The Fall Meeting
Agenda :
8:30am |
Doors open, registration open, plant sales start, coffee and muffins available. |
9:30 am |
General Council Business: discussion/vote on insurance matters |
10:00 am |
Harry Jongerden: The New VanDusen Botanical Gardens |
11:00 am |
Zamir Punja: Plant Blights and Genetic Engineering |
Noon |
Lunch |
1:30 pm |
Jennifer Grenz: Invasive Plants - Pestilence and Prevention |
2:15pm |
Draw for donated Door Prizes (donated item greatly appreciated) |
It would be appreciated if each club would donate one item for the draw.
Please register in advance by October 8, 2010
Please confirm your attendance by mail by completing and mailing your registration form along with your payment.
Registration in advance is $22 per person – includes lunch and refreshments
Send Registration Form and payment payable to B.C. Council of Garden Clubs to:
Mas Tanizawa,
9426 Dawson Crescent,
Delta, V4C 5G9
Late Registrants - $30 payment at the door will be accepted (cash or cheque only)
No refunds after October 8, 2010. Substitutions of attendees is acceptable.
Please indicate if a vegetarian meal is required
No telephone registrations will be accepted.
Everyone is welcome to attend this meeting.
Guest Speakers
Harry Jongerden - "The New VanDusen Gardens"
With 30 years experience in ornamental horticulture and botanical gardens, Mr. Jongerden came to VanDusen in June 2008 as Garden Director from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, Ontario where he was Head of Horticulture. His professional career started with the Metropolitan Toronto Parks Department where he served as Head Gardener at Toronto Island and the Canadian National Exhibition. He also spent eight years with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as Head Gardener.
Mr. Jongerden is a member of the American Public Garden Association (APGA).
Some of the highlights of his many important accomplishments include:
- Directing VanDusen to become a leader in sustainability in its collections, gardens, programs and facilities.
- Expanding VanDusen to include the Bloedel Conservatory.
- Bringing international sculpture exhibits to VanDusen such as Zimsculpt (Africa) and Sebastian (Mexico).
- Recasting RBG's Horticulture Department to become a leader in sustainable horticulture.
- Organizing an exhibition of environmentally-themed large-scale 'Earth Art' sculpture at RBG.
- Designing the Elizabethan Garden at Stratford's Shakespeare Theatre.
- Designing the Walkerton Memorial and the Walkerton Heritage Water Garden.
- Author of a book on the 'how-to' and 'why' of horticulture, This Other Eden.
Zamir Punja, SFU - "New Plant Developments and Pest Control"
Zamir Punja is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, SFU. Originally from Tanzania, he obtained his B.Sc. from UBC, and his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Davis, before becoming Research Scientist and Manager with the Campbell Soup Company.
He joined SFU in 1989. In addition to his teaching duties, Zamir has two major research interests. One is Plant Pathology, involving studies on the etiology and control of various fungal diseases on vegetable and horticultural crops. For his work to elucidate how pathogens infect vegetable and horticultural crops at the biochemical and structural level, and how to control these diseases, Dr Punja was awarded the 2009 Canadian Phytopathological Society Award for outstanding research in this area.
A second area of interest is Plant Biotechnology, where the aim is to improve plant resistance to disease, using techniques in plant tissue culture, molecular biology, and genetic engineering. The world's very first genetically-engineered strains of carrot and ginseng came from Punja's pioneering research laboratory. "Genetic advancements have helped stave off starvation for millions of people". As a champion of genetically modified plants, Zamir was awarded the 2003 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in support of controversy, when he gave an address on "Genetically Modified Foods: The Myths, Realities and Controversies".
In 2008 he co-edited the book "Biotechnology and Plant Disease" with De Boer and Sanfacon. His work is supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and numerous public and private sector organizations, and is widely published.
Jennifer Grenz - "Invasive Plants - Pestilence and Prevention"
Jennifer Grenz has a Bachelor of Science in Agroecology from the University of British Columbia and focused her degree on weed science and ecophysiology. Ecophysiology is a biological discipline, also called environmental physiology, which studies the adaptation of an organism's physiology or metabolic functioning to changing environmental conditions. These changes may be due to climate, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, light intensity, insect and bacterial activity, and other factors on the land and in the water. These studies are highly relevant to crop improvement.
Jennifer has worked for a number of environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, including the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, Evergreen, Langley Environmental Partners Society and currently, the Greater Vancouver Invasive Plant Council of BC. In addition to her position as coordinator for GVIPC, Jen owns and runs a small organic farm in Ladner, BC with her husband and three small children.