In Kensington, Maryland, former U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, founder of Earth Day and a Presidential Medal of Freedom winner, died July 3 at 89. Nelson, who was profiled in these pages and wrote a letter to the editor in Bay Weekly's premier edition, pressured then-President Richard Nixon into setting up the Environmental Protection Agency in the early 1970s …

In Annapolis, Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s Department of Natural Resources declared last week it will take another six months studying Asian oysters — though many scientists call for another five years of study before making the momentous decision to release a non-native species in Chesapeake Bay …

In Elkridge, Maryland, exotic-bird lovers searching for their lost birds flock together for Wings Over Maryland to read eulogies, share information on loss prevention and affix photos and Missing posters on a Wall of Hope (2-4pm Saturday, July 9 at the Fidos for Freedom training facility in Laurel) …

In the Susquehanna River, Garrett Island, 200 acres of pristine land situated at the river’s mouth, will become a national wildlife refuge. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has purchased the wilderness under legislation sponsored by Rep. Wayne Gilchrest, R-Md. Locals bought the island several years ago to prevent a wild development scheme featuring a luxury hotel and amusement park …

In California, an animal rights group made a request of the Aquarium of the Pacific, the world’s largest: please remove fish from the menu in your café. “Serving fish at an aquarium is like serving poodle burgers at a dog show,” said Karin Robertson, manager of the Fish Empathy Project for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals …
 
Our Creature Feature comes from Japan, where you have to wonder about the Japanese appetite for whale. The International Whaling Commission was suspicious, turning down Japan’s bid to expand its annual catch of minke whales to 900 “for scientific research.”

We’re fans of scientific research, but we, too, had to wonder when we saw an item about the menu at the Lucky Pierrot restaurant chain: whaleburgers.