In the fortnight that I’ve been back in Toronto, I’ve been catching up with my online work now that I’m back on the rapid, reliable data upload and download side of the digital divide. I've finally started to digest and reflect on my pretty epic four-month trip to India, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan. […]
Plant Biology
Researching women botanists in 19th century Ontario brought footnotes back into my life
Investigator-driven research is often highly serendipitous. In high school, I liked history as much as biology, but I'm a fidget, and biology, which is much more action-oriented, allowed me to move more. Also, references were much easier to type for science lab reports and essays, than those fussy footnotes required in history and philosophy. Nearly 40 […]
Must-read books for scientists: 2. The Invention of Nature
When I launched this lab website in 2013, I had a vague idea that I would write one to two posts a year, in which I urged fellow scientists to read some book that I had found particularly inspiring or educational. My first post in 2013 was about Stephen Clarkson and Stepan Wood's A Perilous Imbalance. Sadly, Stephen Clarkson […]
Envirothon is a team-based environmental science high school contest
The Toronto Envirothon Workshop at #YorkUniversity on April 13, 2017. Envirothons are team-based #HighSchool science competitions that have been around for decades in Canada & the USA. Students form clubs supervised by dedicated teachers, and learn about #Forestry, #Wildlife, #AquaticBiology & #soilscience. A one day, intensive workshop runs ahead of the local, regional competition. The […]
From university professor to University Professor
At last week's York University convocation for the Faculty of Science and Lassonde Engineering School, I was made University Professor. That's me with the Dean of Science, Dr. Ray Jawawardhana. But, I'm already a university professor, so what does this mean? University Professor is an honorific title that exists at many North American universities, including University of Toronto […]
Science Fairs & Science on Ice at York University
The annual Science Fair is a right of passage for many aspiring, young scientists. I've been fortunate (if that's the right word), to experience them as both a judge, and a parent. Back in the 1990s, I was blown away by the creativity and enthusiasm of the young citizen scientists when I was a judge at the annual […]
A fun learning outcome for Plant Biology students
First year at university is tough for students. The transition from high school to university is a shock to the system of young people entering a system where deadlines come with consequences. There are complex schedules to juggle, and no one checks to see if you are showing up at lectures (at least not by name). But, in my opinion, […]
The Awesome Applied Plant Ecology Students of Fall Term 2016
My 24th and final 2016 blog post is a shout-out to the amazing students who took my 4th year Applied Plant Ecology course (BIOL 4095), in Fall Term, from September 2016 to a couple of weeks ago. Many of you are pictured above in the last class in early December. Not only did you embrace blogging, tweeting […]
Guest blogging about Advent Botany at the University of Reading
The first piece of advice I give undergraduates is: "show up to all of your lectures and labs, even if you're barely conscious". Why? Because simply being present improves your learning. As Weingardt (1997) observed, "The world is run by those who show up". My second piece of advice is, "take handwritten notes with a pencil […]
August 15 post: Biodiversity & Watershed Management Field Course
The 2016 Biodiversity and Watershed Management field course that ran in the first half of July was awesome! This exclusive course is tailored for YorkU students who can't get away from their weekend summer jobs to go on pricey field courses in distant locations. Read the student blog: Urban Watershed Management & Biodiversity I made the posters for […]
