The meeting started promptly at 5:45 with the ringing of PDG Nancy’s bell and the video of O Canada sung in Japanese. The thought of the week was a quote from Denzel Washington: “At the end of the day, it’s not about what you have or what you have accomplished….it’s about who you’ve lifted up, who you’ve made better. It’s about what you’ve given back.”

ROTARY MOMENTS: Club Projects

CHASE THE ACE FUNDRAISER

The first Chase the Ace draw took place last Thursday – the name drawn was that of President Doug’s daughter Krystyn. She won $84 dollars (which was 20% of the $420 worth of sales last week) but did not draw the Ace of Spades – it was the 7 of Spades. Link to the Chase the Ace website is www.rotarychasetheace.org

LOBSTERFEST

• Lobsterfest, May 29, 2021 - Please drop off your door prize donation items to Morris Insurance on Roblin Blvd or make a cash donation by cheque or e-transfer to the RCCCF through Ed Thompson or use your credit card on the club website also through the RCCCF. Please identify Lobster Fest Dinner in the donation.
• Lobster (or chicken) meal tickets will be distributed this week by Glenn and other helpful Rotarians. Tickets are $50 for either the lobster or chicken meal.

FOREST ENHANCEMENT

• A large Friends of the Assiniboine Forest poster has been placed at the main entrance to the Forest this week – thanks to Jack! The website https://www.fundourforest.org/ provides information about supporting enhancements in the Assiniboine Forest.
• There is a “click here” link to our Club’s Chase the Ace Lottery website and a “here” link to direct people to purchase their Lobster Dinner tickets online in the Charleswood Rotary Clubrunner website (www.charleswoodrotary.org). This website also has a link at the top of the page called “Donate to Club” for making donations towards any or all projects through the Rotary Club of Charleswood Charitable Foundation (RCCCF)
• Members are also encouraged to post and share information related to all these projects in your personal social media.

1000 SURVIVAL GARDENS

Our club, along with the Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Downtown, is also supporting the 1000 Survival Gardens project in South Africa. Both the Downtown Club as well as the Morris family (members Nancy & Dave) will match your donation. (Morris matching is up to $1,000 total). The project supplies Hippo Rollers for hauling water for home and garden use by South African families. Please make donations by cheque or e-transfer to the RCCCF through Ed Thompson or use your credit card on the club website or through the RCCCF, identifying the donation as the 1000 Survival Gardens project.

ROTARY MOMENTS: Online Events

• D5550 4-Way Test webinar Session 1 is taking place online on Thursday, April 22nd. Registration deadline is April 21st. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/
• Director Dialogue taking place April 28th at 7pm EST (6 PM CDT) – Public Image, The Musical! (Grow your club, raise more money, get attention for Rotary!) Attendees will learn important skills such as video marketing, Facebook analytics, Instagram engagement, and making the most of our Rotary database. Register in advance at https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50077/sitepage/director-dialogue
• Rotary International’s Virtual conference will be taking place June 12-16. Registration fees are as follows: Promotional rate: US$49* through 11:59:59 (Chicago time - CDT) 7 May; After May 7th the registration fee is US$65. Link for information and registration is https://convention.rotary.org/en.

ROTARY MOMENTS: Other Clubs’ Events

WINNIPEG WEST’S CHICKENFEST is taking place May 13-21. There will be delivery available for orders totalling 6 meals or more. Delivery will be made on: May 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Please place orders at least 3 days prior to the delivery date. Meal options include: Regular fried chicken meal with roll, salads & drink; chicken fingers with salad & drink; and chicken salad with roll and drink. All meals are $18.00. Place your orders with - a Wpg-West Rotarian, online at www.chickenfest.ca , E-mail orders@chickenfest.ca , or Fax: (204) 897-2756,

ROTARY MOMENTS: Miscellaneous

Next week, April 24-30, is World Immunization Week. During World Immunization Week, join with Rotary to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation by spreading the facts about why #VaccinesWork.

PDG Elaine related a story whereby her Facebook post about our club’s custodian role in the Assiniboine Forest, (prepared by Glenn and previously sent out to all our members), followed by her post being shared by two members of the Kenora Rotary club, has led a retired biologist who volunteers looking after the Vernon Trails (a 95-acre forest in the area) to seek membership in the Kenora Rotary Club.

• BSc in Environmental Sciences from the University of British Columbia in 2006.
• MSc in Biology from Concordia University.
• PhD in Parasitology from McGill University.
• Assistant Professor of Biology at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) since 2015

Rachel has a passion for the Assiniboine Forest, which, at 700 acres, is the largest urban forest in Canada. It includes aspen parkland, burr oak, wetland and tallgrass prairie ecosystems. She uses it as her classroom in her teaching at CMU, which started offering a Bachelor or Arts Environmental Studies major in the fall of 2016, a Bachelor of Science major in the fall of 2018. The courses on evolution, ecology, conservation and biology field methods use the forest extensively. Urban forests are important because they provide a habitat for wildlife (188 identified bird species and a variety of mammals, amphibians and reptiles) and > 200 plant species in Assiniboine forest), because they can act as air purifiers, provide cooling effects, carbon capture, soil erosion control, water retention, and a place for recreation and refuge for humans. Some of Rachel’s students consider the Assiniboine Forest to be like a classmate or friend. Students observe and identify plant species through the fall and winter. Student projects have included

• daily measurement of the air quality in the forest (not much difference between air quality next to Grant Avenue and in the middle of the forest),
• forest soil micro-invertebrate diversity (compared to those in the soil on campus)
• data analysis of permanent plant plots (e.g. exotic vs plant species)
• analysis of bird data collected through eBird Canada’s online database

When asked about her vision for the forest, Rachel was torn between the ideas of not wanting to disturb the wildlife, and wanting it to be accessible to everyone, with enough services (maps, accessibility) – in other words – a continuing coexistence of wildness with people.

In response to a question, Rachel described micro-invertebrates as small bugs – beetles, snails, worms, nematodes – all of which convert leaves to nutrients for the trees. (Invertebrates don’t have backbones.)

It’s hard to get rid of invasive plants like thistles – one sprays them or pulls them out – but controlled burns are not an effective means of removing them.

Students graduating with their biology degrees from CMU have found employment in places like the City of Morden Parks, Parks Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, City of Winnipeg, communicating science to non-scientists while others have continued studies in the areas like medicine, veterinary medicine and education.

Lloyd thanked Rachel for her presentation and for inspiring her students.

Sarge Mike welcomed our speaker, Rachel Krause then asked members if they had any Happy Bucks.

BIRTHDAYS – Sarge Mike will be celebrating his birthday on Thursday.

NEXT WEEK

Our speaker will be Tim Daniels, Chief Operating Officer with Treaty 1 Development Corporation responsible for the planning and development of the 160-acre former Kapyong Barracks in Winnipeg.

• PDG Jim was happy to have been honoured to be among the first 5 people to be given a tour of the new aviation museum.
• Nancy was pleased that their son Gary and his wife got COVID-19 vaccinations yesterday at the Crestview Safeway and that their daughter Judy will be getting her shot tomorrow in Ottawa.
• Chuck reported that both his son Peter and his daughter-in-law are booked for COVID-19 vaccinations in Brandon
• Darvin was delighted with the beautiful new Inuit art gallery which he recently visited.
• PDG Ed was very happy about the snow that fell in the past week – his farmland really needed the moisture.
• Lloyd was recently invited to get an Astra Zeneca vaccination at Safeway, but had to decline because his first shot was a Pfizer vaccine and one apparently cannot mix & match.