2010 in review: July-September

Posted on January 2, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Headlines from the summer of 2010

Social media and citizen reporting enabled Summit Voice to provide in-depth and sustained coverage of the Gulf oil disaster in the summer of 2010.

SUMMIT COUNTY — By the time July rolled around, it was clear that neither BP nor the federal government had any idea how much oil exactly was spilling into the Gulf of Mexico or how to stop it. What was becoming more evident was that the government was reluctant to reveal the true extent of the disaster and tried to spin the information coming from the Gulf region. At the same time, BP was, at times, trying to prevent the media from seeing the worst damage.

Coverage of the oil disaster was enhanced tremendously by citizen journalists and by nonprofit environmental groups doing their own assessments and spreading the information via social media. By combining various sources of information, Summit Voice was able to provide sustained coverage of the disaster. Welcome to the wonderful world of mash-up journalism. Here are some headlines from July:

More after the break … (more…)

Filed under: Colorado, Environment, La Niña, seasons, Snow and weather, Summit County Colorado, Summit County news | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Summit lynx killed near Heeney, poaching suspected

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

Poaching is suspected in the death of 13-year-old female lynx that had been living in Summit County near Cataract Lake.

State biologists seeking information on local lynx death

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — One of Colorado’s longest-lived lynx was killed recently and the Colorado Division of Wildlife is looking for information on what is believed to be a case of illegal poaching.

The 13-year-old female was released in Colorado in 1999 as one of the very first lynx in the state’s effort to create a self-sustaining population of the wild powder-loving cats. She had been living high above Cataract Lake at the north end of Summit County recently and was last seen alive Jan. 16 along Heeney Road.

State biologists said they had tracked the cat around the state for years as it often moved between the Vail Pass area and Rocky Mountain National Park. All the cats that were released as part of the re-introduction program were wearing collars with transmission devices. The signal alerts researchers when the animals stop moving for an unnatural period of time.

It had recently been living above Cataract Lake and was last seen along the Heeney Road on the afternoon of Saturday, January 16th.

A mortality signal from the radio collar that the lynx was wearing was received on January 18th. DOW personnel later recovered the collar; however the carcass of the lynx was missing. DOW officers determined from evidence found in the area that the lynx was likely killed near that location and the collar removed.
The Division of Wildlife has posted fliers around the area asking for information. Call Sean Shepherd at (970) 725-6200, or operation Game Thief at 1 (877) 265-6648.

Human-caused mortality, including poaching and vehicle collisions, is one of the leading causes of lynx deaths in the state.

(more…)

Filed under: Environment, wildlife | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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