Richard Hebda of the Royal British Columbia Museum will speak in the Sparling Pavilion at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden this Saturday morning (Oct. 22) at 11 a.m.
His subject, The Challenges of Climate Change: The Value of Nature Conservation and Native Plants, features current information about the local and continent-wide effects of climate changes to plants and animals (including us).
This lecture is part of the annual Trees are Terrific event held each October at the Botanical Garden. There will also be a sale of plants and calendars before and after the lecture, a display of innovative tree-themed quilts by Quilters Out-of-Bounds, and a tour of the Botanical Garden featuring its trees. A delectable light lunch of homemade soup, bread and sweets will be available too. If the weather is fine, stroll onto the terrace to read the inscribed patio bricks. In addition, there will be a display of plants that are attractive in late fall.
We can feel overwhelmed by news about climate change, so this is a chance to get some facts about what we can do about it. In the next decades, B.C. will see major changes in plant and animal species, their ecosystems and locations.
We can each find ways to make positive choices such as in our landscapes and gardens. For instance, when planning a garden, it will help the environment in many ways if we chose more plants native to our region, helping both the climate and all the species of plants and animals that make up our ecosystem.
One of the most effective mechanisms for combating increased carbon dioxide (a major contributor to climate change) is the photosynthesis of all green plants. Plants absorb CO2 from the air and use it to make carbohydrates. You don't need a degree in chemistry to see how important trees, ferns, mosses and other plants are to our own survival and that of our ecology.
Hebda has been curator (botany and earth history) at the Museum for 31 years and adjunct faculty at the University of Victoria for 25 years. He curated the Climate and Climate Change exhibit at the museum and was co-ordinator of the restoration of natural systems program at University of Victoria. He studies vegetation and climate history of B.C., climate change impacts, ecology and origins of Garry oak and alpine ecosystems.
Admission at the door is $15 for Botanical Garden members, $20 for non-members. Lunch tickets are $7. Please use the North Gate at 5941 Mason Rd., Sechelt. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, visit www.coastbotanicalgarden.org.
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