Recently in Five for Friday Category

Check out Matt Rosenberg's Five Favorite Geographic Apps for iPhone and tell us what your favorite five geographic cell phone apps are. 

Keep checking back to see our favorite five geographic apps for "other" smartphone users!

2010 Fine Art is an international exhibition and sale of original artwork, specially commissioned for the World Cup.  Check out the work of artists around the world, including the World Cup's host country, South Africa.



Courtesy New York Times

"The Real Heroes-- Silhouette 2" by Clint Strydom of South Africa.
















Michelle Renn

1.)    WATERFRONT INDEPENDENCE FESTIVAL
What:  Music, food, kids activities, FIREWORKS!!
When: July 3&4, Festivities start at 5 p.m., Fireworks begin at 10 p.m.
Where:  Louisville, Kentucky
             Fireworks over the Ohio River
Why is it one of our favorites?  It's free, it's for families, and the fireworks are fantastic as they light up the Ohio River.  The two day festival features live music and activities for kids at Waterfront Park.  

The state winners of the National Geographic Bee have been announced!  Many of the winners prepared a brief video about themselves and--what else?--the geography of their states. The videos are posted on YouTube on National Geographic's channel. Here are five of our favorites--if we have to choose ;-)

In the month of April, there were several events that captured the world's attention. Here are a few small glimpses that you might remember.
 
Iceland:
The recent eruption of the Eyjafallajokull volcano in Iceland proved, once again, that nature can have powerful impacts on the day-to-day lives of people around the world. The eruption delayed weddings, business arrangements, and travel plans of thousands of people from all corners of the globe.

Many had strong feelings about the delays they were unable to control. Airline companies, and some individuals, were agitated by the obstruction in their schedules; others took advantage of the opportunity for an extended vacation.

For many Icelandic citizens, that the volcanic eruption was a welcome diversion.  The attention on Eyjafallajokull released some of the nation's economic worries--at least temporarily.

Some Icelandic people were even quoted as saying that it was a gift from God, while others were just excited about witnessing such an impressive geological event. It seems the volcano has erupted emotions on all ends of the spectrum; it will be interesting to see whether there are any long term effects on people's attitudes. This question of interactions between people and the environment is of primary interest to geographers!

Haiti:
Three months after the massive earthquake, many Haitians are still calling tents home and camps neighborhoods. Most children have still not returned to school; it is a nation in shambles. But, looking at the situation optimistically: Might the earthquake afford Haiti a chance for a clean slate? In my opinion, it is a perfect opportunity for geographers to get in there and show what we can do, through urban planning and other approaches to managing human and natural resources.

Citizens of the world have shown that, even with failing economies, they can still be generous with money, talent and time. New roads are being developed, structures are being rebuilt, and education is on the forefront of people's minds in Haiti. Each of these advancements seems to be a step in the right direction. The question that remains is: Is there enough of a development strategy for this nation to succeed in the future, without sustained outside help from the international community?


Cape Cod:
The oil leak in the Gulf Coast has made many us focus on where--geographically and technologically--our energy comes from. Just Wednesday the federal government gave the green light for a wind farm to be developed off the Atlantic Coast.

Debates over wind turbines have blown around for years, weighing various costs and benefits, human and environmental interests. Wind power is clean and renewable, but more expensive than some other forms of energy production. Some Cape Cod residents and tourists view wind turbines as majestic additions to the natural landscape; others perceive them as undesirable eye-sores.

Poland:
Lech Kaczynski, the President of Poland, was killed in a plane crash in Russia on April 10, along with his wife and 94 senior officials. Polish citizens mourned their leader following his sudden, unexpected death.

The plane landed in a location of geographic significance; the site of an event known as the Katyn Massacre. There, in what is now referred to as the Haunted Forest, many believe that several Polish officers were killed by the Russian tyrant Joseph Stalin. 

The plane crash was believed to have been an accident free from political conspiracy, however; Russia even issued visas to Polish families that wanted to view the crash site for themselves.

For now, Poland may be electing Lech's twin brother, Jaroslaw, to govern the country.

Ukraine:
In Ukraine, parliament speaker Vlodymyr Lytvyn had to use an umbrella for deflecting more than just rain last week. A heated debate over the lease of a Russian naval base led disgruntled citizens to throw eggs and fists. The exchange would result in cheaper gas for Ukraine, a nation concerned about its long-term energy security.

Even with the outrage demonstrated by the people, the motion was passed with 236 out 450 votes. Who says that politics are boring??

Happy Friday! 

All hail March Madness! 

Or at least, that is what I was taught in my home state of Kentucky, growing up.  Kentucky and basketball go together like St. Patrick's Day and green (Why does green go with St. Patty's Day? To find out, see Sarah Evan's post from Wednesday).  So, for my introductory guest post, basketball will be my subject.

A little background information first.   My name is Ann DeSanctis and I am the Foundation intern (working with grants) for the Education Division.  As Sarah Evans mentioned in her first blog post, it is very exciting to be working at National Geographic, and half the fun, for me, is the opportunity to learn every day on the job.  Which brings me back to basketball.  As I started filling out my men's bracket the other night, I was appalled when I realized that I, a recent graduate with a B.A. in Geography, did not know the location of quite a few of the schools with teams in the tournament.  

Of course, geographic location is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to knowledge of geography but, learning where something is often leads to learning much, much more about the whys of something.  Many of the school names give you big clues as to their location.  For example, Pittsburgh.  There's not much to question there.  But, Lehigh, on the other hand?  Who knew, it too, is in Pennsylvania?  Here are five NCAA men's tournament schools with their wheres and some of their whys, explained.

Each month we offer a challenge to MWW members to get involved doing geography; that is, taking an action that requires a geographic perspective or advocating on behalf of geographic education.

Our March Challenge: Choose 5 of 100 ways to conserve water and tell us how it goes!

Here's your chance: Please comment on this post with your water-saving stories.

In the spirit of the holidays and the Copenhagen Climate Change talks, I am combining the two for this Five for Friday post- five ways to make your White Christmas green. Or, for those of you who live in warmer climes, five ways to make your Green Christmas greener.

1. Buy a re-plantable Christmas tree: I'd never heard of such a thing until fellow intern and green-queen extraordinaire Hilary told me her family does this every year. Although very few places in the United States actually market it, the idea is simple: Buy an evergreen with its root ball still attached, enjoy it for the holiday season; then return in to the nursery, plant it in your backyard, or donate it to a local park! Swanson's in Seattle, Washington is one such nursery that will take back the tree and re-plant it in Pipers Creek, a salmon habitat that needs conifers and other trees to maintain a healthy stream for the fish.

Another organization in the Pacific Northwest calls itself the "Original Living Christmas Tree Company." They pick up trees and replant them in watersheds all over the Northwest. They also have great tips on other ways to get a living Christmas tree if you don't live in the Portland, Oregon area.

Whatever kind of tree you buy, make sure it's real! According to the Environmental News Network, real trees are better for the environment than fake plastic ones. Check out the full story to read more.

2. Wrap gifts in recycled paper: My mother is the master of recycling wrapping paper (and ribbons) year after year. In fact, we have an entire closet in our house dedicated to wrapping materials, most of which have been used and re-used many times. Newspaper makes excellent (and often nicely-sized!) wrapping paper, especially if you use the Comics and other colored or graphic sections. Here at National Geographic, the Maps department frequently gives away old, rejected, or torn maps; I've been digging through the pile all semester, and plan to wrap all of my gifts this year in them! Ribbons and bows are also very easy to re-use. Grab a bag and see how many streamers, bows, and other gift-garnishes you can collect this year. You'll be surprised how fast your pile grows!

 

Here it is: Our quasi-definitive list of the "Top 10 Ways to Celebrate Geography Awareness Week."

 

1. I am here: Update your social network status with your latitude and longitude on TUESDAY, November 17th. Tell your friends to do the same!
                         
2. I ♥ maps: Blab about maps in the official Geography Awareness Week Blog-a-thon.

3. Extra, extra: Read all about it with geography-themed newspaper games. Check 'em out here and here!

4. Bird's eye view: Try to identify Earth's landmarks from space with a daily Mystery Location Quiz.

5. Round 2: Play National Geographic's Expedition 2 game: You'll need a map.

'Tis the season of All Hallows Eve(n).

Did you know that the holiday name "Hallowe'en" comes from the Old English phrase "All Hallows Evening?" " E'en is a shortened form of "even," which is an abbreviation of "evening."

The commercialization of holidays often means that their historic and geographic origins all but disappear from the public consciousness...spooky! So channel your inner Jack-o-Lantern and rekindle the flame of knowledge with these five tips for celebrating Halloween...geographically.

1. Learn about the geo-historic origins of Halloween: AKA All Hallows Eve(n), All Saints Day, Samhain, Day of the Dead.
Do a wee bit of research on the origins of Halloween--I'll bet you'll be surprised. Most scholars connect our modern celebration with the Celtic (Celts--a European cultural group with similar languages inhabiting the modern-day regions of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall (Southwest Engand) and Briton, France) pagan festival of Samhain, meaning  "summer's end."  Ancient Celts believed that Samhain marked a period of transition between the underworld and the "realworld," when good and bad spirits could wander back and forth between the two. On Samhain, families would honor their ancestors and deceased loved ones, much like a modern All Saints Day or Mexican/Latin American "Day of the Dead" celebration. The practice of wearing costumes began as a way to protect one's identity from the wrath of evil spirits.

Of course, the British largely tried to quell pagan Celtic rituals, thus the transformation of "Samhain" into the Catholic holiday of  "All Hallows Eve(n), the eve (night before) All Saints Day.

2. Think local when planning your Halloween harvest.
The foods we traditionally associate with "Halloween"--pumpkins, apples--were popularized by celebrations of Halloween in the Northeastern United States, where these crops were readily available. The Celts would have originally carved jack-o-lanterns from root vegetables widely available in the British Isles--namely turnips and rutabagas.  Use this Eat Local Guide from the National Resource Defense Council to find fall foods produced locally in YOUR area of the country--and try to include these in your Halloween harvest festival. Live in Florida? Skip the pumpkin and try another squash variety.