Saint Paul Audubon Society

Monthly Programs

Our program meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month from September through May. These meetings start with chapter news and brief announcements, which are followed by the invited speaker. These meetings also include refreshments, social time to meet new people and talk with friends, and an information table.

Our programs are FREE and open to the public. Please come, and bring a friend!

Program Location

Fairview Community Center, at 1910 West County Road B, in Roseville

DIRECTIONS: From Hwy 36 in Roseville near Rosedale Center, exit to Fairview Avenue, go south to County Road B. Turn right/west onto County Road B. Fairview Community Center is on the left/south side of the road.

Upcoming Programs

April 10, 2008 – The Neglected Kingdom: Minnesota’s Mushrooms

David J. McLaughlin, Professor of Biology and Bell Museum Curator of Fungi

David Mclaughlin says our understanding of the relationships among mushrooms has changed as a result of the National Science Foundation-funded Fungal Tree of Life Project, but little is known about our state’s mushroom diversity, and fungi in many parts of Minnesota have not been systematically studied.

Why does this matter? Mushrooms play a vital role in Minnesota’s three biomes. They are important to the forestry industry and to the conservation and management of natural resources—and they will be affected by global climate change. With climate change already affecting Minnesota’s forests, its impact on mushrooms that live symbiotically on forest trees is unknown.

Progress is being made through BioBlitzes and a MycoBlitz (a quick, intense survey of the species present), as well as County Biological Surveys. Analysis of mushroom diversity now can provide baseline data for assessing the impact of climate change.

Relevant websites: http://fungi.umn.edu http://www.tolweb.org/Agaricomycetes/20535

May 8, 2008 – Why Are Honey Bee Colonies Collapsing?

Dr. Marla Spivak, Professor and Extension Entomologist

Honey bee colonies in the United States are overworked and under-appreciated. As the most important pollinators of many fruit, vegetable, and seed crops, honey bees contribute billions of dollars in value to agriculture and our diet. Bees also pollinate wildlflowers and much of what we plant in our home gardens.

Unfortunately, honey bees are subject to diseases and parasitic mites that were inadvertently introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s. They are becoming increasingly difficult to control as they develop resistance to treatments. Other pressures come in the form of urban sprawl, pesticides and hive transport. Overall, the number of U.S. bee colonies has been reduced by about 30 percent over the last 20 years.

Professor Spivak’s research focuses on keeping honey bees healthy. She is interested in questions such as: Are the collapse of honey bee colonies due to an unknown factor, or to a number of contributing factors? Are the effects of new classes of pesticides contributing to bee deaths? What is Colony Collapse Disorder? Professor Spivak is currently conducting a study on the benefits of propolis resin to the immune system of bees.

Relevant website: www.extension.umn.edu/honeybees

For more information or to make suggestions, please contact Programs Chair, Alan Kuentz at 763-377-2352, or email him at apkuentz@aol.com