http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/

Established in 1966, the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was created in order to track the status and trends of North American bird populations. Drawing on the resources of the United States Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the Canadian Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Research Center, the BBS is able to monitor bird populations across North America. To complete this work every year, participants skilled in avian identification collect bird population data during the month of June. On the site, visitors can learn more about the BBS, and even get apply to become involved in the data collection process. Persons with a penchant for ornithology should look at their "Learning Tools" area, as it contains a bird quiz, and a bird identification information center. Finally, visitors with an interest in data will appreciate the "Results and Analyses" area, as it affords access to bird population estimates, maps, raw data, and so on. [KMG]

John Steinbeck: The California Novels
http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/Steinbeck/
The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies
http://www.steinbeck.sjsu.edu/home/index.jsp

John Steinbeck was known for many things, including his love for much of California, his desire to portray working people in a positive light, and his passion for travel. Since his death in 1968, scholars and members of the public have pored over his writings, which include everything from tales of migrant workers to his well-documented trip across the United States with his French standard poodle, Charley. The first link offered here is to a site created by Professor Ed Stephan of Western Washington University. Essentially, the site offers guided tours of Steinbeck's novels which are set in California. Visitors can learn about the places profiled in "The Red Pony", "Tortilla Flat", "Cannery Row", and other works. For each work, Stephan offers a brief chapter summary and a small map which details the location of various events and activities discussed in the book. The second site featured here is the homepage of The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San Jose State University. This site offers a detailed biography of Steinbeck, a detailed listing of his works, and a searchable online bibliography of secondary materials on Steinbeck. This bibliography contains over 6800 records, including magazine pieces, newspaper articles, journal articles, and full-length critical appraisals of his work. [KMG]

http://boundless.uoregon.edu/digcol/mh/index.html
Born in Pendleton, Oregon in 1850, Lee Moorhouse had a long career as a businessman, miner, surveyor, Umatilla Indian agent, and real estate operator. From 1888 to 1916, Moorhouse also found time to take over 9000 images depicting urban, rural, and Native American life in the Columbia Basin. Several decades after his death, Moorhouse's family donated many of the images to the University of Oregon Library. Over the past several years, staff members at the Library have been working to digitize a selection of photographs from this fine collection. Visitors to the site can learn more about Moorhouse and the project in the "About the Project" section before moving on to browse and search the images offered here. Currently there are about 315 items in the collection, and taken as a whole, the collection affords a number of interesting insights into the lives of Native Americans in the region. [KMG]

http://www.buildinggreen.com/

There's a great deal of talk about "building green" in the architecture and design world, but to many, this phrase may not mean a great deal. This website, created by the Building Green company, can help the uninitiated learn more about this subject. First-time visitors should click on the "Green Building Information" area. Here they can get answers to such question as "What is green?" and also learn more about green design strategies and the LEED rating system. Right next to this section is the "Case Studies" area, which features green building projects like elementary schools, commercial facilities, and university buildings. The site is rounded out by a "News" area and a detailed bibliography of websites, print resources, and so on. [KMG]

http://go.footnote.com/thewall

Visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC can be an emotional experience, and it has garnered substantial acclaim since it was unveiled in 1982. The people behind the Footnote historical records site recently crafted this interactive version of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and it's well worth a look. The interactive image was assembled from 6301 images photographed by Peter Krogh and stitched together by Darren Higgins. Visitors can type in names to the search engine at the top of the homepage, browse names by category, and also look up names by military branch. Additionally, visitors can leave a tribute, a story, or a photograph about any of the 58,256 veterans listed on the Memorial. [KMG]

http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/cs/eng/index.htm

Over the past several decades, the number of civil society organizations (such as labor unions, think tanks, and faith-based associations) has grown exponentially. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is intimately interested in such organizations, and would like to engage with such groups "through information sharing, dialogue, and consultation at both global and national levels." Visitors to the homepage are encouraged to look at the "Spotlight" area as a starting point, as it contains briefing documents and news releases on the IMF's recent activities in this area. Moving down the homepage, visitors are also encouraged to look at the "News" section, which contains the latest updates from poverty reduction programs in Haiti and other structured initiatives. The site is rounded out by a "Resources" area which contains a basic factsheet, the archives of the Civil Society Newsletter, and transcripts from various events and symposia. [KMG]

http://www.awm.gov.au/alliesinadversity/index.asp

The relationship between the Netherlands and Australia is a rather interesting one, and this was especially true during late 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. While Japan did not include the Dutch colony of the Netherlands East Indies (contemporary Indonesia) in these opening attacks, Allied planners knew that they would be interested in this area for the wide range of natural resources located on Borneo, Java and Sumatra. The Dutch eventually would use Australia as a base of military operations after Japan conquered much of the Netherlands East Indies. This site, created by the Australian War Memorial takes a look at the relationship between Australia and the Netherlands, and also at the Dutch experience in Australia and as prisoners of the Japanese. The site is divided into four sections: "Japanese conquest", "A seafaring nation", "Prisoners of the Japanese", and "The Dutch in Australia". In each area, visitors can read narrative essays on each subject, look at historical materials culled from the Memorial's archives, and also listen to the oral histories of Dutch prisoners of war. [KMG]

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/homer

The lines are often exceedingly long for the Art Institute of Chicago's (AIC) Winslow Homer exhibition, so it is a good thing that the AIC is providing this online, behind-the-scenes, look at the exhibit. Based on studies of Homer's works conducted by curators, researchers, and conservators at the AIC between 2005 and 2007, the online exhibition reveals another side of the artist. Homer has always been admired for painting quickly and spontaneously; the study shows that while his "watercolors look effortless, they are often the result of complex and deliberate artistic planning." Browse selected works to learn how Homer handled his paints, including full physical descriptions of each work; charts of his pigments; photomicrographs; and digital simulations that restore faded colors. For example, The Watcher, Tynemouth, 1882, employs rewetting, blotting, and scraping, and it is possible to view video demonstrations of all of these techniques, and more. Be sure to check the detail of Prout's Neck Breaking Wave, 1887, to see Homer’s fingerprint. [DS]