Patty Wellborn

Email: patty.wellborn@ubc.ca


 

As spring arrives, forecasters watch the snowpack and the amount of rain to predict what the potential for flooding might be.

UBC professor examines this year’s flood risk in the Okanagan

After a winter with below-average temperatures, Okanagan residents are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel—and it just so happens to be the sun.

The last two spring and summer seasons had their share of environmental challenges. With wet springs followed by smoky summers seemingly becoming the norm, UBC’s David Scott provides his opinion on what’s in store for 2019.

Scott is an associate professor in earth, environmental and geographic sciences at UBC Okanagan and the Forest Renewal British Columbia Research Chair in Watershed Management.

What is the snowpack currently sitting at in the Okanagan Valley?

Right now, it’s at about 80 per cent of normal, which is pretty low and about half of what we had in last year’s record-breaking season. The first of April is usually an indication of the whole season, so we are well below average and the snowpack is already starting to disappear.

Are there risks associated with that number?

Yes, there are still some risks, but not from the snowpack alone. Two years ago, when we had large scale flooding in the Okanagan, the snowpack was around 85 per cent at this time of year. It probably went up to about 105 per cent before it started to really melt—but that on its own wasn’t what caused the flooding. The problem was the above average rainfall in May and June. So the risk we’re facing right now is that we don’t know what the weather will do or how much rain might fall.

David Scott, associate professor of earth, environmental and geographic sciences.

David Scott, associate professor of earth, environmental and geographic sciences.

Are snowpack and rain the two main factors that lead to flooding?

Those are the big ones, yes. The thing about the snowpack is that it gives us a predictable risk. Last year, we had a well-above-average snowpack at this time of year, we were at 150 per cent of normal. This sounds like a concerning number, but it meant that people could plan for a lot of water. They lowered the level of the lake so that when the snow melt did come, it was accommodated and we didn’t have the anticipated flooding in Kelowna. There are other minor risks as well, for example how quickly temperatures rise as that will accelerate the melt. But I think the biggest risk is rain, because we never know how much is coming and rain accelerates melting.

In your opinion, what will the 2019 flooding season look like in the Okanagan?

Given the normal pattern of weather, I don’t think we have a big risk this year. There’s always a risk for minor flooding in some areas, but compared to previous years, I’d say we have very little to worry about.

Is there a connection between the snowpack, flooding and the forest fire season that follows it?

There is a connection—but I consider it to be a weak one. When we look at last year, we had an abnormally high snowpack, which does start us off will a fully-wetted watershed. But once that excess water drained away, we had a very dry season. We entered the forest fire season with a fully recharged soil, but it didn’t amount for much come the end of the summer. So, yes, it can give you a buffer at the beginning, but you need to have rain during the summer to keep that risk down.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world.

To find out more, visit: ok.ubc.ca.

UBC Okanagan sustainability researcher Lael Parrott, report editor and contributor

University experts comment on how climate change is transforming alpine environments

Mountains are bellwethers of climate shifts according to new reporting led by UBC researchers, who suggest these terrains are experiencing a variety of rapid and worrying changes.

Mountains comprise a quarter of the world’s land surface and are home to a quarter of the world’s human population. Across Canada, mountain landscapes cover 1.5 million square-kilometres.

“These giants respond rapidly and intensely to climatic and environmental variation,” says UBC Okanagan sustainability researcher Lael Parrott, report editor and contributor. “Both social and natural scientists are recognizing that mountains are sentinels of change.”

The State of the Mountains Report describes the abrupt effect of retreating glaciers on the flow of mountain rivers and watersheds. The report states entire mountain ranges are showing evidence of change.

“These observations can be considered a window to the future, providing a glimpse of some of the consequences associated with the rapid loss of mountain glaciers to come,” says Parrott.

Other updates in the report include changes in tourism, avalanche prediction, birds and mammals and treelines.

In spite of the serious consequences of some of the changes documented in the report, Parrott and other editors of the report remain optimistic. They suggest that the aim is to increase awareness and inform Canadians about the changes in mountain places. This, in turn, may lead to support for policies on headwaters protection to mitigate risks of flooding, conservation of alpine species and their habitats, as well as management of tourism.

“In times of change, mountains need stewards more than ever,” adds Parrott.

About the State of the Mountains Report

The 2018 State of the Mountains Report, published by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC), is a collection of expert summaries written to raise awareness about the ways a changing climate is transforming the alpine environment. Editors include University of Alberta mountain historian Zac Robinson, mountain ecology researcher David Hik and Lael Parrott from UBC’s Okanagan campus.

The report is a follow up to a similar 2011 article, which was a summary of research being carried out across the country. The 2018 State of the Mountains Report was produced for the ACC, in partnership with The Royal Canadian Geographic Society. The “On the Map” pages in the May-June 2018 issue of Canadian Geographic complement the material in this report.

Both Lael Parrott and Zac Robinson serve on the Board of Directors of the Alpine Club of Canada. David Hik is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

Researchers sample trees in the Amazon river while investigating the 20 million tonnes missing of atmospheric methane. Photo credit: Norbert Hertkorn

Scientists determine source of 20 million tonnes of methane is a natural phenomenon

In a new study published in Nature, a team of international researchers have discovered the answer to a scientific mystery that has gone unsolved in the Amazon Rainforest for the past 10 years.

The research, led by The Open University (OU) in collaboration with academics at the University of British Columbia, Leeds University and institutions in Brazil, Sweden and the USA, determined the source of nearly 20 million tonnes of atmospheric methane that had previously been unaccounted for.

Ed Hornibrook, professor and head of Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences at UBC’s Okanagan campus, is one of the study’s authors.

What is this methane and how did it go missing in the first place?

Over the past decade, researchers have used satellite data and models to show that between 40 and 50 million tonnes of methane enters the atmosphere each year from the Amazon basin. The problem was that when researchers went to the rainforest to collect gas samples from wetlands and other sources, they could only account for about half of that amount.

Were there any ideas where the extra methane was coming from?

There were a few different thoughts over the years, some more plausible than others. They ranged from termites to biomass burning, even UV-light-induced production of methane from plants. These sources were all studied but could not account for the extra 20 million tonnes.

What did this study discover?

It turns out that trees in the Amazonian floodplain act as “chimneys.” They vent methane produced in the soil when their roots become submerged in water, which is common during the rainy seasons. Their roots need oxygen to survive so wetland trees have developed an adaptation that allows them to enlarge pores in their stems to increase airflow to their roots. A side effect is that methane produced by micro-organisms in water-logged soil leaks out to the atmosphere through the same openings.

How did you help make this discovery?

The project was led by colleagues Vincent Gauci at The Open University and Sunitha Pangala, who is now a research fellow at Lancaster University. Pangala carried out the fieldwork in the Amazon when she was a post-doctoral researcher at the OU. She measured gas emissions from the trunks of more than 2,300 floodplain trees and found that when their roots were submerged, the trees vented the full 20 million tonnes of methane that had not been accounted for. My role was to “fingerprint” the methane using carbon isotopes—slightly different ‘heavy’ and ‘light’ versions of carbon that occur naturally—to help establish where the methane was coming from.

Why is this research important?

Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. It’s important that we understand the natural sources of these emissions as well as the human-caused sources, which remain the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases. Twenty million tonnes of methane from one region is a big gap in knowledge. Now that we understand this natural process more fully, it can help us plan our resource management in ways that reduce human-caused emissions. For example, there are lessons we can apply to the construction of hydroelectric dams, which in the tropics commonly flood large areas of forest. We know that wetland trees can survive for years in flooded terrain and could end up venting methane produced from the considerable organic material that is submerged in reservoirs.

It’s important to note, though, that this research is not suggesting floodplain trees are bad for the environment—it’s providing insight into how natural forests function.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

UBC research shows both forest vegetation and climate change have an impact on water supply

Freshwater resources are critical to both human civilization and natural ecosystems, but UBC researchers have discovered that changes to ground vegetation can have as much of an impact on global water resources as climate change.

UBC Okanagan Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences Professor Adam Wei, PhD candidate Qiang Li and researchers from the Chinese Academy of Forestry recently published a study examining the impacts of how changes in forest vegetation effect water supplies. Using several decades worth of data, their work examined how water resources are responsive to vegetation ground cover and climate change.

“As we urbanize land and continue to convert forests for other uses, our water regimes change,” says Wei. “We end up with the systems we do not design for, and entire watersheds are being affected.”

Forested areas are critically important water resources, explains Li. But as land is developed or the green vegetation is destroyed, watersheds are irreversibly damaged.

“We need to recognize the importance of vegetation,” says Li. “Forest cover is an important element and we need to keep this in mind for the future. Scientists talk about how climate change affects water when they measure global warming. We’re suggesting they also need to keep an eye on forest vegetation. It’s a key indicator of the health of our water resources.”

Forests cover more than 30 per cent of the world’s land surface and Li says about 21 per cent of the global population directly depends on these catchments for their water supply. Using computer modelling, the researchers examined historical data from 2000 to 2011. They looked at changes in land vegetation and annual water yield in boreal and tropical forests in locations such as British Columbia, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Finland and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Along with development, intensive forest logging, fire, and insect infestation were reasons for forest and ground vegetation loss.

“Our simulations show that the average global alteration in annual water flow due to vegetation change is as high as 31 per cent. Our results also show that on average, in 51 per cent of the study area, vegetation change and climate change operate together and can lead to either fewer water resources, meaning higher chances of drought, or an increase in water supply and higher chances of devastating floods.”

These findings have far-reaching implications for assessing and managing future global water resources, says Wei.

“Our watersheds and landscapes are experiencing significant pressures from vegetation or land cover change and climate change,” he adds. “Because vegetation change and climate change play a similar role in water resources change, ignoring either one will likely lead to an incomplete understanding and ineffective management of our future water resources, particularly for the regions where intensive forest change occurs.”

Future water resource assessment must, he says, consider both climate and vegetation or land cover change, and our management paradigm should be shifted from “adapting and mitigating climate change impacts” to “managing both climate and land cover change together.”

This research was recently published in Global Change Biology and was partially funded by grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Research Program for Public-welfare Forestry and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

UBC researchers (from left to right) Abby Yang, Associate Professor Adam Wei, Krysta Giles-Hansen and Qiang Li discuss the role forest vegetation plays while monitoring water resources.

UBC researchers (from left to right) Abby Wang, Professor Adam Wei, Krysta Giles-Hansen and Qiang Li discuss the role forest vegetation plays while monitoring water resources.

About UBC's Okanagan campus

UBC’s Okanagan campus is an innovative hub for research and learning in the heart of British Columbia’s stunning Okanagan Valley. Ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world, UBC is home to bold thinking and discoveries that make a difference. Established in 2005, the Okanagan campus combines a globally recognized UBC education with a tight-knit and entrepreneurial community that welcomes students and faculty from around the world. For more visit ok.ubc.ca.

UBC Professor Lael Parrott is working to protect low-elevation ecosystems that are important habitat and wildlife movement routes.

Ecological corridor will create north-south migratory route

UBC research is paving the way for a route that will serve as a pilot project to protect green space and allow wildlife to move throughout the Okanagan Valley.

Kelowna was identified in the 2016 Stats Canada census as one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada. With growth comes development and UBC Professor Lael Parrott says the region is in danger of fragmenting low-elevation ecosystems and losing the habitat and movement routes needed by wildlife, especially on the east side of Okanagan Lake.

“This is the last chance we have to protect these areas which are important for at-risk species and many migratory animals,” says Parrott. “If we develop these areas, wildlife that depend on low-elevation habitats will have no chance of moving north to south.”

Four years ago, Parrott’s team began mapping and computer modelling the Okanagan Mountain to Kalamalka Lake corridor, a route many wildlife species already migrate through. The corridor, a combination of different ecosystems including large tracts of low-elevation grasslands and open woodlands, will be a one kilometre-wide area that will connect the approximately 75 kilometres between the two parks. Parrott notes this has been a collaborative effort including several levels of government and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, Regional District of the Central Okanagan, local First Nations, and BC’s Ministry of Agriculture.

In addition to protecting habitat, the ecological corridor provides many benefits for humans, including water flow regulation and filtration, habitat for crop pollinators, natural pest control and landscape aesthetics.

UBC Professor Lael Parrott

UBC Professor Lael Parrott

“We can’t fragment our ecosystems,” says Parrott, director of the Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services. “A landscape is like a human body and is connected in so many ways. It has water running through it, vegetation and wildlife. If, like a body, it becomes fragmented, it then becomes a series of disconnected sections that don’t function well.”

The corridor is a variety of Crown land and privately-owned property. Much of the area is used for recreational purposes and is populated by animals such as elk, badger, bighorn sheep and a variety of snakes and bats. Protecting this corridor will contribute to maintaining wildlife, ecosystem function and human quality of life in the region.

“We’re hoping to set an example for many parts of Canada because our landscape and our growth and development are not unique to this area,” she adds. “This is an excellent example of UBC Okanagan research having a real-world impact. We live in one of the most beautiful places in Canada, and most of us live here because of the quality of life that comes from our natural ecosystems. We have an opportunity to develop differently, and set an example for other places.”

Parrott recently made a presentation to the Municipality of Lake Country and the corridor is being considered for implementation in the Lake Country Official Community Plan.

This pilot project is partially funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant, Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO), Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program (OCCP) and BC Ministry of Agriculture.

More information about the wildlife corridor can be found at: http://complexity.ok.ubc.ca/2017/11/06/the-okanagan-mountain-to-kalamalka-lake-ecological-corridor/

 

UBC student Raphael Nowak (left) poses with his mentor Ian Walker, professor of biology.

Saving lives and acing school just an ordinary day for this student

Being a top-level student isn’t easy, especially when you’re literally saving lives in your free time. But that’s all in a day’s work for UBC Okanagan’s Raphael Nowak, winner of a top $10,000 academic prize.

Nowak is this year’s winner of the Pushor Mitchell LLP Gold Medal Leadership Prize.

Now in its eighth year, the prize recognizes a top graduating student in the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences for academic and community leadership.

“It’s a huge honour,” says Nowak. “It’s very kind for organizations like this to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond in the community while remaining committed to academics as well.”

While studying Earth and Environmental Sciences (Freshwater Science), Nowak is also a tireless volunteer at Kelowna General Hospital and with the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue. He’s accumulated a lengthy list of qualifications and accomplishments, and remains on call to take part in lifesaving operations around Lake Okanagan—all while managing to stay on the Dean’s list for three straight years.

“He represents the kind of smart, community-engaged, socially-conscious, and public service-oriented leaders that our faculty endeavors to cultivate and prepare for Canada and the world,” says Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences Dean Wisdom Tettey. “He’s not only an exemplar of an excellent and dedicated student, but also a model of the future generation of citizens and leaders from UBC who understand the value of giving back.”

Serving the community is a big part of Nowak’s drive, and that work, along with his stellar academic record, is a key reason why he is the recipient of the largest undergraduate award given to a UBC Okanagan student. Nowak has maintained a perfect attendance record in class, despite spending thousands of hours volunteering.

“During my entire undergraduate degree, I’ve been associated with search and rescue involvement, balancing callouts, sometimes all night, in addition to volunteering at KGH on weekends. I try and discipline myself. I don’t go beyond what I know I can do. My highest priority is always my education.”

With such an impressive list of accomplishments, it is easy to see why James Paterson, managing partner at Pushor Mitchell LLP, says the firm is proud to support Nowak through the award.

“The lawyers and staff of Pushor Mitchell LLP have a commitment to support student excellence and achievement for both academic and community leadership with the Pushor Mitchell LLP Gold Medal Leadership Prize,” says Paterson. “Raphael’s achievements exemplify the highest standard in that regard.”

Nowak also acknowledges the impact being a student at UBC Okanagan has had on him. It’s not just about the knowledge he has gained, but the skills he has developed to be able to think critically and analytically, whether in a chemistry class or a search and rescue situation.

And he’s thankful of the strong support he’s received from his professors, most notably from Bernard Bauer, Jeff Curtis and Ian Walker.

“As I reflect on my past four years, all my instructors have been fantastic,” says Nowak. “Professor Walker recommended that I take freshwater science. I corresponded with him when I was in Grade 10, when I was identifying some aquatic plants in Okanagan Lake. He’s been a big supporter, and kept my interest going.”

Nowak plans to stay busy following convocation. He’s writing a book on Okanagan Lake, drawing on years of personal research and investigations. He also aims to apply for UBC’s Southern Medical Program, saying the Pushor Mitchell prize will help him stay committed to his education and extracurricular involvement.

“This scholarship will help me to remain focused on these values, and enable me to give back to society in an even greater way as a result of my future education.”

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The Okanagan Research Forum will discuss changes this region is facing due to climate change, population growth, and land use changes.

What: Okanagan Research Forum
Who: UBC Okanagan Institute for Biodiversity, Resilience, and Ecosystem Services (BRAES) and UBC Okanagan Institute for Community Engaged Research (ICER)
When: Monday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with keynote lecture 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Kelowna Yacht Club banquet room, 1370 Water St, Kelowna

The Okanagan Research Forum invites the community to listen to experts and take part in an open discussion about the future of the Okanagan landscape.

Hosted by UBC Okanagan’s BRAES Institute and ICER Institute in collaboration with partner organizations, the forum will be about sharing information and encouraging conversation between members of the community, locally engaged organizations, government and academia. Event partners include the Okanagan Basin Water Board, Okanagan Nation Alliance, BC Wildlife Federation, City of Kelowna (Imagine Kelowna), and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program.

The theme of this year’s event is resilience and will include plenary presentations and discussions by expert panelists to explore how the concept of resilience applies to social, cultural and ecological systems. The afternoon will include a facilitated working session and group discussions.

The evening keynote lecture on community resilience will be presented by Assoc. Prof. Kyle Powys Whyte, indigenous philosopher and activist from Michigan State University.

Both the daytime session and the keynote lecture are open to the public. There is a nominal registration fee for the daytime sessions to cover the cost of food and beverages. The keynote is free.

To register, or get more information visit okresearchforum.geolive.ca or contact Carolina Restrepo at carolina.restrepo@ubc.ca

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Time with his dying father leads to new book, and profound new quality of life

Award-winning musician, journalist, and writer Wab Kinew will talk about his new book The Reason You Walk when he visits Kelowna September 30. Kinew is the next speaker in UBC Okanagan’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Photo courtesy of: Katelyn Malo

What: Distinguished Speaker Series: The Reason You Walk
Who: Wab Kinew, Canadian journalist, author, hip-hop musician
When: Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m.
Where: Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water St., Kelowna 

A celebrated journalist, writer, musician, and hip-hop artist Wab Kinew knows what it’s like to be at a major crossroads in life. Growing up, initially on a reserve in northern Ontario and then in the inner city of Winnipeg, Kinew could have become a victim of circumstance and his family’s history. His father was raised in a residential school; stories of abuse, rape, alcoholism, and brutality were the constant shadows of his family’s background.

Kinew’s path could have taken any direction. He made mistakes. But he also asked questions. And he expected changes. When those didn’t come, he made his own changes and began speaking out about why Aboriginal people are treated differently than non-Aboriginals.

Already successful in his career, Kinew decided to spend time reconnecting with his dad shortly after his father was diagnosed with cancer. His book, The Reason You Walk, is the result of that time together and the conversations and healing that took place. This chapter in his life will be the main topic of Kinew’s talk when he visits Kelowna as part of UBC Okanagan’s Distinguished Speaker Series September 30.

Talented, passionate and smart, Kinew — who has a degree in economics — has become an accomplished journalist and a motivational speaker. He helped produce and host the acclaimed CBC series 8th Fire, has hosted Canada Reads, is an Aljazeera America correspondent, and at the same time is the Associate Vice-President of Indigenous Affairs at the University of Winnipeg. His hip hop music has won an Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award, his journalism has won accolades, and he’s been nominated for a Gemini. Postmedia News has called him one of “nine Aboriginal movers and shakers you should know.”

Kinew will speak at the Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water Street on Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. His visit is part of the UBC Okanagan’s Distinguished Speaker Series which is presented by the Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences. This event is free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required.

To register, visit: www.speakers.ok.ubc.ca

The Reason You Walk will be published this fall and UBC’s Bookstore plans to provide the book for sale at the event.

The Distinguished Speaker Series brings to the Okanagan compelling speakers, with unique perspectives on issues that affect our region, our country and our world. The theme of the series is A Civil and Sustainable Society.

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Award-winning writer and broadcaster Jay Ingram is UBC Okanagan’s next distinguished speaker. He will discuss the science of Alzheimer’s on Wednesday, February 25 at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

High demand in community for Alzheimer’s speaker

UBC Okanagan has added a second evening to its Distinguished Speaker Series presentation by Jay Ingram.

The iconic Canadian writer and broadcaster will speak about his new book The End of Memory: A Natural history of Alzheimer’s disease on Thursday, February 26 at the Mary Irwin Theatre. The talk, free and open to the public, will be his second presentation on the topic, as his first presentation the previous evening is fully booked.

This is the first time a Distinguished Speaker Series presentation has been extended to a two-night engagement.

"It's not surprising there is a thirst for knowledge about Alzheimer's disease,” says Ingram. “It's now the subject of plays and novels, but it is also important to understand the history of the disease and the science.”

In his latest book, The End of Memory, Ingram explores the mystery of Alzheimer’s and how it attacks the brain. Alzheimer’s is a growing concern as more and more people are being diagnosed with the disease as populations are living longer.

Ingram, the former host of popular science shows such as CBC’s Quirks and Quarks and Discovery Channel Canada’s Daily Planet, will speak about the mystery of Alzheimer’s and the desperate need for more research funding.

The Science of Alzheimer’s Distinguished Speaker event is presented by UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, and takes place Thursday, February 26, at the Mary Irwin Theatre, 421 Cawston Avenue, Kelowna. The event is free and begins at 7 p.m.

Registration is required: dss-ingram-night2.eventbrite.ca

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Award-winning writer and broadcaster Jay Ingram is UBC Okanagan’s next distinguished speaker. He will discuss the science of Alzheimer’s on Wednesday, February 25 at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

UBC Okanagan’s Distinguished Speaker Series tackles mystery of the tragic illness

Jay Ingram describes Alzheimer’s as a wicked disease that society has ignored for too long. While much research has been done on memory loss, the cruelty of Alzheimer’s is the tragic effect it has on the life of the patient, and how it devastates those left to care for a person who no longer knows who they are.

In his latest book, The End of Memory, the award-winning science author explores the mystery of Alzheimer’s and how it attacks the brain. And he raises valid questions: where did it come from? Why weren’t we talking about it 50 years ago? Do we understand what is really going on in a patient’s afflicted brain?

German neurologist Alois Alzheimer first diagnosed the disease in 1906. While it’s been recognized for decades, Ingram argues research money set aside for Alzheimer’s still trails far behind funding for other deadly illnesses such as cancer and lung disease. And as society continues to live longer than previous generations, more and more people will be diagnosed and begin the long, lonely demise of Alzheimer’s.

Ingram says it’s time for a rethink on how we deal with Alzheimer’s. Being informed, he says, is a good thing and his goal with his new book is to help people understand the disease. Ingram will unravel some of the mystery of Alzheimer’s at UBC Okanagan’s Distinguished Speaker Series in Kelowna on Wednesday, February 25.

Ingram is an iconic Canadian writer and broadcaster, hosting several shows including CBC’s Quirks and Quarks and Discovery Channel Canada’s Daily Planet. His book The End of Memory: A Natural history of Alzheimer’s disease will be available for sale and signing at the Distinguished Speaker Series event.

The Science of Alzheimer’s is presented by UBC Okanagan’s Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, and takes place at the Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water St. The event is free and begins at 7 p.m.

Registration is required: dss-ingram.eventbrite.ca

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