INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOILS . . . EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTMAS TREE COUNCIL OF N.S. . . . TELL BURT’S BEES: STOP CONSORTING WITH THE BEE KILLERS! . . . BEEF RESEARCHER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM ANNOUNCES SECOND YEAR OF PARTNERSHIPS . . . SEABIRDS “BLIGHTED BY PLASTIC WASTE” . . .        
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST...

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF SOILS
Source: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
2015 is the International Year of Soils, and over the next few months, we’ll be featuring a number of soil-related stories. Trevor Wallace, nutrient management specialist with Alberta Agriculture, dropped by the studio to talk about our soil information series. (read more)

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTMAS TREE COUNCIL OF N.S.
The Christmas Tree Council of Nova Scotia is currently seeking applicants for the position of Executive Director. (read more)

TELL BURT’S BEES: STOP CONSORTING WITH THE BEE KILLERS!
Source: Organic Consumers Association
It’s been less than two months since Burt Shavitz, nature-lover, beekeeper, and co-founder of Burt’s Bees died, at the age of 80. And even though Burt sold the company years ago to Roxanne Quimby, who in turn sold it to the Clorox Co. for a cool $925 million, Burt is probably rolling over in his grave to see his beloved company supporting an expensive, glossy, public relations campaign, paid for by Bayer CropScience, and aimed at obfuscating the fact that Bayer is one of the world’s most prolific killer of bees. Burt’s Bees is one of the companies signed on to the Pollinator Partnership, an organization that on the surface appears very concerned about the plight of honeybees. (read more)

BEEF RESEARCHER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM ANNOUNCES SECOND YEAR OF PARTNERSHIPS
Source: RealAgriculture.com
The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) announced its second group of Beef Researcher Mentorship Program participants this week. The program was designed in an effort to align research interests with those beneficial to the beef industry, as well as promote and facilitate collaborations between researchers and producers. (read more)

SEABIRDS “BLIGHTED BY PLASTIC WASTE”
Source: BBC
About 90 percent of seabirds have eaten plastic and are likely to retain some in their gut, a new analysis estimates. The study concludes that matters will only get worse until something is done to stem the flow of waste to oceans. Research co-author Erik Van Sebille says oceans are now filled with plastic and it is “virtually certain” that any dead seabird found in 2050 “will have a bit of plastic in its stomach.” (read more)