BOTANY NIGHT 

What are the mycoheterotrophs… and what are they doing?
Andy Mackinnon describes mycoheterotrophs—plants that lack chlorophyll and so can’t manufacture their own sugars through photosynthesis—hence ‘heterotrophs’. These plants are dependent on mycorrhizal fungal partners for at least part of their life cycles. Most plant guides erroneously describe mycoheterotrophs as saprobes, meaning that they derive their nutrition from decaying organic matter. The truth is much more interesting. This presentation will explore the nature and meaning of mycoheterotrophy (and mixotrophy), and illustrate concepts with local examples. Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature House, 7:30 p.m. Everyone welcome.

MARINE NIGHT 

Recent Warm Anomalies in the Ocean: The Blob and Links to Climate Change
      In late 2013 the Northeast Pacific Ocean gradually warmed relative to our historic records. By February 2014, a patch of over a thousand square kilometers and 100 metres deep was nearly three degrees Celsius warmer than usual. Dr. Richard Dewey of Ocean Networks Canada will review the causes and consequences of this event, and suggest possible links to climate shifts in the entire northern hemisphere, including the role of significant changes occurring in the Arctic. 
     We meet at 7:30 p.m. in Room 159, Fraser Building, UVic. Everyone is welcome. Parking for the evening is now $3.50.