#midwestern us

[rjzimmerman]

Explore Hidden Nature Gems Across the Midwest

Hit the road and explore breathtaking prairies, lakes and forests across the Midwest with this nature-filled journey.

Some ideas for places to visit in the Midwest (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio). The Midwest can be boring (think acres and acres of corn fields), but with a little curiosity and effort, you can find hidden gems in private preserves, state parks, and national parks.

From The Nature Conservancy:

Imagine a road trip where every stop reveals a different awe-inspiring landscape, from windswept prairies to peaceful wetlands and rugged lake shores—all without leaving the Midwest.

Across the Heartland, protected lands are bursting with wildlife, wildflowers, rocky cliffs and lush forests. Whether you want to hike, birdwatch, or simply unplug, TNC’s nature preserves in the Midwest make an excellent excuse for a road trip any time of the year.

So, pack your bags and head out to experience some of the most breathtaking and often overlooked natural landscapes in the region—all places we’re working hard to protect.

[lgbtia-moodboards]

A bisexual moodboard with a midwestern/summertime theme for @garbageben00! I hope you like it!

Want one? Send me an ask!

[linguist-breakaribecca]

I cannot dispute this, and it’s always an octave or two above the usual speaking tone.

Ope, sorry!

ᴼᴴ ᴺᴼ ᵞᴼᵁ'ᴿᴱ ᶠᴵᴺᴱ

[magica-pseudoacademica]

In folk medicine swallows figure prominently in maladies of the eye, and there is an interesting Utah belief in the ability of this bird to help in restoring sight. The first time you hear the swallow in the spring, it is said, if you go to a stream or fountain and wash your eyes, at the same time making a silent prayer, the swallows will carry away all your eye troubles.

Wayland D. Hand, “Folk Medical Magic and Symbolism in the West,” in Magical Medicine: The Folkloric Component of Medicine in the Belief, Custom, and Ritual of the Peoples of Europe and America (1980)

[rjzimmerman]

'Flash droughts' are Midwest's next big climate threat

New research shows that "flash droughts" are coming on more quickly than before, with little advance warning.

Excerpt from this story from Grist:

September in Oklahoma is typically a rainy season, when farmers take advantage of the state’s third-wettest month to plant winter wheat. But last year, many were caught off guard by abnormally dry weather that descended without warning. In the span of just three weeks, nearly three-quarters of the state began experiencing drought conditions, ranging from moderate to extreme.

Fast-moving droughts like this one are developing more and more quickly as climate change pushes temperatures to new extremes, recent research indicates — adding a new threat to the dangers of pests, flooding, and more long-term drought that farmers in the U.S. already face. Known as “flash droughts,” these dry periods can materialize in as quickly as five days, often devastating agricultural areas that aren’t prepared for them.

The threshold for drought conditions differs by location, with the U.S. Drought Monitor using data on soil moisture, streamflow, and precipitation to categorize droughts by their severity. While typical droughts develop over months as precipitation gradually declines, flash droughts are characterized by a steep drop in rainfall, particularly during a season that normally receives plenty, along with high temperatures and fast winds that quickly dry out the soil. They can wither crops or prevent seeds from sprouting, delaying or diminishing the harvest.

Now, flash droughts are coming on faster and faster — making them more difficult to predict and more damaging, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications. The research, from scientists at the University of Texas and Hong Kong Polytechnic University, found that in the last 20 years, the percentage of flash droughts developing in under a week increased by more than 20 percent in the Central United States. 

[rjzimmerman]

U.S. could power nation with wind energy without harming wildlife, study says

A project called Site Wind Right says that in Kansas there are 4.4 million acres available for wind development.

Excerpt from this story from the Wichita Eagle:

In 17 states in the central U.S. there is enough low impact land to house wind energy to meet or exceed any foreseeable renewable energy goal, according to a new analysis from The Nature Conservancy.

Wind energy development generates opposition for a few reasons, such as as the noise, lack of aesthetics and likely most notably, it’s danger to wildlife. The latter concern was why the project was developed.

The study focused on finding land that had high wind energy capability and were low-impact sites, or areas where wind turbines wouldn’t endanger wildlife or encroach on protected land and was successful in finding enough land to potentially power the U.S.

“Within the broader wind belt region we have a 1,000 gigawatts of low impact wind potential that could be developed theoretically,” said Nathan Cummins, the project leader and the Great Plains Renewable Energy Strategy director. “That’s a ton of energy. That’s basically comparable to all of the electrical capacity of the United States right now.”

The project called Site Wind Right originated in Kansas, was finished in early July and covers 17 states in the U.S. “wind-belt.” It is available online in a map to help place wind projects with people, wildlife and environmental conservation in mind.

It also states that in Kansas there are 4.4 million acres available for wind development, the third highest in the nation, following Texas and Iowa.

[linguist-breakaribecca]

Ope, this Twitter account is spilling all our secrets there real quick once hey

[thefandomlesbian]

Small town living really is being surrounded by community.