ABSTRACT

When we think about the conservation and restoration of grasslands, we sometimes overlook the places where plants have a difficult time. Yet these environments (e.g., sand dunes, badlands, salt flats) can be the only habitats for some rare plants and animals, many of which are of conservation concern. From kangaroo rats to beetles to rare moths, these organisms remind us to avoid the erosion of erosional-land conservation

Bio

John Acorn, University of Alberta

John Acorn teaches in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta, where he focuses on insect and bird ecology, paleontology, and science communication. John has been a lifelong naturalist, and he is best known for his television series Acorn, The Nature Nut, in which he blended a broad knowledge of animals with a flair for music and humour. He is also the author of some twenty books on natural history subjects, and dozens of research articles and papers. From cutting edge science to old-fashioned nature study, John enjoys and promotes a broad appreciation of the natural world around us. He is the recipient of the U of A’s Distinguished Alumni Award, The Entomological Foundation’s Medal of Honor, NSERC’s Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion, and the Royal Society of Canada’s McNeil Medal for the Public Awareness of Science.