<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style=""><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small">Hi,</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small">An interesting talk on earthworms if you're interested. Registration is required.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><span class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="" size="4"><span class="gmail_default" style="">Biodiversity Meeting, </span>Wednesday, May 26, 2021. </font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black"><font face="arial, sans-serif" style="" size="4">Frank Ashwood will speak on <b style=""><i style="">Earthworm Ecology</i></b></font></span><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt"><b></b></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><b><i> </i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><font face="georgia, serif"><span style="color:black">Wed., </span><span style="color:black">May 26</span><span style="color:black">, 2021 11:00am Eastern Daylight Time </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:black">Zoom <b>Registration</b>:</span><br><span style="color:black"><a href="https://esrag.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqceygqTstE9ZKFHVzWGGJnMjKVS87N5Si" style="color:blue" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(17,85,204);background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">https://esrag.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqceygqTstE9ZKFHVzWGGJnMjKVS87N5Si</span></a></span><br><span style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial">After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><i><span style="color:black">Title</span></i><span style="color:black">:<b> <i>Earthworm Ecology</i></b></span><b></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt">Dr Frank Ashwood will provide an overview of the many ecological groups of earthworms and the ecosystem services that they provide. He will also describe the global distribution of earthworms, and the effects of introduced invasive species on native earthworm communities and ecosystems in various regions of the world, especially the Atlantic region of North America. (You may also ask "What has climate change got to do with earthworms?")</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal"><i> </i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in;line-height:normal"><i>Frank’s Bio</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="font-size:12pt">Dr Frank Ashwood is a soil ecologist working for Forest Research, Great Britain’s principal organisation for forestry and tree related research. Frank’s doctoral thesis investigated the role of earthworms as soil improvers for tree establishment on reclaimed land, and he now researches soil biological health in woodlands and forests across the United Kingdom. In his spare time, Frank is the research officer for the Earthworm Society of Britain, and an Associate Tutor for the Field Studies council, running earthworm education courses for the British public. A world renowned expert on earthworms, he was a keynote speaker at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Annual Convention. </span><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt">The Forestry Commission is internationally renowned for the provision of science, research, evidence, data and services in support of sustainable forestry.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt">Thank you,</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt">Jil</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri,sans-serif;margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68);font-size:12pt">.....................</span></p></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif"><div><div>Jil Swearingen</div><div>Secretary, Maryland Native Plant Society</div><div>Board, Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council</div><div>-----------------------------------<br></div><div>In the Weeds Consulting<br></div><div>Cheverly, MD 20785</div></div><div>410-200-7085<br></div><div><font face="arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://in-the-weeds.com/" target="_blank">https://in-the-weeds.com/</a></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>