The speaker for the March 2nd First Monday is Dr. Christy Taylor who will talk about the environmental life cycle of plastic. The program is open to the public and will begin at 7:15.

The following is some information relative to the topic of discussion:

Plastic debris is a growing threat in freshwater ecosystems and transport models predict that many plastics will sink to the benthos (community of organisms that live in, on or near the bottom of bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, seas and oceans). In 2020 when people were dealing with Covid-19, disposable face masks and gloves had direct and indirect impacts on freshwater benthic fauna and sediment biogeochemistry with little understanding of the ecological impacts.

Wetlands are ecologically important, providing essential ecosystem services such as biogeochemical cycling, carbon sequestration and habitat provision. Restoration has been adopted to compensate for both intentional and unintentional degradation.

Please use the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board at church or the form below if you plan to attend the dinner.