Norwell lecture series covers topics large and small

Ever wonder how whales survive eating only those tiny zooplankton? Or just how the grass on Harvard Yard stays so green? And what exactly is happening to the state’s bats?

The North & South Rivers Watershed Association, a non-profit grassroots environmental organization, along with the South Shore Natural Science Center and the Mass Audubon South Regional Headquarters, will answer these burning questions and many more with their 2010 Water Watch lecture series running from January to March at the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell.

The lectures cover an array of historical and ecological topics that the Association designed to interest experts and non-experts alike. All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information visit the science center's website.

Here is the complete list of the lectures, as described by the center.

January 13th - Hit and Run History: The Columbia Expedition
Gumshoe historian Andrew Buckley will take us on a journey following the Columbia Expedition, the first American circumnavigation of the globe. The ship Columbia was built in 1773 at Hobart’s Landing, on the Scituate side of the North River, and the Columbia River in Washington State was named after this ship that discovered it. Buckley is the foremost authority on the Columbia Expedition and its commander, John Kendrick. He’s been on the trail of this story since 1995, beginning with research for his novel The Bostoner. The talk includes a screening of a short documentary film intended to be a pilot for 13 part series on the subject.

January 20th - Extreme Sailing
Brian Hancock believes in ”Extreme Sailing”! He has competed in three Whitbread “Round the World” Race and has logged over a quarter of a million offshore miles racing boats both fully crewed as well as solo. Find out what it’s like to sail at 40 knots on a maxi catamaran and how it feels to be solo and trying to sleep with a spinnaker set and sailing at 20 knots. Brian is one of the most experienced of world sailors, the founder of the Portimao Global Race, and the author of several books, including “The Risk in Being Alive”, which will be available for sale. Come be inspired!

January 27th - The Sudden and Unexpected Decline of Massachusetts Bats
Dr. Tom French of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program will discuss the dramatic decline of some species of Massachusetts bats as a result of the new fungus, White-nose Syndrome (WNS). This condition was first observed in bats hibernating in a cave near Albany, NY in 2006. White-nose Syndrome has spread rapidly and has caused the catastrophic mortality of bats that over winter in New England caves and mines, causing the death of over a half a million bats in the Northeast. The program will include a summary of what scientists know about the problem and how much harm it may eventually cause.

February 3rd - Talking Trash
Ever wonder where our trash goes? Or if it is safe to throw away those light bulbs or used batteries? And can make better use of the trash we do generate? Join Claire Sullivan of South Shore Recycling Cooperative and Patti Howard of Covanta SEMASS as they explain to us the intricate pathways our trash travels through once it leaves our hands. Their talk will also touch upon some unique programs to make trash useful and reduce pollution of our water such as the Fishing for Energy program, the Keep Mercury From Rising program and an update on the latest Bottle Bill campaign to take water bottles out of the waste stream.

February 10th - The Whale
The Whale, is an award winning non-fiction book that delves into literature, history, science, anecdote, anthropology and art to explore our long and often difficult relationship with whales. Inspired by Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, author Philip Hoare manages to dive between poetic lyrical writing and the harshest of scientific facts. Yet within these pages is so much information, from the size of sperm whale's brain (bigger than ours) to the size of a right whale's balls (far, far bigger than ours) to the myriad ways we have used the flesh, bone and blubber. At its heart, though, this is a prayer for the whales' survival.

February 17th - Basking Sharks
The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is one of the largest fish in the world, second only in size to the whale shark. Although giants in size - reaching lengths of 38 feet and weighing up to 8,500 pounds - basking sharks feed on zooplankton, which are tiny organisms that drift in the ocean. Join Carol “Krill” Carson as she regales us with stories of these gentle giants and how citizen scientists are being trained to provide sighting information on basking sharks and ocean sunfish observed from a beach or from a vessel offshore.

February 24th - The Big Melt – Pulling the Plug on Glacier Lakes in Greenland
Join Woods Hole scientist, Sarah Das, as she recounts her latest expedition to Greenland in July of 2008. Dr. Das, along with National Geographic photographers, witnessed a never before seen phenomenon—the sudden draining of a glacier lake. Highlighted in a recent NOVA special entitled Extreme Ice this expedition found that as glacial lakes grow, large cracks can open suddenly in the lakes’ bottoms, allowing water to drain in a dramatic waterfall more than a half-mile down to the bedrock beneath the ice sheet. The water lubricates the base of the glacier, like grease on a railroad track, allowing glaciers to flow faster. As global temperatures rise, more lakes and cracks may form, accelerating the flow of ice to the sea.

March 3rd - Marine Invasives in Massachusetts Bay
Acres of organisms covering George’s Bank like pancake batter, crabs that degrade creek banks, and seaweeds that tear apart oyster reefs and choke out mussels, are just a few of the potential impacts from invasive species found or predicted to arrive in our coastal waters. Join Dr. Sara Grady, as she explains how these species arrive here, what their status is in Massachusetts Bays waters and specifically on the South Shore coast. Results will be presented from volunteer surveys on the South Shore as well as from state and region wide efforts to detect and monitor the introduction and spread of these invaders.

March 10th - Jaws Revisited: The Great White Shark in New England.
Remember last summer’s great white sitings off Chatham? Dr. Gregory Skomal, head of the Massachusetts Shark Research program, will present the latest efforts of the Massachusetts Shark Research Program to study the ecology and life history of the great white shark. He will discuss the recent occurrence of this highly elusive species in Massachusetts waters and the first time use of advanced technology to examine its behavior and movements in the Atlantic. Dr. Gregory Skomal lives on Martha’s Vineyard and is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, aquarist, and author.

March 17th - Restoring Rivers & Salt Marshes on the South Shore
Our rivers and salt marshes have been altered and degraded over the years by various impediments such as tide gates and dams but there are opportunities to restore and revive these precious habitats. Come find out about ongoing salt marsh and river restoration projects right here on the South Shore. From Town Brook in Plymouth where dam removals have led to a restored river and herring runs, to Straits Pond in Hull where increased tidal flushing of this impaired coastal pond are bringing back to life water quality and habitats that had been degraded since the colonists first altered them.

March 24th - Harvard Yard’s Grass is Greener
Harvard Yard is trampled by 6,000 people everyday, yet the grass continues to thrive, thanks to Harvard's new organic lawn care program. Wayne Carbone, Harvard's Manager of Landscape Services, will describe how he became convinced of the benefits of 'going organic' and how he transitioned Harvard Yard away from chemicals to an all-natural program with such great success, that the little pilot program of 1 acre will now grow to 80 acres