The unmissable #ScienceSandwich conferences are back! The CREA Mont-Blanc opens the doors of the Mont Blanc Observatory for these scientifc seminars. Come and meet researchers studying issues that affect the mountains.
As the name “Science Sandwich” would suggest, the conference series occurs midday, from 12:30 to 1:30, and you are encouraged to bring your lunch with you.
These monthly scientific lectures are open to everybody. You will find hereunder the following dates:
Thursday 29th of June 2023 : A palm tree that talks, shouts and lies to its pollinating insects!
Without pollinating insects, almost 90% of plants would be unable to reproduce. Flowers, the reproductive organs of plants, have developed an ingenious system to attract pollinating insects and encourage the transfer of pollen, essential for the formation of fruit and seeds.
Did you know that the colors and smells that make flowers so attractive actually serve to communicate with their pollinating insects? Plants use these signals to indicate the presence of a reward, such as nectar, and thus encourage insects to visit them. When diffused into the air, floral fragrances are particularly effective at conveying messages over long distances.
Join us on Thursday June 29 for a chat with Thomas Auffray, post-doc and self-entrepreneur in entomology and chemical ecology. He will explain these plant-insect interactions and show us a palm tree that heats up its flowers to make itself heard by its pollinating insects.
Wednesday 7th of June 2023 : From Zambia to Chamonix: environmental conservation in Africa
This new #ScienceSandwich conference will be an opportunity to take a journey and put research in other ecosystems into perspective, with a few photos and anecdotes from the field.
Thursday 11th of May 2023 : Crystals in Alpine cracks conservation in Africa
With Edwin Gnos, Curator of Mineralogy and Petrography at the Geneva Natural History Museum.
A specialist in the fields of meteorites and alpine fissures, he will tell us all about the specific features of these alpine crystals and their origins.
Thursday 9th of March 2023 : Follow the tracks of white species
In the footsteps of the mountain hare and the rock ptarmigan: Learn more about these discreet and intriguing mountain species.
With their autumn and spring color changes, the mountain hare and the rock ptarmigan are two symbolic species of the Alps.
These species, described as glacial relics, colonized the Alps after the last ice age some 10,000 years ago.
They are particularly well adapted to living conditions in the high mountains, but are highly sensitive to rapid changes in their environment, and today are vulnerable to various threats, notably climate change. Yet we know very little about them, not least because of their rarity, discretion and the difficult-to-access environment in which they live.
Thursday 2nd of February 2023 : Climate change and mountain forest dynamics
Mountain forests now cover more than 50% of the Alps and are home to a significant part of the Alps’ biodiversity. They were shaped by climatic constraints but also by human activities. These forests are now be directly impacted by climate change.
How are the demographic cycle of trees and in particular their regeneration capacities and fecundity affected by climate change?
Are species-rich forests more resilient?
Thursday 19th of January 2023 : Stay tuned to the song of the mountains
Discover bioacoustics with Frédéric Sèbe, researcher specialized on Eco/Bioacoustics. He will present a study case of bioacoustics to monitor rock ptarmigan populations in the Alps.
Tuesday 13th of December 2022: In the footsteps of Alpine Herbivores
Marjorie Bison, ecologist, will present the role of large herbivores in ecosystems, the services and constraints they provide to society, their place in research and finally the issues related to ungulates in France.
We are waiting for you at the Mont-Blanc Observatory on Tuesday December 13th at 12:30 pm. If you are a little too far to visit us this time, you can follow the conference live with this link.
Tuesday 15th of November 2022: Scientific Tourism: discover our territories differently
Conference with two voices, with Daniel Zambrano, engineer of scientific tourism studies – in charge of the NSE Nature Science Environment Network and Irène Alvarez, co-director of CREA Mont-Blanc.
Crossed views on the different practices of scientific tourism in the mountains, from the Grand Briançonnais to the Mont-Blanc region. What are the issues, constraints and objectives of these new forms of tourism?
Scientific tourism is conceived as a bridge between the world of science and that of tourism. Motivated by the acquisition and dissemination of scientific knowledge, tourism with a scientific dimension contributes to a better understanding of our territories.
Information
Conferences Science Sandwich at CREA Mont-Blanc
at the Mont-Blanc Observatory – 67 lacets du belvédère – 74400 Chamonix Mont-Blanc
From 12:30 to 1:30 pm
Bring your own lunch
Free Entry
Conferences in French or English according to the speakers
You are warmly welcome to these scientific seminars. More dates and topics to follow.
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