Dr. Leakey in the house!

Saturday, I attended a lecture by Dr. Richard Leakey here at the ROM. The son of renowned paleoanthropologists Louis and Mary Leakey, Dr. Leakey has continued his family's research in human evolution. He is also a politician, staunch conservationist and an honest and humourous speaker with a focus on a positive attitude to create action and change.

He spoke on climate change and conservation. He spoke of facing facts and owning up to a collective responsibility for the planet. No more "if” the world’s climate continues to change, then we "could" see up to 50% of our species go extinct. It is happening, we are losing species and we will continue to lose more species as the environment changes too quickly for them to adapt.

Sure, global temperature fluctuations have happened before. Sure, species have been going extinct for billions of years. The difference is: this time around it is without a doubt entirely due to human activity. And it's happening at rates that far exceed and normal background rate.

Dr. Leakey said change happens through "enlightenment, rewards, and a big stick" (not in that order). Should we blame other countries' governments and say "you did this - you fix it"? Do we really need to bother changing our activities? Will what we do actually matter?I think so, what do you think?

-Bep Schippers, Programs, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity

A little goes a long way

Last week I wrote about the challenges of contributing to major ecological problems (like saving the oceans,) as a sometime-insignificant-feeling individual. Since then, ROM curator Mary Burridge - an oceans expert - has assured me that little choices really do make a big difference. She recommended checking out Oceans Wise. The conservation project, run out of the Vancouver Aquarium, has great facts about eco-friendly seafood and the Canadian restaurants that serve it. I'm pleased to report that the Royal Ontario Museum's very own C5 Restaurant is among the list.

Rick Winterbottom, senior curator of Icthyology, also weighed in on the debate. In this months ROM magazine, he writes about the devastating impacts anchors can have on ocean ecosystems, particularly coral reefs. So for all you sea loving pirates reading this, maybe it's time to throw your anchors away.

In other news, today's Globe and Mail reports that a new conservation project will use an army of citizen scientists to monitor global levels of biodiversity through a virtual observatory. The mega project, which will be on the same scale as many of the climate modeling systems currently used to track climate change, aims to advance the field of cyber-taxonomy, where citizen naturalists and scientists contribute to the monitoring and identification of local species. Bird Studies Canada and the Canadian Nature Federation already use volunteers in similar species monitor projects. Yet another way the average-joe can get involved in global conservation efforts.

If you've got any ideas on how little people can solve big problems, I'd love to hear about them. Leave you comments bellow.

-Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity

Under the sea

On Monday the papers were abuzz with a new study on the state of our oceans. An international team of researchers combed through hundreds of texts from ancient times to piece together a picture of what global fisheries looked like in days of yore. According to their results, there are 85 to 90 per cent fewer fish and marine mammals in the ocean today that there once were.

The picture sounds bleak to say the least, but the research also provided a number of success stories, suggesting that given the time, oceans can recover. European herring stocks, Elephant seals and Sea Otters were all provided as examples of marine species driven to the brink of extinction that have subsequently made dramatic recoveries. The ocean, it appears, is far more resilient than the land.

In ecology and conservation it ‘s easy to be distracted by doom and gloom stories and miss the solutions all together. Sometimes it can be hard to see how an average individual can assist with the recovery of marine life. So what can you do to help preserve our oceans? Think about what you eat! Through simple choices consumers can weigh in on species preservation. Many institutions produce Seafood guides to help consumers identify species with low impact and high recovery times from species whose populations are currently at risk. I even found this nifty iPhone app, making the choice to eat green easier than ever.

No one said saving our oceans would be easy, but with a little thought and planning, we can all pitch in and make a difference.

- Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity
- Photo courtesy of hiitscj's

It's World Biodiversity Day, but where's the buzz?

Today marks the International Day for Biological Diversity, or World Biodiversity Day as it is more commonly referred to. The United Nations sanctioned event aims to promote discussion and awareness around the importance of biodiversity to our planet's health. It's one of the few days of the year when environmental debate isn't entirely focused on climate change.

This morning I arrived at my desk and opened up Google news, expecting to see a bump in the stories on biodiversity. There were a few headlines, mostly from smaller press in the developing world. I headed over to BBC World to see what they had on offer. While there were a number of smaller, dated stories on various species, no where was there any news on biodiversity itself. World Biodiversity Day, it seems, has gone largely unnoticed.

This is of grave concern. In the last century the diversity of species on earth has plummeted, largely due to anthropogenic intervention. This is reflected in our rainforests, our food supply, even our own backyards. As last count, 80 percent of our food supply was derived from only 20 individual species. Over six million square kilometers of the earth's tropic rainforests have been burned for pasture or cut for timber. Scientists estimate that one fifth of the world's species reside in tropical rainforests - what will we loose when they are gone forever? How many have already slipped through our fingers?

The general scientific consensus is that biologically diverse ecosystems provide more stability that their monoculture counterparts. Extinct is forever. Maybe it's time we reassess the direction we are heading in, and put preservation of biodiversity on the agenda. For real.

-Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity

Going green is about more than just greenbacks

Last night the ROM held a debate in honor of Nature week.  Crowds came out en-mass to watch Thomas Homer-Dixon, Gregg Easterbrook and Terry Anderson hash out the details on no less than How to Save the World.  Though the three environmental experts had decidedly different viewpoints, the message was clear; the solution to the environmental problems the world faces must be resolved through market incentives using the tools of a capitalist economy.

Now maybe it’s just me, but isn’t the capitalist economy what got us all into this mess to begin with?  True, the market has successfully resolved previous environmental catastrophes, like acid rain, through incentives and legislation.  But the fact remains that the discipline of economics views the environment as an externality.  There is no method of accounting for the financial value of a rainforest or a riverbed outside of their commoditization.  According to a capitalist economy, nature left alone is of no value at all.

There is, however, one instance where the markets might be used to create incentives to go green.  Polluter-pays legislation, though often unfavorable with corporate America, makes polluting unaffordable.  And when it comes to corporate accountability, nothing speaks louder than the bottom line.  As my good friend Dr. Bob Murphy likes to say, there is no conservation without legislation.  Maybe it’s time our political figures step up to the plate, like President Obama recently did, and make changes that actually matter.  

-Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity

Nature Week at the ROM!

Well, the big day has finally arrived. This Saturday, May 16 will mark the opening of the new Schad Gallery of Biodiversity. Curators and Museum Preparators have worked tirelessly over the last few weeks to make sure that the Schad Gallery opening goes off without a hitch. The specimens are in their cases, the videos are on their screens, and now we’re just eagerly awaiting feedback from our visitors -- that’s you! I have a hunch the gallery will be a huge success.

To kick off the Schad Gallery in style, next week the ROM will host Nature Week. Along with the gallery opening and the Earth Rangers shows, there are tons of fun events scheduled, which bring Natural History and Science to the forefront of the Museum. Here are just a few:

How to Save the World
Sure, everyone says they care about the environment, but what can we do to really make a difference? This lively debate hosted by Mark Kingwell will feature Thomas Homer-Dixon, Terry Anderson and Gregg Easterbrook. Tuesday May 19, 7 pm - 8 pm, FREE!

Candles of Hope – Lost species at Risk
A candle light vigil to honor species on the cusp of extinction. Join the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Fatal Light Awareness Program to learn more about species at risk in Ontario. Tuesday May 19, 8:30 pm - 9 pm, FREE!

Royal Botanical Gardens Display
Biodiversity is a living thing! Come down to the Bloor Street Plaza to witness the RBG’s living display of global biodiversity. Wednesday May 20, FREE!

Global Biodiversity Up Close
We’d all love to go on Safari, but with tough economic times, who can afford it? Instead, the ROM is bringing the wild to you! Come down to the Bloor Street Plaza and meet Sheba the Elephant along with her animal friends. Friday May 22, 11 am -1 pm, FREE!

Hopefully some of you will be able to make it out for these exciting events next week! I would love to hear more about your thoughts on our new gallery as well as Nature Week at the ROM. What kind of programming would you like to see in the future?

- Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity

The Digital Lowdown

Greetings blogosphere!  My name is Elaisha Stokes, and I am the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity’s Creative Producer at the Royal Ontario Museum.  I create the videos that will appear in the Earth Rangers Studio, an interactive studio space for lectures, discussions and educational programs.

 

My job is a lot of fun. It combines my love of natural sciences and documentary filmmaking while keeping me on my toes! I've had lots of exciting experiences at the ROM, everything from handing real dinosaur bones in the photography studio, to having a live African Ball Python coiled around my neck thanks to Dr. Bob Murphy, the ROM's Senior Herpetologist.   It seems there’s never a dull moment.   Learn more about my adventures and current events in biodiversity news on our twitter account - follow us at: www.twitter.com/greenrom.

If you haven't visited the Museum recently, you're missing out.  The ROM is about to launch an exciting digital initiative, putting us at the forefront of interactive experiences in the world of museums.  In fact, in addition to the interactive Earth Rangers Studio, the Schad Gallery will feature over 150 videos on 12 screens, allowing guests to learn more about the science behind our natural history specimens.

I'll be posting some of my videos on this blog in the future.  In the meantime, what topics are you interested in learning more about at the ROM?  Are there any behind-the-scenes questions you've been dying to ask?  What animals are you most excited to see in the new Schad Gallery? I'm most excited about the awesome White Rhino!

-Elaisha Stokes, Producer, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity (documentary filmmaker and nature nut)