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I was AMAZED when I signed up for Jott and came across this screen. It asked me to call the number to activate, which I did. Once the voice said that the # was validated, the screen changed to indicate the same message and give me a next step. I'm blown away by this interaction.
Nothing like an energy drink to start the day. That and a Newport 100 on the side to work. I'm a got mess.
Beachvolley på Dvergsnestangen utenfor Kristiansand. Er på besøk på Arena. Mange kjente og kjære fra folkehøyskolen. Kom hit i går og var her på kvelden. I dag har vi oppholdt oss i båten store deler av tiden. Hadde en kjempefin kajakktur gjennom "skippergada" rett etter frokost. Benedikte henger i båten nå og blir hentet av kong Karl senere i dag. Skal sove i Kristiansand før hun drar hjemover i morgen. Hun skal flytte inn i ny kåk i Oslo i helgen. Rune og jeg tar vel oss en tur inn til byen snart, mæ ha en is på MammaMia. Vet ikke helt hvor vi legger oss i kveld. Livet er godt og sola skinner...
Featured in this photo is a stormwater drain near Terrapin Row apartments and close to where I live on campus. It is a message I see as I take the bus almost every day. Additionally, in the photo is the actual stormwater management zone to which the drain is attached, which prevents runoff during heavy rain or strong storm events by pooling the water in this zone. While some people may be unfamiliar with stormwater management ponds and think of them as designs in landscape architecture, you would be surprised by how common they can be if you notice. My high school growing up actually had multiple on the campus, and it was home to a variety of different native plants, wildlife, aquatic, and insect species. While the one in the photo does not contain too many plant species - often, these constructed areas are designated as “no mow zones” so species can thrive and the soil remains properly aerated for the evaporation of storm water. However, one characteristic this image displays is the various components that go into a stormwater management plan and its construction. Firstly, this includes a stormwater sheet that flows into the basin as seen by the divot in the ground. This ensures that stormwater is collected into the basin during rain events rather than being rapidly discharged. While plants used in stormwater management can often filter some nutrients from the water, their primary purpose is to reduce the rate at which stormwater runoff enters nearby waterways. This has been studied across multiple observations of stormwater management ponds, as urban impermeable surfaces make urban streams more susceptible to flooding, elevated sediment levels, and nutrient and chloride loads from stormwater runoff. To combat this, the storm sewer (as shown in the image) delivers stormwater runoff to the stormwater management site (in the background), where the sediment can settle and be released at a controlled rate into a receiving stream. ((Morales & Oswald, 2020, p. 1855). However, as mentioned above, this site also contains visible buffer zones, as seen with shrubs, trees, and other plants nearby, strategically placed along the site boundary, which remain crucial to best management. Green infrastructure in buffer zones, such as hedgerows and constructed wetlands, can address a range of issues, from mitigating fluxes in C and N cycling to minimizing nitrogen leaching (Mander et al., 2017). While it may not seem like it, it is actually a highly complex system located in the middle of many urban developments. This photo is particularly striking as the wording and decoration of the sewer bring attention to those who may not be aware of the importance of runoff management.
While I described a variety of ecosystem services above, this image also conveys concepts of ecology. Specifically, as I briefly mentioned above, this system reflects nutrient cycling and the rates of flow and flux within ecosystems. Stormwater runoff can have many harmful effects by rapidly introducing warm, polluted water into streams, which is often more common in urban areas with anthropogenic pollution. Stormwater drains help control the rate of this flow. This could even be managed in terms of pond outflow in mm/h (Aldrees et al., 2025) to show the reduced rate of water flow during storm events. Additionally, because water flow can be described as a flux/flow to ecologists studying this system, the storm water management site can also be considered a reservoir/pool, as this is where the water will flow and be stored until it continues its drainage. Besides what is described, this system can also be observed on the scale of nutrient cycling when considering the box model. As mentioned in the previously referenced articles, it affects not only the amount of water but also its nutrient content. One way to picture this model is to consider the soil and plant biomass as reservoirs. As the nutrients are dissolved in the rainfall from the atmosphere, they can enter the soil. While some nutrients are lost from surface runoff (which the site wants to avoid), this system allows the nutrient load to be absorbed by the soil and taken up by plants during growth. This system can become more complex as you add rates or reservoirs, but it follows a fundamental principle that allows plants to take up carbon and nitrogen rather than depositing them into streams.
Lastly, it can be described how this relates directly to SDG 6, which is to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all”. As shown in the photo, it is crucial to focus on “only rain down the drain”. Clearly, stormwater drains and stormwater management plans are highly impactful in reducing water and nutrient flux in ecosystems. These drains follow this goal in two crucial ways. Firstly, you can consider the importance of stormwater drains, especially in urban areas. These drains keep streets clean (ex, lack of flooding) and prevent excess water from entering walkways and roads. It may seem familiar to many, but it is vital for maintaining sanitation in highly crowded areas that lack the means to provide green space or ecosystem services on their own. For example, I grew up in a rural area where this issue is uncommon because we get our water from wells. However, in urban areas, it is not the same case. This keeps residents, such as students at College Park, away from bacteria and the harmful effects of contaminated runoff. However, when referring back to the statement about the drain, it connects to the “sustainable management” sector of the goal. Although these drains provide essential services at a limited cost and maintenance to humans, they should not be abused or ignored. It is evident that, especially for these drain systems connected to storm water management systems, there is a water service, not pollutants like motor oil, heavy metals, or even trash, which can get into the drains when it is possible to prevent. Not only can the presence of pollutants make it more difficult for the system to process (such as filtration by wetland plants), but this is a key reminder that this drain water will end up back in the groundwater and in streams, even if it first flows into the stormwater management zone. While it is not always avoidable, this art piece adds value to these stormwater Management designs and encourages College Park residents to be mindful of their environment so they can continue to have access to water and sanitation for all.
References
Aldrees, A., Dan'azumi, S., & Abba, S. I. (2025). Optimization of detention ponds for urban stormwater runoff and pollution control in multiple catchments system with analytical probabilistic models and particle swarm. Water Science & Technology, 91(5), 592-608. doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.024
Mander, Ü., Tournebize, J., Sauvage, S., & Sánchez-Perez, J. M. (2017). Wetlands and buffer zones in watershed management. Ecological Engineering, 103, 289-295. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.12.005
Morales, K., & Oswald, C. (2020). Water age in stormwater management ponds and stormwater management pond‐treated catchments. Hydrological Processes, 34(8), 1854-1867. doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13697
The director of the Wolmyeongdong Recreation Center gives a message to another group of visitors. He must be busy.
Silk Photography: Fusion, Kooj Chuhan
Message from Žarko is CAN's second production performed by Kamosi Youth Group in Leigh, Greater Manchester as part of its three year Youth Arts Programme.
For more information please visit the CAN website
Lucy has had a rough few days as she got nabbed by her first stomach flu. She has been a trooper about it.
This message was written in one of the cubbies along the River Spree. I can't figure out if the little critters are rats or wiener-dogs.
There is nothing better to get you in the holiday spirit - at last, the long awaited San Francisco Ballet Nutcracker. There are excited kids dressed in their best everywhere!
Check it out and tell me what you think. Still working on it, and I have a long way to go, but here is the basic version.