USGS science picks(ore by listening to episode 107 of the U...)

The Class of 2009 whooping cranes has begun its journey! Twenty-one young whoopers hatched in captivity are now migrating 1,285 miles from Wisconsin to Florida, guided by ultralight aircraft. These migrating cranes were raised in captivity, cared for by USGS scientists wearing crane costumes to mask the human form and ensure the cranes remain wild. After being guided by the ultralight aircraft to their wintering habitat in Florida, amazingly these cranes will be able to find their way back to Wisconsin on their own in the spring. In the 1940s there were only 15 of these large, white birds. Today there are 350 whoopers living in the wild, and another 150 in captivity. Watch these cranes in a video at http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/172 or learn more about this project online at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/Cranes.htm. For more information, contact John French at jbfrench@usgs.gov or (301) 497-5702.

Though the recent southern California Station Fire is over, communities immediately downstream of burn areas shouldn't relax just yet! The charred area presents a new danger: debris flows formed by rain, soil, rock, vegetation and other wreckage. This mixture can create menacing slurry, capable of destroying bridges, roadways and structures. USGS scientists found that some watershed
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