Nature Canada AGM - St. Lawrence Rendezvous June 11, 2008

9:30 a.m.

Victoria Dickenson, PhD
Historian, Executive Director, McCord Museum

Topic: The Great River of Canada: Passage to a new world

Since the first voyages of Jacques Cartier, the St. Lawrence has beckoned Europeans to seek first the fabled lands of China and then the secrets of a new world. Through maps, images and their own words, this talk will explore the first images of Canada and its great river, and the natural wonders that revealed themselves to Europeans as they penetrated deeper and deeper into the Kingdom of Saguenay and the lands of Hochelaga, along one of the most fascinating narrow channel sailing routes in the world.

11:00 a.m.

Jean Cinq-Mars,
Biologist, President of Environmental Resources and Sustainable Development Inc

Topic: Ecological Challenges for the St. Lawrence River Valley

An historical overview including future trends regarding the effect of climate change on birds, plants and marine animals. What can be done about loss of habitat, invasive species and water contamination? How are other countries adjusting?

1:50 pm
Three concurrent Speakers:

Marie-Anne Hudson, David M. Green, Patrick Asch
Marie-Anne Hudson, PhD candidate, McGill University; Director, McGill Bird Observatory

Topic: What migrating birds can teach us

Established in 2004, the McGill Bird Observatory provides a seasonal glimpse into the lives of migratory birds as they journey north in spring and south in fall. By uniquely identifying these individuals through banding, we have learned much from them as they return year after year, or are found at other banding stations. This presentation will describe methods involved in migration monitoring and will touch on the various facets of passerine migration through Montreal. (Note field trip to MBO on Saturday.)



David M. Green, Professor, McGill University; Director, Redpath Museum

Topic: Amphibian Decline: a Harbinger of Doom?

Amphibians are frequently depicted as fragile creatures, doomed by a porous skin, dependence on water and inability to disperse to suffer inordinate declines due to habitat change. Yet this is not entirely true. Amphibians, particularly frogs, are the most abundant of all terrestrial vertebrate animals, tremendously diverse and remarkably adaptable. Being so visible, and audible, declines in their numbers and distributions are particularly noticeable. Therefore, what amphibian declines portend may be much worse. Yet, how much trouble are they really in? What do we really know about the health of amphibian populations to begin with? It is important to answer these questions in order to understand what observations of amphibian decline mean.



Patrick Asch, biologist, specialist in wildlife management, founder of Héritage Laurentienne

Topic: Habitat conservation efforts in the Lachine Rapids region and around Montreal

Despite the environmental damage incurred through centuries of human development in the area, there still remains an impressive diversity of life in the region of the Lachine Rapids. For example, a heronry of more than 1000 nests. Heritage Laurentien has created various unique and innovative projects both in the Lachine Rapids region and throughout the Montreal area. One example: planting more than 110 000 trees and bushes along the shoreline.

3:00 p.m.
Three concurrent Speakers:

Hans Hofmann, Louis Lefebvre, Richard Sears

Hans Hofmann, Adjunct Professor, McGill University, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Topic: The St. Lawrence Valley – Reading the Rocks

The St. Lawrence Lowland has a long and varied geologic history. Five main chapters are recorded in the succession of rocks and unconsolidated deposits in the region. Though quite incomplete, this record does render fascinating clues about past events, processes, materials, relationships, environmental conditions and life during the past billion years. Geologists use various concepts and methods to decipher the observed features and their history.



Louis Lefebvre, Professor of Biology, McGill University

Topic: Feeding behaviour of birds: a window on their intelligence

Birders, both academic and amateur, have been recording novel and unusual feeding behaviours by birds for many decades. The invention of new behaviours is one of the definitions of intelligence and we can thus look at the relationship between the brain and innovation rate. Our work with birds has stimulated similar work on primates, whales and dolphins, and even insects and octopus, which will all be discussed.



Richard Sears, field biologist, Director of the Mingan Island Cetacean Study

Topic: Blue Whales of the St. Lawrence River

The Mingan Island study is researching the behavioural ecology of the Blue, Fin, Minke and Humpback Whales of the St. Lawrence. Of particular interest is the Blue Whales’ distribution, interaction between the sexes and their movements following food sources.

SATURDAY, 14 JUNE 2008

Banquet after-dinner speaker: Louise Gratton
Ecologist and biologist, Director of Science and Stewardship for Nature Conservancy Canada, Quebec region and past chair of Nature Canada

Topic: The River, Nature Canada and Nature Conservancy

Through the centuries, our magnificent river has been violently assaulted by the humans living along its shores. More recently considerable efforts have been made to have the river and its shores recognized as a major component of our national heritage, needing to be preserved and protected. Through her personal experience and her work as a biologist, Louise Gratton, takes us on a 30-year story of conservation work bearing fruit.

Official Website: http://www.pqspb.org/NCconf_2008/nc08_home.htm