbers." Crows descend from the trees, and they walk around the bird on the ground. And then they fly off. It's very likely that the crows are learning from this experience. Is there danger here? What does the death of this particular crow mean to the social structure of that community of crows? It seems to be a little more complicated than just paying homage.' Follow BirdNote and check out Tony Angell's exhibit at Seattle's Foster/White Gallery March 5-21.

Feds reject removal of 4 US Northwest dams in key report
Years and millions of dollars in the making, a draft federal report on hydroelectric dam operations in the Columbia Basin will not settle the decadeslong fight over saving imperiled salmon in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Federal agencies found that taking out the dams would “provide a long-term benefit to species that spawn or rear in the mainstem Snake River habitats,” but also would have adverse impacts, including increased power costs, a rise in greenhouse gases and reduced reliability of the electric grid. The report rejects the idea of removing the dams to save endangered or threatened salmon. The removal of the dams has been a rallying cry for advocates of salmon and the endangered southern resident orcas, which rely on Columbia and Snake chinook to survive. But supporters of the dams praised the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) as an important affirmation of their value in a region increasingly placing a premium on renewable electricity. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Wet'suwet'en chiefs, ministers reach proposed agreement in pipeline dispute
A Wet'suwet'en hereditary chief and senior government ministers say they have reached a proposed arrangement to acknowledge land title rights established more than 20 years ago in a Supreme Court decision. The parties agree the proposal is an important step in discussions related to a natural gas pipeline dispute that has prompted solidarity protests across Canada in recent weeks. But the parties still disagree on how to move forward with the controversial pipeline. (CBC) There's no 'quick fix' in B.C. pipeline talks, say government liaison Hina Alam reports. (Canadian Press) 'Without a doubt': B.C. premier says Wet'sewet'en conflict his biggest challenge yet  With the province deeply divided over the Wet'suwet'en conflict, the events of the past few weeks have taken a toll politically and personally on B.C.'s premier. Tanya Fletcher reports. (CBC)

How a Portland nonprofit is using artificial intelligence to help save whales, giraffes, zebras
To the untrained eye, zebras in Kenya probably all look alike. But each animal’s black and white markings are like a fingerprint, distinct — and invaluable for scientists who need to track the animals and information about them, including their births, deaths, health and migration patterns. Traditionally, getting this kind of information has been an invasive and labor-intensive process. But breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and crowdsourcing of photos of individual animals are beginning to change the conservation game. Aimee Rawlins reports.(Seattle Times)


Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  257 AM PST Mon Mar 2 2020   TODAY  SW wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1  to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds building to 8 ft at 12  seconds in the afternoon. A chance of rain in the morning then  rain likely in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 10 to 20 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 11 seconds. Rain in the  evening then a chance of rain after midnight.



--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter. 

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told