2012 Harvest Festival

Join the Gardens on Spring Creek in their celebration of all things fall and community at the Harvest Festival on September 22. Beginning at 10 a.m., the Gardens will be bursting with family friendly activities, local artisans, workshops and entertainment for all ages to enjoy. Cost is a suggested donation of $4 per adult and child over 12. The Gardens on Spring Creek is at 2145 Centre Ave., right across the street from NRRC Bldg A.

National Trends in Satellite Observed Lighting: 1992-2009

The USGS Fort Collins Science Center, located in Building-C in our Natural Resources Research Center, is hosting an interesting seminar this Wednesday, April 6th.  Here is the notice that welcomes all who can attend:

U.S. Geological Survey – Fort Collins Science Center – Spring Seminar Series
Title: National Trends in Satellite Observed Lighting: 1992-2009
Speaker: Dr. Chris Elvidge, NOAA
Date: Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Time: 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. Place: Main Conference Room, USGS Fort Collins Science Center, Building C

Abstract: A time series of global annual satellite maps of nighttime lights reveals several distinct patterns linked to population changes, economic development and the improvements in lighting efficiency.
Six categories of national lighting trends have been defined:
1) Rapid growth in lighting driven by population and economic growth,
2) Population driven changes in nighttime lights,
3) Economic driven changes in nighttime lights,
4) Erratic, with wide interannual variation in nighttime lights and little affinity to population and economic changes,
5) Stable, with little change over time and little affinity to population and economic changes, and
6) Transitional countries not fitting in to the other five classes, in many cases due to a shift from one class to another midway through the time series.
The results indicate that there are national level differences in the behavior of nighttime lights over time. Recognition of these patterns may lead to improved spatial modeling of socioeconomic processes based on satellite observed nighttime lights.

Bio Sketch: Elvidge leads the Earth Observation Group (EOG) in the Solar and Terrestrial Physics Division. The EOG operates the long term archive for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. DMSP is unique for its ability to collect low light imagery of the Earth at night. For the past sixteen years Elvidge has lead the development of algorithms to map nighttime lights with DMSP images and the development of applications for these maps. Current projects include satellite monitoring of gas flaring in oil and gas fields in sixty countries, construction of a global GDP map, and the analysis of electrification rates in more than 150 countries. Elvidge graduated from Stanford University in 1985 with a Ph.D. in Applied Earth Sciences. He was a NRC post-doc at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory from 1985 to 1987. He was subsequently on the faculty of the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada and a visiting scientist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Global Change Research Program in Washington. DC.

Always check with your supervisor to see if attendance is permitted.

2010 Harvest Festival

Celebrate the abundance of the harvest with tastings of produce from the Garden of Eatin’, workshops and a Harvest Market featuring local artisans. Enjoy live music and kids’ activities.
The Harvest Festival is Saturday, September 25th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Gardens at Spring Creek (2145 Centre Ave., across the street from NRRC Bldg A).