Tuesday, July 15 – Sunday, July 19, 2009

is the Whale Shark Festival, held in Isla Mujeres (an island in the Mexican Caribbean a short ferry ride from Cancun) where the world’s largest groups of whale sharks have been found. A variety of events will engage community participation, including scientific presentations, and research with “citizen science” components.

From the Whale Shark Festival website:

In addition to celebrating the beauty of Isla Mujeres, the Whale Shark Festival is a concerted effort to raise awareness of the need to preserve the area’s marine ecosystem.  It is part of the second largest barrier reef on the planet, and serves as the nursery of the Caribbean and the migratory path of whale sharks as well as sea turtles, water foul and game fishes.

Rhincodon typus

Airs tonight! Check it out and let me know what you think, especially about the question “What is music” which was a question I had for Dr. Levitin at a talk he gave in DC years ago and led us to correspond on the subject. Also, cellist Yo-Yo Ma will be playing!

Article: PBS Announces The Music Instinct: Science and Song

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET

Pass the word!

*Please Forward*
Cancun city authorities are considering moving the Ayuntamiento (city
offices) from the present location to one of Cancun’s last remaining
green areas.  The proposed location is in SM34, just west of the
Cathedral, along Avenida Kabah (basically it’s just about across Kabah
from Home Depot).

Instead of renovating and restoring dilapidated buildings at or close
to the present site the thinking is to start all over and in the
process destroy one of the last vestiges of native plant and animal
life in Cancun.

Locating the offices in this new area would not only destroy needed
habitat for animals and plants it would bring more traffic to the area
and would cause huge parking headaches for residents who live nearby.
People who live nearby know that Avenida Kabah is already VERY
congested along there, more traffic in that area will cause serious
problems to the flow of traffic there.

Cancun has grown so quickly that authorities here have rarely stopped
and given thought to protecting green areas within the city.  It’s
time that they stop chopping trees without consideration for the
long-term negative impact it will have on plants, animals and people.

There will be a peaceful protest against this proposal tomorrow
(Sunday, June 21) at 5:30 pm at the proposed site in SM34, close to
Avenida Kabah and Avenida Itzal.

Participants are asked to wear a white t-shirt with a large green dot
painted in the center of it, to show solidarity.  The green dot
represents Cancun’s threatened green “belly button” (Cancun’s ombligo
verde).

*Please Forward*

————————–

Hola los invito a reunirnos este domingo a las 17:30 hrs en el ombligo
verde para demostrarle a las autoridades que el medio ambiente nos
importa y que definitivamente estamos en desacuerdo con la tala de
todos los arboles y las especies que ahi habitan para hacer oficinas
de gobierno…por favor acudan gracias

POR FAVOR REENVIENLO A SUS CONTACTOS GRACIAS…..!!!