A recent CBC news story about the use of glyphosate in BC to remove deciduous trees has generated considerable discussion about the practice. Below, I reproduce two letters relevant to this issue. The first is a letter submitted by the president of BC Nature to the Honourable Doug Donaldson and the Honourable George Heyman on October 9, 2019. The second is the reply to this letter from Shawn Hedges, RPF, Acting Executive Director/Deputy Chief Forester, Office of the Chief Forester.

Now this is a fun question to try and answer!  An article in Audubon News explains the research that likely corrects the old ideas that it was about not rolling off rocky ledges. For centuries, people have marvelled at the brown-flecked shell of a murre’s egg, which can range in color from a creamy white to a vibrant turqoise. But murre eggs have also fascinated people for another reason: their unusually angular tip, which is one of the pointiest in the avian kingdom. In the 1800s, naturalists posited that this shape allowed the eggs … Continue reading →

  Bottom Line Conclusion: In boreal forests, the organic matter consumed by earthworms means a reduction in available nutrients for other organisms, reduction in fungi, and reduction in soil moisture. A new study by a large team of researchers from around the world has looked at global earthworm diversity patterns that are influenced by climate to try and help anticipate how these valuable animals might be affected in a warming world. The study covered 57 countries, including Canada, and gathered data from nearly 7,000 sites. But a Canadian researcher who … Continue reading →