May 17, 2018
Deborah Jones
Topic: Introducing Rain Gardens or What's a Rain Garden...and why Should I Care?
Biographical Information: As volunteer Rain Gardens Coordinator for Cougar Creek Streamkeepers since 2006, Deborah Jones has been closely involved in the design, construction, planting and maintenance of 28 rain gardens at North Delta schools and other community locations. She also advises The Nature Trust of British Columbia on their rain garden grant program. She has a BA in Urban Studies, a Masters of Library Science, and worked at Vancouver Public Library for over 30 years.
Topic: “Rain gardens” are sprouting up everywhere. But surely every garden in Metro Vancouver is a rain garden, given the amount of rainfall we get? Not quite! Learn exactly what rain gardens are, the many benefits they provide, and why they’re essential to environmental sustainability and salmon. Take a photo tour of some of North Delta’s 28 school and community rain gardens, then get ideas for using rain gardens large or small to create drought-resilience and/or to solve property drainage issues in an economical and aesthetic way -- at your house, strata, workplace, church, temple or other property.
June 21, 2018
Topic: Annie's Orchard: 35 years of Growing and Selling Apples and Pears in the Fraser Valley.
Jim Rahe is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biological Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Until his retirement in 2004, Jim taught mainly courses in plant biology and in the Department’s Master of Pest Management program where he was the Department’s specialist in orchard, farm and specialty crop pest management. The focus of his research specialization was biology of plant disease interactions. Jim was an active member of the B.C. Professional Pest Management Association (past President), the Canadian Phytopathological Society, and the Fraser Valley Farm Direct Marketing Association (past President). He is knowledgeable about plant propagation and crop production methods, and pest management for a wide range of specialty crops. He and his wife Mary Ann live near Aldergrove, B.C,, and own and operate Annie’s Orchard. Annie’s is a small, high density orchard specializing in direct sales of more than 50 varieties of fresh apples and pears.