This is the 642nd edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Here is the May 2 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
foresterbob writes—Hysterical Hornet Hype: “[I]t came as no surprise to me a few days ago, that multiple news headlines screamed Murder Hornets, when one day earlier, nobody had heard of such a thing. The hype was oozing from my keyboard, forcing me to wash my hands frequently. Fortunately I was already in practice. Was I the only person who was bothered by this extreme display of Spheksophobia? It took a few days, but I finally learned that I am not alone. Witness this article from AP, Bug experts dismiss worry about US 'murder hornets' as hype How scared should we be? Here’s a guy who is studying the imported Asian hornets in Washington: ‘They are not “murder hornets.” They are just hornets,’ said Washington Agriculture Department entomologist Chris Looney, who is working on the state’s search for these large hornets. The facts are, experts said, two dead hornets were found in Washington last December, a lone Canadian live nest was found and wiped out last September and no live hornets have yet been seen this year.”
Also check out foresterbob’s personal account of contact with hornets below.
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
foresterbob writes—Republished: The Year of the Hornet: “It’s like a scene from a cheap horror movie, except that it’s no movie. You are in the woods, miles from the nearest town; far, even, from another human being. But you are not alone. Hornets are everywhere, and they are checking you out. A background buzz constantly permeates the normally silent woods. Since late July, I have been working on a forest inventory project in central Idaho. As a consulting forester, I travel to the Pacific Northwest each summer when the Georgia heat becomes unbearable. This is a return trip; I worked here last October. As far as forestry projects go, this one is pretty nice. The rolling mountains aren’t all that steep. Elevations of close to one mile keep temperatures comfortable, though the afternoon sun can be pretty fierce. [...] This year I have been a prisoner in the cab of the truck, usually with the windows rolled up. From the first light of day until it is nearly dark, the hornets are out there. When I wake up in the morning, I can hear them buzzing, sometimes ramming the metal and glass of the camper shell with their heads, as if testing for a weakness in my defenses. The moment I step outside, they come to greet me. Usually it begins with a single hornet. It moves quickly, taking full advantage of the 3D world it inhabits. Starting at the feet, it begins to inspect me. Boldly, fearlessly, it buzzes frantically back and forth, inspecting front and back, gradually working its way upwards towards the top of my head. It appears to be constructing a holographic image to share with its nest mates.”
lostintheozarks writes—The Daily Bucket: Butterflies, Beasts, Blooms, Bees and Birds...”Some days it isn’t about writing the story you intended to write, but letting the story evolve as you try to upload the photos and most of the uploads fail! Then you discover that there is a tornado warning within a mile or two of your home and maybe it is time to go down into the basement and wait for the storms to pass — and hope you don’t get hit with a tornado! (8:15 pm). It is 9:00 pm now and the severe storms have passed. We are safe, but still no luck uploading...I will try again later. So, now it is past midnight. The storms have moved on and it is quiet outside. Maybe now I can finally upload? Let’s try the photo of the deer I saw in the woods today. [… ] How about a tent caterpillar? The ‘tents’ they make in the trees look horrible, but one individual caterpillar is almost pretty.