Wild, wild weather

Last Friday afternoon, Dan Satterfield, the weatherman for WBOC (the Salisbury, Maryland, CBS affiliate) was reporting live from Adkins Arboretum. And this time he was reporting on climate, i.e., climate change, not the daily weather forecast. Satterfield readily admits to having been a weather (meteorology) geek since fifth grade. His enthusiasm for the science of meteorology has not waned in his decades of reporting weather patterns. He is a passionate guy, but most importantly a scientist who has dedicated his life to reporting accurate science—the tried, the true, the tested, the known and verified facts. His work has taken him to the South Pole and the Arctic.

This 45-minute presentation filled with facts and figures, as well as plenty of humor, was persuasive. Satterfield acknowledges that he is working in a part of the country with many climate skeptics, but he is not deterred in bringing his message that climate change is real and that burning fossil fuels is the most significant culprit, the one piece of the puzzle that humans can control and should control by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This sage weatherman revealed the depth and breadth of his knowledge by deftly answering numerous questions from the audience. And as if his carriage was about to turn into a pumpkin, he quickly headed out the door to be on the road in time to report the evening's weather at WBOC.

Dr. Darrin Lowery will speak at Adkins Arboretum from 1 to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 15 about how archaeology and geology reveal weather patterns. To learn more about climate and weather forecasting, click here to register for Dr. Lowery's talk.

by Ellie Altman
Executive Director