Living with Lakes Centre
Laurentian University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road P3E 2C6 Greater Sudbury, ON, Canada

The first lecture of the Troubled Waters Forum lecture series featuring our very own Dr. John Gunn has been posted on youtube. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch

Dr. John Gunn participated in the Circular Economy Symposium held on Tuesday Jan. 19 and for those of you that are interested, it was recorded and has been put online.

Take note of this special free livestream event from The Mind & Life Institute on Jan. 9, 2021 at 10:30 p.m. EST (January 10, 2021, 9:00 a.m. IST) featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, climate activist Greta Thunberg, and leading scientists to explore steps for addressing urgent climate change challenges. Our collaborator and good friend, Dr. Andrew Tanentzap, will even appear in one of the films talking about the work he did with our group here at the Lake Centre! You can Register here: ttp://mindand.life/oLnX50CPIbl

Announcing TROUBLED WATERS a 5-part Webinar Series held Thursdays starting Feb. 4/21. Five internationally recognized researchers will present on issues affec...ting watersheds and ecosystems. TIME 7 -8:30 p.m. COST - Free More information to follow in January, including the registration link. Mark your calendars for Feb 4, 11, 18 & 25 and March 4! See more

Out with a Bang! Congratulations to Dr. Sabrina Desjardins who successfully defended her PhD thesis yesterday entitled ‘Adaptation of microalgae bioprospected from stressed environments in Northern Ontario for the production of lipids’, under the supervision of Drs. Ashley Scott and Nathan Basiliko! Sabrina gave a thorough and engaging presentation and her thesis was accepted as-is, no edits required! The rarest of the rare of defense outcomes! Congratulations Dr. Desjardins! Thank you for ending our year on a high note!

Check our this new paper in Ambio by our Senior Research Fellow, Dr. Bjorn Rosseland, Professor Emeritus in Ecotoxicology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. His article is part of Ambio’s 50th Anniversary Collection where they highlight some of their most influential papers over the years in a collection of articles on ten themes. Bjorn’s article falls under the theme Acidification. https://link.springer.com/artic/10.1007/s13280-020-01408-7

This summer, a writer for the Christian Science Monitor, came to Sudbury to write an article on Sudbury’s environmental leadership and transformation . The story came out on Sept. 24 and everyone should check it out here: https://www.csmonitor.com//The-Sudbury-model-How-one-of-th

The big 6-0 While a lot has changed since 1960, it's a great time to reflect on the legacy and the more than 66,000 graduates who are having an impact aroun...d the world. We've become home to more than 9,000 students annually, representing some 75 distinct countries. As we face a global pandemic our faculty, staff, and of course students are proving their resilience and showing the world what we can achieve together. Here’s to the next 60 years. 60 ans! Bien que beaucoup de choses aient changé depuis 1960, c'est le moment idéal pour réfléchir à notre héritage et aux quelque 66 000 diplômés qui ont un impact dans le monde. Nous accueillons plus de 9 000 étudiants chaque année, représentant quelque 75 pays différents. Alors que nous sommes confrontés à une pandémie mondiale, nos professeurs, notre personnel et, bien sûr, nos étudiants prouvent leur résilience et montrent au monde ce que nous pouvons accomplir ensemble.

Our 2019-2020 cohort of #SciComm students worked diligently over the summer to complete their Major Research Papers. Over the last two days, they shared their f...indings with Laurentian University faculty, Science North staff and our 2020-2021 cohort during our annual research symposium. Completing a research project is always an accomplishment, but we're especially proud of the resilience and dedication this group showed when forced to pivot their research approaches over the summer. Click through the photos below to see a snapshot of each major research paper.

Congratulations to Jonathan Lavigne M.Sc. who successfully defended his thesis on Aug. 19, entitled Enhancing Species Richness in a Smelter-Impacted Semi-Barren Upland (Sudbury, ON): Microsite Linkages to Planted Seedling Dynamics under the supervision of Drs. Nathan Basiliko and Peter Beckett. Jonathan is very hard working and not afraid to get his hands dirty good thing too - his project had a massive field component with long days that often left him covered in dust. We are extremely happy to report that we get to work with him for a few more years because he is sticking around to do his PhD!

Congratulations to Sara Lehman M.Sc., who successfully defended her thesis this morning entitled Combined Effects of Maternal Traits and Spring Warming Patterns on Spawning Success of Walleye, under the supervision of Drs. Tom Johnston and John Gunn. A strong student all around, Sara also happens to be extremely capable in the field, so much so that we snapped her up straight out of the gates to help us muddle through this challenging field season! Very well done Sara - we're all very proud of you!

Congratulations to Miranda Gauthier, who successfully defended her M.A.Sc. (thesis-based engineering masters, like the MSc) this week entitled "Microalgae growing in stressed environments and their antioxidant potential from production of secondary metabolites", under the supervision of Dr. Ashley Scott and Dr. Gerusa Senhorinho! Miranda has been in and out of the Lakes Centre throughout her project and we couldnt be happier for her!

This week our Post Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Gerusa Senhorinho, discussed her research on CBC Radios Morning North. You can find the interview here: https://www.cbc.ca//tailings-ponds-cancer-resesearch-1.568

Last week our Post Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Gretchen Lescord, discussed her research on CBC Radios Morning North. Check it out here: https://www.cbc.ca//fish-chromium-arsenic-mercury-1.567558

https://www.cbc.ca//sudbury-lake-nepahwin-phosphorus-level

Dr. Alessandro Ielpi on Zoom, Monday July 27 at 9am We are pleased to have Dr. Alessandro Ielpi, Assistant Professor of Sedimentology in the Harquail School of Earth Sciences and School of the Environment at Laurentian University, give a special seminar during a VLWLC morning Zoom meeting on Monday, July 27, at 9:00am. All are welcome to attend. More details below. The Zoom link is: https://laurentian.zoom.us/j/95351437332... If you are asked for a passcode use: 346958 Title: A Mars connection: Using Earths rivers to search for ancient extraterrestrial life Abstract: Are we alone? How life originated on Earth and whether other planets and moons in the solar system hosted life in their past remain among the most elusive questions for mankind. In the upcoming months, NASAs Perseverance Rover will travel to Mars Jezero crater, which is believed to have hosted a large lake sided by fluvial deltas in the planets early history. Perseverance is invested with the tall task of investigating the craters sedimentary record in an effort to find any evidence for past life. Where to look? Jezero crater and its large western delta constitute an immense landscape compared to the minute rover; therefore, a well-defined sampling strategy must be developed to maximize the chances of a meaningful search for biomarkers. Luckily, a lot can be learned by looking at modern rivers on Earth, especially those situated in its driest deserts. In this talk, results are presented from a recent model that uses migration rates from Earths rivers to predict what sites on Mars Jezero crater underwent rapid sediment burial a condition necessary to preserve organic molecules from later exposure and degradation.

Congratulations to Aparna Mukerji M.Sc., who successfully defended her thesis entitled Effects of land reclamation on organic matter decomposition and carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide fluxes in a smelter impacted landscape, 37 years after application of dolomite limestone and tree planting, under the supervision of Dr. John Gunn via Zoom yesterday. Aparna has many talents (shes also an artist!) and we look forward to seeing where her next adventures take her!

Our very own Dr. Peter Beckett was on the CBC Morning North with Markus Schwabe this morning to talk about carbon storage in trees, regreening and doing our part to meet carbon neutral goals by 2050. If you missed it, you can find it here: https://www.cbc.ca//15787444-scientists-sudbury-measure-im

This week we wanted to take a moment to thank Diane Mayer for her 47 years of service to Laurentian University, the last 32 of them as the Administrative Assistant for the Department of Biology. With her calm and no nonsense demeanor, Diane has always provided support to our group without question. In recognition of her many years of service, the Department of Biology has planted a Royal Red Maple tree, a contribution to the Laurentian Carbon Offset Forest in the fight against Climate Change, in her name. A plaque will mark Dianes tree in the near future. Thanks again for everything Diane, enjoy your retirement youve certainly earned it!

Helping fish in a changing climate to ensure food security Fish are part of a traditional diet for many First Nations people in the north but warming water and ...more evaporation from lakes and rivers will put some fish species under stress. Take action now to ensure important fish species will continue to thrive into the future! You can: Monitor fish in your area Protect the habitat that fish need Keep lakes and rivers clean Take steps to prevent invasive species Change when, where, or what you harvest if needed See more

In case you missed our earlier post bragging about our Post Doc, Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen - heres another! Congrats again! https://www.sudbury.com//lu-researchers-work-on-tropical-f

#blackouttuesday

Congrats to our Post Doc Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen on her latest publication! https://laurentian.ca//kalamandeen-science-publication-may

Varun (now) from Saskatoon! Congratulations to Dr. Varun Gupta PhD, who successfully defended his thesis today entitled A systemic study of interaction effects between plants, microbes, and metals in a model constructed wetland system treating acid mine drainage impacted waters, under the supervision of Drs. Nadia Mykytczuk and John Gunn online via ZOOM. Varuns project generated a lot of buzz and he has already gotten a job and been working away as a Scientist at Maven Water & Environmental in Saskatoon! We wish you nothing but success! Here he is (as I picture him) happy and carefree after a great defense. This online defense was a first for us normally we like to celebrate together after a milestone like this and working from home changes things BUT were still going to celebrate together via ZOOM. Another first!

2020 R.W. Drysdale Scholarship Winner We are pleased to announce that M.Sc. candidate Calvin Kluke is the recipient of the 2020 R.W. Drysdale Memorial Scholarship in Aquatic Science! Established in memory of her father by Sherry Drysdale, a former communication specialist at Laurentian University, the purpose of the scholarship is to recognize a graduate student conducting research in the Aquatic Sciences through the Vale Living with Lakes Centre at Laurentian University. It... is awarded to a student who has demonstrated initiative and commitment to research. Richard Drysdale loved the outdoors and spent many a day fishing the lakes and waterways in Sudbury, Manitoulin and Killarney districts. Calvin, an avid fisherman himself, is looking at factors controlling arsenic and chromium bioaccumulation in freshwater fish in Ontario. Congrats Calvin! See more

High Five! Well were all safe working from home and trying to adjust to our new normal. Were a tight group, some might even call us a family, and weve been meeting every morning via Zoom to connect. This morning we were all happy to hear that our students have again cleaned up in the scholarship department! Congrats go out to: ... 1. Jasmine Louste-Fillion who won the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat and Restoration Scholarship and received a W. Garfield Weston Foundation Fellowship for Northern Conservation 2. Kunali Gohil who won the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Habitat and Restoration Bursary 3. Jade Dawson who won the Ruffed Grouse Society Wildlife Conservation Bursary 4. Calvin Kluke who won the Esri Canada Scholarship 5. Adam Kirkwood who was awarded a WCS Canada - W. Garfield Weston Fellowship Award NSERC and OGS Scholarships will be announced next week fingers crossed!

1,000,000 tons Our L-CARE research team was asked to provide an estimate of "How much carbon was sequestered by regreening efforts the past 40 years in Sudbury on industrially damaged lands and in the local forests growing in cleaner air. By scaling up from our detailed field plot studies and ongoing satellite image analysis we did it and - Wow - it was more than 1 million tons (3,670,000 tons of CO2)! Thats equal to the carbon stored in the wood required to build 5500 Living With Lakes Centres (we won the Green Building Design Award from Woodworks back in 2012 thats a lot of wood!). Photo credit: www.carbonvisuals.com

Hot chocolate for everyone! Our very own Adam Kirkwood won the best PhD presentation at the Laurentian University Research Week Grad Student Competition. Congrats Adam!

Good news from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Formally one of the most ecologically distrubed sites in Canada due to past mining and smelting. Our research shows tha...t #tree restoration on an industrially damaged landscape can store atmospheric #carbon at a rate comparable to silvicultural plantations. Therefore, reforesting degraded land across the world should be part of an effective carbon capture strategy. #climatechange, #restoration See more

Pascale Roy-Léveillée, Ph. D., parle du pergélisol et de la façon dont il peut affecter le changement climatique et les communautés du Nord alors que la Terre c...ontinue de se réchauffer. Laurentian's Dr. Pascale Roy-Léveillée talks about permafrost and how it can affect climate change and northern communities as the Earth continues to warm.

Rock solid. Congratulations to Katlyn Mitchell M.Sc., who defended her thesis today entitled An evaluation of silica-Bacillus microencapsulation for reducing acid mine drainage from sulfur-bearing waste rock, under the supervision of Dr. Nadia Mykytczuk. Katlyn has been working at Klohn Crippen Berger in Sudbury since late last year and we dont blame them for snagging her quickly. Today she was confident, professional and funny - full belly laughs from the audience more than once. Rock solid presentation Katie!

Walking on Water Dr. Michelle Kalamandeen, originally from Guyana, experienced the joys of ice for the first time as she prepared to head off to Cambridge University to continue her post-doctoral studies last week. She is co-supervised by Dr. Gunn here at the Lake Centre in a study of carbon accumulation in Sudburys regreened forests, using satellite remote-sensing technologies. She is just settling in at Cambridge and we miss her already!

We have two weeks left to do something. Please sign here and share! https://tinyurl.com/s7xzqzd

Have your say. A series of reports on Canada in a changing climate will be coming out this year and next what kind of info will you be looking for? Tell Natural Resources Canada in this survey: http://ow.ly/HaTh50xBr3W

Great article in Beppis Forest! https://www.sudbury.com//beppi-regreened-laurentian-before

We have a new trail on campus, located near the West Residence, in memory of our late grounds foreman, Giuseppe Beppi Curridor. During his time here, Beppi pl...anted many trees around our campus. We estimate the small forest around Beppis Forest Therapy Trail has stored more than 50 tons of atmospheric carbon since Beppi first planted those trees 40 years ago. Nous avons un nouveau sentier sur le campus, situé près de la Résidence Ouest, à la mémoire de notreéfunt superviseur de lentretien des terrains, Giuseppe Beppi Curridor. Pendant sa carrière ici, Beppi a planté de nombreux arbres autour de notre campus. Nous estimons que la petite forêt autour du sentier forestier thérapeutique de Beppi a stocké plus de 50 tonnes de carbone atmosphérique depuis qu'il a planté ces arbres pour la première fois il y a 40 ans. @ Laurentian University - Université Laurentienne

Weve had two amazing MSc defense from our team in the last 24hrs! Yesterday afternoon Saskia Hart defended her thesis entitled Fungal community dynamics and carbon mineralization in Populus tremuloides, Picea mariana and Pinus banksiana coarse woody debris in two ecoregions of northern Ontario, under the supervision of Nate Basiliko and Lisa Venier. This morning Robyn Rumney defended her thesis entitled Effects of restoration on carbon storage in smelter-impacted industrial barrens, under the supervision of John Gunn and Nate Basiliko. We couldnt be more proud of these two young professionals!

First ice on Ramsey today led to a successful hunt for a peregrine. Amazing!

Quick 5-MIN questionnaire. PLEASE FILL IN AND SHARE! Help us reduce plastic waste in Greater Sudbury. We need as many responses as possible to get an accurate r...epresentation of the community. Ends March 1st 2021. English survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XQVHVZV ATTENTION CREEK FRIENDS! We are conducting a survey as part of the "Reducing Plastic Waste in Urban Waterways" project by the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee and Plastic-Free Greater Sudbury. We understand you are busy, therefore this survey will take no more than 5 minutes. It will help us understand how aware Sudburians are on plastic-waste in our waterways. We cant wait to get the results from your completed surveys to come up with mitigation strategies! Simply click on the link below to get started. One last favor PLEASE SHARE this post with your friends! Thank you in advance for your time. French survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BGYVQL7 ATTENTION AMIS DU RUISSEAU! Nous menons un questionnaire dans le cadre du projet "Réduction des déchets plastiques dans les eaux urbaines" par le Comité d'intendance du ruisseau Junction et lorganisation Grand Sudbury Sans Plastique. Nous comprenons que vous êtes occupé donc, ce sondage ne prendra donc pas plus de 5 minutes. Cela nous aidera à comprendre à quel point nos Sudburiens sont conscients des déchets plastiques dans nos eaux urbaines. Nous avons hâte dobtenir les résultats de vos sondages remplis pour élaborer des stratégies datténuation! Cliquez simplement sur le lien ci-dessous pour commencer. VEUILLEZ PARTAGER ce message avec vos amis! Merci en avance pour votre temps. #BePlasticWise! #JunctionCreek

Captured 8 times in 24 years - Louie the lake trout has been part of our research for longer than most of our staff! First tagged in 1995 in our lake trout tag...ging program, Louie was estimated to be 10+ years old. In the past 24 years, Louie has checked in with our researchers 7 more times. Hes grown 24 cm (9.5 inches) and would now be over 34 years old! Long-term research studies like this help us better manage fisheries across the province. Find out more about our aquatic research at https://www.ontario.ca/page/aquatic-research. #MNRFScience #AlgonquinPP

Fleet of Foot Congratulations to Adam Kirkwood M.Sc. who successfully defended his thesis this afternoon entitled Microbial community and C cycling across permafrost peatlands in the Hudson Bay Lowlands: feedbacks on in-situ degradation and simulated warming, under the supervision of Drs. Pascale Roy-Leveillee and Nathan Basiliko. Adam managed to complete all of the requirements for his graduate work in 4 semesters and he nailed it with a killer presentation! Were looking forward to having Adam around for a little while longer as he begins his PhD in January 2020!

Restoration Forest Dino Otranto, the new Chief Operating Officer for Vale, planted a carbon sequestration tree at Laurentian Universitys Vale Living with Lakes Centre at the western end of a proposed restoration partnership forest, in recognition of the UN declared Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. This corridor of potential regreening study sites extends east more than 10km through the university, municipal, provincial and industrial lands before reaching the Wanapitei River, just south of Coniston. The celebration tree had some seasonal decorations to mark the occasion.

We should all follow this story: "Researchers shouldn't be attacked for collecting data that might protect a species at risk in accordance with the law." Dr. Jackie Litzgus We couldn't agree with you more Dr. Litzgus.

Carbon Offset Forest: Peter Xavier, Vice President of Glencore's Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations, planted a tree at the Lake Centre last week to recognize the research partnership between Glencore and Laurentian, as we work together on climate adaptation and other "environmental solutions". The early snow didnt dampen our spirits!