Lecture Series at the Discovery Centre
At 2pm on November 17, about 30 or more of us gathered at the discovery centre in Hamilton, Ontario for a lecture on invasive and endangered species along the Niagara Escarpment. Kyle McLoughlin is a climbing arborist for the Davey Tree Expert Company specializing in plant disease pathology and actively participates in nature guides. It is with no hesitation that I can honestly say, listening to Kyle passionately describe and inform our audience about invading species and the endangered counterparts among our escarpment was a great experience.
He often referred to the escarpment as our own back yard, and rightfully so, just a few meters away we have so much to see. It does not take much to really admire nature in its perfect imbalanced glory - there was so much to take out of what Kyle had to say.
Going into the lecture, I have minimal knowledge on biodiversity in nature. I am a second year student at Mcmaster studying geography and earth studies: a double major that i hope to advance further into. A few of my first year courses touched delicately on biodiversity of trees and a few common invasive species. However after only an hour of listening to Kyle, I can honestly say that it was an hour well enjoyed.
Essentially, we all have a foothold in the biodiversity and threshold of the natural landscape of our cities. By informing the public on these issues that concern what seem to be very minimal sectors of something huge, the impact can be astounding. Kyle referenced one of our great famines in China, where someone in power had unknowingly removed a huge counterpart in the web of nature, and in retrospect actually hastened a famine that killed millions of people. Those were sparrows, and that was Chairman Mao during the years of 1958-1961 close to fifteen million lives were lost. Similarly, without the knowledge to preserve and educate others, we could easily fall into other predicaments which is why it is integral not only for us but for the future of our civilization.
I encourage you to learn how to identify ash trees, to see if your trees are infected with ash borers - learn about buckthorns and garlic mustard. By learning, you could help prevent large outbreaks of similar situations. Nature does not know what it is doing, but we can observe and see changes over time. These changes are usually preventable and with further studies and research, we may be able to understand how to counter these invasive species. But it starts with you and me!
Robyn Sifton
Social Media Manager atgiantsrib
McMaster University
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