depolorization

Shortly after college, I was fortunate to be part of a research project studying hearing thresholds in California Sea Lions.

The California sea lion can hear both above and below water, with hearing in water to be in the range of 250 Hz to 40 KHz. Comparatively, a human’s range of hearing (in air) is in the range of 20 Hz to 20 KHz.

So, their hearing is excellent in water. This is true for most marine mammals, and why under sea noise pollution is such a destructive element, both in physiology and behavior.

Sea lions can dive to depths of up to 900 feet, and hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.

Here is a female sea lion, Bibi, at the university’s ecological research station.

A little social behavior going on at a local zoo.

This is actually a picture of a picture, taken at the Naval Undersea Museum in Washington.

A rock formation in Southern Cali, but I see a profile of a sea lion.

Working with sea lions was a wonderful experience I hope to always remember!

Since my last post was on garden boxes Garden Box Kits, I wanted to show you what I use for compost creation.

I’ve had this bin for more than a decade. If I recall, I paid 20 dollars for it through my local sanitation department. Before you buy, call your sanitation department. They might offer free bins. If you have a wood pile, look at plans on line to build your own.

This is a stackable bin, meaning the that three rectangular segments stack on top of one another.

There are many different types of bins available today. If I were to purchase another it would be the barrel type, which sits on a stand and is turnable.

It’s a simple process really. You open the lid and place vegetable scraps into the bin. You can also add yard waste like leaves, grass cuttings, and plant cuttings. I try not to add too many ‘woody’ stalks, as they have a much longer breakdown cycle.

I do not add ‘other’ food waste scraps, as that encourages unwanted insects and rodents. I put the food scraps in the green waste bin, which is picked up weekly.

I add a spray of water once a week, and sometimes a bit of loose soil. I turn over the mixture every two weeks or whenever I think of it. It takes just a few minutes to maintain.