Nature Vancouver

Botany Section monthly lecture by Dr. Curtis Björk: Plant and lichen diversity is poorly known in British Columbia, especially in the interior. Botanical exploration has been lacking, especially in the globally rare interior rainforest biome, of which the Robson Valley has some of the best. The forests of British Columbia, including the interior rain forest are mostly reduced to plantations and recent clear-cuts. Some of the remaining areas of intact old-growth in the Robson Valley have been preserved in the newly designated Ancient Forest/Chun T’oh Whudujut Provincial Park (between McBride and Prince George). A three year project was completed in 2018 to explore the plants and lichens of the Robson Valley’s provincial parks and surrounding areas, both in the rainforest biome and in adjacent montane, canyon and wetland habitats. Over 2000 native species of lichens, bryophytes and vascular plants are now documented in the Robson Valley, making it one of the richest floristic areas of the province. Many new species were discovered that were previously unknown to science. Curtis Björk is a trained vascular botanist who took up the study of lichens in 1999. For the past 20 years, Curtis has worked as a botanical consultant over a wide area of the western U.S. and, more recently, in British Columbia. He has published 14 peer-reviewed papers, including five vascular plants and four lichens new to science. His recent work has focused on vernal pool ecosystems, plant and lichen floristics and ecology, and biodiversity conservation. He is a Research Associate with the University of Idaho Herbarium. See book project website WaysOfEnlichenment.net for his biography and bibiliography. Tea and cookies will be served from 7 to 7:30 pm. There will be opportunity for plant identification.

Marine Biology section monthly lecture with speaker: Dr. Kyra Janot Note: the date is October 24th, NOT October 7th as stated in the earlier announcement. Corallines are a group of diverse, abundant, and charismatic seaweeds found in a range of marine habitats worldwide. These algae are notable for being calcified, which gives them a rigid rock-like appearance and a characteristic pink colour. Some coralline species grow as crusts, and can act as the “cement” that holds large reef structures together. Other species take on highly branching or foliose forms, and still others grow as rhodoliths which tumble unattached along the sea floor. No matter which form they take, corallines are a key source of food and habitat for the organisms around them. This talk will address some of the unique challenges faced by corallines due to their calcified structure,and the interesting ways in which these challenges are overcome. Dr. Kyra Janot is a phycologist (seaweed scientist) specializing in coralline biomechanics and evolution. She is currently working as a Biology instructor at Langara College. You can follow her on Twitter @KyraJanot.