The Ends of the World, Are We There Yet?

with Dan Northcut

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 – chapter meeting:

Schedule:
6:30 Camera Roll and Socializing, plus Arts & Crafts Fair starting at 6 pm
6:50 Science Fair Presentation 

7:00 Introduction and Announcements
7:20 Featured Presentation
8:45 Adjournment

Join us at Dallas College Brookhaven Campus, Building H, Room 125. Campus map. See Covid protocol, below.

• Bring seasonal cookies. Participate in a trail/energy bar swap; bring your favorite and swap with someone.
• Shop at arts, crafts, and book tables from NTMN members (starting at 6 pm).
• Say a special farewell to our Stalin SM.

Or participate via Zoom—register here. (If you are attending in person, you don’t need to register for Zoom.)

Earth from Apollo 11, courtesy of NASA.

Life on Earth is perilous. All its flora and fauna, including humans, are minute compared to the planet’s epic forces. Several times in Earth’s history, plate tectonics, ice ages, massive meteorite impacts, and more have wiped out species, even entire families and genera. Dan Northcut, a favorite NTMN curriculum instructor, will present on previous mass extinctions and explore the similarities to our present circumstances, with its unprecedented loss of biodiversity and rate of species extinctions. Are dire changes to food security, air and water quality, human health, and ecology in store? Tune in for a tremendous conclusion to our Survivor speaker theme for 2021!

A native Texan, Dan Northcut has been teaching earth and environmental sciences at his high school alma mater, St. Mark’s School of Texas, since 1987, and is presently the Director of Environmental Studies and teaches AP Environmental Science and earth science. He studied geology at The Colorado College, receiving a bachelor’s degree, and went on to earn his master’s degree at University of Texas at Dallas. When not at work, he’s out learning, exploring, and experiencing the natural world. He certified as a Texas Master Naturalist in 2000 and later served as president of the North Texas chapter. He’s taught several topics for the North Texas Master Naturalist certification classes for the past 20 years.

NTMN Science Fair Winner Presentation: Milk Dumping

Tune in a 6:50 for a short presentation from Sreya Das, our NTMN Regional Science Fair award recipient for her project on the crisis of milk dumping: “In the United States, over 43 million gallons of milk are dumped into freshwater streams every year. Milk dumping affects the prosperity of both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems while also affecting the public freshwater supply. Furthermore, milk dumping can result in detrimental economic loss for farmers and devastates the ecotourism industry. Currently, there are no easily scalable processes that can curb the detrimental impacts of milk dumping. This project offers a novel alternative solution using Hermetia illucens, a native Texas fly.

Sreya Das is a senior at Lone Star High School in Frisco. Local, sustainable environmental action is important to her as she believes it is our duty to take care or our environment. Outside of research, she cares for two bunnies. You can always find her in a nook re-reading Pride and Prejudice and practicing fly puns.

Camera Roll

As usual, show up or tune in between 6:30 and 7 pm for an array of photos by TMNs. Theme is open this month, but photos that stress nature’s survivors or show a life and death struggle befitting the 2021 Survivor theme are encouraged. Send to Ashleigh Miller.

Covid Protocol

Please participate at the level you’re comfortable. We’re excited to meet in person, but we don’t take this decision lightly. We expect all attendees to consider the health and well-being of their fellow attendees and comply with all policies.

• MASKS are required at Dallas College in accordance with the Dallas County Risk Level Red.
• The room will be set to allow for SOCIAL DISTANCING (4 people per table for maximum capacity of 100).
• HAND SANITIZER will be available.
• Food and drinks will not be provided, but you may bring your own.