Daily Archives: April 2, 2023

Wednesday, April 12, 7:00 pm – The Guests of Ants, Online

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The Athol Bird & Nature Club will host Christina L. Kwapich, PhD, on April 12 at 7:00 pm, both in person and online. This talk will explore the hidden biodiversity inside ant nests, and the behavioral mechanisms diverse parasites employ to infiltrate ant societies. Some intruders tickle ant mouth parts to steal regurgitated meals, while others use specialized organs and glandular secretions to entice ants or calm their aggression. Once able to “speak the language,” these outsiders can masquerade as ants. Suddenly colony members can no longer distinguish friend from foe.

 
Christina L. Kwapich, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Ecology at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and the co-author of the book The Guests of Ants: How Myrmecophiles Interact with Their Hosts (2022, Harvard University Press). Her laboratory examines the organization of labor in seed harvesting ant societies, subterranean ant nest architecture, and ant guests. In person at MREC 100 Main Street Athol 01331 or by Zoom You are invited to a Zoom webinar. Topic: The Guests of Ants – Christina L. Kwapich, PhD Register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Z-Y4dR2sTkS3Ta-8BeGBng After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Wednesday, April 12, 3:00 pm Eastern – Culture & Place: The Art of Process-led Design, Online

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Pacific Horticulture will sponsor a Zoom presentation on April 12 at 3 pm Eastern, 12 noon Pacific, on Culture & Place: The Art of Process-led Design, with Xanthe White.This webinar is part of the Multidisciplinary Approaches to Resilient Landscapes Event in collaboration with Garden Masterclass.

Xanthe White is a New Zealand designer second to none in her ability to articulate design issues. She uses the process of design itself as a key to her work. Pacific region gardeners and designers will appreciate White’s passion for connecting people to nature and sense of place and for integrating native plants of conservation importance into garden spaces.  

“The art of garden design is always interwoven into the context of culture and place. It is these unique parameters which define the infinite variable outcomes of a garden. While these infinite possibilities might make the creation of a garden seem endless and overwhelming design is a process which guides us through a site to find the limitations and parameters. It is within the creation of these boundaries that a garden emerges. Process lead design can be applied to any place or situation to guide you to a destination woven with the unique magic of the occupier and the place of occupation.” 

The one hour presentation will be directly followed by a 30 minute live Q & A. $15 for Pacific Horticulture members, $25 for nonmembers. Register at https://pacifichorticulture.org/events/culture-the-art-of-process-led-design-with-xanthe-white/