From the UC Blogosphere...

Berry Fine!

First the buds, then the blossoms, then the bees.The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, a half-acre, bee-friendly garden planted...

Honey bee foraging on strawberry plant in Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bee foraging on strawberry plant in Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

End result: ripe strawberries. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

End result: ripe strawberries. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Draft delta plan falls short, scientists say

A mid-course review of the draft Bay Delta Conservation Plan by a panel of scientists found the document to be "fragmented, incomplete and hard to understand," according to a report by McClatchy Newservice reporter Michael Doyle.

UC Berkeley emeritus professor Henry Vaux Jr. chaired the panel that reviewed the plan, which has been in the works since 2006, has already cost about $150 million and involved hundreds of meetings among state and federal agencies, water districts and environmental and conservation groups.

"Given the time and expenditure of money, people could have reasonably expected to get a plan that was more complete," Vaux was quoted in the story.

AP reporter Gosia Wozniacka wrote that the panel found it unclear whether the main purpose of the plan was simply to build a canal or pipeline, or whether it is a broader plan that would restore and protect the delta ecosystem and provide a stable water supply.

"If you don't know what it is you want to do, it creates a lot of confusion, because the application of science is different depending on what you want to accomplish," Wozniacka quoted Vaux.

Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes said the review provides useful guidance as the plan continues to be developed.

Moth-er's Day, Lepidopteran Style

Sunday, May 8 is Mother's Day. Saturday, May 7 is Moth-er's Day. Yes, that's Moth-er's Day, Lepidopteran style. That's...

Chrysiridia rhipheus at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Chrysiridia rhipheus at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Urania leilu at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Urania leilu at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Dooley addresses extension budget woes on D.C. panel

Vice President of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources Dan Dooley, speaking at the Farm Foundation Forum in Washington, D.C., last month, proposed a new direction for funding research and teaching in agriculture, according to an article in Lancaster Farming.

He pointed to the 1944 GI Bill, the National Defense Education Act of 1956, and the Higher Education Act and Pell Grants of 1965 as examples of earlier notable federal initiatives.

For the 21st century, Dooley suggested a “Food Security and Sustainability Act," which could lead to funding for research projects and university-supported programs for agriculture.

Other panelists on the Farm Foundation Forum, which took place at the National Press Club, were former U.S. Rep. Charles Stenholm of Texas, Nicole Ballenger of the University of Wyoming and George Norton of Virginia Tech.

The Lancaster Farming article said the panelists agreed on a number of points:

• The well-being of the nation depends on a strong, pro-active agricultural system served by vibrant college and university agriculture programs
• "Business as usual” is over
• New sources of funding for agricultural training and research must be cultivated
• Rewards and opportunities are necessary to entice bright minds to do research and tackle the problems facing modern farming in the U.S.
• Extension services are the “face” of the university, and therefore their funding and their roles must be guarded

According to reporter Janice Booth, Dooley spoke about the state of agriculture programs at the University of California.

“Since 1990, there has been a 40 percent decline in (California’s) investment in education,” he said.

The segregation of agriculture services at the federal and university levels further impedes growth. At UC, colleges of agriculture are not integrated with the larger institution, and thus miss some of the opportunities to collaborate with other colleges in research and academic initiatives, Dooley said.

The Fly Man of Alcatraz

Forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey of the UC Davis Department of Entomology is known as "The Fly Man of Alcatraz." When...

UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey on "The Rock." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis forensic entomologist Robert Kimsey on "The Rock." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Kelp flies or cormorant flies (Fucillia thinobia) on Alcatraz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Kelp flies or cormorant flies (Fucillia thinobia) on Alcatraz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Cormorant off waters of Alcatraz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Cormorant off the waters of Alcatraz. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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