Montreal Space for Life program 2017

PROGRAM

GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE ⊕ Essential nature → 4

⊕ Architecture goes back to nature → 7 WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES ⊕ For novice green thumbs → 9

⊕ Bringing biodiversity home → 10 ⊕ Light pollution → 12

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET ⊕ Gardens in good taste → 14

⊕ Plants to help cure what ails you → 18 ⊕ A different kind of needle

to keep you healthy → 19

INSPIRING NATURE ⊕ Willows to the rescue! → 25 ⊕ Cosmic conversation → 26

JOURNALISTS Brïte Pauchet, Anne-Marie Luca, Marylise Hamelin, Charles Prémont RESEARCH AND VALIDATION Montréal Space for Life GRAPHIC DESIGN orangetango TRANSLATION Pamela Ireland, Terry Knowles GRAPHIC ARTIST Stéphanie Rivet (Pulsation graphique)

BY CHARLES-MATHIEU BRUNELLE MONTRÉAL SPACE FOR LIFE DIRECTOR

© MONTRÉAL SPACE FOR LIFE 2017

February 2017, Butterflies Go Free.

What better way to start the year than by feeling a butterfly brush past your cheek?

In this year of celebration, Montréal Space for Life pays tribute to nature.

Nature that feeds us.

Nature that inspires us.

Nature that heals us.

IN THIS EDITION GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE → 4 WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES → 8 HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET → 14 INSPIRING NATURE → 22

Our wish is that, beyond the immediate pleasure of attending our shows, activities and events, visitors come away with something more.

That the ­experience be a real invitation to reconnect with nature, a ­little more with every visit.

All year long, the artisans at our institutions will share with you the passion that motivates them, their delight in the living world, fed by new scientific discoveries, and their understanding of the urgent need to act to preserve biodiversity.

We will be seeking your involvement, too, and making you part of the ­dialogue.

We will be appealing to your emotions, to your memories, asking your o ­ pinion and drawing on your creativity. All this to highlight the clear, powerful ­connection between humankind and nature.

Collectively, generously, humbly and with gratitude, this year we are offering the gift of nature. For without nature, quite simply, we are nothing. ⊗

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GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE

ESSENTIAL NATURE We know it. We sense it. We need nature. Our entire beings feel it. Why? Why are we so drawn to it? The connection is so instinctive that it’s hard to put into words. In fact, it’s mainly when it’s lacking that nature leaves its deepest impression.

In 1984, researcher Roger S. Ulrich1 measured the impact of nature on our lives by studying patients recovering from surgery. Some had a view of leafy trees from their bedside windows, while others saw only a brick wall. Patients who could see nature from their beds healed, on average, a day faster and had fewer postsurgical complications. Nature helps us heal. In this case, it relieved pain and anxiety.

BY BRÏTE PAUCHET

The environment. Everything we need in order to live is right there in front of us. Air, water, soil, plants, animals, humans: we’re all part of a whole. Join us as we explore biophilia, a vibrant connection, that unseverable umbilical cord between us and nature.

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You needn’t be hospitalized to feel its effects.

According to Frances Kuo,2 from the University of Illinois, having trees in low-income Chicago suburbs reduced violence and crime by 7%.

She also found that children with ADHD focused better after a simple walk in a park.

PHOTO André Sarrazin

These studies illustrate the concept advanced by the renowned entomologist Edward O. Wilson: biophilia, that innate attraction we all feel to nature. Of course, we all experience it ­differently. This atavistic need, an ­evolutionary throwback to our days on African savannas, seems to be written in our genes. That’s why a wide-open landscape is reassuring, for it means that we can spot any approaching predators. Hearing a river and seeing trees and flowers tells us there is water and food nearby. We’re in a restful, safe place of abundance.

Even today, looking at a landscape, or simply a picture of one, relaxes us.3 Actually being in a natural environment is even better. That’s why it’s so important for us city-dwellers to have a place like Montréal Space for Life in the heart of the city, where we can immerse ourselves in a variety of ecosystems.

Whether we’re at the Botanical Garden or the Biodôme, the Insectarium or the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, we immediately feel good, at home and in our element. The concrete disappears from view. Our experience is filled with rustling leaves, lush greenery, intriguing scents, a chorus of animal calls, splendid insects and brilliant stars. Total well-being. ⊗ 1 Ulrich, Roger S. “View through a window may influence recovery from surgery,” Science, Vol. 224, No. 4647 (April 1984), p. 420(2).

2 h ttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090217092758.htm 3 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nature-that-nurtures/

BUTTERFLIES GO FREE BOTANICAL GARDEN FEBRUARY 23 — APRIL 30

THE ARTS PUT ON A SHOW AT THE GARDEN BOTANICAL GARDEN JUNE 25 — AUGUST 27

NATURE'S BALM If you want to understand biophilia, just come soak up the atmosphere in the Botanical Garden greenhouse during Butterflies Go Free. “It’s like a tropical bubble in the middle of a Quebec winter,” Sonya Charest exclaims.

You’re greeted by the fragrance of the plants and flowers. You can feel the heat and humidity. You’re surrounded by thousands of b ­ utterflies.

“The theme in 2017 is the sense of well-being we get from nature.

That’s how we want our visitors to feel when they come here.”

Likewise, attending The Arts Put on a Show concerts at the Garden extends the pleasure for plant lovers. After a relaxing stroll through the roses, you come upon an enchanting scene: a stage on the lawn under the crabapple trees. Artists present intimate performances imbued with nature in this very special setting. ⊗

GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE

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SPIDERS UNMASKED

QUEBEC REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

INSECTARIUM

BIODÔME

OCTOBER 6 — 31

MARCH 4 — MAY 22

WHO’S AFRAID OF THE WOLF SPIDER? Nature does not always inspire a sense of peace and well-­being.

It can sometimes be unsettling and even repellent. “Fear and disgust are natural reactions to the unknown, to the unfamiliar,” explains Sonya Charest, in charge of educational programs at the Insectarium. “For instance, people everywhere are afraid of spiders, in every culture. Even in Quebec, where there are actually no dangerous spiders! This tells us that the fear has been written in our genes since the dawn of humanity,” she smiles. All the more reason to learn more about these misunderstood creatures. Why not at Halloween?

GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE

Spiders Unmasked is the perfect chance to meet them up close, to see magnificent orb spiders, with their mosquito-trapping webs, and wolf spiders, which carry their young on their backs.

Similarly, you can enjoy an intimate encounter with some reptiles and amphibians over at the Biodôme this spring. What better way to learn to appreciate their beauty than to go nose to nose with snakes, frogs, turtles, toads and salamanders? ⊗

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INSPIRATION

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By marrying architecture and nature, the Insectarium will become a true biotope in which insects, plants and people can meet and interact.

IMAGE Kuehn Malvezzi

ARCHITECTURE GOES BACK TO NATURE Montréal Space for Life is dedicated to the connection between humans and nature.

For Anne Charpentier, Director of the Montréal Insectarium, the Insectarium’s Metamorphosis needed to follow biophilic design principles. “The architecture competition allowed us to make the Insectarium fully immersive. More than simply seeing the collections, we wanted our visitors to feel themselves in and with nature.” The goal was to create an emotional bond between humans and insects. The new Insectarium, inspired by one of the fabulous builders’ nests, will blend right into its environment. Its windows will offer countless visual connections between the exhibition rooms, the insect breeding and plant production spaces and the Botanical Garden. As you explore it, you’ll forget that you’re in the city, slow down and, without even thinking about it, allow yourself the rare luxury of time.

“Visitors must become players as they step into an unexpected world, completely different from our own. We’re inviting them to enjoy a very intimate encounter,” Anne Charpentier continues. Looking through a dragonfly’s eyes, walking on the ceiling like a fly, being dwarfed by a giant blade of grass, or ­turning into a well-fed larva. So many ways for visitors to experience this insectitude. And, at the end of a tunnel, some surprising encounters: a close-up session with a six-legged creature and then an immersion among some free-ranging insects!

The same biophilic principles are behind the Migration project at the Biodôme, an ­institution that is turning 25 this year.

A long walkway will soon span the Tropical Forest, offering a whole new view of the birds and sloths high in the canopy. Farther along, in the Arctic habitat, “the huge panes of glass will disappear, replaced by glass railings a little over a metre tall,” says Biodôme Director

GETTING A DAILY DOSE OF NATURE

Rachel Léger. “You’ll be able to feel the cold on your skin, hear the bird calls and discover all kinds of new odours.”

Appealing to all our senses is one of the principles of biophilic architecture.4 Hearing a murmuring river, touching the water and inhaling the natural smells of the forest all help visitors plunge into a recreated but nonetheless real ­natural setting. It needs to delight more than just the eyes.

After the rebirth of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, the Biodôme Migration and the Insectarium Metamorphosis are two renewal projects for Space for Life museums intended to bring humans closer to nature. They are both currently in the design phase. ⊗ 4 K ellert, Stephen R., Heerwagen, Judith, Mador, Martin. Biophilic Design, The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008, 432 p.

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WHEN LIGHT ­REGULATES OUR LIVES BY ANNE-MARIE LUCA

THE SEASON OF AWAKENING Spring will arrive this year on March 20. At 5:29 a.m., to be precise.

The timing is determined by the equinox – when the Earth is at one of the two points in its orbit around the Sun when day and night are of equal length. Welcome to the season of renewal, as buds burst, animals awaken or migrate and humans head outdoors at the first signs of warmth.

The longer the photoperiod, i.e. the more ­daylight there is, the more organisms flourish.

Especially plants. “Sunlight is the first thing that plants react to,” says botanist Frédéric Pitre, from the Botanical Garden. As the days lengthen, photoreceptors absorb the light, stimulating metabolic activity in these organisms. Buds swell and open – budburst – because the leaves or flowers inside are now fully developed.

Hibernating animals respond primarily to rising temperatures.

Painted turtles, for example. When these little reptiles, just 10 to 25 cm long, perceive a major change in the weather, their cells wake up.

Their metabolism, breathing and heart rate all quicken, and their body temperature rises. They eventually leave their hiding places, often a marsh or pond, where they slept all winter long.

Different species emerge from hibernation at different times. “It can vary by a whole month. Western chorus frogs and wood turtles are the first amphibians and reptiles to awaken, in late March or early April. But mammals are already out and about,” explains Chantal Routhier, who is responsible for terrestrial w ­ ildlife at the Biodôme.

While these animals are arising from their slumber, others are ­migra­ting. More than 100 of the some 250 nesting birds in Quebec make the trek. Some cover only short distances, like the ducks that flock to the St. Lawrence from lakes in the northern United States as soon as it gets warmer here. Long-distance migrators return from South or Central America when the rainy season starts there and food becomes scarce.

Photoperiod, equinox, eclipse…

What do all these p ­ henomena have in common? Light. It lasts longer in spring, it goes out when hidden by the moon, and it can even be polluting when it comes from an artificial source. Light has the power to give life, or take it away.

“Some species cover incredible distances,” exclaims Jean-Philippe Gagnon, a bird expert at the Biodôme. “Blackpoll warblers can spend the winter in South America and nest in Alaska in summer.

And because they travel so far, they don’t arrive until early June.”

Spring is knocking at the door, so let’s get outside for a great big breath of fresh air! ⊗

SPRINGTIME AWAKENING BIODÔME MARCH 4 — MAY 22

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TRY THIS AT HOME!

PHOTO Martine Larose

FOR NOVICE GREEN THUMBS You’d like to plant some flowers, but you don’t know where to start? Marie-France Larochelle, horticultural information expert at the Botanical Garden, has a few handy tips for you.

Beginning with: “If it’s your first time, go for simplicity.

Take a minute to consider what you would most enjoy.”

Think about the different roles that your flowers could play in your design. Having edible ones means that you can add them to meals and discover some amazing flavours and textures.

And if they produce lots of nectar, you’ll have a front-row seat when butterflies and hummingbirds come to feed. That’s a great plus and a sure-fire green gardening technique. Don’t forget to invite the kids to help you throughout the season, from sowing your seeds to harvesting edibles for the kitchen table.

You have only a balcony or a small space? No problem! Create a wall garden. Place a trellis or obelisk directly in the ground or in a container and grow a climbing plant up it for a good show. Hummingbirds won’t be able to resist a canarybird vine, and you can add the yellow flowers to your salads, too.

Gardening needn’t be expensive! Look around and you’re bound to find some objects that would make interesting containers. No matter what you choose, be sure it has a few drainage holes in the bottom. Always water the soil deeply and allow it dry out between waterings. Avoid watering too frequently and too shallowly. Most container-grown plants will thrive in light, porous potting soil.

To delight your senses, surround yourself with kitchen herbs.

There’s nothing better than having a few fresh basil leaves to bring to the table. ⊗

WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES

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MONTRÉAL ECHINACEA

Montréal’s floral emblem, created to mark the city’s 375th ­anniversary, is a perennial that produces large blooms from July to September and sometimes even into October in hues ranging from orange-yellow to bright pink. The plant is also valuable in terms of biodiversity, as it attracts bees, insects whose survival is so important to us.

BRINGING BIODIVERSITY HOME Growing plants on your balcony, patio or wall, creating a flower or vegetable g ­ arden – they’re all concrete ways of preserving ­biodiversity. The My Space for Life Garden program offers tips to help you choose a plan, along with certification for your green space if you meet the program criteria. ⊕ a biodiversity garden features native plants, grown with “green” gardening techniques.

Your garden will attract a wide range of beneficial fauna; ⊕ a bird garden is a space that will attract feathered visitors, somewhere they can feed and find shelter throughout the year; ⊕ a monarch oasis will transform your garden into a place for observing these flamboyant butterflies.

A fourth My Space for Life Garden theme will be offered in spring 2017: a kitchen garden, for people who enjoy eating fruit, vegetables and leafy greens still warm from the sun.

For information: espacepourlavie.ca/en/ my-space-life-garden-program

PHOTO Claude Lafond

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WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES

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BIRD FEST BIODÔME APRIL 29 — MAY 22

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Canada warbler, male in nuptial plumage

PROTECTING WINGED BIODIVERSITY When we wake up to birdsong, we know that spring has truly sprung. It’s the perfect time to do some birdwatching, at the Botanical Garden or in your own yard.

Birdwatcher Normand Fleury knows all about it. Since the retiree redesigned his Granby property in 2010 to attract birds he has spotted some sixty different species. “It’s so nice to see them finding things I’ve prepared for them,” he says.

His garden was inspired by one of the three themes in the My Space for Life Garden program, launched in 2013. The program makes people aware of the importance of protecting biodiversity and invites them to green their surroundings.

“We want to encourage people to get close to nature, and ­suggesting that they create spaces for biodiversity at home is a great way to do that,” says My Space for Life Garden ­program co-ordinator Sylvie Tousignant.

It’s not only urban biodiversity that needs protection. There are some thirty species of birds in Quebec whose status is threatened. The Canada warbler, for instance. Its population has dropped by 70% over the past fifty years because of the way swamp forests have been altered. And the chimney swift, whose Canadian population has shrunk by 92% since the 70s.

Intensive monoculture, which has transformed the Quebec landscape, has also destroyed some species’ natural habitats.

“It’s a huge decline,” laments Jean-Philippe Gagnon, a bird expert at the Biodôme.

What can we do to help? “Conserve water, recycle and, most importantly, make environmentally responsible choices,” the biologist advises. “We can also donate to organizations involved in specific conservation projects, like the Regroupement QuébecOiseaux and the Quebec Fauna Foundation.” ⊗

WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES

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LIGHT POLLUTION Our ability to see the stars, human health and safety, animals, plants, ecosystems… Everything is affected by light pollution.

Montréal Space for Life talked with Sébastien Giguère, from the Mont-Mégantic International Dark Sky Reserve, to learn about the impact of this artificial light.

Is light pollution purely an urban phenomenon?

It’s true that it is worse in cities. But rural areas weren’t so badly affected 10 or 20 years ago. Looking at the dark-sky scale, particularly in North America, we can see that our nighttime experience is disappearing. That’s because of blue light. Its wavelength scatters 2 to 4 times more in the ­atmosphere than does orange – that’s why the sky is blue.

It’s also the light that has the most impact on organisms’ biological clock.

What does it do?

In the late 1990s, researchers found a photoreceptor called melanopsin in the eye – it regulates this clock. When the eye absorbs blue light, melanopsin inhibits the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone that affects the body in various ways. But the hormone is secreted only in total darkness.

Which means that if you look at your tablet just before going to bed, it will delay the production of melatonin by a few hours.

How can we reduce light pollution?

By improving lighting practices. We can start by asking whether something really needs to be lit. If so, then the best option is to use a downward beam with low glare and a warm colour, for as short a time as possible. Having a large vacant parking lot lit up all night is an example of light pollution.

What about public safety?

Combatting light pollution doesn’t mean turning off all the lights. The idea is to dim the light. There is a lot of glare in urban design. Take the large spotlights used in parks for security, for example. In reality, they produce such strong contrasts that areas in shadow become even darker.

And we’re blinded. ⊗

WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES

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PARTIAL ECLIPSE RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM AUGUST 21

MONTRÉAL IN THE SHADOW Do you remember making a solar eclipse viewer out of a shoebox at school back in 1994? Now it’s our kids’ turn – on August 21, at 1:22 in the afternoon, the Moon will start blocking out the Sun. Seen from Montréal, it will be only a partial eclipse. When the Moon passes in front of the Sun, the shadow it projects onto the Earth is no more than about one hundred kilometres across.

So you’d need to be standing directly beneath this shadow cone – “the path of totality” in scientific jargon – to be ­completely in the dark.

“If you hold a small ball away from you so that it masks a larger ball, as soon as you raise your head you’ll see that it doesn’t perfectly hide the large one anymore,” explains

WHEN LIGHT REGULATES OUR LIVES

astronomer André Grandchamps, from the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. At 2:38 p.m., in Montréal, the Moon will hide a maximum of 58% of the Sun. In the central United States, they’ll have a total eclipse.

We’ll have to wait another eight years to see a total eclipse in Montréal. But we’re lucky, because the average city enjoys this phenomenon only once every 400 years. In fact, the last one here was as recent as 1932.

In the meantime, the Planetarium will be organizing various activities for people interested in observing the partial eclipse.

Here’s hoping for a sunny day. ⊗

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HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET PAR GÉRALDINE JACQUART

BY CHARLES PRÉMONT

Nature feeds us. And growing our own food is the very best way to know where it came from. This has become a major trend, as people are increasingly concerned about both the environment and what they are eating. Other trends already popular in other parts of the world, like eating insects and seaweed, are also starting to make their way here.

GARDENS IN GOOD TASTE Ever heard of foodscaping? Growing edible plants, as a way of beautifying our surroundings and producing our own food, is becoming more and more popular in the horticulture ­industry. And in some cases it’s our children who are sowing the seeds, both literally and figuratively.

Back in the 1980s, gardens had to be attractive. Then, in the early 2000s, cooking became all the rage. As the focus turned to eating well in order to stay healthy, we naturally became more concerned about the vegetables we eat and where they come from.

According to the Botanical Garden’s Director René Pronovost, the horticulture industry felt the effects immediately. “People were less interested in ornamental horticulture,” he explains.

“So the industry reacted by combining plants’ decorative and edible qualities.”

These beautiful, healthy gardens are not only charming and useful, but also delicious! Before starting one of your own, though, you need to find the right information to guide your design. Think about different plants’ colours, which ones are edible, what type of soil and how much sunlight they need, etc.

Inspiring a new generation Why not start with kids? The Youth Gardens program, begun

by Brother Marie-Victorin nearly 80 years ago, introduces youngsters to gardening by having them care for their own little plot of soil, under the watchful eye of some professionals.

What they learn has an impact on the whole family. “It changes their relationship with plants,” says co-ordinator Violène Simard.

“Kids who garden realize that there’s no magic f­ ormula.

Some of their plants may not look perfect, but they’re proud to bring home food they’ve grown themselves. We’ve given them a legacy, and many of them keep on gardening right into adulthood.” ⊗

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GREAT GARDENING WEEKEND

THE GREAT PUMPKIN BALL

BOTANICAL GARDEN

BOTANICAL GARDEN

MAY 26 — 28

OCTOBER 6 — 31

VARIETY AND ABUNDANCE

For its 20 th anniversary, the Botanical Garden’s Great Gardening Weekend has picked the very up-to-date theme of foodscaping.

In recent years, the exhibitors invited to this colourful event have brought more and more vegetables and edible plants. The movement hasn’t escaped the Garden’s Director, René Pronovost.

“This year, we want to help boost its popularity, by offering a wider variety of food plants. Even our exhibitors who tend to focus on ornamental plants will have some edible flowers,” he says.

There will be foodscaping displays at the Botanical Garden all summer long. Beautiful plants will never have been in such good taste!

The Great Pumpkin Ball will be another opportunity to put food in the spotlight – especially considering the bounty and ­diversity of fall crops in Quebec, another key phase in the cycle of the seasons. Look for gigantic pumpkins and lots, lots more! ⊗

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

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INSECTS: FOOD OF THE FUTURE? Fried, grilled, sauteed, in sauce, on a stick, or even ground into flour, there are countless ways to eat insects. People used to be disgusted by them, but now they’re gaining popularity.

With excellent reason! They’re a super food – high in protein, vitamins and minerals – and raising them is easy on the environment.

Most of us are still pretty put off by the idea of biting into a nice caterpillar or munching on some grasshopper legs, though. That’s why the Insectarium is bringing back its Insect Tastings event this summer, to dispel any misconceptions about this important source of food.

“It’s an opportunity to introduce visitors to an aspect of food that most people don’t know much about,” explains Sonya Charest, educational programs co-ordinator at the Insectarium.

“Eating insects seems strange to North Americans and Europeans, but it’s a common practice on every other continent!”

This culinary ethnocentrism is bad for the planet. Insects are not only super nutritious – they contain two to three times more protein than meat – but farming them also has a very small ecological footprint.

Hundreds of species are edible. “Most of the ones we eat are herbivores,” Charest says. “We also tend to go for neutral tones, because bright colours are often indicators of toxicity.

It’s also best to choose insects that live somewhere healthy.

When they’re raised for human consumption, it’s done under controlled sanitary conditions.”

Charest believes that our distaste for bugs is changing, and that insects will soon be much more common fare. “Companies are popping up all over,” she says. “People understand that it’s a food source that makes a lot of sense.” ⊗

INSECT TASTINGS INSECTARIUM JUNE 15 — SEPTEMBER 4

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

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TASTES OF THE FOREST AND SEA BIODÔME

PHOTO Anne Tremblay-Gratton

JUNE 15 — SEPTEMBER 4

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GREEN SUPERFOOD Seaweed is part of the solution to many of the problems facing our planet. Nathalie-Rose Le François, a researcher and scientific advisor at the Biodôme, is increasingly ­interested in its bioremediation potential. “Seaweed absorbs heavy metals, along with nitrates and phosphates,” she explains. “Pollutants that are often found in run-off from livestock producers, for instance.”

At the Biodôme, she’s trying to introduce seaweed in the basins inside the building. “With real seaweed, or algae,” she explains,

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

Frond of Palmaria palmata, also called dulse, dillisk or dilsk

“we could have more species. That would better reproduce their environment, which would allow them to behave more naturally. It would also give them a new source of food.”

What about humans? We don’t often think about it, but ­seaweed is edible! The Biodôme will be organizing tastings of ­seaweed and other foodstuffs from the Gulf of St. Lawrence this summer.

Edibles from Quebec forests will also be showcased during the event. ⊗

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A MUST TRY

← Rhodiola infusion ↓

PLANTS TO HELP CURE WHAT AILS YOU Beyond beyond their nutritional and ­ecological value, plants are useful to humans in many ways.

Milk thistle seeds

This legacy has been disappearing with each successive generation. “Since this know-how was part of a broader spiritual system, early missionaries brushed it aside.

And ever since, science, which has so often presented itself as the only gateway to knowledge, hasn’t given it the credit it deserves.”

A cold got you down? Try a decoction of echinacea, thyme or Labrador tea. Lacking energy? Take some American ginseng or rhodiola. Your liver is troubling you? Some milk thistle seeds might be just the answer.

Yet, as Cuerrier says, there is no doubt that plants have a place in our healing arsenal. “The Cree use certain plants to help relieve diabetes symptoms,” he explains.

“And recent studies have shown that sweet wormwood, used by the Chinese to treat fever, is effective against malaria.”

Down through the ages, people have always turned to plants for food, clothing and also medicine. Alain Cuerrier, a researcher and botanist at the Botanical Garden, works with Indigenous people to preserve First Nations knowledge of medicinal plants.

While plants can be healing, you should’t expect m ­ iracles.

“It takes a few days, or even a few weeks, to start ­feeling the effects.” Rather than replacing medicine, they ­complement it. ⊗

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

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A DIFFERENT KIND OF NEEDLE TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY Or you can turn over a new leaf, if you prefer deciduous trees. Though we often take them for granted, trees are essential to our well-being.

We derive a number of quantifiable physiolo­ gical benefits from these giants of the plant world. To celebrate this, the Botanical Garden created the interpretation trail through the Arboretum, an educational path through the tree collections reminding us how fascinating they are, in addition to being our faithful allies.

“First of all, they absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen,” says Andrée Hallé, in charge of public programs at the Botanical Garden. “Basically, without plants, algae and a few bacteria, the Earth would have no oxygen.

They’re also temperature regulators. They keep our streets cool in summer and screen us from bitter winds in winter.”

She quotes a Chinese saying: The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second-best time is right now! “A single tree makes a huge difference. Just in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide it absorbs, the oxygen it ­produces and the water it releases into the atmosphere, the benefits are undeniable.”

Not only that, but it’s been shown that trees increase property values. ⊗

PHOTO Michel Tremblay

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

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MAKE SOME DISCOVERIES

EXPERIENCE SPACE FOR LIFE ON YOUR PLATE The Botanical Garden Restaurant menu revolves around and is strongly inspired by its botanical surroundings, featuring fresh seasonal ingredients, most grown locally and/or organically.

The menu changes with the seasons and highlights the different events at the Garden. In spring, visitors can enjoy a traditional sugar-shack menu. In summer, herbs from the Garden flavour the different dishes, both in the cafeteria and on the tapas/concert menu on one of the city’s finest patios. Come fall, squash and the Gardens of Light inspire our chefs to offer dumplings and other comfort food.

Interested in tasting some insects at home? ⊗

INSECT BURGERS 4 servings

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Method

Ingredients

Soak dried chickpeas in cold water in refrigerator for 12 hours.

1 CUP MEALWORMS

Place soaked chickpeas and onions in food processor and chop.

200 G DRIED CHICKPEAS

Combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients and shape into 4 patties.

2 CUPS DICED ONIONS 3 CLOVES GARLIC

Heat a bit of canola oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the patties for a few minutes on both sides.

3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH

Set the patties on paper towel to absorb any excess oil.

CORIANDER 3 TABLESPOONS CHOPPED FRESH

Enjoy your insect burger with your favourite garnishes.

PARSLEY

TIP

1 TABLESPOON PAPRIKA

If you would rather not see the mealworms in your patty, you can grind them to a powder with the food processor.

2 TABLESPOONS MONTRÉAL STEAK SPICE 1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER

Rafaël Martinez

CHEF | BOTANICAL GARDEN

1/2 CUP CHICKPEA FLOUR

HOW WE EAT: TAKING CARE OF OURSELVES AND THE PLANET

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INSPIRING NATURE BY

MARILYSE HAMELIN

KYMA: TRAVELLING WAVES

Interview with Philippe Baylaucq

This spring, in its first collaboration with the National Film Board of Canada, the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium will be presenting the film KYMA. In it, filmmaker Philippe Baylaucq (Tempo and Aurorae) invites us to journey with him through the universe of waves, from the infinitely large to the infinitely small.

Between the two, it celebrates the singular place held by life itself. “KYMA is an allegorical tale told in images and music in the great visionary tradition of the NFB. I wanted to create an immersive experience that was both unusual and joyful, one where the artists, musicians and circus artists embody the invisible worlds of waves. I want viewers to be touched and amazed by this 360˚ of novel beauty. Perhaps they will be reassured to know that this phenomenon is everywhere: there are waves in music, in light, in a cell, in a mountain, in an atom and in the Milky Way.” Filmmaker: Philippe Baylaucq, Producer: NFB/René Chénier

PHOTO NFB / Bruno Colpron

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Many artists find their i­nspiration in nature. To support its ­educational mission, Montréal Space for Life often spotlights these creators as a way of sharing science with visitors through arts and emotion.

KYMA RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM STARTING MAY 9

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PHOTO Mathieu Rivard

MIRA, THE LITTLE STAR RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM FEBRUARY 10 — APRIL 17

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REDISCOVERING THE BEAUTY OF THE STARRY SKY Humans have been captivated since time immemorial by the cycles of nature and the seasons, just as civilizations everywhere have always been fascinated by the heavens.

They have sought to interpret the movements of the stars and planets to help understand the world around them.

The Babylonians, and later the ancient Greeks, were the first to name the constellations, followed by Europeans, who ­identified new ones. Other civilizations, from the Chinese to the First Nations, have their own ancestral interpretations, and

INSPIRING NATURE

The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is pleased to present an immersive musical show for children and their families created by La Nef (Claire Gignac and Suzanne de Serres).

recognize more constellations than the 88 on which there is international agreement. “In ancient times, people who could use astronomy to predict the coming of winter were hailed as sages,” says Pierre Lacombe, Director of the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. His institution has made an indisputable ­contribution to slowing down our frenzied pace of life, with its rare opportunities for contemplation. Not to mention that it’s sometimes almost impossible to see the stars in a city with light pollution and smog. The Planetarium’s cutting-edge equipment sidesteps the problem with its hyper-realistic simulation of the starry sky, which never fails to astound visitors of all ages. There are plenty of shows coming up this year, including one for youngsters ages 4 to 8, featuring live performances by actors and musicians – a real first! ⊗

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PHOTO Michel Tremblay

GARDENS OF LIGHT BOTANICAL GARDEN SEPTEMBER 8 — OCTOBER 31

DIFFERENT WAYS OF SEEING NATURE

By Sylvie Paré, from the First Nations Garden, Émilie Cadieux, from the Chinese Garden, and Sonia Dandaneau, from the Japanese Garden, all at the Montréal Botanical Garden.

The Botanical Garden’s three cultural gardens each look at nature from a different perspective. They inspire visitors to rethink their own connection with the world around them, especially during the Gardens of Light event.

For the First Nations, nature is symbolized by Mother Earth: we are her children and we owe her our thanks and protection.

This perpetual expression of gratitude for what we are given is embodied in the circular movement of rebirth. In keeping with this philosophy, the First Nations Garden is joining the Gardens of Light event this year by lighting up the Sacred Tree, a giant poplar, with different colours representing the Circle of Life, a symbol of the journey through the seasons and nature’s constant changes. A soundtrack will evoke the beating heart of Mother Earth and will be accompanied by a projection of a fire, a symbol of communication between earthly and celestial forces, which come together in the tree, through its branches and roots.

INSPIRING NATURE

Chinese civilization, created with nature’s gifts, was born on the banks of the Yellow River. There nature was at first a source of life, and above all an inexhaustible source of ­inspiration. A whole philosophy sprang up around this perception of the universe, where nature is a complex entity consisting of interacting elements in constant motion.

The ­connections between these elements keep everything in balance – a central notion without which nothing is possible.

The 25 th edition of the lantern festival in the Chinese Garden will explore the Chinese perception of the universe and nature through the prism of the five elements: water, earth, fire, wood and metal. Water is at the heart of this world view, as the source and binding force of the other four. It is intelligent, wise, gentle and flexible all at once. Water is also associated with the dragon, the mythical creature living at the bottom of the oceans and in the heart of clouds. It is both beneficial and dangerous. The Chinese fear its fury, but also look to it to bring rain for their crops.

In Japan, the cycle of the seasons is a endless source of ­inspiration and delight. Hundreds upon hundreds of rituals reflect and foster this intense desire to salute the changes occurring in nature. Just like cherry blossom season in spring, the fall colours are an especially significant time of year.

Japanese people make pilgrimages to the finest sites and gardens, often lit up at night for the occasion. The Japanese Garden invites visitors to enjoy autumn’s splendours during the Gardens of Light event. ⊗

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PHOTO Paul Kodama

WILLOWS TO THE RESCUE! MONUMENTAL DOUGHERTY BOTANICAL GARDEN JUNE 15 — SEPTEMBER 4

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Na Hale ‘Eo Waiawi (2003 ). Contemporary Art Museum, Honolulu, HI

PATRICK DOUGHERTY: ODE TO NATURE

Willows will be in the spotlight in 2017 at the Botanical Garden, thanks to the land art sculptures by Patrick Dougherty. But in addition to motivating the artist, willows are also an inspiration for scientists. There are over 475 species of these trees or shrubs that have a multitude of uses. With their extensive root systems, they do an especially good job of preventing r­ iverbank and shoreline erosion, absorbing fertilizer run-off and limiting the spread of contaminants. Long willow cuttings are used to make barriers to block traffic noise and reduce air pollution.

Willows also have some valuable biochemical properties.

Their bark is rich in salicin, a compound similar to ­acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). In fact, Indigenous peoples treated headaches, fever and rheumatic aches and pains with a tea made from black willow bark. For Michel Labrecque, in charge of research and scientific development at the Botanical Garden, willows’ fast growth, s­ preading roots and easy propagation make them an excellent tool for solving environmental problems. ⊗

American artist Patrick Dougherty, famous for his monumental, ephemeral landscape art, will be making his home in Montréal for six weeks this summer, as part of the celebrations of our city’s 375 th anniversary.

The master of Land Art will be creating not one, not two, but three in situ sculptures in front of live audiences in the Botanical Garden’s Arboretum, fashioning them all out of woven willow branches. The spectacular organic, rounded, wave-like structures formed from this versatile tree will create an illusion of poetry in motion. The first two pieces will be erected by the nature-loving artist himself, while the third will call for some public input. Visitors will have the privilege of crafting it along with the Botanical Garden’s volunteers, working from designs by the artist. Explanations by our nature interpreters will round out this fun, informal experience combining art and nature. Once completed, the three structures will remain in place all year long. ⊗

INSPIRING NATURE

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PHOTO Mark A. Garlick

the answer to another fascinating question: Where do we come from? In other words, to complete our knowledge about the origins and evolution of life itself.

Would meeting our cosmic cousins help us better define ­ourselves as Earthlings, and find a better balance with the other life forms on our marvellous planet?

François Dion, philosopher

EXO RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM STARTING NOVEMBER 7

COSMIC CONVERSATION

By Camille Lefebvre, biologist, and François Dion, philosopher The Exo show at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium will finish up the year by asking that age-old question: Is anybody out there?

This eternal interrogation has taken on a new dimension with the recent discoveries of so many exoplanets. The possibility of extraterrestrial life sparks all kinds of debates, both ­scientific and philosophical. Biologist Camille Lefebvre and philosopher François Dion share their thoughts on this topic.

Camille Lefebvre, biologist Is there life elsewhere in the Universe?

It’s a fascinating question! Would extraterrestrials look like us, as a life form based on carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen, and dependent on liquid water? Or would they be based on some kind of surprising alternative biochemistry, using ­arsenic, silicon, bathed in liquid methane?

What shape might these alien creatures take? They would probably be unicellular, like the bacteria that ruled the Earth for billions of years. After all, plants and animals emerged only recently.

It is possible that complex and even intelligent life could have evolved somewhere else. If tomorrow we made the amazing discovery that there actually is life out there, just imagine the huge scientific opportunities. We might even be able to find

INSPIRING NATURE

The discovery of extraterrestrial life, especially an intelligent life form, would turn humanity upside down in unimaginable ways. Scientific discoveries sometimes completely transform our view of ourselves and our place in the Universe. Just think of Copernicus, who dislodged the Earth and humanity from their place at the centre of the Universe, or Darwin, who questioned our vision of humans as more important than other animals.

Imagine how we would react if we found that life, even some form of intelligent life, existed on dozens, hundreds, even billions of other planets. Needless to say, just as in Copernicus’ and Darwin’s day, people would be disturbed by this new knowledge. But above all, it would be an exceptional ­opportunity to better understand ourselves: how we are related to the many forms of life in the Universe, what makes life on Earth unique in comparison with these other life forms, and ­ultimately what makes humanity unique in the Universe. ⊗

SOME ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA TO WATCH FOR Aside from the solar eclipse on August 21, this won’t be a spectacular year in terms of astronomical phenomena.

However, it will be a great time to keep an eye on Venus.

For two to three days around March 22, the planet will be visible both morning and evening, very low on the horizon.

It won’t be the best year for seeing the Perseids, either, as the popular meteor shower will reach its peak during the daytime for North American ­observers, between 3 and 5:30 p.m. on August 12. But the full Moon on December 3 will be the “supermoon” of the year, at just 357,987 km from Earth.

It will be preceded by the year’s second most-impressive supermoon, on November 4. Very high tides are expected on both dates. ⊗

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PHOTO  NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University

PROGRAMMATION PROGRAM

MIRA, THE LITTLE STAR RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM FEBRUARY 10 TO APRIL 17

BUTTERFLIES GO FREE BOTANICAL GARDEN FEBRUARY 23 TO APRIL 30

SPRINGTIME AWAKENING BIODÔME MARCH 4 TO MAY 22

GREAT GARDENING WEEKEND BOTANICAL GARDEN MAY 26 TO 28

FACE TO FACE WITH A RESEARCHER BIODIVERSITY CENTRE MAY 18 TO AUGUST 31

NEW DOUBLE FEATURE

PARTIAL ECLIPSE

KYMA | EDGE OF DARKNESS

RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM

RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM STARTING MAY 9

GO BEHIND THE SCENES BIODÔME JUNE 15 TO SEPTEMBER 4

INSECT TASTINGS INSECTARIUM JUNE 15 TO SEPTEMBER 4

MONUMENTAL DOUGHERTY BOTANICAL GARDEN

THE ARTS PUT ON A SHOW AT THE GARDEN JUNE 25 TO AUGUST 27

Online tickets: montrealspaceforlife.ca

GARDENS OF LIGHT BOTANICAL GARDEN SEPTEMBER 8 TO OCTOBER 31

THE GREAT PUMPKIN BALL BOTANICAL GARDEN OCTOBER 6 TO 31

SPIDERS UNMASKED INSECTARIUM OCTOBER 6 TO 31

JUNE 15 TO SEPTEMBER 4

BOTANICAL GARDEN

#SpaceForLife

AUGUST 21

NEW DOUBLE FEATURE

EXO | SPACE NEXT RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM STARTING NOVEMBER 7