Them on Us: Bad seeds; rooting for the home team; Wilson celebs

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Want evidence of global warming? Look no further than Targhee.
A 13-year-old Idaho State University study on evergreen seedlings is showing signs that the Earth’s climate, at least in eastern Idaho and western Wyoming, is warming. Associate biology professor Matt Germino told the Idaho Press-Tribune that trees are now surviving at heights in the Intermountain West where scientists previously said they couldn’t.

From the Press-Tribune: “When he started his alpine study in 1995, Germino’s seedlings required man-made structures designed to bump up the temperature to live in the windy and cold conditions above the tree line. But in more recent years, the seedlings have grown fine without help.”

Last summer, Geronimo’s students planted 896 subalpine fir trees, Englemann spruce and white bark pine trees on Fred’s Mountain in Grand Targhee Ski Resort.

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The Planet’s own Nancy Taylor showed up on our radar. We were skimming through our pile of California newspaper clippings when we came across something interesting from the Marin Independent Journal.

Taylor, who writes regularly on green goings-on for PJH, spent her spring break back in her hometown. She was promoting her new book, “Go Green: How to Build an Earth-Friendly Community.”

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USA Today recently interviewed Wilson’s biggest celebrity, Harrison Ford. The film star managed to keep mum on certain plotline secrets for the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, “Crystal Skull,” but he did dish some scoop some on his Jackson Hole home.
Ford told the paper he is happiest when home on his 800-acre Wilson ranch. “He lives mainly in Los Angeles these days, to be close to his family. But it’s clear he has a deep affection for his woodland home in Jackson, Wyo.,” wrote USA Today’s Anthony Breznican.

Ford told America’s daily all about his beloved Wilson property. “It was at one time a working cattle ranch, but when I bought it 20-some-odd years ago, the first thing I did was sling the cattle off it and let it go back to the natural environment,” he said. “It took three or four years for the grasslands to come back and the streams to clear up. Now the cattle have been replaced largely by elk, who use the same food source - grass. And they’re much easier on the environment.”

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We are still so proud of former Jackson Giant Tim Shabuya. The former Jackson baseball standout has found himself a new home on the University of California at San Diego ball club after wowing the coach during spring training. The freshman was immediately named as the Titan’s closer and is 6-0 out of the bullpen with a conference-leading 1.46 ERA.

Shibuya’s coach, Dan O’Brian, told Sign on San Diego: “He showed up at the walk-on tryouts and threw three pitches that were 90-plus miles per hour. We stopped him immediately and told him to go home until the rest of the team started to work out. As a coach, you wait your entire career for the walk-on out of nowhere to show up and be a stud. I think this might be my one guy.”

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Our favorite local author, Alexandra “Bo” Fuller, wrote a brilliant Op-Ed piece for the New York Times Sunday edition. The Wilson resident is probably looking to score a little advanced publicity for her forthcoming novel “The Legend of Colton H. Bryant.” Fuller’s insightful opinion piece mined the expanse of mineral-rich ground between Wyoming roughnecks and cowboys.
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Them on Us: Bad seeds; rooting for the home team; Wilson celebs | Planet JH News Article: General News

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