An illustrated account of the geological and natural history of one of Australia’s many deserts. This is a story of ancient subterranean rivers that left vast caverns with crystal clear lakes beneath the now treeless plain, of giant marsupials that once roamed there and how the arrival of man 40,000 years ago contributed to changes in the flora which led to the ultimate demise of the megafauna. The talk will also include the results of the speaker's 1960/61 expedition to some of the caves when remains of the extinct fauna were found and the first ever attempt to SCUBA dive in the lakes was made.
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Botany Section Programs
The evening programs of the Botany Section are held from January through April and September through November on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Unity Church, 5840 Oak St, Vancouver. For more information and suggestions for future programs please contact the Program Co-ordinator David Cook at 604-924-0147.
Thursday, October 18
Tundra
Ron Long
Tundra occurs in the narrow zone between the farthest extent of trees and the permanent snow line. This zone represents one of the harshest habitats on earth yet plants thrive there. They have managed this by evolving an amazing array of adaptations and it is these adaptations that make arctic/alpine plants so fascinating. The talk will examine the conditions that characterize tundra and go on to describe the plants and the adaptations that allow them to prosper against all odds.
Ron Long worked as a professional photographer at Simon Fraser University for 36 years. For fifteen years he photographed exclusively for the Biological Sciences Department and so has a great deal of biology in his background. He has been photographing wildflowers for over forty years and has always had a particular interest in arctic/alpine plants. Now retired, Ron travels almost constantly to interesting places around the world to, of course, take pictures. Nature photography in general and wildflowers in particular are his preferred subjects. Ron is vice president of the Native Plant Society of BC, is active in the Vancouver Natural History Society and is on the Speakers Committee at VanDusen Gardens.
Thursday, November 15
Ginty's ghost
Chris Czajkowski
The talk will focus on the speaker’s five years' struggle to make a home in the wilderness. During this time she collected stories about the previous resident, an acknowledged Chilcotin Character, known by everyone as “Ginty”. Ginty's distinctive view on life makes a colourful thread through the talk.
Chris Czajkowski grew up in England, travelled the world with a backpack for a decade, and arrived in Canada in 1979. Three years later she was building her first off-road cabin in the wilderness, about 150 km inland from Bella Coola. In 1988 she moved to a higher location on a fly-in lake where she built three more cabins and created the Nuk Tessli Alpine Experience, an ecotourism business catering to hikers and naturalists. She has written ten books about her nearly thirty years of wilderness living. The latest book, Ginty's Ghost, will be published in the fall of 2012.