Speakers Series Summer 2008: Indigenous Pollinators, Habitat and Co-evolution
Researchers and artists speak about pollinator and bee biodiversity, habitat and related topics throughout the month of July at various venues. Co-presented by Seeds of Diversity and InterAccess, Dorkbot and Franklin Children’s Garden. Updates at interaccess.org.
Thursday July 10 (date and times to be confirmed): “Social and Solitary Bees”
A bee-wasp condo opening, with story reading, talks, snacks and pollinator walk.
Featuring Dr. Stephen Buchman, Dr. Peter Hallett and Dr. Laurence Packer. Franklin Children’s Garden – City of Toronto Parks and Recreation, Toronto Centre Island (via Centre Island ferry, directions and updates at toronto.ca/parks/franklin/index.htm)
Dr. Stephen L. Buchmann, adjunct professor of Entomology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, co- author, “The Forgotten Pollinators”, reads his book “The Bee Tree” (ages 4 and up).
Professor Peter Hallett, University of Toronto and Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum (in co-ordination with Koffler Scientific Reserve at Jokers Hill –University of Toronto): Introduction to bee-wasp condos, lives of local solitary bees and wasps, and his long-term work developing and observing trap nest blocks (bee condo contributor).
Dr. Laurence Packer, Professor of Professor of Biology at York University: Introduction to “A Guide to Toronto’s Pollinators” and his amazing collection of world-wide bee specimens!
Sat July 12, 7:00 p.m.: “The Forgotten Pollinators”
Featuring Dr. Stephen L. Buchmann (Tucson, AZ).
InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre Studio, 9 Ossington Ave at Queen W. Dr.
Stephen L. Buchmann, adjunct professor of Entomology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, co- author, “The Forgotten Pollinators”, North American Pollinator Protection Campaign executive steering committee / International Coordinator, President – Drylands Institute, photographer, consultant: Speaking on pollinator/habitat co-evolution, indigenous pollinators, food security issues and his involvement with the Sonora Desert Museum pollinator gardens.
Thursday July 17, 7:00 p.m. (date to be confirmed): “Barcodes and Bees?”
Featuring Professor Laurence Packer (York University) and Resonating Bodies artists. A Dorkbot event at InterAccess Electronic Media Arts Centre Studio, 9 Ossington Ave at Queen W. (dorkbot.org/dorkbottoronto/)
Dr. Laurence Packer, Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies at York University, author of “Bees of Toronto”: Speaking on Canada’s native bees, pollinator biodiversity and pollinator-habitat relationships; emphasizing recent research regarding DNA barcode data in understanding the bees of Canada.
Artists Sarah Peebles, Rob King, Anne Barros and Robert Cruickshank talk about their interdisciplinary work, “Resonating Bodies – Bumble Domicile” exhibiting at *new* gallery July 4 – 27 (Co-Presented by InterAccess and NAISA). Topics include visualization of pollen gathering data, ultraviolet video / bee vision, the electroforming process, and audio transformations of bee sounds.
Sunday July 20, 4 p.m.:
“Plants affecting pollinators: How plants lure bumblebees into making plant babies”
Featuring Jessamyn Manson (University of Toronto)
Jessamyn Manson, a Ph.D. candidate from the University of Toronto Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, will speak about the interaction between plants and their pollinators, focusing on how plant traits like flower colour, scent and reward convince bumblebees to act as pollen vectors. Jessamyn will also discuss how the rewards collected by bumble bees affect bee health and performance.
Saturday, July 26th, 1:20 p.m.
Sarah Peebles will perform solo shoh improvisations at *new* gallery as part of MUSIC(in)GALLERIES – an afternoon of Live Creative Music in Twenty Queen Street West Art Galleries (1-5pm). Details at www.somewherethere.org.
Dr. Stephen L. Buchmann is an adjunct professor of entomology at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has authored or co-authored 8 books, including the influential “The Forgotten Pollinators” (1996 from Island Press), along with 150 scientific publications. Buchmann has been influential in creating national and international policy for the conservation of bees and other pollinators along with the flowering plants they visit (e.g. Sao Paulo Declaration on Pollinators, the International Pollinator Initiative). Currently, he serves as chair of the research, and founding member of the executive steering committees for the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (www.nappc.org and www.pollinator.org) a tri-national cooperative involving a120 organizations in Canada, USA and Mexico. Recently, he served on the U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel which published its 300 page report as a book “Status of Pollinators in North America” during April, 2007. Although a scientist by training, he is an accomplished photographer and experimenter with high technology. He uses a Creo flatbed scanner to image bees, butterflies and flowers, turning these up to 1 Gigabyte image files into fine art giclee inkjet prints and exhibits. For the past three years, he has been an instructor (digital print-making and scanography) for the Art Institute of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum based in Tucson. Buchmann was an associate producer for the Turner Original Films television documentary “Pollinators in Peril” which aired on the TBS super channel in April, 2000. His first children’s book “The Bee Tree” was published in April, 2007 by Cinco Puntos Press, El Paso, Texas. Contact: stephenbuchmann [at] comcast [dot] net.
Professor Peter Hallett, is an entomologist with the University of Toronto and Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum. Find out more about Prof. Hallett’s projects at the Pink Bee Condo.
Laurence Packer is a melittologist – in other words, his research specialty is wild bees. At York University he teaches entomology and biodiversity. He is a member of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and is as active as he can be in promoting an understanding of the importance of bees. More at http://www.yorku.ca/bugsrus/home.htm.
