Half Moon Research Articles

Effects of Simulated Moonlight on Activity in the Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea)

The desert nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea) is a small (< 60 cm snout-vent length), cryptic species of snake often associated with desert habitats of the intermountain western United States. This species is both an active and ambush foraging that feeds largely upon small snakes and lizards. For some nocturnal species, such as H. chlorophaea lower activity levels in response to a full moon may affect foraging time, as well as reduce the risk of predation. I collected snakes from May to August 2009 in central Washington State, and maintained in captivity using standard husbandry practices. Using moonlight levels gathered at the collection site, I compared the mean numbers of snake movements of 20 adult H. chlorophaea during three moonlight trials: new moon (0.05 lux), half moon (0.32 lux), and full moon (2.10 lux). For the 23 hr trial period, simulated moon-up during the half moon and full trials was from 2300 to 0300 hr. Based upon current field data on this species, I predicted that snakes would reduce activity in response to a full moon. During moon-up, there was no difference in the mean number of movements of snakes between the new or half moon trials. However, all snakes made fewer movements during the full moon trial.

Who?

![][1]</img> Times have changed. At one time, he (females in the role were rare) might not have been much in evidence but every patient knew for sure who their consultant was. For a start, there would be his name writ large above the head of her bed. Staff would introduce themselves as working for him. And when he did grace the ward, there would be further cues: he would be the one others buzzed around like worker bees to their queen; he would possess the crispest white coat and the emptiest pockets; no name badge would be on his lapel; he would stop only near beds he owned; and half moon spectacles really were a good guide too. Now though, white coats are out, bifocals are in, and any attempt … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif

Variations in the aluminum:phosphorus binding ratio and alum dosage considerations for Half Moon Lake, Wisconsin

The aluminum:phosphorus binding ratio (Al:P) is an important variable for estimating the Al dosage required to inactivate loosely bound and iron-bound P (redox-P) in sediment for internal P loading control in lakes. For shallow Half Moon Lake, Wisconsin, the Al:P ratio varied in a negative exponential pattern as a function of increasing redox-P concentration. While more Al was needed to inactivate higher concentrations of redox-P, inactivation was more efficient at higher redox-P. The Al:P ratio needed to bind 90% of the redox-P exceeded 150:1 for redox-P concentrations <0.2 mg/g and approached 20:1 for concentrations >2.0 mg/g. Competition for binding sites by other constituents in relation to redox-P concentration may be responsible for this pattern. Although organically bound P was not important in Half Moon Lake, it may be in other cases, and lake specific assays are recommended to determine the most appropriate Al dosage. Even then, slower processes of P release from labile organic P and vertical diffusion may not be addressed by higher Al dosages, and more research is warranted. Because redox-P varied horizontally as a result of lake bathymetry, variations in the Al:P ratio were considered for lake-wide alum dose calculation for Half Moon Lake. The estimated lake-wide average dosage of 115 g Al/m2 was high but similar to other recent effective treatments reported in the literature.

The Peyote road: religious freedom and the Native American Church

Despite challenges by the federal government to restrict the use of peyote, the Native American Church, which uses the hallucinogenic cactus as a religious sacrament, has become the largest indigenous denomination among American Indians today. The Peyote Road examines the history of the NAC, including its legal struggles to defend the controversial use of peyote.Thomas C. Maroukis has conducted extensive interviews with NAC members and leaders to craft an authoritative account of the church's history, diverse religious practices, and significant people. His book integrates a narrative history of the Peyote faith with analysis of its religious beliefs and practices - as well as its art and music - and an emphasis on the views of NAC members. Deftly blending oral histories and legal research, Maroukis traces the religion's history from its Mesoamerican roots to the legal incorporation of the NAC; its expansion to the northern plains, Great Basin, and Southwest; and challenges to Peyotism by state and federal governments, including the Supreme Court decision in Oregon v. Smith. He also introduces readers to the inner workings of the NAC with descriptions of its organizational structure and the Cross Fire and Half Moon services. The Peyote Road updates Omer Stewart's classic 1987 study of the Peyote religion by taking into consideration recent events and scholarship. In particular, Maroukis discusses not only the church's current legal issues but also the diminishing Peyote supply and controversies surrounding the definition of membership. Today approximately 300,000 American Indians are members of the Native American Church. The Peyote Road marks a significant case study of First Amendment rights and deepens our understanding of the struggles of NAC members to practice their faith.

Accesorii vestimentare şi podoabe în necropolele birituale din Transilvania (sec. VII–IX) / Clothing Accessories and Finery Found in Biritual Necropolises in Transylvania (7th–9th centuries)

Within the contents of this study we have focused on the analysis of clothing accessories and of finery found incremation as well as in inhumation graves as part of the cemeteries of whose biritual character we are certainof. Due to the fact that the Berghin and Târnava cemeteries have not been published yet, the author will referto them only to the extent to which certain inventory items are mentioned in other studies. Even from thebeginning we have to mention the fact that these items are not of large number compared to the high number ofthe graves discovered, firstly due to the large number of incineration graves which led to their demise through theprocess of burning and secondly because of the shallowness of the graves which led to their obliteration due toseveral agricultural or town planning work processes. As items of clothing accessories only different types of beltbuckles (round, rectangular, trapeze shaped, metal plate) and fibulas have been found. Items of finery have alsobeen found like belt ornaments (especially Avar cast ones), different types of earrings (simple, half moon shaped,with a cluster made of metal grains, with a spiral shaped pendant, with a spheric pendant) bracelets, rings andbeads. A first conclusion can be drawn, in that there is a significant difference between the number of the gravesin which clothing accessories and those in which produced finery items – the latter are of a much larger number.Furthermore, concerning the incineration and the inhumation types of graves one difference becomes obviousand that is more clothing accessories have been found in cremation tombs than in those of inhumation, whilethe finery were of a larger number in the inhumation tombs. These differences are caused by the larger numberof incineration tombs but also by the fact that a lot of items found in this type of graves have been destroyedonce the dead person was burnt on the funeral pyre. We must also mention the fact that the most of the lattercategory of objects come from the Bratei cemetery, a fact that is not in the least surprising since this is the biggestcemetery of this type which was published. We must also note the existence of only two graves, one of cremationand another one of inhumation in which items of both categories can be found, namely beads and belt buckles.In a series of inhumation graves earrings have been discovered in association with beads. Their discovery in bothtypes of graves, together with other items (especially ceramic material), but sustained by the intercalation of theinhumation graves amongst those of cremation, prove that they coexisted in the same timespan and the biritualcharacter of these cemeteries. m e analogies with similar items from the Carpathic area but also with areas to theEast or to the South of the Carpathians support the dating of these cemeteries within the 7th and the 9th century.

A estrutura de impacto do Cerro do Jarau, Quaraí, RS

The Cerro do Jarau is located in Quarai region, in the southwestern portion of the RS state and represent one of the rare astrobleme of the south region of Brazil. The structure presents circular and complex form, around 16 km of diameter. The central core of the structure is uplifted and has around shape with 7 km of diameter, with sharp topographic gradients of up to 160 meters between the high portions of its edge until the levels more deep in the external portion. The around features showed by its structure is compound by a morphological group of concentric rings, constituted by topographic depressions in the external and central areas, separated in the north and central portion of the structure by a elongated topographic elevation in half moon shape. These features are reminiscent of weathering and erosive process of a impact crater generated by collision of a meteoritic body of big dimensions. These impact effects under the sandstones of Botucatu Formation (Triassic-Jurassic) and basaltic lava flows of Serra Geral Formation (Jurassic-Cretaceous) generated a group of extensional normal faults and transcurrent ruptile shear zones moreover the structural uplift of the sedimentary rocks in central portion of the Cerro do Jarau structure. The observed features of impact metamorphism are PDF structures in quartz and plagioclase of impacted sandstones and basalts, as well, probably and rare impact breccias and injection breccias. The circular shape seems today to represent the weathering and erosion remnants of the original crater. Keywords : Astrobleme, Impact Crater, Impact Metamorphism, Cerro do Jarau Structure

A estrutura de impacto do Cerro do Jarau, Quaraí, RS

The Cerro do Jarau is located in Quaraí region, in the southwestern portion of the RS state and represent one of the rare astrobleme of the south region of Brazil. The structure presents circular and structurally complex form, with a diameter of approximately 14 km. The central core of the structure is uplifted and has around shape with 7 km of diameter, with steep-topographic gradients of up to 160 meters between the high portions of its edge until the levels more deep in the external portion. The circular features showed by its structure is compound by a morphological group of concentric rings, constituted by topographic depressions in the external and central areas, separated in the north and central portion of the structure by an elongated topographic elevation in half moon shape. These features are reminiscent of weathering and erosive process of an impact crater generated by collision of a meteoritic body of large dimensions. These impact effects under the sandstones of Botucatu Formation (Triassic-Jurassic) and basaltic lava flows of Serra Geral Formation (Jurassic-Cretaceous) generated a group of extensional normal faults and transcurrent ruptile shear zones moreover the structural uplift of the sedimentary rocks in central portion of the Cerro do Jarau structure. The observed features of impact metamorphism are PDF’s and PF’s structures in quartz and plagioclase of impacted sandstones and basalts, as well, probably and rare impact breccias and injection breccias. The circular shape seems today to represent the weathering and erosion remnants of the original crater.

Reflections

This summer, I was one of more than 600 donor family members who attended the 2010 National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games in Madison, Wis. Late Sunday, after a busy morning and afternoon of Donor Family Workshops, I decided to take the shuttle over to the Alliant Energy Center to watch some of the athletic events. A young heart recipient I had met earlier in the day was competing in 3-on-3 basketball and I wanted to be there to cheer him on. As I sat in the bleachers, I was transfixed as I saw transplant recipient athletes of all ages, from all across the nation, playing basketball in heated competition. Thirteen years earlier, when I faced the sudden death of my 35-yearold husband and honored his love of life through organ donation, I couldn t have wished or hoped for anything more than what I was experiencing. My heart was moved as I considered the journey that each of the athletes had been through, resulting in the need for an organ transplant–especially the children who were competing. I took in the expressions on their parents faces as they watched their sons and daughters. They were bursting with pride. I could only imagine how difficult it had been for them, as it was for my young friend Reese s mother, a single parent. Reese underwent a heart transplant when he was only 5 months old. He first participated at the games at age 3, and was now a healthy, active 11-year-old. And one heck of a good basketball player. I left the basketball competitions to go back to Monona Terrace for the Donor Family Quilt Pinning Ceremony. More than 200 donor families already filled the room, sitting at round tables with tissue boxes close at hand. I quietly took a place at one of the nearest tables. In front, two areas were set up for donor families to come forward with the quilt squares they d made in honor of a loved one who gave the gift of life. The blank quilt panels they filled would eventually become part of Patches of Love, the National Donor Family Quilt. One by one, a table at a time, families came forward to a microphone to talk about their loved one s Quilt Square. Choking back tears, they shared the special meaning behind the photos, symbols, and fabric colors that were carefully, and lovingly chosen. I wiped away my own tears as I listened to their stories. Most were parents whose children lost their lives in car accidents. I took in their sadness, and their pride, as they talked about their sons and daughters. And once again, I was struck at the magnanimous generosity of these families I had the privilege of getting to know at the games. The author with Patches of Love, the National Donor Family Quilt, at this year s National Kidney Foundation U.S. Transplant Games. At the close of the ceremony, I felt emotionally uplifted yet physically exhausted as my mind processed what I had seen and experienced at the basketball game, and at the Quilt pinning ceremony. The incredible stories I d heard and the beautiful faces I d seen of both the living and the honored. Even after 13 years, I was still amazed at how a single altruistic decision, made at a time of extreme duress, could have such an enormous impact. From tragedy, hope. From death, life. And strangers lives, now forever linked together. After a while, I stepped outside of Monona Terrace for a breath of fresh air. The warm summer night was still and calm as I looked over the railing at Lake Monona below. Gazing out across the lake, I saw a perfect half moon shining brightly in the water. In the reflection, it was difficult to tell where the star-filled sky ended, and the water began.

A Molecular Phylogeny of &lt;I&gt;Limnanthes&lt;/I&gt; (Limnanthaceae) and Investigation of an Anomalous &lt;I&gt;Limnanthes&lt;/I&gt; Population from California, U. S. A.

In an effort to further resolve relationships within the genus Limnanthes and the family Limnanthaceae a phylogenetic study was conducted using one nuclear (nrITS) and two chloroplast (trnL intron and trnS-trnG intergenic spacer) genes. In addition to surveying all currently accepted taxa within Limnanthaceae, an anomalous population of 4-petalous plants from Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County, California, was also included. Further, a series of crossing experiments were performed between Half Moon Bay plants and two closely related species (Limnanthes bakeri and L. macounii). The results of this study confirm the monophyly of two sections within Limnanthes and also suggest that Limnanthaceae may contain as few as four species of Limnanthes and the monotypic genus Floerkea proserpinacoides. Additionally, the molecular phylogenetic results and crossing experiments do not support taxonomic recognition of the Half Moon Bay population, rather it is part of a highly polymorphic Limnanthes douglasii sensu lato.

Acquired tufted angioma:two case report

Acquired tufted angioma is a very rare benign capillary hemangioma.Two cases of acquired tufted angioma are reported here.One patient,an 18-year-old female,presented with slowly expanding asymptomatic erythema on the extensor surface of right thigh for 10 years.Skin examination demonstrated large,mildly infiltrated,slightly indurated,ill-defined brunneus patches on the extensor surface of right thigh.Another case was a 43-year-old female who presented with pruritic erythema.papules and nodules on the left cubital fossa for 3 years.Dermatological examination revealed numerous yellowish red macular lesions on the left cubital fossa covered with multiple irregular and erythematous papules and nodules,some of which confluenced into streaks with sharp margin,smooth surface and tenderness.Histopathology of lesions from both patients showed a normal epidermis and some scattered,well-deftned,lobule-1ike structures in shallow and middle dermis,and these lobule-like structures were primarily composed of capillaries,and showed a cannonball-like distribution under a low-power microscope.Also,vascular spaces were lined with a singh layer of flat endothelial cells and surrounded by pericytes.Crescent or half-moon like dilated lymphatic vessels were observed around some of the lobuli. Key words: Hemangioma; Rare diseases; Case reports

Introduction Bolivia under Morales

On January 22,2010, Evo Morales began his second term in office as the first president eligible to serve consecutive terms under the new constitution approved in a 2009 referendum. His first electoral victory in 2005 had made him Bolivia's first president and represented a watershed in Bolivian politics, ending a peculiar form of Andean apartheid. Even though the majority people1?who are estimated to account for from 60 to 70 percent of the country's population?had finally gained the right to vote after the 1952 Revolution, they were still socially and culturally subordinate and largely excluded from formal participation in government. As discussed by Postero (2010) in the previous issue, Morales's Movimiento al Socialismo (Movement Toward Socialism?MAS) merged activism with opposition to neoliberalism from socialist and populist sectors in support of an indigenous nationalist agenda advocating rights and eco nomic and popular democracy. Having spent much of his first term consolidating political power, Morales entered office in 2010 controlling the majority of the new Plurinational Legislative Assembly This issue, the second to examine Bolivia under Morales, analyzes the country's historic struggle focusing on the new phase heralded by his inauguration in 2006.2 Dominant classes do not give up privi lege without a fight, and Morales's first term was marked by their struggle to maintain their power. Opposition came largely from the old dominant politi cal classes represented by conservatives centered in the Media Luna (Half Moon), the country's four eastern departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni, and Pando (Figure 1).

Prognostic value of germ cells in the ejaculate: a case study

The first approach to assessing male fertility is to study a spermiogram, where special attention is given to sperm count, motility and morphology, while less attention is given to other cells in the ejaculate. Normal spermatogenesis requires a balance between cell death and proliferation; therefore, the number of germ cells (GC) in the ejaculate is less than the number of sperm. We propose a new index for altered spermatogenesis, i.e., the rate GC/sperm. We investigated a patient with oligozoospermia and a GC/sperm ratio greater than one, which indicated that spermatogenesis had been damaged. Complementary cytological tests were employed to characterized GC status: Papanicolaou stain, transmission electronic microscopy (TEM), vitality test, AgNOR and TUNEL assay. We also correlated cell morphology with ultrastructure studies that showed apoptosis. Nuclear apoptosis is characterized by vacuolization, misshapen nuclei, and “half moon,” dispersed, uncondensed, disrupted and smudged chromatin. Cytoplasmic apoptosis is characterized by vacuolization, cytoplasmic protrusions, lamellar bodies, and swollen endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria. To date, only testicular biopsy has been used to diagnose complete or incomplete testicular arrest. Our investigation is the first to determine a cytological feature in semen samples that could be used as a biological marker for abnormal spermatogenesis and for predicting the transition from oligospermia to azoospermia.

Changes in mangrove/saltmarsh distribution in the Georges River estuary, southern Sydney, 1930-1970

Aerial photographs taken between 1930 and 1970 of the Georges River in southern Sydney show a rapid advance of mangroves landward (upslope) at the expense of salt-marsh, though the timing and extent of the advances was not the same in all locations. By 1970, in the central estuarine reaches, salt marsh has all but disappeared from the tidal wetlands of the bayhead fluvial-estuarine deltas, surviving only on the more open ‘half moon’ embayments adjacent to the main river, as well as on the Mill Creek delta. In contract, there was little or no advance of the mangroves seaward onto tidal mud flats during this period, except in the one instance of upper Salt Pan Creek, which also contains the highest proportion of erodible shale in its catchment. Salt marsh survived best in wetland sites with least disturbance from urban development and engineering works, strongly pointing to increased urban runoff and nutrient-enriched sediment as key factors accounting for local differences in mangrove advance. The confined topography of bayhead sites produced the most complete and earliest changeover to mangroves, probably because they concentrated both runoff and nutrient in comparison to the more open sites near the main river. Mill Creek, with the least urbanised catchment, had areas that represented both geomorphic types, yet significant areas of salt marsh survived in all parts of the wetland. The general upslope advance of mangroves after 1940 in the Georges River is undoubtedly partly associated with the degree and timing of catchment disturbances as Sydney spread southwards. However, despite this local variability, the mid to late 20th Century mangrove advance both in the Georges River and elsewhere in southeast Australia is so widespread that the influence of other forcing agents, such as global sea level rise and regional changes in temperature and rainfall, cannot be ruled out.

Schönlein-Henoch purpura: a case observation

A 58 year old male with chronic obstructive lung disease came to the clinic due to confluent purpuric lesions which tended to ulcerate, which began during the days prior on the lower limbs; they increased in number and extended to the buttocks, trunk, upper limbs and face an were accompanied by joint pain of the hands and feet. No other gastrointestinal problems, fever or clinical data suggesting connective tissue disease existed. Upon examination, the patient presented pitting edema of the lower limbs and a universally distributed palpable purpura which did not affect mucosal tissue, with ulcers due to the loss of epidermis on the lower limbs (Figure 1, Figure 2). Laboratory analysis showed: normal urea and creatinine; an erythrocyte sedimentation rate of 95 mm/h; C reactive protein of 5.8 mg/dl; microhematuria; 24 h urine proteins 2,859 mg en orina de 24 h; normal complement and elevated IgA. Autoantibodies were negative. Serology for HBV was compatible with a chronic infection and the viral load was negative. Rheumatoid factor was positive at a low titer and was interpreted as secondary to HBV infection. Skin biopsy was compatible with purpuric leukocytoclastic vasculitis, with an absence of immunofluorescnet deposits. Renal biopsy showed non-hyaline glomeruli and no half moons, with a mild increase in the mesangial matrix and some areas of cellularity, in addition to granular IgA and C3 deposits, detected through immunofluorescence, in the mesangium. Suspecting Schonlein-Henoch purpura (HSP), oral prednisone was started (1 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks, reduced at a rate of 2.5 mg every 14 days, reaching 5 mg per day); losartan, atorvastatine and weekly alendronate plus cholecalcipherol. After one year, the patient has not developed new symptoms and is maintained with low dose steroids, and is being treated with low dose steroid, has good renal function, proteinuria under 500mg/dl and the HBV viral load is still negative. Discussion

Ultrastructural characterization of the spermatozoa of Aethalion reticulatum Linnaeus 1767 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Aethalionidae)

The Hemiptera order is currently divided into four suborders. Among them the Auchenorrhyncha suborder is considered to be paraphyletic. Morphology of insect spermatozoa has provided promising characteristics that can be used for phylogenetic inference. In this study, Aethalion reticulatum (Aethalionidae) spermatozoa were examined by light and electron microscopy. The head of the spermatozoa is composed of an acrosome and a nucleus. The nucleus is linear and filled with compact chromatin but has electron-lucid spaces. The centriole adjunct initiates parallel to the nucleus and terminates in the region anterior to the mitochondrial derivatives. Flagella consist of an axoneme, two mitochondrial derivatives and two accessory bodies and the axoneme has the typical 9 + 9 + 2 microtubule pattern. The mitochondrial derivatives are symmetric. The accessory bodies are long and are shaped like a half moon when viewed from a cross-section. The presence of accessory bodies differs from other species of Cicadomorpha previously studied. Spermatozoa morphology of other Auchenorrhyncha families can reveal synapomorphies and contribute to systematics of the suborder.

The importance of fish in the diet of the South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) at the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Where South Polar Skuas (Stercorarius maccormicki) occur in the absence of Brown Skua (S. antarcticus), their main prey consists of other birds. In contrast, where the two species occur together, fish appears to dominate the diet of South Polar Skuas, probably because Brown Skuas monopolise the terrestrial resources. Twenty-eight stomach samples of South Polar Skuas were collected throughout the breeding season at Half Moon Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Fish were the most dominant prey item (100% frequency, 98% prey mass); their importance remained constant throughout the study period. Although there is a colony of Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) nearby the South Polar Skua population and there are very few Brown Skuas, the South Polar Skuas did not eat penguins. The result suggests fish are selected preferentially over terrestrial resources, at least in certain regions, and particularly when availability of terrestrial resources is limited. Thus, competitive exclusion by Brown Skuas may not fully explain dietary choice of South Polar Skuas.

Orchids in politics and the public garden: the Untermyer Park in Yonkers, New York

The remarkable history of Untermyer Park, the garden of a luxurious private estate in upstate New York transferred into a public park, is currently muddled in city and architecture archives due to ...

Primary study of diagosis and differential diagnosis in periampullary carcinoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Objective To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of periampullary carcinoma.Methods Twenty-two cases of periampullary carcinoma confirmed by pathology and performed CEUS.They were carcinoma of common bile duct 9 cases,carcinoma of ampulla of Vater 5 cases,carcinoma of duodenal papilla 3 cases and carcinoma of head of pancreas 5 cases.The clearly displaying rate was compared before and after CEUS.The size of lesions,enhancement parameters of beginning time,fading time,intensity and styles were observed.Results The clearly displaying rate of the lesions was improved ftom 55%(12/22)to 95%(21/22)after administering contrast media(SonoVue).There were no significant differences in enhancement beginning time,fading time and intensitv among lesions(P＞0.05).The size of lesions and enhancement styles were obviously different between carcinoma of head of pancreas and other lesions:the size of carcinoma of head of pancreas was bigger(P＜0.05).The most common enhancement style in carcinoma of head of pancreas was heterogeneous,the tumor's protruding into luminal and 'half-moon' sign were not observed;carcinoma of common bile duct,carcinoma of ampulla of Vater,carcinoma of duoderlal papilla were homogenous,the tumor's protruding into luminal and 'half-moon' sign were observed.Conclusions CEUS can significantly improve the clearly displaying rate of periampullary carcinoma,and its qualitative diagnosis;the sizes of lesions and enhancement styles have important value in differential diagnosis of periampullary carcinoma. Key words: UItrasonography; Microbubbles; Ampulla of Vater; Digestive system neoplasms; Diagnosis; differential

Evaluating experiential education through an intertidal ecology field trip.

Abstract Background/Question/Methods Stanford SEEDS and the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve have worked together with Redwood High School to implement an experiential ecology education program. The Redwood Environmental Academy of Leadership(REAL) is designed to bring underserved high school students out of the classroom and into the outdoors to create a unique and effective learning experience. Though the program focuses on riparian ecosystem restoration, the course curriculum is interdisciplinary and designed to inspire continuation high school students to attend college or pursue environmental careers. Through a SEEDS special grant, REAL students were taken to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in Half Moon Bay, California, to learn about marine ecology and intertidal ecosystems at a minus tide. Redwood High School students were joined by their teachers and Stanford faculty and students to study the adaptations of intertidal organisms to their harsh environment. Results/Conclusions SEEDS and REAL were able to evaluate the success of the field trip by comparing the students’ knowledge of intertidal habitat, the nature of the ocean ecosystems, plants, animals, and reproduction both before and after the trip. This opportunity provides insight into the effectiveness of experiential education for the REAL program and recommendations for future ecology outreach programs.

From the Editor

From the Editor Elaine Forman Crane This issue of Early American Studies celebrates the four hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson's adventure on the river that bears his name. Considering the history that followed his exploration, this introduction should probably begin with a description of Hudson's Half Moon, a ship on which no sensible person would cross the Central Park Lake, much less the Atlantic Ocean. Similarly, such a preface would, no doubt, include a few words about the settlement of New Amsterdam, the seesawing domination by the Netherlands and Great Britain, and the eventual transition to English rule. Yet such a prologue would relegate the majestic waterway and its environs to a very distant and impersonal past when, in fact, it has remained a constant presence and feature of urban, suburban, and rural life. If warships once dominated the harbor, cruise ships have conquered them. If ferries were once the exclusive carriers of people from one shore to another, bridges and tunnels have usurped them. And if scholarship concentrates on the symbiotic relationship between adults and the river, such a reading overlooks the charm that the river and its shores hold for children. Seventeenth-century children surely watched as beaver skins were piled on wind-driven boats, eighteenth-century children skated on the frozen river, and nineteenth-century children were among the many immigrants who took advantage of the new steam-propelled vessels making their way up the Hudson. Young people have fished and gone swimming for centuries. In the mid-twentieth century they pressed their noses against windows to gaze at the river as it reflected the dazzling lights from the Palisades Amusement Park, now long gone. For decades laughter has mingled with echoes as countless children have run through the short tunnels leading from Riverside Drive to the playgrounds along the Hudson's banks. Still others have been dragged to Grant's Tomb when they had no interest in Grant—or his tomb. And there are those who watched the waterway disappear as the blizzard of 1947 dropped the dollops of snow that eerily erased the river from view. All this is part of the Hudson's history: more personal, perhaps, than the standard narrative about the Half Moon, but history nonetheless. The six essays in this issue amble through three centuries—from Hudson's "discovery" (as described by Robert Juet) through the mid-nineteenth century. They are delightfully eclectic, ranging from a call to give the Dutch founders their due to a study of suburbanization in the Hudson Valley. The articles are deliberately interdisciplinary: history and literature mix with theater [End Page v] and art while urbanization mingles with memory. The essay on New Amsterdam highlights its children; the piece on New York focuses on its culture. And Father Knickerbocker records it all. Take advantage of fall's brilliant colors—pull up a beach chair along the shore somewhere between Lady Liberty and Albany and enjoy the stories of a river and its people. [End Page vi] Elaine Forman Crane Fall 2009 Copyright © 2009 The McNeil Center for Early American Studies