UNews - Oldman River

Sharing the prairie landscape with rattlesnakes

caroline.zentner — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 16:09:43 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is built into the coulee slopes along the Oldman River, an area that’s also habitat for the prairie rattlesnake.

Rattlesnakes are periodically seen on campus during the spring, summer and fall months as they travel in search of food. This fall, the rattlesnakes will migrate back to their den site for the winter but they may appear on campus over the next couple of months. A locally made video of a recent rattlesnake relocation can be found on YouTube at Rattlesnake at Piikani House.

“Rattlesnakes are cold-blooded and rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. They cannot tolerate extreme hot or cold for very long and, because of this, most human encounters with rattlesnakes occur before noon as the day heats up and again in the evening when it cools down,” says Ryan Heavy Head, ecological consultant for the City of Lethbridge.

The prairie rattlesnake can be identified by its arrow-shaped head and its olive green, yellow and brown colouring.

Often the first indication of a rattlesnake is the sound of its rattle. Rattlesnakes are shy by nature and will retreat rather than strike if they have the choice. But if they are surprised, cornered or stepped on, they can strike at a distance of up to half their length. Their venom is not especially lethal and no one in Alberta has died from a prairie rattlesnake bite.

If you encounter a rattlesnake on campus, back away slowly, remain calm, and give the snake plenty of space. Call U of L Security Services at 403-329-2345 and they will stand by and make arrangements for the snake to be relocated.

In the event a rattlesnake bites you, remain calm and get to a hospital as soon as possible. Do not try to suck or cut the venom out as it is quickly absorbed into the blood stream. Early treatment of rattlesnake bites usually results in a full recovery.

In Alberta, it’s illegal to kill a rattlesnake, possess rattlesnakes or their parts, or damage their denning areas.

More information is available on the City of Lethbridge website and information pamphlets are available at U of L Security Services.

City declares local State of Emergency

trevor.kenney — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 18:28:42 +0000

Friday, June 21
8:45 a.m.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will remain open during the current City of Lethbridge local State of Emergency. For more information on the flood situation, visit the website www.lethbridge.ca or follow @LethbridgeCity on Twitter.

Thursday, June 20
4:18 p.m.

The local State of Emergency remains in place for the City of Lethbridge but the effect on the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is negligible.

All paths to the river bottom area from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ have been closed but the U of L remains open and all programs are operating as normal.

Continue to monitor The City of Lethbridge for updates as to possible road and bridge closures.

2:57 p.m.

The Staff Appreciation BBQ for those who assisted in flood recovery scheduled for 3 p.m. today has been postponed due to the current local State of Emergency.

2:52 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge continues to monitor water levels. As of now, bridges across the Oldman River are open and expected to remain open.

2:22 p.m.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will remain open during the current City of Lethbridge local State of Emergency.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is advising faculty, staff and students who need to collect their children due to the closure of schools and daycare facilities to do so.

Please monitor the City of Lethbridge website (www.lethbridge.ca), and local media for updates on the local State of Emergency and the possibility of bridge closures. In the event that notice is given by the City of Lethbridge that bridges will be closed, those who live on the other side of the river are advised to leave for home at that time.

1:03 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge has advised residents to prepare for the possible temporary closures of the Whoop Up Drive and Hwy 3 bridge crossings. Officials will give notice in advance of any closures. The water is estimated to be peaking at approximately 5 p.m.

Many city schools are beginning the process of closing and have been advised by the City of Lethbridge to close by 3 p.m. today.

12:35 p.m.

The City of Lethbridge declared a local state of emergency at 12:09 p.m. Thursday, June 20 in anticipation of a possible flood of the Oldman River valley.

"We have officially declared a local state of emergency," read a message posted on the City of Lethbridge news website. "This means that we are working hard to ensure that resources are available to ensure safety in the river valley. We will update as more information becomes available."

As of 12:35 p.m., both the Whoop-Up Drive bridge and Hwy 3 bridge crossings were open to traffic.

Officials have closed river valley parks, the Bridge Valley Campground and local news sources report that the Lethbridge Regional Police Service has begun to evacuate residents of lower Paradise Canyon.

The city is also calling for volunteers who might want to help remove artifacts from Fort Whoop-Up. Those wanting to help can report to the City Hall foyer. They will be bussed in and out of the river valley.

Rowing for research

trevor.kenney — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 23:11:50 +0000

They're rowing across the Atlantic Ocean? Are they out of their minds?

Actually, no – but Adam Kreek and his teammates are mindful of the stresses, both physical and mental, that taking on a more than 3,700 nautical mile (6,700 km) trip entails. The group will set off from Dakar, Senegal, in mid January, rowing a sophisticated, open 29-foot rowboat, the James Robert Hanssen, on a world-record-attempting journey that will take them to Miami, Florida.

The late Dr. Rick Mrazek, centre, with Adam Kreek, far left, and members of his crew.

Along the way, researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge will be tracking their every movement and collecting valuable data for use in a number of studies.

The mission is expected to take 60 to 100 days to complete. Their original target date of arrival in Miami was Mar. 22 (World Water Day), but had to be pushed back by shipping delays caused by Hurricane Sandy.

When Kreek, an Olympic gold medal winning rower, visited the U of L this past fall, he turned his passion for water and adventure loose on land-locked faculty, students and community members in a way that got them thinking in innovative ways about water – a subject Kreek knows well.

"Let's face it: Lethbridge isn't surrounded by a lot of water," says Dr. Rick Mrazek, Faculty of Education Associate Dean and science educator. "The Oldman River, while picturesque, isn't massive, there are no great lakes nearby, and what water we do have in this area is highly managed to make sure it supports our regional water needs, agri-business and the farming economy. Working with the Canadian Wildlife Federation to support Adam's trip and the opportunities we have to be involved as interactive observers on this adventure is extremely exciting."

Mrazek says it's one thing to teach students about the Atlantic Ocean, but it's quite another to follow someone, in real time, who is rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. "Through our relationship with Adam and his team, our education students, teachers in the area and our researchers can take advantage of his trip to bring students authentic data and information about ocean and weather dynamics, marine life, the biomechanics of rowing and movement, and other real-life research opportunities."

Mrazek says the rowers will be collecting data which could be available to researchers and students here at the U of L. Students in community classrooms will also be following the trip online, and Kreek and his team will be checking in regularly.

The Canadian Wildlife Federation, OAR Northwest and a host of sponsors who have provided everything from satellite phones to the massive amounts of high calorie food the team members will require for their journey, are supporting the trip.

GET THE FACTS

· Kreek will be joined by teammates Markus Pukonen, Pat Fleming and Jordan Hanssen for their journey

· Mrazek is a bold proponent of environmental sustainability and the latest application of his research can be found at the Water in a World of 7 Billion legacy website (www.ww7b.org)

· Kreek's team will gather data from the ocean environment, marine life and themselves (relating responses in human physiology under stress) throughout the trip

· The team will row 24 hours per day and in two-hour shifts, allowing for sleep and rest

· Kreek competed in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning gold with the Canadian men's eights team at Beijing in 2008

This story first appeared in the January 2013 edition of the Legend. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Past shaping the future

trevor.kenney — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 19:14:47 +0000

The coulees offered extraordinary opportunities: dramatic heights and depths unusual in the Prairies, and the possibility of outlook, proximity to the river and a microclimate milder than the windswept flatlands.

Standing there on the far edge of the coulee I saw etched against the sky the light tracery of an old iron railway bridge, 300 feet in the air, spanning a mile across the river.

I came to the conclusion that though any building upon the exposed flatland should be interred in earth berms so that they would become part of the land, the academic building could span the coulees and, like the old bridge in its rigid flatness, reveal the rich contours of even the most level prairie.

It seemed to me that the top storey of the university should lie below the tableland in an uncompromising straight line spanning the haunches of
the prairie.
...
Dr. Arthur Erickson (LLD '81)

The Architecture of Arthur Erickson
With text by the architect

When renowned Canadian architect, the late Dr. Arthur Erickson (LLD '81), first came to Lethbridge to design ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall and formulate the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Development Plan, he was in awe of the coulee landscape, inspired by the High Level Bridge and concluded the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ should be part of the land.

"Architecture, as I see it, is the art of composing spaces in response to existing environmental and urbanistic conditions to answer a client's needs," Erickson once said. "In this way the building becomes the resolution between its inner being and the outer conditions imposed upon it. It is never solitary but is part of its setting and thus must blend in a timeless way with its surroundings, yet show its own fresh presence."

The construction of ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall began with a simple sod turning ceremony.

The vision as outlined in the 1969 Erickson-Massey Development Plan saw academic space integrated with residences "so that learning becomes part of living." The 1969 planning objectives also included attractive pedestrian walkways that linked to green spaces; closely knit, clear organization of campus buildings that took advantage of unique views of the river valley; and building sites chosen to ensure reverence, preservation and protection of the coulee landscape.

Construction of the original ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall was a monumental task.

Over the years, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ campus has expanded and evolved with recommendations initially set out in the Campus Development Plan Review (1993), the Master Plan Report (2000) and the Core Campus Expansion Plan (2001) – the latter of which is the springboard for the new ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Campus Master Plan (UCMP), which was ratified by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors in December 2012.

Spencer Court, architect and associate director of Campus Planning and Architecture at the U of L, has been leading the current UCMP renewal. He says the new plan takes previous planning history into consideration and maintains key planning initiatives while advancing the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's current strategic goals.

"Key elements from past plans have been retained, but the earliest plan had the most fundamentally correct principles or truths that continue to provide value and timeless importance today," he says.

Those principles of strengthening the existing site and building features, creating a compact campus, integrating campus with nature, and using an appropriate brand of architecture to produce a unique campus identity and experience are instilled in the 2012 plan.

Prepared in a collaborative effort with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Planners, Gibbs Gage Architects and Educational Consulting Services, the UCMP sets out a series of recommendations aimed at guiding larger-scale planning decisions for the main campus of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ over the next 25 years.

According to the UCMP, these guidelines "accentuate the existing campus design – organizing systems to allow the unique beauty, original order, coherence and distinctive setting of the campus to re-emerge." The UCMP suggests "a highly interconnected system of buildings and pedestrian networks to create an intimate and harmonized learning environment, integrating both academic and residential programs."

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall as we see it today, nestled in the coulees and taking advantage of the natural landscape.

What makes the UCMP unique is the way it frames and defines the academic core with a celebrated gateway accessing the heart of campus, while promoting pedestrian-friendliness and retaining the physical geography that informs future buildings and outdoor spaces.

"Campuses are like people in that they mature and become complete over time," says Court. "As key participants at a critical point in the development of our campus, we are privileged to produce a planning vision at a time when many are likely to witness the campus evolve into a more complete place."

The UCMP points to three key directives that align with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 2009-2013 Strategic Plan and 2011-2015 Capital Plan. The first is to physically support the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's mandate to be a comprehensive and academic research institution and to provide opportunities for a community of learners – students, faculty, researchers and staff – to interact in purposeful spaces. Second is to reinforce the quality of built and natural environments at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with an emphasis on improving campus life and the everyday student experience. Third, the plan will provide guidance in planning and management of assets while being stewards of the land.

These directives will aid in creating the physical "Destination U" that is currently being defined at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon agrees.

He says this UCMP is vital for establishing this legacy.

"As individuals who have various roles on campus, we are at one point in time, but universities live for a long, long time. It's critical that we look to the future from a planning perspective, and plan for years ahead that we can't even imagine. It is vitally important that our buildings and grounds deliver on the notion of the Destination ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ," says Mahon. "The U of L is very fortunate to have had the kind of vision that Erickson had around building into the coulees and really connecting the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with the topography and with nature."

The UCMP aims to create a unique identity to differentiate the U of L from other universities and to offer a distinctive and memorable experience for its students. To do that, the plan outlines specific design work including a refocused ceremonial entrance along Aperture Drive, and framing a new "Coulee Quadrangle" north of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Library, bordered by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Hall and future buildings to form a campus heart. The UCMP also establishes a network of interconnected buildings that engage the coulees using a unique brand of landform architecture that fully integrates with the landscape. In addition, the construction of the "Prairie Quadrangle" adjacent to Markin Hall will serve to improve connectivity from the academic core to Exploration Place.

The updated Campus Master Plan will further the vision first established in 1969.

One of the biggest values of the new UCMP is creating a compact campus that fosters a better sense of community. Although the UCMP organizes the physical campus, it is the arrangement of those spaces and places that not only leads to a sense of community but also supports academic programming and student life.

Establishing Aperture Drive as the ceremonial entrance to the U of L is just the beginning. The gateway will be framed with a building element linking the Library to the Students' Union Building, as well as a signature building travelling southward that responds to the coulee setting and the Oldman River vista. This building will act as a bridge directly linking the residence precinct to the rest of campus.

Retaining the land in its natural state is also part of the UCMP proposal, and so, the natural coulee space south of the library will be left in its pristine state to preserve the natural view. It's the shared experience of the beautiful scenery of the unique prairie and coulee landscape that brings the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community together and that's an important consistency of the UCMP, says Court.

"We are located in a world-class, unique setting that our forebears committed to being, literally, in this place. That is the driving force in how we go forward," he says. "It is the threshold experience between plateau and river valley we want to be, and since we are here, we should capitalize on that because in the physical sense it's one of our most significant differentiators."

While the prairie land surrounding the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is vast, a key UCMP goal is to create a campus with synergy, ease of access and more importantly, logical pedestrian circulation.

"There's a point where everyone who arrives here by transit, bicycle or automobile becomes a pedestrian, and in the master plan the campus nucleus is predominantly pedestrian-based," says Court. "The master plan has tried to focus on creating a compact, pedestrian-oriented, connected campus that responds to external factors such as weather or the opportunity for memorable views and seriously considers how people move through it."

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Campus Master Plan is just that – a plan. At this point, campus planners have not initiated detailed design studies, but most of the features will likely be developed over time. The recommendations in the UCMP, however, are critical for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ to reach its strategic goals, says Chris Eagan, director of Facilities.

"The UCMP follows the institution's strategic planning. It allows the creation of a common vision of what space, building and landscape places look like to fulfill our strategic goals," he says. "The UCMP is a broad vision that will be accomplished incrementally through individual capital projects. These projects have urgent and important needs that must be subservient to the institutional requirements outlined in the master plan. It will give the structure and guidance of university planners to all those who design and implement the plan for years to come."

After the UCMP is formally ratified in December 2012, a public open house celebrating the new plan and its document release will be held early in the new year.

According to Court, the new UCMP offers many advantages as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ looks to the future.

"Overall, it's addressing original concepts that the institution has already put substantial resources and value into," he says. "Those early ideas are treasured fidelities – concepts we shouldn't turn our backs on. If we've learned anything, we've learned that they are important and they still apply going forward."

...

For more information on the UCMP, please visit: www.ulethbridge.ca/masterplan

This story first appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of SAM. For a look at the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Board confirms appointments

trevor.kenney — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:27:25 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Board of Governors recently confirmed the re-appointments of Dr. Muriel Mellow (sociology) as an associate dean in the Faculty of Arts& Science and Dr. Richard Perlow (human resources management and organizational behaviour) as an associate dean in the Faculty of Management.

Dr. Matthew Letts (geography) was appointed a new associate dean in the Faculty of Arts & Science, following Dr. Craig Monk (English) who has returned to teaching.

Letts is currently an associate professor of geography, and the co-ordinator of the environmental science program. As a researcher, he studies plant physiological acclimation to environmental stress. Letts's work has taken him from the Oldman River and Waterton Lakes National Park to the highlands of Colombia.

Mellow's research interests include work (paid and unpaid), gender, professional work and volunteer work. In particular, she studies the work of rural professionals, including issues of relationships to clientele and work-family balance.

Perlow is a human resources researcher who studies, among other topics, counterproductive behaviour, individual differences in learning and performance and the acquisition and performance of complex tasks.

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:24:39 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness and continuing with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB) and Markin Hall, the U of L is showing that it takes its role in sustainability and environmental responsibility seriously.

"Each building was designed to meet LEED certification, an internationally recognized standard used to judge the environmental performance of buildings," says Brian Sullivan, director, Project Management Office, Facilities. "Beginning with the 1st Choice Savings Centre, we felt it was essential to incorporate specific design elements that would decrease the building's environmental imprint and enhance its sustainability. As we continued along with the construction of the Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building and then Markin Hall, we worked to further improve upon on these techniques."

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

LEED refers to Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design and uses 70 criteria to gauge the ability of a project to meet rigorous environmental standards established by the Canada Green Building Council in five major categories. They include sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

"It takes a major commitment to design and construct a building that will stand up to the rigours of the LEED criteria," says Sullivan. "The fact that we've now achieved LEED Silver status on two buildings, with one more in the works speaks to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's desire to push sustainability principles forward. That also shows in non-LEED certified projects where we are still using LEED standards to drive design."

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

• A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

• A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

• Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

• Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

• The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

• The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

• Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

• A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

• An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

• Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

• The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

• The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

• Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

• Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

• Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

• The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

• An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

• Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

U of L buildings achieve LEED status

trevor.kenney — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:13:18 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is taking a leadership approach in southern Alberta, setting a LEED standard in the design and construction of its new campus buildings.

The Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building was built with sustainabilty concepts in mind.

Each project must apply for LEED status and, after being judged, is rated on a point scale. Each of the 1st Choice Savings Centre, AWESB and Markin Hall have been granted LEED Silver status.

Following is a look at some of the environmental features incorporated into each building.

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

· A clerestory window system that brings daylight into the gymnasium to supplement the lighting system

· A low profile project, part of the building is buried in the ground, maximizing the natural insulating characteristics of the earth to reduce utility demand on building systems and reduce the exposure of the building envelope to the elements

· Washrooms and showers throughout the building use dual flush toilets, waterless urinals, controlled flow shower heads and electronic faucets

· Approximately 60 per cent of the building's electricity is purchased from local wind power sources

· The benches in the locker facilities were recycled from the original gymnasium bleacher seats

· The maple flooring in the gymnasium was recycled from the original gymnasium

· Construction included the use of recycled concrete, giving the building 20 per cent recycled content

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building

· A Living Wall of plants that act as a natural filter and aid in cleansing the air

· An outdoor pond that forms part of a stormwater management strategy, collecting water and circulating it through the westerly wetland, thereby reducing erosion and sedimentation problems in the Oldman River

· Roof water following rainstorms and winter melting is collected and stored in a cistern and recycled into the local irrigation system

· The building employs a heat recovery system in the exhaust air system to reclaim some of the heat that is being exhausted from the building, using it to preheat the incoming supply air

· The building was constructed with a white, highly reflective, energy star rated roof (as were the 1st Choice Savings Centre and Markin Hall) designed to reflect the heat of the sun's rays and reduce the heat island effect, something that is detrimental to animal habitat, wildlife and animal migration

· Created primarily out of steel, a material with a high content of recycled materials, the building consists of 21 per cent recycled content

Markin Hall

· Minimized window-to-wall ratio (40 per cent) to balance thermal control and daylight penetration

· Efficient heat recovery ventilation units that provide 90 per cent latent and sensible heat recovery

· The first radiant cooling application in Alberta

· An energy-conserving building envelope that allows for a smaller and more efficient mechanical system. Together, the building design and mechanical system achieve a predicted 56 per cent energy savings compared to a conventional building

· Other incorporated features include triple-glazed windows, green Label Plus carpeting and polished concrete flooring, low-VOC paints, waterless urinals and low-flow toilets and faucets

This story first appeared in the December 2011 issue of the Legend. If you'd like to see the full issue in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Byrne film an environmental landmark

trevor.kenney — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:29:29 +0000

This story first appeared in the Lethbridge Herald

By SHERRI GALLANT

An educational film with algae-filled Lake Winnipeg as its focal point appeals to farmers and city dwellers to change their ways and help the country's watersheds to heal.

Choking Lake Winnipeg, a 25-minute documentary available free online, was screened Thursday at Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs. Produced by Jim Byrne, U of L prof and Chair of Geography, and his wife, Leanne Little, it includes interviews with many of the nation's top environmental scientists, including David Schindler, Killam Memorial Professor of Ecology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, and Joe Rasmussen, Canada Research Council Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

An original soundtrack for the film was created by Stephen McGlenn, a U of L grad who attended COP 16 in Cancun — the United Nations Conference on Climate Change — as a Canadian Youth Delegate.

"We're looking to change a political/social approach to the way we deal with environment," said Byrne. "I went to some of my very favorite colleagues, Canada Research Chairs in many locations, outstanding and brilliant colleagues."

Byrne's expertise is in global environmental change. He was the lead scientist, originator and co-producer of the 2002 award-winning television series Global Change and the 2004 TV series Water Under Fire.

"Our goal was to inform people in a qualitative way and let them know that not only do we have this very challenging environmental problem, but we have some suitable solutions if we just have the political will."

Comparisons can be made with conditions in southern Alberta, where chemical runoff from farming and manure from beef, chicken and hog operations makes its way into the Oldman River watershed. Farmers, said Byrne, can go to zero-tillage practices which holds moisture in the soil and doesn't allow erosion and runoff; while city dwellers can take steps that include conserving water, being aware of what they shouldn't flush down their toilets, and using less — or zero — herbicides and pesticides on their lawns.

The film shows how massive blue-green algae blooms have appeared in Lake Winnipeg and other water bodies across the Canadian prairies. Eutrophication (when water is depleted of oxygen by algae, killing the body of water) is fast becoming a problem; not just in Canada but in the most heavily-populated parts of the industrialized and developing world.

To learn more, visit www.scientia.com.

Rasmussen a leader in aquatic research

trevor.kenney — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 20:59:37 +0000

Whether we like it or not, Canada's waters are under increasing pressure to support greater economic activity. Be it the energy sector, agriculture, mining or urbanization, our aquatic ecosystems face an uncertain future.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge biological sciences professor Dr. Joe Rasmussen is a key component in helping people understand the adverse effects that economic activity can have on our waters. One of the country's most recognized water researchers, his peers recognized him when a Canadian professional organization of limnologists (aquatic ecosystem researchers who study lakes and rivers) awarded Rasmussen its highest honour.

Rasmussen, a Canada Research Chair in Aquatic Ecosystems, received the Frank H. Rigler Memorial Award at the joint annual meetings of the Society of Canadian Limnologists and the Canadian Conference for Fisheries Research.

The award recognizes and honours major achievements in the field of limnology by Canadians or those working in Canada. Emphasis in selection is given to established aquatic scientists whose work is recognized for its influence and importance.

Dr. Joe Rasmussen, conducting fieldwork with a group of his students earlier this year.

Rasmussen teaches ecology, aquatic ecosystems and aquatic biology. He has served on a wide range of advisory panels across Canada dealing with water management issues ranging from in-stream flow to water quality criteria, and has done groundbreaking research in a number of key areas relating to the management of water and aquatic resources.

Canada's waters are a valuable resource and as pressure is exerted upon them economically, the role of the aquatic researcher becomes more essential.

"There is also the issue of 'regulated rivers,' which include both reservoirs and their downstream tailwaters. They are and will be an increasing part of the limnological landscape," says Rasmussen.

"Most recently, the research that my laboratory has been in engaged in crosses over from limnology to fisheries research, a process I am encouraging more researchers in both of these disciplines to do. For example, we are examining the scientific criteria used to assess fish habitats under the Fisheries Act, which has become a prominent component of environmental regulation in Canada following the Supreme Court decision on the Oldman River dam during the 1990s."

He says being recognized by his peers is humbling.

"The Rigler award means a great deal to me both personally and professionally. Personally, it is gratifying because so many colleagues and former students from all over Canada belong to the society, and to be honoured by friends with whom I have worked with throughout my career brings back many wonderful memories," says Rasmussen. "It is also very gratifying to receive an award that has been given to many excellent scientists over the years, and to have my name associated with that of professor Rigler, who had such a profound impact on limnology and aquatic science in general."

The award also reaps benefits for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and could result in an influx of funding and research opportunities.

"I have already been contacted by a number of people who would like to come to Lethbridge and work in my laboratory," Rasmussen says. "The prestige associated with this award, and others like it, can also make it somewhat easier to obtain grants and other types of funding for research, and this helps keep the wheels turning."

For a look at Rasmussen's involvement with the Oilsands Advisory Panel, follow this link.

Call it clutter with a purpose

trevor.kenney — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 20:45:28 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge President Dr. Bill Cade has collected a carefully constructed mass of objects that fill his office.

One wall of windows overlooks the Oldman River, while another is lined with bookshelves housing artifacts that connect Cade to his travels, colleagues, students and interesting experiences or people he has met.

Space is reserved for his trusty office mates Stan, Stella and Steve, a trio of African veiled chameleons, who occupy well-appointed cages within arm's reach of Cade's desk space.

The overall result is one of continual surprise, a beginning for many conversations and a clear sense that this is an office occupied by a curious person who isn't afraid to put a South Park talking-cartoon key chain on his desk.

With Cade's open-door policy, many people have seen the space at some point in time, but for those who have not had the pleasure of sitting in his office, here is a snapshot of the "so-called clutter" and just a few of the many stories behind the objects.

ABORIGINAL ARTIFACTS
During his time in southern Alberta, Cade has developed a relationship based on a mutual respect with the First Nations community. Several gifts remind him of this: a pair of eagle feathers given to him by a student representative of the
U of L Native American Students' Association, as well as commemorative images of his induction into the Kainai chieftainship.

SKELETONS
Quick: which one is the turtle? Not many people get it right, and most people have no clue what the skeletons are, unless of course, they ask.

CHIRPING TOYS
As people found out about Cade's research, cricket toys started to appear. He uses them as a teaching tool for young children (and some adults) who visit. The most important fact people need to remember is that Disney got it wrong: Jiminy Cricket did not have six legs, as most insects would; he had four. And, crickets don't wear gloves.

Cricket cages come in all shapes and sizes.

PRICKLY CORNER
You don't want to trip and fall into the northeast corner of the office lest you meet this cactus. Brought from Texas years ago, it has now reached beyond the ceiling multiple times and its offspring can be found throughout the U of L campus.

ELEPHANT DUNG
Collected in Africa, this specimen the size of a bowling ball is from a herd of elephants that came though Cade's camp at 4:30 a.m. in search of food. To distract them, Cade got out of his tent, waved a flashlight in one of the elephant's face and tossed rocks at it. By startling it, Cade narrowly prevented his truck from being wrecked.

CRICKET CAGES
As a researcher of crickets, Cade's natural interest in these tiny, vocal insects and their communication and mating habits is well known. For years, people have given him cricket enclosures, ranging from fancy to plain, which are used in some cultures to keep crickets for good luck or to transport crickets en route to cricket fights.

AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA
Reflecting Cade's Pronghorn pride, this autographed basketball was a gift from the 2009/2010 men's team and was signed by the players as well as the1999/2000 men's team during a recent alumni reunion and game.

THE KILLING TRAIL
A paperback western story about a man named Jubal Cade who is "Trained to Heal but Born to Kill" sits on Cade's desk. The fact that Cade shares his last name with a character in a pulp fiction western makes him laugh.

CRICKET SYMPHONY
This trio of green crickets was a gift from a colleague at Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, Josephine Meeker, who encouraged Cade to move forward in his career and run for dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Science at Brock ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, a position he formerly held that served as a stepping-stone to his presidency at the U of L.

ANTILOCAPRA AMERICANA
Cade's interest in the U of L pronghorn symbol started as simple curiosity then grew. He found pronghorn stamps dating to the late 1950s and others have given him pronghorn stuffed toys, sculptures and items related to the second-fastest land mammal.

HOOK 'EM HORNS!
The "other" horns, that is. A proud dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Cade is a triple-degree graduate of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas at Austin and a fan of the legendary UT Longhorns teams.

STAN, STELLA AND STEVE
Common names for very uncommon office guests, this chameleon trio, known fondly as Stan, Stella and Steve, have it pretty good with constant visitors, a spectacular view and an endless supply of their favourite food, crickets.

To view the entire issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link.

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