Dr. Stuart Bunn - Speaker Series May 14, 2007

Dr. Stuart Bunn, Director of the Australian Rivers Institute at Griffith University in Brisbane, will be the next speaker in the Science and Nature Speaker Series, Monday, May 14, 7 pm at the Cornwall Public Library. Dr. Bunn, a noted ecologist, will provide insights into the health and ecology of river and wetland ecosystems in Australia. His perspective will provide an interesting comparison to North American river systems.

Envirothon

The regional Envirothon took place on April 25, with 8 teams competing from local high schools. The competition involved a series of stations that tested team knowledge on a variety of subjects such as aquatics, soils, forestry, and species identification. All competitors are to be congratulated, and good luck to the winning teams, North Dundas Secondary School, and Charlan Secondary School, who will represent our region in the Provincial Envirothon competition next month!

GRAB Day

To celebrate Earth Day, volunteers showed up on April 21 to help clean up the Cornwall waterfront in Lamoureux Park. Garbage Removal for Area Beautification (GRAB)is a community program organised by the Cornwall Youth Advisory Committee and the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences. Pictured here are volunteers Jessica (left) and Mary.

Solar Car Competition

On April 13th, 2007, twelve local high school teams participated in the Solar Car Competition, as part of the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce Energy Forum. The winners of the competition were:
Fasted Solar Car Sprint: St. Matthew Catholic Learning Centre
Most efficient solar vehicle: St. Joseph Secondary School
Most Unique Design: École L’Héritage
Most Team Spirit: Seaway District High School
Fasted battery assisted vehicle: École Secondaire la Citadelle
After the competition, team members participated in the luncheon with guest speaker Dr. David Suzuki. What a fantastic way to involve and inspire our youth in the environmental movement. Sponsors for the Solar Car Competition were Bell Canada, the Eastern Ontario Training Board, and the Professional Engineers of Ontario.

Bugs and Disease - The Big Buzz Word in Ontario

The River Institute's own Bruce Doran will be the next guest speaker in the Science and Nature Speaker Series, April 18, 7 pm at the Cornwall Public Library. Bruce will talk about Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus - the pathogens that cause these diseases, the arthropod vectors involved (i.e. ticks and mosquitoes), routes of transmission, signs and symptoms of the diseases, and how to prevent infection. Join us on April 18!