Panama: A Natural History Tour from the Chiriqui Highlands to the Darien Gap
James Kamstra, Senior Ecologist, AECOM
Monday, August 30, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Panama forms the link between North and South America and consequently has an exceptionally high diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems. James Kamstra will share his observations while visiting three ends of the country. The Canal Zone in the centre contains the world famous Barro Colorado Research Centre where much research on tropical forests has taken place. Forests have been protected in most of the watershed of the canal forming easily accessible rainforest. The Chiriqui Highlands in the west, are the highest mountains in the country covered with cloud forest that is home to many endemic species. The Remote Darien Gap in the east is home to many species more typical of Colombia. James will discuss the ecosystems of these areas with examples of birds, insects and amphibians which occur there. James is a biologist and ecotour leader who has trips to South and Central America.
Recent Nautical Archaeology Work on the Yukon River
John Pollack, Research Associate, Institute of Nautical Archaeology
Sunday, May 30, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Join John Pollack as he talks about recent nautical archaeological discoveries by the Yukon River Steamboat Survey. Since 2005, this Canadian-led initiative by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, has been cataloguing and documenting the steam-era wrecks along the river. John will lead you on a photographic tour of the main sites (featuring the AJ Goddard), and discuss the importance of the Yukon stern wheel steamboats to the evolution and development of this iconic class of vessel.
Between Proteins and Planets
David Waltner-Toews, Veterinarian & Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
Sunday, May 2, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, May 3, 2010, 7:30 pm Northern Lights Centre, Watson Lake
What do singing roosters in Java, street dogs in Kathmandu, parasites and pandemics have in common? In 1991, Dr. Waltner-Toews went to Kathmandu to help a community solve a problem involving a tapeworm that travels from dogs’ intestines through their feces into the mouths of other animals, like moose, sheep, water buffalo and people, where it forms tumour-like cysts in lungs, muscles, liver, and sometimes the brain. Dogs get re-infected by eating cysts when these other animals die or are killed. For three years his team studied dogs, parasites, animal butchering, garbage in the streets, and the people who lived there. They ran public education programs. But nothing changed. “Kathmandu is an environmental write-off,” one of his colleagues said.
But what he learned next changed everything he thought he knew about science, about pandemics and parasites, about the kinds of questions that scientists should be asking, and why poetry, stories, music and friends matter for science as much as technical competence. And he learned that communities can change profoundly, and learn together with scientists what it means to do, not just technically expert science, but good science. Join David Waltner-Toews, author of Chickens Fight Back, as he revisits the lessons learned in Nepal.
Ladybugs in Western Canada: Alien Invasion or Benign Ecological Reshuffling?
John Acorn, Instructor and Entomologist, University of Alberta
Sunday, April 11, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Over the past two decades, the ladybug fauna of Alberta (and the rest of western Canada) has become dominated by the introduced seven-spot ladybug from Europe. The effect on some, but not all, native species has been profound, but unexpectedly our overall ladybug biodiversity has increased. This study contributes to a wider discussion in which "invasion biology" is recast in a new light.
Counting Species: Not As Easy As It Seems
John Acorn, Instructor and Entomologist, University of Alberta
Friday, April 9, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon College Lecture Hall, Whitehorse
Biodiversity means different things to different people, but the common interpretation is simply the number of species in a given area. Recent developments, however, have made the task of counting species more difficult (and more interesting) than ever before, as assumptions dating back hundreds of years are carefully reviewed in the light of new evidence. With examples from his favourite groups (mainly insects), John Acorn will outline the possible forms that a new concept of "species" might take.
From Haida Gwaii, the Galapagos of the North, to Herschel Island’s Snowy Owls
Frank Doyle, Raptor-Ecosystem Ecologist, and Birds of the Yukon Territory
co-author
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Thursday, March 25, 2010, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, Haines Junction
Join Frank Doyle as he explores 2 different aspects of his work with raptor ecosystems. He will begin by exploring the rainforest secrets of Haida Gwaii and the challenges facing its fragile ecosystem. Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of isolated temperate rainforest islands off the coast of British Columbia which shares many attributes that we associate with the tropical Galapagos Islands. He will look at what makes the islands so special, and the many challenges that face the islands’ ecosystem including large scale forest harvesting and a host of introduced species. Finally he will look at the scientific and management response to these threats.
Then, he will move his focus North to Herschel Island and the movements of the Yukon’s Snowy Owls over this past winter. What has this and other recent research now revealed about the owls amazingly versatile winter survival strategy, and contrasting summer breeding requirements? Come join us and find out.
Wildlife and People of the Lakes: Some lessons learned in Old Crow Flats
Murray Humphries, Associate Professor & NSERC Northern Research Chair
Monday, February 22, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
In 2007, a multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers from seven universities and multiple governmental agencies was assembled to collaborate with the community of Old Crow, Yukon to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change occurring in the Old Crow Flats.
“Yeendoo Nanh Nakhweenjit K’atr’ahanahtyaa – Environmental Change and Traditional Use of the Old Crow Flats”, led by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and funded by the Government of Canada's International Polar Year (IPY) program, is one of Canada's most remarkable northern research efforts to date. With the project approaching maturity and results from most of the 9 sub-projects starting to emerge, it is time to report on some of the lessons learned from the Old Crow IPY project.
Join Murray Humphries as he outlines some fascinating ecological connections between the physical environment, wildlife populations and traditional use of the Old Crow Flats. What is happening to the lakes? What about the muskrats that live in the lakes and the moose that move between lakes and land? How is traditional use being affected by changes to the lakes, land and wildlife? And what are some lessons learned from this project about community-led, multidisciplinary research in the North?
Darwin and the Age of Discovery
Dr Chris Burn, NSERC Northern Research Chair, Department of Geography, Carleton University
Sunday, January 31, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a kindly, cautious man who possessed a strain of mental courage and a commitment to truth uncommon amongst men. His immediate legacy was to revolutionize the way we think about the biological world and overthrow prevailing understanding concerning the functioning of nature. His lasting influence has perhaps been most pronounced in public conceptions of ecology, that living things are sensitively and delicately interconnected.
Darwin was a product of his time, working during the great revolution in scientific thought that replaced natural history with the experimental method. His work emerged just as the freedom to write and speak became entrenched in the British Constitution. His ideas must be seen as part of the movement to identify laws that govern the natural world, in a context where there was little division between the sciences or between the sciences and the arts.
The 12th of February 2009 was Darwin's 200th birthday. The 24th November 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. Last year was one of the longest birthday parties ever. On 12 February there were at least 750 events worldwide celebrating Darwin. This lecture will celebrate the times that enabled Charles Darwin to change the world.
Weather Forecasting in Yukon: Meteorology secrets that everyone should know
Kent Johnson, Manager, National Service Office, Environment Canada
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, December 7, 2009, 7:30 pm Dawson City Museum, Dawson
With some of the most complex terrain in Canada, Yukon presents a significant challenge for meteorologists. Every Yukon resident knows that weather conditions can change very rapidly over short distances. The St. Elias Mountains provide an almost impenetrable barrier to Pacific storms. However, there are times when the mountains provide little or no protection and significant precipitation reaches Yukon.
Many weather forecasting tools, specifically, computer-generated maps and graphs, are available to anyone with a computer connected to the internet. The difficulty is to know which maps or tools to use and to understand their limitations. For example, the North American Ensemble Forecast System allows us to look at the results from over 30 different forecasts at the same time. Does this provide better information for decision-making? - sometimes yes, sometimes no. Join Kent as he shares some meteorological "secrets" and helps you to prepare your own 10 day temperature forecast.
International Polar Year and the Future of Polar Research
David Carlson, Director, International Programme Office, International Polar Year
Sunday, October 4, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, October 5, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park VRC, Haines Junction
International Polar Year (IPY) just ended in March of 2009. What was accomplished during this rich period of polar research? Did we meet the four goals of IPY: to greatly improve our understanding of the polar regions, to build and leave a legacy of expanded polar observational systems and networks, to excite a new generation of researchers, and to stimulate interest and participation from the public? And most importantly, where do we go from here?
Join David Carlson, as he examines what has been achieved through international collaboration among research agencies over the last two years, and what is required to sustain the momentum created by IPY. The IPY successes in outreach and education, particularly those initiated by and involving young researchers, are an important part of the legacy for future polar research. Ensuring that avenues are available to young researchers excited by IPY, particularly given the upcoming challenges facing polar residents and global citizens, is also critical.
Fire on the Mountain:
A close look at Yukon’s forest fire regime and how it might be changing
David Milne, Planning and Science Supervisor, Yukon Wildland Fire Management
Sunday, September 20, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Lightning each summer is inevitably accompanied by wildland fires: living in the Yukon means living with fire. Forests here have evolved to depend upon fire as a life source for change and renewal. The variability in fire occurrence and its effect on the forest is very difficult to predict. Fires proliferate on the landscape one year as large conflagrations and are almost nonexistent the next. What drives this variability? Why are the changeable fire patterns on our forest landscapes important?
Climate change is a variable that is predicted to have a dramatic effect on the health and species composition of our forests over the coming generations. Current research also indicates that the fire season will be changing. Will it be more fire more of the time? Will communities become more difficult to protect?
Join Dave Milne with Yukon Wildland Fire Management as he explores this hot topic.
James Kamstra, Senior Ecologist, AECOM
Monday, August 30, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Panama forms the link between North and South America and consequently has an exceptionally high diversity of plants, animals and ecosystems. James Kamstra will share his observations while visiting three ends of the country. The Canal Zone in the centre contains the world famous Barro Colorado Research Centre where much research on tropical forests has taken place. Forests have been protected in most of the watershed of the canal forming easily accessible rainforest. The Chiriqui Highlands in the west, are the highest mountains in the country covered with cloud forest that is home to many endemic species. The Remote Darien Gap in the east is home to many species more typical of Colombia. James will discuss the ecosystems of these areas with examples of birds, insects and amphibians which occur there. James is a biologist and ecotour leader who has trips to South and Central America.
Recent Nautical Archaeology Work on the Yukon River
John Pollack, Research Associate, Institute of Nautical Archaeology
Sunday, May 30, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Join John Pollack as he talks about recent nautical archaeological discoveries by the Yukon River Steamboat Survey. Since 2005, this Canadian-led initiative by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, has been cataloguing and documenting the steam-era wrecks along the river. John will lead you on a photographic tour of the main sites (featuring the AJ Goddard), and discuss the importance of the Yukon stern wheel steamboats to the evolution and development of this iconic class of vessel.
Between Proteins and Planets
David Waltner-Toews, Veterinarian & Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph
Sunday, May 2, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, May 3, 2010, 7:30 pm Northern Lights Centre, Watson Lake
What do singing roosters in Java, street dogs in Kathmandu, parasites and pandemics have in common? In 1991, Dr. Waltner-Toews went to Kathmandu to help a community solve a problem involving a tapeworm that travels from dogs’ intestines through their feces into the mouths of other animals, like moose, sheep, water buffalo and people, where it forms tumour-like cysts in lungs, muscles, liver, and sometimes the brain. Dogs get re-infected by eating cysts when these other animals die or are killed. For three years his team studied dogs, parasites, animal butchering, garbage in the streets, and the people who lived there. They ran public education programs. But nothing changed. “Kathmandu is an environmental write-off,” one of his colleagues said.
But what he learned next changed everything he thought he knew about science, about pandemics and parasites, about the kinds of questions that scientists should be asking, and why poetry, stories, music and friends matter for science as much as technical competence. And he learned that communities can change profoundly, and learn together with scientists what it means to do, not just technically expert science, but good science. Join David Waltner-Toews, author of Chickens Fight Back, as he revisits the lessons learned in Nepal.
Ladybugs in Western Canada: Alien Invasion or Benign Ecological Reshuffling?
John Acorn, Instructor and Entomologist, University of Alberta
Sunday, April 11, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Over the past two decades, the ladybug fauna of Alberta (and the rest of western Canada) has become dominated by the introduced seven-spot ladybug from Europe. The effect on some, but not all, native species has been profound, but unexpectedly our overall ladybug biodiversity has increased. This study contributes to a wider discussion in which "invasion biology" is recast in a new light.
Counting Species: Not As Easy As It Seems
John Acorn, Instructor and Entomologist, University of Alberta
Friday, April 9, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon College Lecture Hall, Whitehorse
Biodiversity means different things to different people, but the common interpretation is simply the number of species in a given area. Recent developments, however, have made the task of counting species more difficult (and more interesting) than ever before, as assumptions dating back hundreds of years are carefully reviewed in the light of new evidence. With examples from his favourite groups (mainly insects), John Acorn will outline the possible forms that a new concept of "species" might take.
From Haida Gwaii, the Galapagos of the North, to Herschel Island’s Snowy Owls
Frank Doyle, Raptor-Ecosystem Ecologist, and Birds of the Yukon Territory
co-author
Sunday, March 21, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Thursday, March 25, 2010, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, Haines Junction
Join Frank Doyle as he explores 2 different aspects of his work with raptor ecosystems. He will begin by exploring the rainforest secrets of Haida Gwaii and the challenges facing its fragile ecosystem. Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of isolated temperate rainforest islands off the coast of British Columbia which shares many attributes that we associate with the tropical Galapagos Islands. He will look at what makes the islands so special, and the many challenges that face the islands’ ecosystem including large scale forest harvesting and a host of introduced species. Finally he will look at the scientific and management response to these threats.
Then, he will move his focus North to Herschel Island and the movements of the Yukon’s Snowy Owls over this past winter. What has this and other recent research now revealed about the owls amazingly versatile winter survival strategy, and contrasting summer breeding requirements? Come join us and find out.
Wildlife and People of the Lakes: Some lessons learned in Old Crow Flats
Murray Humphries, Associate Professor & NSERC Northern Research Chair
Monday, February 22, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
In 2007, a multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers from seven universities and multiple governmental agencies was assembled to collaborate with the community of Old Crow, Yukon to improve understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change occurring in the Old Crow Flats.
“Yeendoo Nanh Nakhweenjit K’atr’ahanahtyaa – Environmental Change and Traditional Use of the Old Crow Flats”, led by the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation and funded by the Government of Canada's International Polar Year (IPY) program, is one of Canada's most remarkable northern research efforts to date. With the project approaching maturity and results from most of the 9 sub-projects starting to emerge, it is time to report on some of the lessons learned from the Old Crow IPY project.
Join Murray Humphries as he outlines some fascinating ecological connections between the physical environment, wildlife populations and traditional use of the Old Crow Flats. What is happening to the lakes? What about the muskrats that live in the lakes and the moose that move between lakes and land? How is traditional use being affected by changes to the lakes, land and wildlife? And what are some lessons learned from this project about community-led, multidisciplinary research in the North?
Darwin and the Age of Discovery
Dr Chris Burn, NSERC Northern Research Chair, Department of Geography, Carleton University
Sunday, January 31, 2010, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was a kindly, cautious man who possessed a strain of mental courage and a commitment to truth uncommon amongst men. His immediate legacy was to revolutionize the way we think about the biological world and overthrow prevailing understanding concerning the functioning of nature. His lasting influence has perhaps been most pronounced in public conceptions of ecology, that living things are sensitively and delicately interconnected.
Darwin was a product of his time, working during the great revolution in scientific thought that replaced natural history with the experimental method. His work emerged just as the freedom to write and speak became entrenched in the British Constitution. His ideas must be seen as part of the movement to identify laws that govern the natural world, in a context where there was little division between the sciences or between the sciences and the arts.
The 12th of February 2009 was Darwin's 200th birthday. The 24th November 2009 was the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species. Last year was one of the longest birthday parties ever. On 12 February there were at least 750 events worldwide celebrating Darwin. This lecture will celebrate the times that enabled Charles Darwin to change the world.
Weather Forecasting in Yukon: Meteorology secrets that everyone should know
Kent Johnson, Manager, National Service Office, Environment Canada
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, December 7, 2009, 7:30 pm Dawson City Museum, Dawson
With some of the most complex terrain in Canada, Yukon presents a significant challenge for meteorologists. Every Yukon resident knows that weather conditions can change very rapidly over short distances. The St. Elias Mountains provide an almost impenetrable barrier to Pacific storms. However, there are times when the mountains provide little or no protection and significant precipitation reaches Yukon.
Many weather forecasting tools, specifically, computer-generated maps and graphs, are available to anyone with a computer connected to the internet. The difficulty is to know which maps or tools to use and to understand their limitations. For example, the North American Ensemble Forecast System allows us to look at the results from over 30 different forecasts at the same time. Does this provide better information for decision-making? - sometimes yes, sometimes no. Join Kent as he shares some meteorological "secrets" and helps you to prepare your own 10 day temperature forecast.
International Polar Year and the Future of Polar Research
David Carlson, Director, International Programme Office, International Polar Year
Sunday, October 4, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Monday, October 5, 2009, 7:30 pm Kluane National Park VRC, Haines Junction
International Polar Year (IPY) just ended in March of 2009. What was accomplished during this rich period of polar research? Did we meet the four goals of IPY: to greatly improve our understanding of the polar regions, to build and leave a legacy of expanded polar observational systems and networks, to excite a new generation of researchers, and to stimulate interest and participation from the public? And most importantly, where do we go from here?
Join David Carlson, as he examines what has been achieved through international collaboration among research agencies over the last two years, and what is required to sustain the momentum created by IPY. The IPY successes in outreach and education, particularly those initiated by and involving young researchers, are an important part of the legacy for future polar research. Ensuring that avenues are available to young researchers excited by IPY, particularly given the upcoming challenges facing polar residents and global citizens, is also critical.
Fire on the Mountain:
A close look at Yukon’s forest fire regime and how it might be changing
David Milne, Planning and Science Supervisor, Yukon Wildland Fire Management
Sunday, September 20, 2009, 7:30 pm Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Whitehorse
Lightning each summer is inevitably accompanied by wildland fires: living in the Yukon means living with fire. Forests here have evolved to depend upon fire as a life source for change and renewal. The variability in fire occurrence and its effect on the forest is very difficult to predict. Fires proliferate on the landscape one year as large conflagrations and are almost nonexistent the next. What drives this variability? Why are the changeable fire patterns on our forest landscapes important?
Climate change is a variable that is predicted to have a dramatic effect on the health and species composition of our forests over the coming generations. Current research also indicates that the fire season will be changing. Will it be more fire more of the time? Will communities become more difficult to protect?
Join Dave Milne with Yukon Wildland Fire Management as he explores this hot topic.