Sunday, February 17, 2008

In the Heart of the Beast's New Show!

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre's new show, Beneath the Surface, opens this Tuesday, February 19th and runs through March 16th. Beneath the Surface is episode #2 of a 3-part performance series which explores the issues surrounding water quality, quantity, and ownership. In addition to performances, each episode also includes a hands-on "lab"of practical actions and questions (in this episode, it takes the form of a "What You Can Do!" carnival), and ideas for community advocacy.

This show is a great way to introduce children to the issues facing our world about water, but if it is anything like the first episode, I can say from personal experience that people of all ages will be entertained and take new knowledge and fresh inspiration away from it.

And if you're not already sold, this is from the HOBT website:

Come to the Circus
of the Common Well!

  • The Wettest Show on Earth!
  • Experience the Rain!
  • The Monsters and Myths!
  • Staggering Magic Acts
    and Daring Rescues!
  • And above all… Clowns Clowns Clowns!!
Check out a 2-minute video preview of the performance below:



For more information on ticket prices and show times call the HOBT box office at 612-721-2535 or go to their website, www. hobt.org.

Friday, February 8, 2008

Deep Freeze Please!

While we're on the subject of the Minnesota deep freeze, here's some food for thought. I know most people dread the cold snaps that are an inevitable element of winter in these parts, but as reported in the Minnesota Monitor, they actually play a pretty important role in keeping some invasive species under control.

Lee Frelich is a research associate at the U of M and director of the Center for Hardwood Ecology. (As a side note, I had the privilege of hearing Lee speak several times during my days as a grad student in the U of M's Natural Resources Science and Management program, and his research on disturbance from fire and storms, and the threats posed to our forests by white-tailed deer and earthworms is mind-blowing, fascinating, and sometimes frightening!) Lee says that extreme cold kills off some invasive bugs, like the European elm bark beetle, which transmits Dutch elm disease. Minnesota used to be able to count on its extreme cold to kill the pests off annually, but as our climate warms, more and more are making it through the winter. Lee says that you have to hope for 25 or 30 below to really do a number on them, and that the colder it is and longer it lasts the better job it will do.

Other bad bugs have been kept out of Minnesota because of cold temperatures here or elsewhere that prevent them from migrating. But global warming may take away this natural defense system, making our native ecosystems vulnerable to several new invaders. The shorter and less frequent these cold snaps are, the more likely it is that we will be adding species to our "Least Wanted" list.

I don't know about you, but that gives me an appreciation for the great Minnesota deep freeze, and even... dare I say it? makes me want it to get colder!

Photo courtesy of Tim Boyle