Platte Basin Time Lapse Project

Imagine seeing snow piling up during the winter on the Continental Divide in North Park, Colorado and then watching it melt into Lake Agnes and on down into the North Platte River over the summer. Or observing the North Platte in Wyoming fluctuating dramatically below Pathfinder Dam through the summer from power and irrigation demands. Or seeing a complete growing season in the Nebraska’s Platte Valley as the river pulses through a series of irrigation canals and laterals watering fields of sugar beets, corn, and beans. Or the thrill of the annual Sandhill crane migration each spring in the central Platte Valley. And all of these compressed into just a few, short minutes.

What could we learn about the nature of the Platte River if it could be seen it in its entirety? That question is the spark behind the Platte Basin Time Lapse Project. Photographer Michael Forsberg and cinematographer Mike Farrell conceived the project in 2010, to document the Platte River through time lapse photography. They are deploying forty-five cameras along the river, each in a unique environment, making a picture every daylight hour of every day. That visual data allows an understanding of the river system in ways never before experienced, and promises insights into all aspects of the Platte Basin, from agriculture to geological processes, from ecology to municipal water supplies, from wildlife conservation to outdoor recreation.

The Cooper Foundation has made two grants Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) for this project, the first in 2010 to jump start the acquisition of Nikon cameras and the second in 2011 for equipment and development of the website documenting the project: http://plattebasintimelapse.com/.

PBTL has also received major support from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. Project partners are NET, Michael Forsberg Photography, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Nikon Corporation.

Images and video courtesy of Michael Forsberg and the Platte Basin Time Lapse Project.

Platte Basin Timelapse Project from Michael FORSBERG on Vimeo.

COOPER FOUNDATION SUPPORTS MASTER PLAN FOR PRAIRIE EXPANSION

A grant of $20,000 to the Lincoln Parks and Recreation Foundation to support a Master Plan for the Salt Valley Greenway and the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch was among the projects funded by the Cooper Foundation in December 2011. The Salt Valley Greenway is a ribbon of open space and greenway links within the Salt Valley drainage basin in Lincoln and Lancaster County. One of the key greenway links is the Prairie Corridor on Haines Branch, which will link Pioneers Park and Spring Creek Prairie, two of Lancaster County's most valuable resources for tallgrass prairie and environmental education. The vision is to expand prairie and riparian habitat areas, build recreational and educational connections, and promote the enhancement and preservation of one of southeast Nebraska's most valuable resources--tallgrass prairie.

The Cooper Foundation approved 13 grants totaling $160,318 in December 2011 To learn more, read our News Releases.

"Is a Global Water Crisis Avoidable?"

E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues

Mogens Bay & E. Robert Meaney

Thursday, February 16, 2012 - 7 pm, lied center for performing arts

Lewis E. Harris Lecture on Public Policy

Mogens C. Bay and E. Robert Meaney will present a lecture on the global crisis in the supply and quality of water for agriculture. They will frame the issues through a discussion of population growth, required food and fiber production and total water and land available. They will provide examples of how the crisis in fresh water is manifested in various locations and in issues such as food security, water and quality and soil health. They will discuss solutions ranging from scientific advances to governance and economic development.