Giving back to the community is a core value at Real Insurance. We believe that giving back should make a positive impact on the people that we serve, and the world in which we live.

One of the many ways we give back is to support initiatives that make an impact on the lives of students. We are also committed to leaving a positive footprint in the sustainability of our planet.

By supporting Year of Science 2009 we are fostering both of these ideals.

Helping students understand why science matters will make a difference in their lives and in the lives of future generations. The enthusiasm, creativity and knowledge of bright minds are crucial as we face the global changes in our environment. We want to be a part of helping students become excited about science! This excitement can lead them into important careers in a scientific field.

Each month The Year of Science introduces and theme that explores the wide variety of scientific fields. These diverse themes include "Sustainability and the Environment" and "Geosciences and the Planet Earth."

Real Insurance is a green company, and being part of The Year of Science is only one way that we demonstrate our commitment to global sustainability and ecological awareness. For information on Real Life Insurance please visit realinsurance.com.au.

A business should be part of the community - both receiving from and giving back to their customers and the communities they live in. Guardian Insurance is committed to the necessity of giving back, and in this spirit is supporting the Year of Science in 2009 project.

The Year of Science celebrates sciences from astronomy to zoology to help boost the level of public understanding of how science works. Each month during the year of celebration is focused on a specific theme that explains the process, methods and nature of the scientific method in different fields. In 2009, for example, monthly themes included "Sustainability and the Environment" and "Geosciences and the Planet Earth."

In the end, the Year of Science project hopes to inform people, and especially the young, as to why science matters and is important for improving our lives.

By supporting the Year of Science in 2009 project, Guardian Insurance hopes to improve the appreciation of the sciences and to encourage interest in scientific subjects among young people. By giving back to the community, everybody including Guardian Insurance benefits! For information on Guardian Life Insurance please visit guardianisurance.com.au.

Grab your gear and join us for the 2010 National Geographic -- National Park Service Biscayne National Park BioBlitz, April 30-May 1

Grab your gear and join us for the 2010 National Geographic - National Park Service Biscayne National Park BioBlitz, April 30 - May 1. This distinctive scientific experience--part contest, part festival, and part educational event - will bring together school children, college students, families and scientists in a race against time to see how many species they can count in a 24-hour biological survey. The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), a free, online resource with authoritative information about biodiversity, is the perfect BioBlitz companion from start to finish.

Participants can visit EOL at eol.org before, during and after the Blitz to learn more about the plants and animals that can be found in Biscayne National Park. To get in the mood for the marine biodiversity they'll be observing they can listen to an EOL podcast on box jellyfish or sea cucumbers. They can also dive into a virtual coral reef at WhyReef.com to learn fun facts about marine ecosystems and food webs. Participants are sure to discover that not everything in Biscayne National Park lives underwater, as hundreds of species of birds, plants, and insects can be found in the terrestrial areas of the park.

During the BioBlitz, participants can help to grow the Encyclopedia of Life by participating in our photo scavenger hunt. Just pick up a sheet at the EOL table in the exhibit area before beginning your adventure and try to mark off everything on the list. We're offering great prizes for those who return the sheet at the end of their BioBlitz and upload their images to the EOL Biscayne BioBlitz Flickr group.

Even if you do not participate in the scavenger hunt, there will be information available to help you upload your images from home or school. It's free and easy. Once participants have uploaded images, they will show up on EOL so others can find what they saw and learned during the BioBlitz.

As an additional resource, National Geographic's FieldScope application is available to BioBlitz participants to assist in mapping and analysis and to enable collaboration among participants and the scientific community. National Geographic, EOL, and the National Park Service will incorporate the use of FieldScope into the upcoming BioBlitz. During the event, photos contributed to National Park Service for upload into Fieldscope will be posted to EOL species pages automatically.

You can also share comments and observations on EOL species pages after you explore Biscayne National Park. Members of the EOL Learning + Education team will be on hand in the main exhibit area to answer any questions you may have about the creatures or plants you observe and uploading your pictures of them to Flickr for inclusion in EOL.

After your BioBlitz adventure, there are still plenty of ways to stay involved with EOL. Participants can tag images that others have contributed and make comments on species pages. Activities and podcasts related to BioBlitzes can be found at education.eol.org, so be sure to stay tuned.

The 2010 Biscayne National Park BioBlitz is of special significance as it coincides with International Year of Biodiversity, the worldwide celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity for our lives. We look forward to seeing you there!

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About Biscayne National Park: Biscayne National Park is one of 392 units of the National Park System ranging from Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty. Miami's closest national park, Biscayne features crystal-clear water, islands, mangroves and coral reefs - a paradise for marine life, water birds, boaters, snorkelers and divers alike. More than a half million visitors come to this national park each year. More information can be found at www.nps.gov/bisc.

About Encyclopedia of Life: Encyclopedia of Life is an unprecedented effort that brings together several of the world's leading science institutions--Harvard University, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Smithsonian Institution, the Biodiversity Heritage Library, and the Missouri Botanical Garden--all with the common goal to transform the science of biology and our understanding of life on Earth. It provides freely accessible information for users around the world about all of the 1.9 million known species on our planet. Please visit www.eol.org for more information.

Contact: Breen Byrnes
bbyrnes@eol.org
202-633-8730
Encyclopedia of Life

Contests, Events, etc. deadlines for schools

You Can Do the Rubik's Cube Contest - Open to 9-12 year-olds, DC, VA, MD - Winners get up to $1,000.00 and will meet the reclusive Erno Rubik, inventor of the Cube, who is coming from his home in Hungary, to give away the awards. Registration Deadline: April 30, 2010.

Lunch with a Laureate - Nobel Laureates from across the nation will have lunch with middle and high school students selected by their schools to participate. The brown bag lunches are a rare opportunity for students to learn first-hand about some of the most exciting scientific discoveries, to hear about the trials and tribulation of fast-paced research, and to find out what makes a Nobel Laureate tick. School registrations are open now. Contact: biobock@mac.com

Meet a Nifty Fifty Scientist - Fifty of the most kid friendly scientists will visit elementary and middle schools who apply now. Speakers' talks will center on three key areas - the science and/or engineering they are passionate about, their career path (including how they became interested in what they do, who or what influenced them as young students, and stumbling blocks or challenges they encountered along the way) and what opportunities they see for young people in their field. School registrations are open now. Contact biobock@mac.com.

Write a Festival Jingle - Write a song about the USA Science & Engineering Festival. You can sing it with your friends or on your own. Winners will have their jingle sung at the Festival, on the radio and TV, on YouTube and more. Sign up on the web site http://www.usasciencefestival.org. Submission Deadline: March 31st, 2010

Have Your Science Club, Class, Scout Troop or other Group host a Science Festival Satellite Event - Students and teachers from all around the country are participating by holding special science events from October 10-24th, 2010 during the national festival. Hold one at your home, school or community center. Registration for satellite events is open now.

Join Our Science Glee Club - A professional composer from Singtastic in England has volunteered to teach students, families and teachers to sing the songs of science. A live performance will be held on 10/10/10. Contact Ruth Kiefer, rkiefer@mindspring.com.

February 17, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sheri Potter (e-mail: spotter@copusproject.org; telephone: 941-923-6320)
Judy Scotchmoor (e-mail: jscotch@berkeley.edu; telephone: 510-642-4877)

Washington, DC - After three rounds of reading, laughing, and learning a lot of science, a panel of six judges selected the winners of the Year of Science 2009 Science Zine contest - a contest sponsored by the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS) and the Small Science Collective. More than 250 submissions were received from all over the world - from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Marasthra, India; from Bellingham, Washington to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Each mini-magaZINE combined science and art to tell a compact story about science. The subjects ranged from endosymbiosis to energy, from oceans to the solar system, and from thunder to mineralogy.

Thirty-two winners from three age categories (8-12, 13-17, and 18+) were selected by the judges based on four criteria: scientific content/fidelity to topic, visual appeal and communication, readability, and original perspective on the topic. The judges were three faculty members of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and three scientists from The Field Museum in Chicago, the University of Illinois Chicago, and the University of California, Berkeley. The submissions were extraordinary, reflecting creativity, talent, and enthusiasm, which made the judging very challenging.

The contest grand prize winner was Chen Dou (age group 13-17) from Gaithersburg, MD with the zine "Meeting a Giant Octopus." Runners up to the grand prize were Lauren Hughes from Minneapolis, MI with "Dive Deep into the Lives of Freshwater Mussels," Alex Chitty from Chicago, IL with "The Indomitable Water Bear," Rishabh Tripathi from Nagpur, Maharashtra India with "Acids," and Mary Allison Abad from Gaithersburg, MD with "Endosymbiosis." The grand prize was a cash prize of $500 donated by Shodor, a nonprofit organization serving students and educators by providing materials and instruction for computational science.

Two $250 awards were given in the category of understanding the nature and process of science. The winners were Santino Chavez from Rockford, IL with "Scientific Methods in Earth Science" and Amy Schleser from Chicago, IL with "Perfect!" The contest was a collaboration between COPUS and The Small Science Collective, a project initiated by Andrew Yang of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Jeff Oishi of the University of California Berkeley. They founded the Collective as a way for scientists, artists, students, and anyone invested in science to share their fascination with others. The zines are meant to be both educational and artistic - often humorous, sometimes questioning, and always readable. To learn more about The Small Science Collective, visit http://smallsciencezines.blogspot.com/.

Prizes donated by the COPUS network will be sent to all winners. For a complete listing of winners, winning zines, prize donors, and details on the judges and judging process, please visit http://www.yearofscience2009.org.

COPUS, which began with a grant from the National Science Foundation - (Grant Nos. EAR-0606600, EAR-0628790, and EAR-0814048), has grown to be an inclusive grassroots endeavor spurring communication and collaboration in the scientific community while shining the spotlight on science in 2009. Still growing, Still growing, the COPUS network includes a broad and eclectic range of participants from large federal agencies and professional societies to small local groups using music and the arts to portray science. Major sponsors of the Year of Science 2009 include the American Institute of Biological Sciences, the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Geological Society of America, and the National Science Teachers Association. To register as a participant or learn more, visit copusproject.org.

For more information about COPUS and the Year of Science 2009, please visit:

www.copusproject.org
www.yearofscience2009.org
http://blogs.aibs.org/copus/

Well the zines are here! According to Andy Yang, the YoS friend behind the Small Science Collective, more than 250 of your zines have arrived at his office at the Art Institute of Chicago. The task before him - to sort the zines according to the themed-categories and coordinate the judging with his students and colleagues at the Field Museum - has commenced!

He says that the submissions are awesome; we can't wait to share the winning zines with our sponsors and prize contributors. Thanks again to Shodor and Understanding Science for providing the cash prizes!! (It is not too late to give a prize if your organization is interested!)

The winners will be announced on February 15th and prize distribution will begin at that time, so check back next February to see the winning zines!! If you are a winner you will be notified by email.

As we prepare for the conclusion of Year of Science 2009 we have been reviewing the feedback we received through the Two Questions survey and I found this wonderful comment that pertained to the zine contest. I wanted to share it because it really speaks to the reason we love the zine contest - for its utility as a teaching mechanism and how it can be such a great way to connect the public to science in a fun and interesting way. I hope you enjoy the comment too!

I liked the zine contest idea. I tried it with my multi-age classroom (grades 2-5). They did some research on "Earth Sciences", one of your monthly themes, also related to our Learning Expedition theme at the time. They had such a great time with the project. Unfortunately they were unable to do more than four frames, but they worked on regular size paper and we reduced their images on the copier. We handed them out to parents and at a local cafe, where my husband is a chef. He told me everybody wanted to know more about them and if they could take the zines home. I think this is a great way to promote science and get people excited about all the facets of scientific awareness and discovery.

Letter Signed by Leading Scientific Societies Sent to Senators

FOR RELEASE, 10:01 AM EDT, OCTOBER 21, 2009
Contact: Robert Gropp, rgr...@aibs.org, 202-628-1500 x 250
Julie Palakovich Carr, jpal...@aibs.org

WASHINGTON, DC: The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) and other leading scientific organizations have reaffirmed the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and is primarily caused by human activities.

In a statement sent to all U.S. Senators on October 21, 2009, the leaders of 18 scientific organizations stated that "rigorous scientific research" demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the "primary driver" of climate change. "These conclusions are based on multiple independent lines of evidence, and contrary assertions are inconsistent with an objective assessment of the vast body of peer-reviewed science," the scientists wrote.

Dr. May Berenbaum, President of AIBS, signed the letter on behalf of the society. "The evidence that human activities contribute to global climate change is compellingly consistent and clear; constructive human activities to stem or reverse these changes are now urgently needed," she said.

The letter called attention to the impacts of climate change on human society, the economy, and the environment. The "broad impacts" of climate change include sea level rise, greater threats of extreme weather events, and increased risk of regional water scarcity, wildfires, and the disturbance of biological systems throughout the United States.

"Climate change is surging through and rending Earth's biodiversity," said Dr. William Y. Brown, President of the Natural Science Collections Alliance. "If we do not stem the tide of our own greenhouse gases now, we simply invite and magnify future harm and cost."

"[T]o avoid the most severe impacts of climate change, emissions of greenhouse gases must be dramatically reduced," the letter stated. "In addition, adaptation will be necessary to address those impacts that are already unavoidable."

The impact of climate change on natural resources and biological systems will be profound.

"Climate change is real, and plants know it. Plants that could once grow only south of central Ohio can now grow north of Detroit," said Dr. Kent Holsinger, President of the Botanical Society of America. "Warmer temperatures also lead to earlier flowering, which can disrupt pollinator interactions leading to declines of both plants and pollinators." The consequences will be significant for our food supply, which depends upon plants and their pollinators.

Dr. Brian D. Kloeppel, President of the Organization of Biological Field Stations, warned: "Climate change will continue to have dramatic impacts on both temperate and boreal forests as rising temperatures increase carbon dioxide efflux from forest soils. The resulting feedback on the distribution and productivity of these forest ecosystems as water resources fluctuate could be dramatic."

The scientific organizations that sent the letter represent the breadth of the scientific community. Collectively, these organizations serve more than 10 million scientists. Ten AIBS member organizations have already signed the statement.

To read the complete statement, please visit http://www.aibs.org/position-statements/20091021_scientists_issu.html.

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About AIBS
The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) is a nonprofit scientific association dedicated to advancing biological research and education for the welfare of society. Founded in 1947 as a part of the National Academy of Sciences, AIBS became an independent, member-governed organization in the 1950s. AIBS is sustained by a membership of some 5,000 biologists and nearly 200 professional societies and scientific organizations representing the breadth of the biological sciences. The combined individual membership of the latter exceeds 250,000.

Astronomy enthusiasts across the globe are breaking out their telescopes this weekend (October 22-24) in a coordinated effort to help hundreds of thousands of people experience their own "Galileo moment" of awe and discovery when seeing the planet Jupiter and its four largest moons.

More than 800 public observing events in over 50 countries are being organized as part of "Galilean Nights," a cornerstone project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009). More than 75 events in the United States are listed on the international Galilean Nights Web site at www.galileannights.org.

"Our goal is to enable people of all ages to share the wonder of the night sky by seeing the same objects that legendary Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei first observed scientifically four centuries ago," says Douglas Isbell, the U.S. national Single Point of Contact for IYA2009. "We hope to give many people their first glimpse of the marvels of the Universe through a telescope, showing them breathtaking sights such as the cloud bands of Jupiter, and the rocky desolation of craters and mountain ranges on our Moon."

Large U.S. events are being planned for Inwood Hill Park in New York City and Hilo, Hawaii, for example. A wide variety of other events are scheduled at places as diverse as a Starbucks coffee shop in Alabaster, Alabama; Wilhemina State Park in Mena, Arkansas; the Amoeba music store in Hollywood, California; Colorado Astronomy Day in Brighton and Chamberlin Observatory in Denver; the Embry-Riddle University observatory in Daytona Beach, Florida; sidewalk astronomy at the corner of North and Wells streets in Chicago; a Radio Shack in Waterloo, Iowa; Chabot Science Center near Oakland; a Border's Bookstore in Wichita, Kansas; the Longway Planetarium in Flint, Michigan; Bottomless Lakes State Park in Roswell, New Mexico; the University of Texas Arlington planetarium; the Great Salt Lake Nature Center in Utah; the Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC; and the Green Bank Science Center in West Virginia.

As well as looking at our planetary neighbors through a telescope, people are encouraged to photograph what they see and share the sights with the world through the Galilean Nights astrophotography competition. Photographers of all levels of experience are enthusiastically taking part in the competition as they try to produce their own captivating photographs of the Universe. Anyone with a camera and an appreciation of the night sky can take part.

Entries using the IYA2009 cornerstone project Galileoscope are particularly encouraged, Isbell says. More than 125,000 of these high-quality, hands-on telescope kits have been produced, and units are still available for order for $20 each, or $15 each for orders over 100, at www.galileoscope.org.

In addition to these activities, several observatories are making their facilities available to the world for remote observing sessions, allowing people to take photographs of astronomical objects from their own personal computers.

The Web site also includes lots of resources and downloadable materials for organizations interested in hosting their own events, such as the logo in numerous languages, information on sky objects, and pre-prepared presentations.

"Please register your events and report back to us with your results so we can make a good estimate of how successful the event was around the world," Isbell adds.

The vision of the IYA2009 is to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe through the day and night-time skies the impact of astronomy and basic sciences on our daily lives, and understand better how scientific knowledge can contribute to a more equitable and peaceful society.

The cornerstones and special projects of IYA2009 aim to stimulate worldwide interest, especially among young people, in astronomy and science under the central theme‚ "The Universe, Yours to Discover." IYA2009 events and activities hope to promote a greater appreciation of the inspirational aspects of astronomy that embody an invaluable shared resource for all countries.

For more information, visit:
www.galileannights.org
www.astronomy2009.us
www.astronomy2009.org

Contacts:

Douglas Isbell
U.S. Single-Point-of-Contact for IYA2009
Phone: 520-991-0380
Email: disbell@astronomy2009.us

Catherine Moloney
Galilean Nights Task Group Chair
Phone: +44 7881861400
Email: cmoloney@eso.org

Pedro Russo
IYA2009 Coordinator
ESO ePOD, Garching, Germany
Phone: +49 89 320 06 195
Cell: +49 176 6110 0211
Email: prusso@eso.org

Year Two of the Kids Science Challenge, the free nationwide competition for third to sixth graders which is made possible by the National Science Foundation, has officially been launched. The Kids' Science Challenge is a nationwide competition for students to submit experiments and problems for REAL scientists and engineers to solve. Nearly 800 children participated in the first year of the Kids' Science Challenge, and they are hoping to reach even more children this year.

Click here to download the press release, which will tell you about this years science challenges and much more!

Click here to visit the official website and learn more about the challenge.

Scientists Go Back to School

This October, the D.C. area's best and brightest scientists will donate their time to educate and engage local students in the wonders of science. Scientists will visit classrooms, work with teachers, participate in special assemblies and conduct hands-on experiments with students.

Sponsors and participants in Meet the Scientist expect that relationships forged between scientific organizations and schools will extend well past October of 2009. The project's goal is to test the event in Washington, D.C. and use what is learned to develop a nationwide effort.

Click here to learn more.