The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 13

As an information sharing platform that connects educators across North America, Connect OER lives up to its name. Readers may want to start by navigating to the Directory tab to view the existing database. Several filters are provided for more fruitful browsing; for example, selections allow users to search by name, location, activity, and other institutional characteristics, and buttons at the top of the page invite users to narrow by Institutions, Programs, Policies, Events, and Resources. Then, interested readers can create a free profile for their institution to highlight their own OER contributions and share best practices in the field. Users should note that most of the information they contribute to the database will be available in the public domain through a CC0 Public Domain Dedication. The FAQ button at the bottom of the page provides guidance on how to request an account, how to maintain and make changes to user profiles, and other troubleshooting advice. Additionally, the Reports tab contains comprehensive yearly snapshots of Connect OER's efforts and the evolution of OER generally. Connect OER is a project of SPARC, a global group dedicated to "making open the default for research and education." [EMB]

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Lands of Freedom shares stories from the Matawai Maroons in Suriname, a community whose ancestors escaped from slavery centuries ago and fought for liberation. Created by the Amazon Conservation Team, an organization that supports Indigenous and local communities on conservation and cultural preservation efforts, the project corrects a long tradition that too often shared the stories of slave owners rather than enslaved people. This failed to truly center the "reality of the condition of millions of men and women who had been thrown into the violence of slavery," because the narrative came "from the perspective of the executioner." The project also contains an oral history component because many of the written sources found in libraries and archives preserve the actions of colonizers, rather than share the voices of Matawai people. The project provides several resources, including an October 2020 presentation recording from Suriname's National Maroons Day, where historians Rolien Sallons (Matawai) and Ramon Awenkina (Aukaner) take viewers on a virtual journal of the storytelling map. Additionally, readers can scroll through the text, interactive maps, and other resources by clicking the menu icon in the top-left corner or using the arrow keys at the top-center of the website. Some of the documents are translated from French, and readers will find embedded links to the original text as well. The project operates in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), The Slave Route: Resistance, Liberty Heritage, the Nationaal Archief Suriname, and Recovering Voices. [EMB]

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It Gets Better began as a social media campaign and transformed into a global nonprofit supporting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth. The organization's digital roots have come full circle in recognition of the increasing presence of digital classrooms. To ensure that online learning environments remain "safe and inclusive places for LGBTQ+ students," It Gets Better released this action list, "How to Make Your Digital Classroom More LGBTQ-Friendly." The article provides great guidelines for educators, covering topics like pronoun etiquette, building inclusive curriculum, and visible allyship. Additionally, the resource links out to several helpful tools found across the organization's website. For example, readers can check out the glossary of LGBTQ-inclusive terminology, browse a plethora of educational materials, select free-to-download Zoom backgrounds designed by LGBTQ artists, and reference a comprehensive resource list to support students. At the end of the list, readers will find links to all of It Gets Better's social media channels, which offer additional content that may be of interest to educators and students. [EMB]

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What happens when an actor and a gallerist join forces? Find out by tuning into Talk Art, a splendid podcast hosted by actor Russell Tovey and Robert Diament, director of the Carl Freedman Gallery. The podcast features interviews with artists, curators, and gallerists, plus occasional actors, musicians, and journalists. An example of a recent installment is the LGBTQ+ History Month 2021 episode, which features selected highlights from the National Portrait Gallery's collection in London, including works by David Hockney, Maggi Hambling, Isaac Julien, and Howard Hodgkin. Listeners reminiscing about winter holidays can check out last year's Christmas special with actor Stephen Fry, recorded remotely during lockdown from Fry's home in Norfolk. Head over to the show's Instagram, @TalkArt, for images of artworks discussed in each episode, or get the book, Talk Art: Everything you wanted to know about contemporary art but were afraid to ask, out in paperback in May 2021. [DS]

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Based on the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, this toolkit ensures developers are creating accessible online content. The left-hand panel allows readers to quickly navigate through five sections, or users can browse across content using the search bar in the top-right corner. Of course, the Introduction section is a great place to begin. Here, readers will learn how to use the guide and find background information on the guide's creators, Access for all (a Swiss Foundation) and the Accessibility Alliance (a growing group of contributors and organizations who collaborated on the effort). Then, readers will want to explore the remaining sections: Setup (covering software and tools for accessibility), Knowledge (containing useful tips on visual elements, semantics, and coding), and Examples (templates and tests that users can implement). Finally, the Contribute section welcomes users to share their own knowledge and skills to improve the guide. Readers will also find social media channels linked here. Follow along on Twitter (@A11yDevGuide) and Facebook (@access4all), or stay tuned for upcoming "hackdays." [EMB]

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Ecologists may enjoy this open-access journal that highlights software and taxonomic research relevant to the field. The Biodiversity Data Journal has a wide scope, publishing research on "taxonomic, floristic/faunistic, morphological, genomic, phylogenetic, ecological or environmental data on any taxon of any geological age from any part of the world." For example, recent pieces discuss a new online, worldwide ecological database and share findings from wildlife surveys (including an exciting first sighting of an orangutan at the Usun Apau National Park). Articles can be read online or downloaded as PDF or XML files. On the left-hand panel, readers can sign up for email alerts from the journal and view the latest activity on the organization's Twitter feed. Plus, readers interested in publishing with the journal will find all the details they need on the Guidelines for Authors, Data Publishing Guidelines, and Data Review Guidelines pages. Editor-in-Chief Vincent Smith, a research leader at the Natural History Museum, heads the journal. A full list of editorial staff is available on the Editorial Team page. [EMB]

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Launched in 2017, TierZoo combines two, perhaps unlikely, themes: video games and wildlife. The channel's creator Patrick, who goes by Patch, started the YouTube series shortly after graduating with a degree in Microbiology. Patch envisioned the platform as an opportunity "to get gamers interested in zoology." Ever since its launch, this show about wildlife has spread like wildfire. TierZoo currently has more than 2 million subscribers and more than 200 million views. Readers can join the fandom by following the Channel tab. Viewers will gain a deeper understanding of all sorts of species, from goats to lizards, in an interactive format that features video game graphics and a sprinkling of comedy. These short videos garner a deeper appreciation for wildlife and those who study it. In addition to following TierZoo on YouTube, readers can keep up with the channel's other social media sites (including Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit). The handles for all are linked on Patch's website (at the link above). [EMB]

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Released biennially, the World Wildlife Foundation's Living Planet Report surveys and summarizes biodiversity and ecology trends. The 2020 report is the 13th installment, and it challenges readers to build better relationships with nature. The link above provides an interactive introduction to the report, available in English and Spanish. Scrolling down the page, readers will encounter the Living Planet Index section, which notes an alarming drop in animal populations since the 1970s. Additionally, readers will find a pop-quiz question and an infographic that tracks regional footprints. Finally, near the bottom of the page, visitors will find options to download the full report or the report summary in PDF form. Among other themes, the report explores the interdependence of people and the planet and ways to foster more sustainable relationships. The report also includes commentary on how COVID-19 has presented unique challenges and opportunities for addressing the loss of nature. And, readers should not leave the report feeling helpless. Back on the introductory page, viewers can follow the link in the "What Can You Do?" box for some simple suggestions to make a difference. [EMB]

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Educators may want to check out this interactive ecology game that is the perfect introduction to a unit on Henry David Thoreau and other naturalists. The game invites players to step into Thoreau's shoes as he lived a self-reliant life at Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Players will explore Thoreau's time in the woods, learning about the challenges he faced, as well as his sources of inspiration. Educators can build off of the game by employing the curriculum guide, which includes lessons on media literacy, environmental science, history, art, math, and more. The game is compatible with Windows or Macintosh computers, as long as the device has a 3D graphics card and adequate memory. The game was created by the USC Game Innovation Lab with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Advancing Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences, Art Works, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Sundance Institute. The supplementary curriculum guide was produced in partnership with Journeys in Film. Walden is currently free for educators and homeschooling caregivers, and readers should follow the instructions at the top of the page at the link above to request access. [EMB]

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Home to several species of wildlife unique to the continent, Australia is an important site for biodiversity. At the same time, Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction globally. Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is working hard to change this statistic, with a team of conservationists, partnerships with Indigenous groups and other stakeholders, and nearly 30 land management locations. On their website, readers can learn more about their work and conservations generally. The "AWC in Conversation" webinar series may be of particular interest. Three seasons of webinars are currently available. Usually around 45 minutes long, these recorded presentations feature AWC staff and guests who discuss various aspects of their conservation work, from koala rescues (see the April 30, 2020 conversation with Andrew Howe) to aerial burns (see the May 7, 2020 conversation with Toby Barton) to vegetation protection (see the October 15, 2020 conversation with Jeanette Kemp). Readers can stay up-to-date on ecology advances and projects on the Newsroom page, or by browsing AWC's Wildlife Matters publications. Published biannually, these issues are packed with interesting conservation and ecology stories, which can be read individually online or downloaded as an entire issue (in PDF form). On the Wildlife page, readers can learn more about the many creatures AWC works to protect. The Science Publications section (found under Our Work) also offers in-depth reading materials (though readers should note these publications are housed on external sites, and some are open-access while others are not). [EMB]

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Musescore is typesetting software for musical scores that supports a wide range of file formats and methods of data entry. In addition to staves, it can also be used to typeset percussion notation, tablature, fretboad diagrams, lyrics, and nearly all features commonly (and uncommonly) encountered in sheet music. Musescore includes style options that can be used to change the layout and appearance of a given score. A set of style options from one score can be saved as a style sheet and then applied to another score. Musescore includes its own built-in synthesizer that can be used to play back and preview a score. Under the Support menu on the Musescore site, users can locate a Tutorials section that contains step-by-step instructions on the basics of how to use the software. In the Handbook portion of the Support section, users can locate a detailed reference manual for the software. In the Download section of the site, users can locate installation packages for Windows, macOS, several distributions of Linux, and several of the BSD operating systems. [CRH]

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As the joke goes in number 949 of the famous XKCD webcomic, sending files between computers on the internet remains a perplexingly difficult problem. Croc is a tool to solve this issue while: 1) allowing transfers between any two computers; 2) providing end-to-end encryption; 3) working on all the major platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD); 4) allowing multiple files to be transferred within one session; 5) providing support for resuming interrupted transfers; 6) not requiring any port forwarding; 7) supporting ipv6; and 8) allowing the use of a proxy like tor. Croc's author has been unable to locate any other tool that provides all eight of these features. Usage of croc is quite simple in practice. On the sending computer, a user runs croc send FileOrFolder and is given a three word code that they must convey (via online chat, text message, phone call, etc.) to the recipient. The recipient then runs croc three-word-code on their computer to receive the files that were sent. Croc also provides a text mode that can be used to securely send short snippets of text like one-time login URLs or temporary passwords. The Install section of the croc site gives installation instructions for Windows, macOS, several flavors of Linux, and FreeBSD. [CRH]

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Last featured in the 03-27-2020 Scout Report, Wildlife Thailand reminds users that appreciating and protecting wild spaces is not just for scholars and researchers. As a community forum highlighting Thailand's beautiful natural spaces, the website allows readers from all over the world to participate in ecology efforts.

Skip the plane ticket: Exploring Thailand's beautiful landscapes and diverse flora and fauna is now just a click away with Wildlife Thailand. This resource serves as a community platform to share experiences with Thailand's wildlife, nature, and protected areas and celebrate Thailand's outstanding wildlife and National Parks. On the Forum page, readers can browse posts on topics such as "Wildlife Sanctuaries in Thailand" and "Birds and Birding," and those interested in contributing can create a free account to do so. Topical posts can also be found under the Articles tab. Selecting the All Categories sub-section, users will see a full list of the subjects available. Readers wondering how a yellow throated marten behaves in the wild, or wanting to watch a clouded leopard in its natural habitat, look no further than the website's video gallery (found under the Galleries tab). The Galleries tab also provides a list of other resources on Thailand's wildlife. Some sites are species specific (for example, organizations for birds and bats are highlighted), while others provide general information on parks and biodiversity. [EMB]

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