RCMC Newsletter
May - 2026
May 2026 - Live MeetingsMay 14th.
Eric Nost: Political Ecoloogy & Environmental Governance Presentation: This presentation reviews how the current Trump administration has managed US climate and environmental datasets. US taxpayers have funded the development of world-class scientific data infrastructure over the past several decades, one that provides critical insights into past, present, and future conditions and hazards in the US as well as in Canada and elsewhere in the world. US scientific and regulatory agencies have long been considered trustworthy sources of information. However, the second Trump administration, going beyond the first, has altered and "deleted" data and information on climate change and other topics. While some would argue this to be a form of censorship, I believe the most consequential effects will come from the administration's defunding of science and data programs. Bio: Eric Nost is an associate professor of geography at the University of Guelph where he teaches courses in mapping, environmental policy, and conservation technology. 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. May 28th. 2026
Emma Allen-Vercoe: Missing Gut Microbes from the Amazon Jungle Presentation: The human gut microbiome is a microbial ecosystem that teems with life and serves as the foundation for our health. We have long recognised that the more microbial diversity that you have in your gut, the more likely it is that you will be healthy; in contrast, a poorly diverse gut microbiota is associated with many chronic disease states including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression and anxiety, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and many others. With this in mind, it is concerning that our lifestyles in the industrialised world have been steadily eroding our gut microbial diversity for decades. While we can’t go back in time to look at our microbiomes before the advent of industrialisation, we can study the few remaining populations in the world that continue to live a traditional, subsistence lifestyle. These people, such as the Hadza of Tanzania and the Yanomami of the Amazon have been shown to have remarkably diverse gut microbiomes, along with remarkably low incidences of chronic diseases. In this talk I will share with you our work to characterise the gut microbiome of the Yanomami people of Venezuela, to find our ‘missing’ gut microbes. Bio: Emma obtained her BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of London, and her PhD in Molecular Microbiology through an industrial partnership with Public Health England. Emma started her faculty career at the University of Calgary in 2005, with a Fellow-to-Faculty transition award through CAG/AstraZeneca and CIHR, to study the normal microbes of the human gut. In particular, she was among the few that focused on trying to culture these ‘unculturable’ microbes in order to better understand their biology. To do this, she developed a model gut system to emulate the conditions of the human gut and allow communities of microbes to grow together, as they do naturally. Emma moved her lab to the University of Guelph in late 2007, where she is currently in the second term of her Tier 1 Canada Research Chair on the study of human gut microbes. She is the beneficiary of multiple awards from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the latest of these has allowed her to set up a specialist microbiome culture centre that is now accessed as a research facility by scientists from across the world, despite only being set up in mid 2025. Emma’s research covers many areas that all encompass the microbes that populate the bodies of humans and animals (including insects), through the lens of understanding why these microbes are threatened, and what we can do about it. Emma lives in Guelph with her husband, younger not-quite-fledged-yet daughter, 2 spoiled cats and many trillions of microbes. 10am. To be followed by Live Questions. |
Eric Nost
Emma Allen-Vercoe
|
Messages
Future Meetings
Meetings for June 2026
June 11th.
9:30am AGM: 10am Round Table Discussion: 11:30am Annual Members Luncheon
June 25th.
Jamie Le: Sleep Hygiene
Activities & Events
June 11th.
AGM and Members Luncheon
9:30am AGM: 10am Round Table Discussion: 11:30am Annual Members Luncheon
June 24th.
Tour: Waterloo Flight Centre 10am
Optional Lunch
July 11th.
42nd. Street
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
August 22nd.
Nashville Music Scene
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
Oct. 24th.
Murder on the Orient Express
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
See activities desk for more details
AGM and Members Luncheon
9:30am AGM: 10am Round Table Discussion: 11:30am Annual Members Luncheon
June 24th.
Tour: Waterloo Flight Centre 10am
Optional Lunch
July 11th.
42nd. Street
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
August 22nd.
Nashville Music Scene
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
Oct. 24th.
Murder on the Orient Express
Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge 2pm
See activities desk for more details
Coffee Mornings
Coffee/Breakfast
May 2026
May 7th. and 21st.
RCMC Live Coffee Morning
9:30 am
The Boathouse
116 Gordon St.
or
Uptown Grill
694 Woolwich St.
More news to come regarding activities and live coffee mornings
Refer to the website often
May 2026
May 7th. and 21st.
RCMC Live Coffee Morning
9:30 am
The Boathouse
116 Gordon St.
or
Uptown Grill
694 Woolwich St.
More news to come regarding activities and live coffee mornings
Refer to the website often
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 [email protected]
Membership
Please send any updates to your entry in the Membership Directory, including any change in email address, to
Martin Alderwick; 519-763-6939 [email protected]
Members are encouraged to invite male friends and acquaintances to our meetings.
Martin Alderwick; 519-763-6939 [email protected]
Members are encouraged to invite male friends and acquaintances to our meetings.