Yes, QuestX is moving!

 Quest^X blog is in the process of moving over to QuestX.net   /   QuestX.net/blog !

We're in the process of updating the website and consolidating the blog on to our web page.
It will take us some time to get this all up to date, I'm hoping by Jan., 2020!

Please excuse our mess while we get this all sorted through and cleaned up.

A lot has been going on and we'll have loads to share with you later this year...
...stay in touch with us for upcoming adventures, events, podcasts, videos, activities, research, outings, news, curiosities, and other science "stuff"!

Currently, Quest^X's "drop in" experiment page is at questx.net , "home" page , and "about/staff" page.

oh! ...and for some reason Firefox does not like the current web page set up and does not consistently work for our site, we'll be sorting that out too!  (the other browsers seem to work fine...)

…for more Quest^X :

Quest^X is also on Google+ / YouTube (QuestX), Facebook(@QuestX.net), & Twitter (@QuestX1)

Take action on global climate change, Earth Hour begins...

Join hundreds of millions of people all over the world and make a commitment to take action on global climate change today.

How?

By turning out your lights and participating in events... like Earth Hour  >

Earth Hour starts Saturday, Mach 25, 2017 at 8:30 PM local time (that would be your local time).
The immediate action that can be taken this year is join the movement and participate by turning off your lights for one hour, starting at 8:30 PM, local time.

Their web site has loads of good information: research information, actions to take (large and small) find them on Facebook for live action, where to find events, how to plan an event for next year, and the impact of Earth Hour every year (this is the 10th anniversary of Earth Hour).

Interested in getting involved in other events? In making a positive impact on our home?

World Health Day is April 7. The health of our environments also affects human health and diseases.
Earth Day is April 22! Contact your local city/ county offices, extension offices, or colleges/ universities to find local events. We'll post more here shortly, including projects you can do.
International Dark Sky Week is the last week in April. It's always the week of April's new moon!
Arbor Day, April 28. Plant a tree, help a group plant trees in

Stay tuned...Quest^X will have more information on these and other events... and actions you can take to leave a positive footprint on the earth. 










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Ten YEARS, One HOUR, this Saturday ... Earth Hour

...for One Hour, each year, hundreds of millions of people switch off their electricity to show and share their commitment to fighting global climate change.

this is...
         Earth Hour

Earth Hour:
         Earth Hour - 10th Anniversary
         Saturday, March 25
         8:30 PM local time (to you)

To participate "live" in the 10th annual Earth Hour and find out how to take action (if you're looking for ideas), go to the Earth Hour website or facebook page.
...and stay tuned here! :)

Understanding Clouds on World Meteorological Day, 2017

This year's theme for World Meteorological day is *Understanding Clouds*.




Clouds are created made of small drops of water, clustered together.

For *beginners* there are the 3 basic types of clouds:


  
 
Cumulus - thick, puffy clouds that tend to be white on top and on the edges with a darker, flat bottom. They kinda look like cotton-balls or cauliflower (depending on your preference ;)  ).
  




Cirrus - wispy, transparent / white, icy clouds. They are sheer clouds actually composed of ice crystals!
  



 
Stratus - low hanging clouds in dark/gray layer. These clouds can produce drizzle, ice prisms, and snow.




Understanding these clouds helps to understand weather, and to forecast the weather you can expect!

Here's a more advanced cloud chart from NOAA (and a link to a NOAA .pdf of clouds): 

click to view this chart larger!

...for more information about World Meteorological Day

World Wildlife Day!

... a day to celebrate what the wild brings to our lives...


This year's theme is "Listen to the Young Voices". Almost a quarter of the earth's population is between 10 and 24 years old. They will be the inheritors of our decisions, and the decision makers in the not-so-distant- future.
How do you want that to play out?

One thing.
If you have no time for anything more, today do ONE thing to help preserve, protect, and/or conserve wildlife and our wild lands.

What can YOU do today?

*talk with a young person about what they want for earth's wildlife and wild lands (encourage/ help them to take action),
*purchase a pass to a wild area,
*contact your government officials, expressing why it is important to protect wild life and wild lands (what benefits we get from protecting wildlife and wild lands) and what, specifically, you would like them to do (please vote yes/no on a particular bill, please fund "X" department, etc.),
*share/like/love! posts like this! ,
*donate to organizations that protect wild life and wild lands,
and, if you have *more* time ...
*start today, plan an event for next year!
*create your own posts/ blogs/ videos!
*participate in a clean-up (beach, park, roadside, trail, etc!)


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Birding > Field Observation Report ("Birding Basics" data collection sheet)

Needing inspiration for (or access to) observation/ data collection sheets? 

Below are images you can copy of a data collection sheet we use for "Birding Basics" > Field Observation Report (just click to open larger version, right click, and save   ; )   :

... OR...  you can copy (highlight) and paste the text versions below in to a word program:

Field Observation

Birding Data Collection Sheet

Date:                                                 

Time:                                                

Observer(s):  

Location:

Weather:

Temp.:                       Wind:                         Cloud Cover/Precip:

Number	Species	Field Notes

Data Sheet #                        

Date:                                                 

Cont. from Data Sheet#                

Number	Species	Field Notes

Happy BIRDING !