Allegheny Front - Environmental Radio for Western Pennyslvania

Special Series Blog: Earth's Bounty

The Allegheny Front for the week of 02/04/2012

Croton and jasmine help comprise the Tropical Indian Forest at Phipps Conservatory. Photo: Kate Malongowski

Phipps Opens Indian Tropical Forest Exhibit - Phipps Conservatory has brought the Indian tropical forest to Pittsburgh, complete with brightly colored flowers and lush greens. The Allegheny Front's Kate Malongowski got a sneak peek from assistant curator of horticulture Ben Dunigan and exhibits director Jordyn Melino.

A series of fracking-related earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio reached a 4.0 magnitude on New Year’s Eve. Illustration: courtesy of Cincinnati CityBeat

Getting to the Bottom of Gas-Drilling Related Earthquakes - "Could Fracking Earthquakes Shake Pennsylvania?" That's the title of one of the latest blog posts by StateImpact Pennsylvania's Suzanne Phillips. She talks with AF host Jennifer Szweda Jordan about the quakes in the Youngstown, Ohio, area and what they could mean for Pennsylvania.

A variety of flame safety lamps on display at the Caroline B. Watts Museum at West Virginia University. Photo: Glynis Board

Defying the Darkness - Our region has a history of mining that goes back hundreds of years. Since the 1930s, West Virginia University has been collecting artifacts from the industry. Now, the school's museum is displaying mine illumination technology in an exhibit called Defying the Darkness. Museum curator Danielle Petrak discussed some of the pieces ranging from the early 19th century with West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Glynis Board.

Mead Run in Allegheny National Forest, one of 155 national forests that could be impacted by the US Forest Service's proposed planning rule. Photo: Allegheny National Forest.

U.S. Forest Service Releases New Forest Planning Rules - The U.S. Forest Service recently announced new forest planning rules, affecting almost 200 million acres of land, including Pennsylvania's Allegheny National Forest. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The Allegheny Front's Kate Malongowski checked in with the Allegheny Defense Project.

A view of the new Pennsylvania zone hardiness map. Photo: Courtesy the USDA

The Organic Gardeners:Just Released USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map - The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the bible for gardeners, telling them what plants will be hardy in their specific climates. This map uses 30 years of climate data and appears to show the United States warming up. Organic Gardeners Doug Oster and Jessica Walliser give us the lowdown.

Some biologists worry the Asian Carp will destroy the multi-billion dollar fishing industry in the Great Lakes if it gets in. US Fish and Wildlife Service photo.

Invasive Carp Would Be Able to Settle Down and Raise Family in Lake Erie - Temperatures in Lake Erie and flooding patterns in its tributaries make the western part of the waters vulnerable to the reproduction and growth of several invasive Asian carps. That's according to a study out by the U.S. Geological Survey. Researcher Patrick Kocovsky speaks with The Allegheny Front's Jennifer Szweda Jordan.

Former DEP Secretary John Hanger was among those spoke at the launch event for the ChoosePAWind website. Photo: Jenelle Pifer/Essential Public Radio

New Energy Coalition Touts Power of Wind - A new wind energy coalition rolled out the program in Pittsburgh with the goal of educating the public about the benefits of wind energy, and how to buy it locally. Jenelle Pifer has the story for The Allegheny Front.

The Allegheny Front for the Week of February 4, 2012 - Listen to the entire episode.

Call or email us for information about internship opportunities.

Journalism Students Interested in Interning, Check Us Out! - If you're a college student with an interest in the environment or radio, we want to encourage you to apply for an internship with the The Allegheny Front. The small, experienced staff ensures you'll have plenty of opportunities to develop pieces for the show, work with recording and editing equipment and do a whole lot more. Whether you want to help a few hours a week or take on a full, for credit internship, the staff can work to fit your schedule. For a full internship description and application instructions, click on the link at the bottom of this page. For additional information e-mail info@alleghenyfront.org or call 412-697-2936

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