CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:20). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-28-20.  TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of March 2, 2020. MUSIC – ~7 sec This week, we feature original music inspired by a large group of reptiles known by many names and ranging worldwide from arid areas to freshwater habitats.  Have a listen to the music for about 25 more seconds, and see if you know this group of reptiles.  And here’s a hint: if you guess this, you may be a reptile wizard. MUSIC - ~25 sec If you guessed lizards, you’re right! You’ve been listening to “Lizard Lied,” by Torrin Hallett, a student at Manhattan School of Music in New York.  Over 5600 species of animals worldwide are classified in the scientific group of lizards.  This group includes animals commonly called lizards as well as those commonly called anoles, chameleons, geckos, iquanas, skinks, racerunners, whiptails, and wormlizards.  Although lizards are the largest single group of living reptiles worldwide, their variety in Virginia is relatively low.  Virginia has nine native species, including five kinds of skinks, two glass lizard species, one racerunner, and the Eastern Fence Lizard, a type of spiny lizard.  The Commonwealth also currently is known to have two introduced, non-native species, the Italian Wall Lizard and the Mediterranean Gecko. Virginia’s lizards live in a variety of land habitats, including trees, logs, rocks, soils, ground debris, and sometimes human structures.  They eat primarily a variety of insects, spiders, and snails, plus in some cases other lizards, small snakes, and small mammals; in turn, lizards are prey for various snakes, some birds, and domestic dogs and cats.   Some lizard species can shed their tail if it’s grabbed by a predator, regrowing the tail later. No lizard species worldwide is truly aquatic, in that it lives exclusively in water or feeds exclusively on aquatic organisms.  But about 70 lizard species are known to use freshwater habitats for food or to escape from predators, including some species that can run across waters.  In the Commonwealth, two lizards with water connections are the Northern Coal Skink, a high-elevation species known to live near water and use it in fleeing predators; and the Eastern Glass Lizard, a state threatened species, known to inhabit various wet or damp grassy areas near marshes in eastern Virginia. Thanks to Torrin Hallett for this week’s music, and we close with the last 10 seconds of “Lizard Lied.” MUSIC - ~11 sec SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Lizard Lied” is copyright 2020 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission.  (“Lied” is the German word for song.)  Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio; as of 2020, he is a graduate student in Horn Performance at Manhattan School of Music in New York.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks very much to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (1 min./11 sec.) of the “Cripple Creek” arrangement/performance by Stewar

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:25). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-21-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of February 24, 2020. MUSIC – ~7 sec – Instrumental. This week, that music by a Fredericksburg, Va., singer/songwriter opens an episode about a familiar and fascinating group of reptiles that are found in habitats from mountain bogs to the open oceans.  Have a listen to the music for about 25 more seconds, and see if know this group of creatures.  And you won’t need a hint, even though this is a shell game. MUSIC - ~25 sec – Lyrics: “Grown-up turtles still play in the mud; everything they do is in cold blood. Don’t stick out their head when strangers around, spend their winters in the ground. Turtles don’t need no 401-K, they sit on the rock in the sun all day. Turtles don’t need no 401-K; it’s stuck in my head and it won’t go away.” If you guessed turtles, of course you’re right!  You heard part of “Turtles Don’t Need No 401-K,” a light-hearted comparison between turtle life and modern human life, by Bob Gramann, from his 1995 album, “Mostly True Songs.”  Over 50 species of turtles, including certain species called tortoises or terrapins, are native to the United States and its coastal waters.  Current classification lists 22 species and some subspecies native to Virginia, with another four non-native species or subspecies having been introduced into the Commonwealth. Except for the familiar Woodland Box Turtle, all of Virginia’s turtles require habitats that are at least partially aquatic.  There are semi-aquatic species, like the Bog Turtle and Wood Turtle; freshwater species, like Pond Sliders and River Cooters; the estuarine Diamondback Terrapin; and five species of sea turtles.  Turtles’ most characteristic feature, their shell, is used for defense but also to retain moisture.  Most turtles are omnivores, feeding both on plants and animals. Some kinds, such as River Cooters, are primarily plant-eaters, while others, like the Snapping Turtle, are primarily carnivores; and food habits can change seasonally and between young and adult turtles.  As a group, turtles are known for basking in the sun to warm their bodies for activity or metabolism; for long lives, as much as 100 years or more; and for migrations, whether a mile or so for some species, or the thousands of miles traveled by Sea Turtles. The southeastern United States, including Virginia, is one of the world’s greatest areas of turtle diversity.  From woods and wetlands, to rivers, to the seas, these unique creatures fill roles in ecosystems, spark scientific curiosity, and generate stories in folklore, popular culture, and music. Thanks to Bob Gramann for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 10 more seconds of “Turtles Don’t Need No 401-K.” MUSIC - ~10 sec – Instrumental. SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Turtles Don’t Need No 401-K,” from the 1995 album “Mostly True Songs,” is copyright by Bob Gramann, used with permission.  More information about Bob Gramann is available online at http://www.bobgramann.com/.  This song was also featured in Virginia Water Radio Episode 123, 8-13

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:31). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-14-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of February 17, 2020. SOUND – ~5 sec This week, that ship’s horn opens an episode about an atmospheric event that’s often perceived as mysterious and is, in fact, often dangerous.  Have a listen for about 40 seconds to the ship’s horn again, followed by two additional mystery sounds, and see if you can guess this soundless water and weather phenomenon. SOUNDS - ~41 sec 1) Ship horn. 2) National Weather Service dense-fog advisory on August 20, 2012: “Near zero conditions are being experiences on Interstate 77 near Fancy Gap, along and near mountain ridges and passes, and in some of the deeper mountain valleys.  Conditions in these areas are not likely to significantly improve until shortly after daybreak on Monday.  Motorists traveling through the area are urged to drive with low beams on, slow down, and provide additional time to reach their destination.” 3) Foghorn on U.S. Route 50 Chesapeake Bay Bridge. If you guessed fog, you’re right!  After the ship’s foghorn, you heard an excerpt from a National Weather Service dense-fog advisory and then the foghorn at the U.S. Route 50/Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland. Mysterious in movies and potentially dangerous on roadways, shipping channels, and flight paths, fog’s silent movement was described by poet Carl Sandburg as “coming on little cat feet.”  Fog actually comes in when invisible water vapor in air becomes cooled enough to condense into visible, liquid water suspended close to the ground—essentially a very low-lying cloud.  A key factor is the dew point, the temperature to which air of a given moisture level and pressure must be cooled for fog, clouds, or precipitation to form. Fog can form under various weather and landscape situations, resulting in the identification of several types of fog.  Six of those types are radiation fog, when land surfaces cool at night, in turn cooling moisture-laden air; mountain-valley fog, when cold air sinks into moisture-containing valleys; advection fog, when winds move moist air over a cold ground; steam fog, occurring over lakes in the fall; freezing fog, when water droplets from fog contact objects below the freezing point; and ice fog, occurring in polar regions. Temperature, moisture level, air pressure, landscape topography, and winds all interact to determine whether fog creeps in on mysterious city streets or on the particular route you may be traveling. Thanks to Freesound.org user inchadney for making the ship foghorn sound available for public use.  We close with about 20 seconds of music from a song whose title matches a color that fog frequently presents.  Here’s part of “Grey” by Blacksburg, Va., singer/songwriter Kat Mills. MUSIC - ~20 sec – Lyrics: “We won’t try to fake it, don’t worry we’ll make it, and summer will be here one day. Till then it’s grey, grey, grey.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Stewart Scales for his banjo version of Cripple Creek to open and close this show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 124, 8-20-12. The first sound was as a ship foghorn recorded by “inchadney” on June 3, 2012, accessed from Free

Click to listen to episode (4:24) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-24-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 27, 2020. MUSIC – ~6 sec – instrumental That’s part of “The Coming Spring,” by Andrew VanNorstrand, from his 2019 album, “That We Could Find a Way to Be.”  This week, with spring still two months away by the calendar, we get an early jump on that season with two frogs that begin breeding in Virginia in mid-winter.  Have a listen for about 20 seconds to these mystery sounds, and see if you know these frogs.  And here’s a hint: If you heard these species’ earliest breeding calls, you would probably see little grass. SOUNDS - ~19 sec If you guessed a Wood Frog and a Little Grass Frog, you’re right!  You heard the clucking of a Wood Frog and the insect-like chirps of a Little Grass Frog.  These two species are part of 28 native frog and toad species found in Virginia.  As a group, frogs and toads are known for aquatic-habitat breeding that typically involves calling by males to attract females.   For most Virginia frogs and toads, that breeding activity starts in March or April.  But six species are considered early-season breeders, with activity starting by February, and Wood Frogs and Little Grass Frogs may start in January. These two species occupy different parts of Virginia: Wood Frogs are found mostly in Virginia’s mountains and Piedmont, while Little Grass Frogs are found in the Commonwealth’s southeastern corner.  Wood Frogs gather in large groups in various temporary, or ephemeral, water habitats, for breeding over a few days, during which the females deposit large floating masses containing hundreds or thousands of eggs.  Little Grass Frogs, the smallest frog species in North America, seek shallow-water grassy areas and lay much smaller numbers of eggs on plants or on the bottom of a shallow pond. These two frog species—in different regions, with different sounds and different breeding behavior—together offer much of Virginia a chance to hear life-cycles restarting well before the more familiar signs of spring. Thanks to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and to Lang Elliott for permission to use the Little Grass Frog sound, from the 2008 CD, “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads.”  Thanks also to Andrew VanNorstrand for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “The Coming Spring,” featuring singer Kailyn Wright. MUSIC – ~21 sec - lyrics: “I went outside and I remembered everything: how the coldest winter melts before the coming spring.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Wood Frog sounds heard in this episode were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Heritage Park in Blacksburg, Va., on February 18, 2018. The Little Grass Frog sounds in this episode were from “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads” CD, copyright 2008 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) and Lang Elliott/NatureSound Studio, used with permission.   For more information on this CD, contact VDGIF online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/; by mail to P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778; b

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (4:02). Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) All Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-7-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of February 10, 2020. MUSIC – ~8 sec – Instrumental. This week, the start of “Sparrow,” from Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, opens an episode about a kind of sparrow closely connected to the impacts of sea level rise on Atlantic coastal habitats.  Have a listen for about 10 seconds to the following mystery sound and see if you know this species of sparrow.  And here’s a hint: look for it where tides wash over tall grasses. SOUNDS - ~11 sec If you guessed the Saltmarsh Sparrow, you’re right!  This species, sometimes referred to as the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, is one of 25 kinds of sparrow known to occur in Virginia.  The Saltmarsh Sparrow is found exclusively in Atlantic Coast salt marshes, living among the grasses and other plants in tidal zones from Maine to Virginia in breeding season and as far south as Florida in winter.  This has made the Saltmarsh Sparrow an indicator species—or, in a familiar bird metaphor for a danger signal, a so-called “canary in a coal mine”—for the loss of Atlantic coastal saltmarsh habitat, particularly as a result of rising sea level and higher tides.  Reports indicate that the bird’s population over its whole range decreased about 75 percent between 1998 and 2012; moreover, according to the Saltmarsh Sparrow Research Initiative in Rhode Island, some studies predict that rising water levels could cause the species’ extinction by 2040. The Saltmarsh Sparrow’s woes have been one stimulus for various saltmarsh habitat restoration or preservation efforts, including a project started in 2016 in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge on the Chesapeake Bay near Cambridge, Maryland.  If successful, those efforts will help not only Saltmarsh Sparrows but a wide range of organisms and ecological functions sustained by salt marshes. Thanks to Lang Elliott for permission to use this week’s sounds, from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs.  Thanks also to Andrew VanNorstrand for permission to use this week’s music, and we close with about 20 more seconds of “Sparrow.” MUSIC – ~22 sec –Instrumental. SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Sparrow,” from the 2004 album “Driftage,” is copyright by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand and Great Bear Records, used with permission.  More information about Andrew and Noah and their bands is available online at https://www.andrewandnoah.com/andrewandnoah/dev/music/.  This music was also used in Virginia Water Radio Episode 254, 2-23-15, on sparrows generally. The sounds of the Saltmarsh Sparrow were taken from the Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs-Eastern Region CD set, by Lang Elliott with Donald and Lillian Stokes (Time Warner Audio Books, copyright 1997), used with permission of Lang Elliott, whose work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.benc

Click to listen to episode (4:59) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-31-20.  TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of February 3, 2020. SOUNDS – ~10 sec – Deputy Clerk of the Virginia House of Delegates Sharon Crouch Steidel: “Ayes 99.  I declare Eileen Filler-Corn duly elected Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.” Applause. That’s an excerpt of the January 8, 2020, election of Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax as the first female Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates.  After that historic moment, the House—along with the Virginia State Senate—began the business of considering over 3100 bills and resolutions that have been introduced into the 2020 General Assembly session.  At least 180 of those bills concern water resources, either focusing directly on water, or focusing on land uses, such as energy use and production, that have impacts on water. This week is Virginia Water Radio’s annual episode giving you a chance to imagine being an Assembly member, and to consider how you’d vote on six of those water-related bills.  I’ll give brief descriptions of the bills, followed by a couple of seconds of a ticking clock sound to decide if you would vote for or against the idea.  Then I’ll give the bill’s status—still alive or already failed—as of January 29.  Here we go. No. 1: House Bill 705 would transfer permitting authority from the Air Pollution Control Board, Waste Management Board, and State Water Control Board to the Department of Environmental Quality.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking] This bill was in alive in the House Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources, or ACNR, Committee. No. 2: House Bill 542 would have the State Water Control Board facilitate regional water supply planning by localities, including predicting risk of shortfalls in each locality and region, encouraging cross-jurisdictional supply projects, and using river basins to designate regional planning areas. [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  This bill had passed the House ACNR Committee and was alive in the House Appropriations Committee. No. 3: House Bill 794 would create a Flood Insurance Fund to subsidize purchase of flood insurance by low-income Virginians in flood-prone areas.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  This bill also had passed the House ACNR committee and was alive in the House Appropriations Committee. No. 4: House Joint Resolution 89 would request the Department of Environmental Quality to study the impacts of litter on fishing, farming, stream water quality, and other components of Virginia’s economy and habitats.   [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  This bill was alive in the House Rules Committee. No. 5: Senate Bill 361 would direct the Joint Commission on Technology and Science to study the economic, quality-of-life, and safety consequences of weather and climate-related events on Virginia’s coastal areas.   [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  This bill failed in the Senate Rules Committee. And No. 6: Senate Bill 1027 would authorize the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a carbon cap-and-trade program, selling carbon allowances and using the revenues for community flood preparedness, energy-efficiency programs for low-income citizens, and statewide climate change planning and mitigation.  [SOUND – ~2 sec – ticking]  This bill was alive in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. This short game obviously can’t capture the scope of the General Assembly’s potential impacts on a subject as complicated, connected, and vital as water.  Any bill involves more information and details than you heard here.   The General

Click to listen to episode (5:42) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Image Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-17-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 20, 2020. VOICE – ~7 sec – “This is an issue, this is a problem, this something that needs resolution yesterday. And we cannot wait any longer.” That’s the voice of Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax County, the Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, referring to the problem of sea-level rise and coastal flooding.  She was speaking at the December 4, 2019, meeting in Blacksburg of the Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science, or JCOTS.  This week we focus on JCOTS as an example of Virginia’s wide variety of legislative commissions, committees, and councils, and their connection to the work of the Virginia General Assembly.  Have a listen for about 90 more seconds to the sea-level rise part of the December 4 JCOTS meeting. VOICES - ~98 sec James Aylor – “Our mission, and the mission of JCOTS, really overlap extensively.   In other words, you folks are looking at science and technology for the state, and we have a set of experts…who work pretty much—well, they do work free when they do these studies.   It seemed like to me an opportunity for us to join up and do some things together. …” Del. Eileen Filler-Corn – “Yes, I get the importance of the study, and I do think I share your interest in doing that moving forward.  What can be done prior to that study?  I’m trying to figure out what we can do now with regard to coastal flooding. I know as I spent more and more time…in your region, Mr. Chairman, countless times there were meetings and events that were literally just canceled.  People could not get out of their house, they could not down the roads.  We all know that but it’s different to actually be there and to see it. …” Sen. Bill DeSteph – “I sit on the joint committee on coastal flooding.  We met Monday.  We had just over three hours of briefings.  I’ve been briefed by the Army Corps of Engineers; that was a six-hour brief. … The concern I have is, almost all of these folks are referring to the same NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] model, but for 2070 everybody’s opinion of where we’re going to be [on sea level in coastal Virginia] is different. … So I think it’s truly important to get a group of scientists [and engineers] to sit down, agree on what the underlying assumptions are, and then build a model for a recommendation, if there is a way to come to an agreement in the underlying assumptions.” Sen. John Cosgrove – “We can go back and forth on what’s causing sea-level rise, but the sea-level is rising.  And I think this group can give us a “nuts-and-bolts/here’s-what-we-really-believe brief, with no outside influence. And I think that’s exactly what we all need.” You heard, first, James Aylor, president of the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine, referring to that group’s proposal for a sea-level rise study, followed by some reactions from three JCOTS members: Delagate Filler-Corn, Senator Bill DeSteph of Virginia Beach, and Sen. John Cosgrove of Chesapeake.  Following-up that meeting, in January 2020 Sen. Cosgrove proposed to the General Assembly Senate Joint Resolution 38, which would direct JCOTS to study “the safety, quality of life, and economic consequences of weather and climate-related events on coastal areas in Virginia.”  This is an example of how JCOTS is involved in gathering information that may lead to General Assembly legislation. JCOTS is one of over two dozen legislative commissions and other groups listed by the Virginia Division of Legislative Services, the

Click to listen to episode (4:06) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Extra Information Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-10-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 13, 2020.  This is a revised repeat of an episode from November 2012. SOUND - ~ 4 sec This week we feature mystery sounds from a bird whose flocks are known for filling eastern Virginia skies and wetlands in winter.  Have listen for about 10 more seconds and see if you can guess what’s making this riot of sound.  And here’s a hint: Snow or no, the Chesapeake Bay area entertains huge groups of these visitors every winter. SOUND - ~11 sec If you guessed Snow Geese, you’re right!  After breeding in the Arctic and other far northern lands in summer, some populations of Snow Geese return to the Chesapeake Bay region for late fall and winter.  Gathering to feed on plants around water bodies and in wetlands and agricultural fields, Snow Geese flocks can number in the thousands.  The species has two color forms, or “morphs”: a light, or white, morph; and a dark, or blue, morph.  From 1916 to 1975, Snow Goose hunting in the eastern United States was banned due to low population levels of the birds, but in recent decades populations have increased greatly.   In fact, the Snow Goose is now one of the most abundant species of waterfowl in North America, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s “All About Birds” Web site.  And big gangs of Snow Geese are a sight to behold: According to a description by the Cornell Lab, “watching huge flocks of Snow Geese swirl down from the sky, amid a cacophony of honking, is a little like standing inside a snow globe.” Besides its biological features, this bird species is also noteworthy for its role as a character and a symbol in a World War II-era short story titled, “The Snow Goose.”  American author Paul Gallico’s November 1940 story, set in coastal England, merges themes of life on the water, disability, emotional connection, natural history, and human history, particularly the civilian-aided evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk, France, in mid-1940. Thanks to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for making this week’s sound available for public use.  We close with some instrumental music, with a title recalling the behavior of a Snow Goose flock taking flight if it senses danger from predators.  Here’s part of “Elusive Goose,” by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, from their 2007 album, “A Certain Tree.” MUSIC - ~12 sec. SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS   This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaces Episode 138, 11-26-12.  This week’s script was based in part on work done by Minni Gupta, a 2011 Virginia Tech graduate who did an internship with the Virginia Water Resources Research Center in the fall 2010 semester.  Ms. Gupta wrote Virginia Water Radio Episode 38, 10-18-10, which also includes Snow Geese sounds and information. The Snow Geese sounds heard in the episode were taken from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Digital Library, http://digitalmedia.fws.gov/cdm/.  The specific URL for the Snow Gees sound clip was https://digitalmedia.fws.gov/digital/collection/audio/id/70/rec

Click to listen to episode (4:32) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-3-20. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 6, 2020. This week is our annual preview of the Virginia General Assembly, which convenes this year on January 8 and is scheduled to adjourn on March 7.  We start by dropping in on some of the work that went on before the opening gavel of the 2020 Assembly.  Have a listen for about [35 or 50] seconds. VOICE – ~36 sec “Good morning. I’m Delegate Nick Rush.  I represent the 7th District, that’s Montgomery, Pulaski, and Floyd counties.  As Charles [Delegate Charles Poindexter] and Bill [Senator William Carrico] said, we’re here for the public hearing.  We’re happy so many folks showed up today. … Know that this is the governor’s budget; it is not the House of Delegates’, Senator Carrico’s, or Charlie Poindexter’s budget.  And so we’re here to hear your comments, and then take those—as we’ve done over the last decades—to Richmond to represent your views.  Thank you all for coming.” You’ve been listening to Virginia House of Delegates member Nick Rush during a January 2, 2020, public hearing in Blacksburg on Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed biennial state budget.  That hearing was one of four held around the state that day, following presentation of the governor’s budget in December.  Proposals from the governor and legislators’ forums for public input are two kinds of activities leading up to a General Assembly session.  Other activities include studies conducted during the year as called for by a previous General Assembly; meetings by various legislative committees and commissions, such as the State Water Commission, to consider issues for possible legislation; and pre-filing of measures by Assembly members—for example, as of January 3, almost 800 bills or resolutions had already been introduced for the 2020 session. Once a session begins, typically over 2000 bills and resolutions will be considered, along with the budget.  Probably 100 to 200 of those measures will relate to water resources, either directly, through impacts on aquatic life, water supply, or other water uses; or indirectly, through land uses that affect water.  The budget also affects water, particularly through funding of water-related departments, such as Conservation and Recreation, Environmental Quality, Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Marine Resources Commission. Action on measures in the General Assembly involves sub-committees, full committees, and floor debate, and passed bills go to the governor for approval, veto, or proposed changes.  All along the way, citizens, interest groups, and other stakeholders vie to have a say through information and opinions.  You can join in by following the Assembly’s work and by communicating with your local delegate or senator about issues of concern.  Tools to help you do so are available online at virginiageneralassembly.gov. We close with part of a song whose title recalls what many people at the Virginia General Assembly are aiming to do for their particular issues.  Here’s some of “Try to Change It,” by Bob Gramann of Fredericksburg. MUSIC - ~ 19 sec Lyrics: “Try to change it; why can’t I change it? Strength of will, push and pull, I’m bettin’ on that train; strength of will, push and pull, I’m bettin’ on that train.” SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks t

Click to listen to episode (4:29) Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 12-27-19. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of December 30, 2019. MUSIC – ~7 sec – instrumental This week, a traditional tune opens our annual episode marking the start of the New Year. Have a listen for about 25 more seconds. MUSIC - ~26 sec – instrumental You’ve been listening to part of “Midnight on the Water,” performed here by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, Va.  As midnight approaches on December 31, waters all over the world will be the scenes for celebrations of the arrival of a new year and a new decade.  Just within Virginia, water-focused New Year’s observances will range from Potomac River cruises out of Alexandria, to a party in the Waterside District of Norfolk, to a sunrise wade-in at the New River in Giles County. Water’s an apt place to start the new year, because that versatile, life-sustaining substance will be part of many events and issues to come this year, as it is every year.  Here are a few safe bets on how water will be part of Virginia’s 2020 story. Water resources will be affected by dozens of bills and the state budget under consideration by the Virginia General Assembly. Groundwater levels and use, especially in eastern Virginia, will get attention from various stakeholders. Sea level rise will be a factor in the environment and economics of coastal areas. Infrastructure for drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater will require significant planning, installation, maintenance, and money. Water will be a factor in debates, decisions, and lawsuits over energy production and use. And Virginians will enjoy activities in, on, and around water. Besides being central in many predictable developments, water in Virginia will probably be part of some unpredictable challenges, too.  As examples, tropical-storm flooding, a widespread drought, or a significant toxic spill could all propel water to the top of the agenda for citizens and elected officials. Whatever mix of predictable or unpredictable things happens in 2020, the year as a whole will almost certainly be, in some ways, unique.   In that spirit, we close with another traditional tune, whose title is a word for something unmatched or unequaled.  Here’s part of “Nonesuch,” performed by No Strings Attached.  Happy New Year, and I hope that in 12 months we can say there was none such a year so good for water as 2020. MUSIC - ~21 sec - instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS “Midnight on the Water,” a tune attributed to early 20th-Century Texas fiddler Lucas Thomasson, was recorded for Virginia Water Radio by Timothy Seaman of Williamsburg, Va., on August 9, 2017.  This music was also used in Episode 381, 8-14-17.  For more information on the tune, please see Andrew Kuntz and Valerio Pelliccioni, “The Traditional Tune Archive/Midnight on the Water,” online at https://tunearch.org/wiki/Midnight_on_the_Water and https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Midnight_on_the_Water.  More information on Timothy Seaman is available online at http://timothyseaman.com/en/. “Nonesuch” is an English dance tune first published in 1651.  For more information on the t