Birds of prey may be at the top of the food chain but there is something that endangers them: toxins.
At next Thursday’s meeting of the Burke Mountain Naturalists (BMN), SFU PhD student Kate Fremlin will present her research showing how toxins like DDT move up the earthworm–robin–Cooper’s hawk food chain.
She sampled these creatures (or their eggs, in the case of the hawks) throughout Metro Vancouver and analyzed the tissues for legacy toxins — which are banned but still present in the environment — and newer toxins of emerging concern.
Learn about the basics of biomagnification from Fremlin and how this process can affect top-level predators, including humans.
The May 9 BMN meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at King of Life Lutheran Church, 1198 Falcon Dr., Coquitlam. The meeting is open to members and non-members, and there is no admission charge.
For more information, call 604-937-5379, or visit burkemountainnaturalists.ca.
