RCMC Newsletter
January - February 2021
January - February: Virtual MeetingsJan. 7th. - ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING - Dr. Jennifer Baltzer: Forest Fires in Boreal Forests
Presentation: Wildfire is the main disturbance in boreal forests and is critical for boreal forest renewal and functioning. However, climate warming and drying have led to an intensification of wildfire disturbance in boreal forests, which includes increased frequency and severity of wildfire and increasing annual area burned. More extreme wildfire has the potential to profoundly alter key functions of boreal forests, with direct implications at local to global scales. From a global perspective, arguably the most important function is that of carbon storage – the boreal biome stores a third of the planet’s terrestrial carbon. Historically, boreal forests have acted as carbon sinks, sequestering carbon in the cold, wet soils that characterize this biome. Large fire years that Canada is increasingly faced with result in carbon emissions that can dramatically reduce Canada’s terrestrial carbon uptake or net primary productivity. At the scale of the boreal biome, increasing frequency and severity of wildfire is altering how boreal forests recover following fire, impacting a range of functions from wildlife habitat to carbon storage to forest flammability. Recent results pertaining to these mechanisms will be discussed. BIO: Dr. Jennifer Baltzer is a Canada Research Chair in Forests and Global Change at Wilfrid Laurier University (Laurier), whose work focuses on the drivers of forest composition, structure and function and responses of these systems to global change. She has worked in a range of systems from the tropics to the tundra but currently leads an extensive boreal forest research program throughout the Northwest Territories. Her interdisciplinary research program examines the impacts of climate warming, including permafrost thaw, wildfire regimes, and biome shifts, on the distribution and function of high latitude boreal forests and its implications for northern communities. Within Canada, she works closely with the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) through a 20-year Partnership Agreement between the GNWT and Laurier. Dr. Baltzer plays leadership roles in NASA’s ABoVE campaign, the Smithsonian Institute’s ForestGEO Network, and the CFREF-funded Global Water Futures program. In 2017, Dr. Baltzer was elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. Jan. 21st. - ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING - Ian Evans: Shackleton’s Expedition and Great Escape – 1914 to 1917
Presentation: Many people have heard of Sir Ernest Shackleton and most have become familiar with his escape from the ice in Antarctica after his ship Endurance was crushed by the ice. Few, however have heard the intimate personal stories of those men, who between 1914 and 1917 fought for their lives amongst the ice and mountainous seas of Antarctica and the South Atlantic. Come and hear about this most remarkable of all survival stories, led by the greatest “Lost Cause” survivor of them all. Bio: Ian has embraced adventure all his life - from scaling the shed roof at aged 3 to skiing to the South Pole at aged 58. He has also climbed 5 of the "7 Summits" ", cycled 5,000 KMS solo & unsupported across Australia (twice) around the coastline of Iceland and to the Arctic Ocean and run 10 marathons. But the thing about Ian is that he is an ordinary guy, from a rural background in England, who has decided to push himself to achieve extraordinary things at the very edge of his own comfort zone. He is not an explorer, world record holder or super-fit world-class endurance athlete, but is a Chartered Accountant who has led in many ways a regular life. 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. Feb. 4th. - ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING – Dr. Michael Johns: U.S. Presidential Election
Presentation: Dr. Johns topic will include observations on American politics through the looking glass of the 2020 Federal Election. Bio: My research and teaching interests involve questions surrounding minority rights in the European Union. Specifically, I am interested in how European states integrate and accomodate their national minorities and intra-EU migrants and what role the European Union plays in helping to facilitate this. I also teach courses on issues that impact levels of social cohesion such as electoral systems, immigration policies and federalism. Currently I am a member of the Executive for the Centre on Canadian-Russian Relations and I am a member of the International Advisory Board for the Minorities at Risk (MAR) project. In 2012 I was part of the Canadian Mission to Ukraine to monitor their parliamentary elections 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. Feb. 18th - ZOOM VIRTUAL MEETING - Dr. Praveen K. Saxena:
Test Tube Plants in Saving Endangered Plant Biodiversity Presentation: Plants are crucial for sustaining human life as they provide food, feed, fiber, and medicine for entire food chain including humans, animals, and microorganisms. It is estimated that at least 21% of all known vascular plants are either threatened, endangered or at the risk of extinction due to diseases, habitat loss, overexploitation, and the rapidly changing climate. Micropropagation, a technology to multiply and grow plants in controlled environments, is a tool that can be used to maintain a living collection of plant specimens and produce large quantities of desired plants for replenishment, conservation and global distribution of endangered species and crops of economic importance. Cryopreservation technology which enables storage of plant parts at an ultra-low temperature (−196 °C) for decades with minimal loss of viability allows long-term plant preservation. This presentation will provide an overview of the importance of integrated systems utilizing micropropagation and cryopreservation in saving plants from extinction and mitigating the impact of biodiversity loss and ecological crisis. Bio: Dr. Praveen Saxena is a Professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, and serves as the Director of the Gosling Research Institute for Plant Preservation (GRIPP). Dr Saxena’s plant biotechnology research is currently focused on developing technologies for saving endangered plant biodiversity and efficient production of value-added medicinal and horticultural plants. Dr Saxena’s program on preservation of endangered plant species provides a platform for interdisciplinary research, education and services in fundamental and applied conservation biology (www.gripp.ca). Dr Saxena has published over 200 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals and he also publishes an online magazine “Spiritual Botany” (www.spiritualbotany.com) to enhance awareness of plant human relationships and environmental consciousness. 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. To Our Members,
Royal City Men’s Club Cancellations Related to COVID-19 - Updated 29 April 2020 In line with guidelines from the government and public health professionals, Royal City Men’s Club is regretfully cancelling all "live" lectures, activities and coffee club get-togethers until further notice. We anticipate this could be from a several weeks to a few months. However, we are pleased to announce that we will be offering a limited number of "virtual" meetings where speakers will present a virtual presentation using Zoom. Also, on every Thursday on which we do not have a presenter, we will have a "virtual coffee morning", again using Zoom. Thus there will be either a lecture or a coffee morning very Thurs at 10 am. In order to simplify Zoom logins, everyone will be sent a single link which will apply to all these meetings. We thank you for your understanding and patience during these uncertain and stressful times. We will continue to communicate via our mailing list and on our website to keep you well informed. There is additional information on the website. In the meantime, your health is of primary importance and we encourage everyone to follow the advice of the government and health professionals. R.C.M.C. Board of Directors |
Dr. Jennifer Baltzer
Ian Evans
Dr. Michael Johns
Dr. Praveen K. Saxena
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Future Meetings
Meetings for March/April 2021:
Check Schedule on Website
Check Schedule on Website
Activities & Events
Coffee/Breakfast 10:am
Cancelled Until Further Notice
Cancelled Until Further Notice
EVENTS:
ALL ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELLED
Contact for Events & Activities - Ken Marchant: marchjack@rogers.com
Other News
There is a new What's New section on the Home page of our website. This will give you quick links to any new information which has been posted on the website.
If you have any new content for the website, please send to Ritchie Zelk at edna.ritchie@sympatico.ca
Membership
Please send any updates to your entry in the Membership Directory, including any change in email address, to Del Campbell, 519-826-0679, susan-delcampbell@sympatico.ca
Members are encouraged to invite male friends and acquaintances to our meetings.
Members are encouraged to invite male friends and acquaintances to our meetings.