Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host the following free online lecture:
Title: Watermelon Snow – Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear
Speaker: Dr. Lynne Quarmby
Date: Sunday, April 18, 2021
Time: 7:00 p.m. PDT
This webinar is facilitated by the Canadian Society of Environmental Biologists and is open to the public (see the registration link below).
Dr. Quarmby’s talk is based on her recently released book Watermelon Snow: Science, Art, and a Lone Polar Bear, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press in October 2020. The book combines science, an arctic expedition, the reality of climate change, and climate activism. The author presents a unique human and scientific perspective on climate change. The book has been described by a reviewer as: “one scientist’s rediscovery of what it means to live a good life at a time of increasing desperation about the future.”
Dr. Quarmby is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry at Simon Fraser University. Her research is interdisciplinary and focuses on the interface of cell biology and ecology. One area of her research includes examining the single-celled green algae that grow on snow (snow algae) giving it a red, watermelon hue. The red hue reflects sunlight, increases the local temperature and results in increased ice melt. The algae are part of a community consisting of fungi, bacteria, viruses and other microscopic organisms living in a nutrient-poor, low-temperature environment.
“Seating capacity” for the talk is limited, and you will need to register in advance. You can check the computer requirements for attendees here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the webinar.
If you are new to Comox Valley Nature, find out more about us here.
Although CVN lectures are free, donations of any size from non-members who attend are always appreciated ($4.00 is suggested).
