People passionate about nature

Past Discovery Evenings

What is bugging the bees?

Date: 

Monday, January 19, 2015

Presenter: 

Dr. Robert Currie, Professor and Head, Dept. of Entomology, University of Manitoba

Honey bees and some other pollinators have suffered high rates of population loss since 2006. While the problem has been extensively investigated, no single factor has been identified that can explain all instances of colony losses.

170 Years on the St. Charles Tall Grass Prairie: Will There be 170 More?

Date: 

Monday, January 5, 2015

Presenter: 

John Morgan, Prairie Habitats, Inc.

Donated to the Canadian Department of National Defence in 1911 by Sir Henry Pallot, the St. Charles Ranges became a training centre for soldiers heading to the battlefields of WWI, WWII, Korea and Afghanistan. This little known 400+ hectare gem with a view of Winnipeg's skyline has been completely protected by military personnel for over a century. The St.

The Benefits and Challenges of Using Native Trees in the Urban Environment

Date: 

Monday, November 17, 2014

Presenter: 

Martha Barwinsky, City Forester, Urban Forestry Branch, City of Winnipeg

Urban forestry programs work to ensure canopy cover to mitigate the impacts of urbanization and to provide a liveable environment for an increasing population. But they continue to be challenged with urban sprawl that reduces natural forest cover and creates unsuitable growing conditions. A broadened global market and climate change are added challenges.

Communing with Invertebrates: What I’ve Learned About Prairie Pollination

Date: 

Monday, October 6, 2014

Presenter: 

Dr. Diana Bizecki Robson, Curator of Botany, Manitoba Museum

***NOTE*** Due to construction, the room for October 6 has been changed to the Jean-Paul-Aubry Hall on the main level. Directional signs will be posted. You can enter the Jean-Paul-Aubry Hall from the outside, i.e. you do not need to go through the building.

Stationarity on the Run: The New Normal for Manitoba’s Climate

How Will Climate Change Affect Manitoba? (MB Government)

Date: 

Monday, March 3, 2014

Presenter: 

Dr. Danny Blair, Associate Dean of Science, University of Winnipeg

The concept of ‘normal’ in climatology defines the range of conditions expected in the near future, based upon the recent past, with the assumption that the recent past is a reasonable approximation of the near future. Thanks to climate change, this assumption of ‘stationarity’ in the climate is no longer valid.

Probing Benefits of Play to Polar Bears and Potential Problems Posed by Tourism

Polar bear seen from a Tundra Buggy at the CNSC (Martin Zeilig)

Date: 

Monday, January 20, 2014

Presenter: 

Drs. Jane Waterman and Jim Roth, Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba

Play behaviour is common in young mammals in good condition, but adult play is rarely observed, especially in mammals that are fasting. Polar bears in northern Manitoba spend several months on land fasting while Hudson Bay is free of ice, and during this time adult male polar bears frequently play.

Growth of the Lesser Snow Goose Population: Consequences and Control Efforts

Snow Goose juveniles at Victoria Beach in 2008 (Garry Budyk)

Date: 

Monday, January 6, 2014

Presenter: 

Frank Baldwin, Game Bird Manager Wildlife Branch, Department of Conservation and Water Stewardship

Beginning in the mid-1990’s, waterfowl biologists became increasingly alarmed at the persistent and rapid growth of the mid-continent population of Lesser Snow Geese. This species nests in sub-arctic and arctic regions of Canada, migrates through the prairies, and winters in Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas.

Moose Biology 400: The Ecology & Management of a Boreal Icon

Bull moose in Riding Mountain National Park (Dr. Vince Crichton)

Date: 

Monday, November 4, 2013

Presenter: 

Dr. Vince Crichton, retired Manager of Game, Fur and Problem Wildlife, Manitoba Conservation

Moose have played a significant role in Manitoba’s history from a cultural, social and economic perspective. However, beginning in the early to mid 1990s, the provincial population (excluding Riding Mountain National Park) has dropped significantly to what is now the lowest overall population since the early 1980s.

Pages