Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Finding rust on metal surfaces or items doesnt mean they can no longer be used. In fact, baking soda is the perfect way to revive rusty knives, pans and even precious power tools without damaging them - but whats the best way to use it? These are the two best methods to banish rust from metals using nothing but water and baking soda.

Baking soda is often avoided as a household cleaning agent when it comes to metals, but rust is the one exception.

While the abrasive consistency of this pantry staple can leave scratches or scuffs on some delicate surfaces, it is perfectly fine for use on rust-covered patches.

To successfully banish rust with baking soda, you need to make sure that the consistency and application of the solution are up to scratch.

READ MORE:Cleaning: Great way to banish flies from homes - works instantly

Both of these methods will only be effective if the baking soda is left to sit before scrubbing off the excess.

Simply leave the coated items or surface undisturbed for at least one hour to allow the concentrated alkaline to dissolve the oxidised clumps of metal.

Once the solution has been left to seep into the metals, you can start scrubbing the excess off using an abrasive brush or sponge.

Steel wool and wire tools work particularly well for the scrubbing stage of the rust removal.

Gently scrub the affected area using small, quick motions to lift the surface residue.

As you scrub the metal, you should feel the rust peel away from the surface.

At this point, the metal surface should be smooth and rust free, with only the remnants of the baking soda paste visible.

Rinse the excess paste away using warm water and polish with a clean cloth to reveal the shiny, rust-free metal.

If this hasnt completely removed the orangey-brown residue, apply more paste and spot treat the remaining spots.

Excerpt from:
How to clean rust off metal with baking soda - two best methods to banish stubborn rust - Express

Gogglebox' Wiltshire husband and wife Giles and Mary were back on screens on Friday giving their judgments on this week's television. However their comic antics didn't impress all Channel 4 viewers, and many requested the "boring" couple to be taken off the show.

At one point, Giles was sat beside his wife eating radishes he had grown.

"Okay Mary, here is my entire crop of radishes," he explained.

"Beautiful," Mary replied, as he went on: "This is the first produce of the year, listen to that crunch."

He cut into a piece for Mary as she stated: "I don't want a second piece, I've got one thanks."

READ MORE:BBC star in bias row after false claim over death of cleaner

"Don't you binge eat them all!" she snapped as Giles proceeded to eat it himself.

"I can, I've grown them and they're mine," he replied, swerving the dish away from Mary's grasp.

"You couldn't want more than one radish," Mary responded.

"Well you must eat a second one Nutty, otherwise you'll starve," Giles insisted.

He continued: "Luckily in this country, we can still get food, I don't know for how much longer."

Twitter user Sheltie_Dreams fumed: "Giles is such a child #gogglebox."

@BobbyWilde2 penned: "I feel like Giles is constantly showing off for the cameras now, its getting really boring #gogglebox."

@fidoeslife stated: "Giles and Mary need to go #gogglebox."

"Shove a knitting needle in it and let Giles head butt it #gogglebox," @mr_chambers_ commented as one scene showed Mary trying to knit while Giles was talking.

@ricardoautobahn shared: "I don't know if I feel more sorry for Giles or Mary #gogglebox."

"Always forgot how much I truly hate Giles & Mary. At first I thought they were a bit weird, but now its beyond utterly unbearable whenever they appear on screen. Every new season I pray they won't return, but then up they f***ing pop.... #Gogglebox," @AnthonyShannon2 wrote.

The couple has been part of the series since 2015, and often leave viewers divided on their bizarre conversations.

Goggleboxis available to watch on All4.

Read the original:
Gogglebox fans call for Giles and Mary to be cut from show 'Need to go' - Express

Bowling Green

Francisco Espinoza (alter/add to single-family residence, enclose a deck), 141 Gray St., residential building, $3,000.

Hammer Homes (new 16-plex apartments, Building 1), 768 Anise Lane, Lot 315, commercial building, $1,200,000.

Scott Murphy & Daniel (add to commercial building, maintenance addition), 417 Scottys Way, commercial building, $1,558,641.

Southern Kentucky Building & Remodeling (Montessori School of Bowling Green, add to commercial building), 506 State St., commercial building, $95,000.

Ridgeline Contracting (repair garage attached to pool house, storm damage), 809 Rockwood Drive, residential building, $100,000.

Procare (alter/repair single-family residence), 225 Whitecotten Drive, residential building, $80,885.23.

Jagoe Homes, 706 Big Leaf Ave., Lot 184, residential building, $324,015.

Ashli Vannauter (framing closet and bathroom, single-family residence alteration), 1427 Sherwood Way, residential building, $2,500.

G&M Construction LLC (add to existing detached garage), 124 Riverwood Ave., residential building, $45,000.

Akins Construction, 1210 Three Springs Road, site work, $125,000.

Vision Builders, 267 Townsend Way, Lot 115, residential building, $235,000.

King Contracting (single-family residence demolition due to storm damage), 2420 Stonebridge Lane, demolition, $8,000.

Vision Builders, 263 Townsend Way, Lot 116, residential building, $235,000.

City of Bowling Green (replacing sign, storm damage), 1031 Wilkinson Trace, sign.

Shanna Miller (add to single-family residence, covered porch), 338 Cedar Run St., residential building, $1,800.

Hunt Custom Design Build (storm rebuild, single-familly residence), 879 Nutwood St., residential building, $130,000.

Focal Building Group (new single-family residence, basement), 578 Village Way, residential building, $750,000.

Hammer Homes LLC, 769 Anise Lane, site work, $100,000.

Vision Builders, 622 Boston Park Drive, Lot 99, residential building, $315,000.

Vision Builders, 628 Boston Park Drive, Lot 100, residential building, $325,000.

Precision Contractors, 893 McFadin Station St., Lot 130, residential building, $165,000.

Walbridge, 268 Commonwealth Blvd., site work, $1.

Precision Contractors (alter single-family residence, remove and repair roof, storm damage), 637 Moss Creek Ave., residential building, $40,000.

RJW Properties, 857 Denzil Ave., Lot 37, residential building, $95,000.

RJW Properties (Woodland Station, new single-family residence), 849 Denzil Ave., residential building, $95,000.

Precision Contractors, 857 Sagittarius Ave., Lot 10, residential building, $150,000.

RJW Properties (Woodland Station, new single-family residence), 1264 Nutwood St., residential building, $199,000.

Tony Henon Construction (rebuild single-family residence from storm damage), 1264 Nutwood St., residential building, $199,000.

MGB General Contracting (Blue Holler, alter/repair commercial building, storm damage), 1266 U.S. 31-W By-Pass, commercial building, $275,000.

Jason Mills Construction (Greenwood Villa, fire repair), 1500 Bryant Way, commercial building, $150,000.

The Medical Center at Bowling Green, 250 Park St., tent.

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Building permits | For The Record - Bowling Green Daily News

CASTLEWOOD, S.D. (KELO) Officials in Castlewood are monitoring who can come into town as residents continue to clean up from Thursday nights tornado damage.

David Johnson shared a video of the tornado moving through town with KELOLAND News.

I walked out of my apartment and I saw what I saw and I mean, it was crazy. I mean, I didnt realize that I had caught what tore up Castlewood until a couple hours later, Johnson said.

That tornado was classified as an EF 2 with 120 miles per hour winds that damaged a school, homes and businesses in its path.

Last nights tornado was unlike anything people in Castlewood had seen before. It happened so fast that Dwayne Sonen and his wife couldnt make it to the basement. Instead, they were by this recliner, which might be what saved them.

We lost the wall in the south side in the basement, if we wouldve made it to the basement, we probably wouldve been killed, Dwayne Sonen said.

The house next door was getting an upgrade, but now the windows are broken and the roof is gone.

We just got done remodeling and one piece of siding away before the tornado hit. So basically were going to start over, Shane Mack said.

Everyone in these two houses got out safely and though there were some injuries in town, nothing major was reported.

We have a saying today, 24s dont bleed so. We can rebuild, Mack said.

As for the school in Castlewood, with the windows boarded up and part of the roof caved in, its unclear what will happen for the last eight days of classes. The school board will be meeting tomorrow to make that decision.

Most people think school is like a prison and stuff, its like very bad and I even say that sometimes, but seeing it torn down like this is really sad and all the memories that happened in this place. Its sad, Brielle Tesch, a 7th grader said.

There are uncertainties ahead for Castlewood

Whether we rebuild or move or whatever, I have no idea at this point, Sonen said.

But the tornado brought out the strength of this small town.

You wake up and you think, okay, its time to start picking up the pieces, here we go. Were going to move forward and well be alright, Castlewood Mayor Brian Ries said.

Ries says people from all over have reached out to help and send donations of food, water and even clothing for people who have lost their homes.

See the rest here:
Residents adding up the damage in Castlewood - KELOLAND.com

For Immediate Release -- 13 May 2022 -- Geneva. The on-going armed conflict in Ukraine has sparked widespread humanitarian crises, with reports of thousands of civilian causalities, the use of landmines and other explosive ordnance, and the fastest-growing refugee situation since World War II. Anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, as well as other unexploded or abandoned ammunition left behind in Ukraine, threaten the lives of millions of people. They will take years to remove, hindering reconstruction efforts and making it unsafe for people to return to their previous daily lives.

While full-scale humanitarian demining efforts are impossible during the conflict, coordination to support Ukrainian authorities to locate, identify and, when possible, remove explosive ordnance is already underway.

Urgently mapping landmine risks for coordinated action

Ukrainian national authorities report that they have already located, recorded, and removed nearly 80,000 mines and explosive devices. This massive undertaking is closely supported by the Mine Action Information Management (IM) cell, coordinated by the GICHD, where national authorities are joined by UN agencies, and international and local mine action organisations. Responding to the surge of reports of explosive ordnance, the IM cell is acting as a mine action information hub, gathering data from a variety of national and international sources, including social media.

A cornerstone of this has been Ukraine's Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA), used in country since 2012. The GICHD-developed IMSMA has transitioned to an emergency coordination platform, allowing the IM cell to aggregate, interpret, and share the flood of data across partners and sources, in order to map areas where threats exist and define possible actions. During this emergency phase, coordinated access to up-to-date data helps national authorities target resources and take action strategically.

In the longer term, data-driven mapping of areas where landmines and other explosive ordnance are reported builds the foundation for effective and efficient humanitarian demining operations. Identifying the areas and extent of contamination helps speed the recovery process so that people can return to their homes and use their land safely.

Helping civilians in mine-contaminated areas reduce risks

While mine action efforts are underway, Ukrainian civilians have an urgent need to understand how to recognise explosive ordnance in their communities, what to do if EO is found, and how to reduce their risks.

"10 to 30% of the explosive weapons used, dropped, fired or launched do not explode as intended and many other explosive ordnance are abandoned in various locations," estimates the Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) Advisory Group, an international group of experts from the GICHD, UN agencies, international organisations and NGOs, in the recently published Questions and Answers on EORE for Ukraine. This means that a large portion of mines and other EO used during the conflict will remain a threat to civilians after the fighting is over, especially for children.

Actors working on the ground in Ukraine play a crucial role in promoting awareness on risks faced by local communities. Through the UNICEF-led EORE working group in Ukraine, the GICHD is contributing to the information on risk education and good practices available there. This support is important to help to align with up-to-date good practices and identify evolving EO threats in real time.

Identifying explosive ordnance items

In addition to the sheer quantity of explosive ordnance in Ukraine, the variety of the types of EO adds an additional challenge for mine action operators on the ground. Correctly identifying explosive ordnance is the first step in dealing with it as safely as possible.

Drafted over three weeks to provide urgent guidance to operators conducting mine action activities in Ukraine, the first edition of GICHD's Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraineidentifies over 100 separate items of explosive ordnance, such as anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, explosive submunitions, and grenades, found in Ukraine since the conflict began. The GICHD will continue to update the guide as more explosive ordnance is identified, aiming to assist mine action operators to manage the risks they face in their work.

Planning for long-term response toward recovery

As Ukraine approaches three months since the escalation of the armed conflict in February, increased technical and financial support is needed to sustain current efforts and prepare for longer-term response.

"Humanitarian demining in Ukraine needs to focus on national capacity and nationally-led programmes," explained GICHD Director, Ambassador Stefano Toscano. Current efforts in country build on solid national foundations that have existed in Ukraine for decades, dating back to the end of the second World War. These capacities need to be strengthened further to respond to the scale of explosive ordnance contamination now present, in support of wider recovery efforts.

The GICHD will continue to work alongside national authorities and international organisations over the long-term to address the impact of explosive ordnance in Ukraine. Today the focus is placed on targeted support to save lives and prevent losses and injuries. Tomorrow our joint efforts will be a prerequisite for reconstruction and sustainable development.

###

The GICHD is grateful for the generous support of our donors and would like to recognise the contributions of the U.S. Department of State's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, as well as the Governments of Switzerland and the Netherlands, which make our work in Ukraine possible.

See the rest here:
Clearing landmines from Ukraine may take decades; Work to find, map, and remove them has already begun - Ukraine - ReliefWeb

Members of the Gannett Glacier Fire Crew takes notes during a fire training scenario near Palmer on Thursday, April 29, 2018. (Casey Grove/Alaska Public Media)

Alaskas wildland firefighters have been completing annual training and now with help from a state grant strategically cutting and removing trees, many of them standing, dry and dead, killed by spruce beetles.

That hazardous fuels reduction comes as long-term forecasts signal a normal fire season ahead, with about a million acres expected to burn total somewhere between the sizes of Rhode Island and Delaware.

Norm McDonald, the state Division of Forestrys Chief of Fire and Aviation, said the prep work cutting fire breaks is helpful and likely to save money in the long run.

But McDonald said all it would take to go from an average fire season to a huge one is some hot, dry weather and a lightning strike, or the careless burning of some brush or a campfire.

Listen here:

[Sign up for Alaska Public Medias daily newsletter to get our top stories delivered to your inbox.]

The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Norm McDonald: If you look historically at our most devastating fires, they are in the urban interface, and they have been human caused. So these are all fires and, in theory, should be preventable. So I think just the awareness that anytime you do an activity that includes either burning or open flame in the wildland setting, just use extreme caution, especially this time of year, May, as we have that dry grass and these windy conditions. It does not take much of a start for a fire to get out of control, past where a homeowner can suppress it on their own. And those are our most expensive fires. Those take the most resources, the most firefighters and aircraft. So we really ask people to use extreme caution, whether thats their typical Alaskan, you know, outdoor activities like camping and hunting, or when youre doing your land clearing, look at other options. Instead of burning in May and June when its dry and windy, save that burning for fall when we get our wetter conditions or that first snow in October. That is something that we really try to encourage people to do.

Casey Grove: Gotcha, yeah. Nobody wants something getting away from them like that and causing damage to their neighborhood or anybody else.

NM: No, and people are always surprised at how quickly they have a burn barrel or a small fire or a barbecue in the grass how quickly a fire starts to something that they cant control with what they have on site. And then the fire department shows up and the helicopter show up, and its just every person that we go through with that always says the same thing, I had no idea how quickly that fire could spread. And so just something to be aware of, for anybody doing that type of activity this summer.

CG: Theres a lot there that you cant really control, like the weather or where lightning strikes, and things like that. And you can get the word out about how residents should be behaving to be fire safe. But I guess there are a few things that you can do ahead of time to prepare. And one of those things is what you call hazardous fuels reduction, right? And I guess thats a big push this year, it sounds like.

NM: Yeah, and its nothing new to the division. Weve been doing fuel brakes and the hazardous fuels reduction, you know, going back to the mid 90s. And that really started with the first beetle epidemic we had going back to 95, 96, that timeframe. And so its something weve used and have had success with. Whats changed this year is we have, for the first time, last year we received state dollars. Weve relied entirely on federal grants up until last year, for fuels reduction. And with this administration, public safety is a big part of their push. And we received a $10 million capital improvement project, just earmarked for fuels reduction. And so that gives us state funds to leverage more federal funds, which this year come to us through the infrastructure bill. So we are really in a good place when it comes to actually funding for this work. And now building capacity to meet the requirements of that work is really where were at now. Yeah, its a really exciting time as far as opportunities to provide a better service and public safety and develop these fuel breaks around some of our critical infrastructure and communities.

CG: Well, what are fire crews doing right now, other than reducing fuels and cutting fire breaks? What are they doing to get ready for the coming fire season?

NM: So our Division of Forestry crews, they come back starting about mid-April, and they do what we call our 80 hours or two weeks of training. And thats their physical fitness, thats their fire readiness. Theyre getting their gear up and ready. Theyre ready to go May 1, so our crews are staffed. Theyre ready to respond. We have them pre-positioned around the state, including Kenai and the Mat-Su Valley. The Fairbanks crew is down in Kenai, because snow still on the ground means fire season is a couple weeks behind. So we have them pre-positioned to where theyre available to do the most good and in a short order. But while theyre not assigned to fires, theyre doing this fuels reduction work. So this is really good preseason work and that kind of crossover training for a lot of the similar work they do when theres a wildland fire. And thats running chainsaws and, you know, clearing those fire breaks is very similar to what it looks like on the fire line, as it is when theyre building a fuel break ahead of the fire. So theyre engaged with that work and theyre ready and theyre pre-positioned and ready to go, should they be needed anyplace in the state.

Go here to see the original:
Alaska wildland fire crews ready for action, with state funding to reduce hazardous fuels - Alaska Public Media News

Satellites have detected forest clearing within Triunfo do Xingu this year, an area thats supposed to be a legally protected swath of Amazon rainforest in Brazils northern state of Par.

Home to jaguars, howler monkeys, rare margays, and a wellspring of other diversity, the protected area was created in 2006 as a sustainable use reserve, meaning that within its bounds (an area more than half the size of Belgium) landowners are legally required to keep 80% of their forests intact.

However, despite this requirement, 35%of the primary (or old-growth) forest within the Triunfo do Xingu Environmental Protection Area (APA) was lost between 2006 and 2021 more than 533,000hectares (1.32 million acres), according to satellite data from the University of Maryland (UMD), visualized on the Global Forest Watch platform.

That makes the Triunfo do Xingu APA one of the most deforested slices of the Brazilian Amazon in recent years, putting it in the top three of Brazilslist of most deforested protected reserves.

The highest amount of forest loss since the creation of the protected area occurred in 2020, at almost 70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) an area nearly the size of New York City. Although deforestation decreased in 2021, loss that year was still nearly twice the average rate between 2002 and 2021.

Deforestation in the region is largely driven by cattle ranching, according to previous reporting in 2020. In the Amazon, farmers and ranchers use slash-and-burn techniques to clear forest for pasture. In So Flix do Xingu municipality, where the protected area lies, there are nearly 20 times more cattle than people.

The Triunfo do Xingu APA was created to allow some kind of human activity in a sustainable way, Larissa Amorim, a researcher at Imazon, an NGO monitoring the forest clearing, told Mongabay in 2021. But we see that it is not sustainable at all. And the illegal activities that are taking place there end up spilling beyond it.

The Triunfo do Xingu APA was intended to protect wildlife and serves as a buffer for vulnerable surrounding areas, such as the Apyterewa Indigenous Territory and the massive Terra do Meio Ecological Station, but deforestation has spilled over.

[The Terra do Meio Ecological Station] should be completely preserved, Rmulo Batista, a campaigner with Greenpeace Brazil, told Mongabay in 2021. There should be zero deforestation there. But instead, we are seeing rampant forest destruction, which is really worrying.

Forest loss has also encroached into the Apyterewa Indigenous Territory to the northeast, local sources told Mongabay. And to the southeast, forest is being cleared in the Kayapo Indigenous Territory, something we had never seen before, Francisco Fonseca of The Nature Conservancy told Mongabay in 2020.

With this weakening of [Triunfo do Xingu], it has become easier to reach conservation parks, Indigenous territories beyond. It ultimately didnt end up becoming the buffer it was supposed to become.

Though cattle ranching remains the main culprit behind forest loss, the region has also emerged as a center of land grabbing and illegal mining by invaders who are betting on the continued loosening of environmental regulations and enforcement.

We have seen a wave of land grabbing, Fonseca said. The pattern has changed many of these openings are now for speculation only, not for planting or pastures.

Experts say that land grabbers, those who move into an area and clear forest to stake their claim, have been emboldened by the rhetoric and policies of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. In recent years, the government has issued amnesties to land speculators who have invaded conservation units and often then use fire to clear forests on public lands for private agricultural lands.

Protecting Triunfo do Xingu from illegal deforestation and fires has proven extra challenging because it is remote and accessible primarily by boat from the town of So Flix do Xingu. On-the-ground monitoring, control, and the capacity to prosecute those who deforest and set illegal fires has been limited across Brazil, as government agencies and law enforcement that once operated inthe Amazonhave been largely defunded under the current administration. Bolsonaro has also blamed fires on Indigenous and traditional peoples.

In 2021, 3.75 million hectares (9.27 million acres) of tropical primary rainforest were lost across the planet, a rate of about 10 football fields per minute. More than 40% of that primary forest loss last year occurred in Brazil, according to Global Forest Watch.

The main driver is the total lack of environmental policy from this government, said Batista, the Greenpeace Brazil campaigner.People who are disposed to invading are feeling emboldened.

These are regions that have the greatest ecological importance and that must be protected to ensure the integrity of the rainforest as a whole, Batista added. And this is what we are ultimately losing with this surge in deforestation.

Liz Kimbroughis a staff writer for Mongabay. Find her on Twitter@lizkimbrough_

Editors note:This story was powered byPlaces to Watch, a Global Forest Watch (GFW) initiative designed to quickly identify concerning forest loss around the world and catalyze further investigation of these areas. Places to Watch draws on a combination of near-real-time satellite data, automated algorithms and field intelligence to identify new areas on a monthly basis. In partnership with Mongabay, GFW is supporting data-driven journalism by providing data and maps generated by Places to Watch. Mongabay maintains complete editorial independence over the stories reported using this data.

FEEDBACK:Use this formto send a message to the author of this post.

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Pasture replaces large tract of intact primary forest in Brazilian protected area - Mongabay.com

Seattle - What a beautiful close to Saturday. Skies clearing for a gorgeous sunset after highs hit 66! That is exactly where we are supposed to land for this time of year.

The next system moves in late Saturday into early Sunday. Lows will remain warmer overnight in the upper 40s to just over 50 for most areas except for the NW WA Coast where lows land in the mid 40s.

Sunday starts our showery with heavy downpours by late morning up and down the I-5 corridor. Winds will be breezy at times too.

If you plan to head to the Sounders match at Lumen Field dress for showers with some clearing through the match. Look for 1pm kick off temps in the mid 50s as the Rave Green host the Minnesota Loons. #GoSoundersFC

Highs will drop cooler than Saturday, peaking in the low to mid 60s Sunday, with the warmest temps in the foothills of the Cascades. Mountain snow levels rise to near 7,500' too. The Summit at Snoqualmie warms to near 60 under cloudy, rainy skies.

By the time we close out Sunday Seattle could end up with nearly an inch of rain in the bucket between the last three days.

The Pacific will remain active offshore, but at this point we aren't forecasting any systems to move inland Monday and Tuesday. Highs hang in the low 60s, cooler than normal.

The next front moves hits Wednesday, spreading rain and breezy winds across the region yet again. Highs will cool about 10 degrees below average with this system.

The rest of the week looks mostly dry with showers returning late Saturday.

Have a great night! ~ Erin Mayovsky, FOX 13 Forecaster

*Beach Forecast

*Mountain Forecast

*Central WA Forecast

Here is the original post:
Sunday sees rain with the return of drier conditions to start the work week. - FOX 13 Seattle

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The government says Victoria needs a ready supply of raw materials as the state grows and embarks on its unprecedented big build of new infrastructure. Victorias population is forecast to reach 10 million before 2050.

After the application was lodged with the council in 2020, Planning Minister Richard Wynne removed the decision from the councils hands and referred it to an independent planning panel. There were about 80 objections on the grounds the plan was inconsistent with the councils biodiversity strategy and its impact on threatened species.

This approval sends a strong signal that the government is putting mining ahead of the environment, and ahead of the people who live near the sand mine, said Catherine Watson, a spokesperson for the Save Western Port Woodlands group, which has 350 members.

The group had presented a petition to parliament with 4000 signatures. Ultimately, it wants the woodlands to be turned into a national park, to be co-managed by the Bunurong Land Council and Parks Victoria.

The planning panel found the native vegetation corridor was likely to be irreversibly damaged by clearing, saying it was critical that ongoing habitat connectivity was provided between the nearby Gurdies Nature Conservation Reserve and Grantville Bushland Reserve.

The issue of policy balance has been challenging for the panel, and there is a direct tension particularly between policies relating to extractive industries and native vegetation, the panels report said.

The Westernport Woodlands are home to a number of species like this lace monitor, which is listed as endangered in Victoria.

But the panel also noted the sand resource had been identified as a priority project on the states extractive industry list. Globally, demand for sand is growing because of urbanisation and extraction locations are shifting to fragile environments, such as rivers, coastlines and oceans, which is severely impacting these ecosystems.

Jordan Crook, a nature campaigner with the Victorian National Parks Association, said the decision to sever the Western Port Woodlands with sand mining showed the government did not value Victorias natural resources.

Its death by a thousand cuts for the Western Port Woodlands and the amazing array of plant, animal and fungi species that call it home, he said.

The panel found the company should integrate a biodiversity and vegetation management plan into the site, saying these aspects be resolved before vegetation removal begins.

Proportionately, Victoria is the state with the most cleared native vegetation, according to a report this week from the states auditor -general. Two thirds of Victoria is private land, and 80 per cent of this has been cleared. Illegal land clearing continues to take place across the state, and this undermines the investments in protecting the quality and cover of Victorian native vegetation, the report found.

In a statement, Dandy Premix Quarries said the new permit contained a raft of conditions that comprehensively address all environmental risks associated with the quarry. The business has been in operation since 2013 and is expected to employ 20 people under expanded operations.

In total, Dandy Premix has committed to protecting more than 117 hectares of private, uncleared land that abuts two existing public nature conservation reserves, it said.

An aerial image of the Dandy Premix sand mine, from its application to government. The red lines show where the mine would be extended.

The final approval was shaped by the community feedback, with protections in place to ensure we can maintain access to the these vital resources without compromising the environment, a government spokesperson said.

Cut through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.

Continued here:
Minister backs Western Port woodland clearance to expand sand mine - Sydney Morning Herald

Yellow-throated vireoBlue-eyed vireoRed-eyed vireoWhite-eyed vireo

By Wayne Bierbaum

My favorite time of the year is spring; plants are blooming, fish are starting to spawn, and small birds like warblers are returning from their wintering grounds. This is when the warblers are bedecked in courtship colors and sing their courtship songs. Accompanying the warblers are other small birds like kinglets, gnatcatchers, and vireos.

Quite often a warbler or two will be found in the middle of a flock of kinglets or right next to a vireo. It would seem that the other birds add a layer of protection as the warbler travels, as alarm bells. Warblers are not loud or aggressive around threats but these other birds will call out the danger loudly and send a mobbing call for all birds in the area to come by and yell at the threat. Warblers generally give a sharp and short chipping sound as an alarm.

I was walking through the woods near the Patuxent River and heard a white-eyed vireo loudly squawking at something in a bush. The vireo was joined by blue-gray gnatcatchers and a couple of chickadees. A magnolia warbler was hopping around the outside of the bush but not saying anything. Getting closer, I saw that a large black rat snake coiled in the middle of the bush was the focus of the birds complaints. I doubt that I would have seen the snake without the vireos raspy yelling. As the snake slithered away, the vireo followed it, loudly complaining, until the snake went into a tree hollow.

Vireos are about the size of a small sparrow with shorter, thicker bills than a warbler and are generally a dull gray-green color. The name vireo is from the Latin rootvirtui, which means to be green and verdant. Like warblers, they are mostly insect-eaters. Several species nest in Maryland.

The ones I have encountered are quite vocal but the most common variety is easy to hear but hard to see.

The red-eyed vireo lives deep in the forest at the tops of trees. Their songs are high-pitched and inquisitive like they are askingWho are you?They will come down from the trees to mob a source of danger. Their eyes are very red and they have a white streak on the side of their face.

For me, the next most common is the white-eyed vireo. They seem to live at the edges of woods, ponds, or rivers. They have a loud peculiar call. Their standout feature is their white iristhey truly are white-eyed.

Another less common but loud vireo is the yellow-throated vireo. It is the most brightly colored and possibly the loudest. Unlike the red-eyeds rising inquisitive toned song, the yellow-throated vireo has a short rise and fall tone. Besides the colorful yellow throat, this vireo has white rings around its eyes that cross its nostrils so it looks like it is wearing glasses. The yellow-throated vireo lives in open deciduous forests but requires a larger forest area to breed. Their numbers are declining due to deforestation.

The blue-headed vireo is one of the quieter vireos. It likes to live in areas with evergreens or old deciduous forests. They are more common in western Maryland. Besides having a bluish head, they have even a more pronounced set of white spectacles than the yellow-throated. The blue-headed and white-eyed vireos have more adaptive features than the yellow-throated and their populations have increased despite land clearing.

The last local vireo is the warbling vireo. I have not seen very many of these but they have one of the best singing voices of any forest birdbut when they are angry or mobbing, they have a very harsh, raspy, loud voice. They are said to be tolerant of humans and will nest near houses and parks. But their population is falling because they cluster together during winter in Central America in areas that are under logging stress.

All the vireos are at risk of the nest parasite, the brown-headed cowbird. Cowbirds lay eggs in other birds nests and the hatchlings will push other eggs or babies out of the nest. The vireos that nest deeper in the woods, like the blue-headed vireo, have less of a chance of being a victim of this nest parasite.

Different species of birds alert each other when danger is around. Following the harsh voices of vireos can help you locate a predator or quiet birds like warblers that show up to help the mob.

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The Alarmist Vireo - Bay Weekly