MERA’s Winter Speaker Series Starts Jan 20th

Jan 12, 2022

Brighten up your winter on Thursday evenings by listening and watching an exciting series of talks presented by MERA. Cozy up at home, the Speakers Series will be held over Zoom.

The series of talks starts on January 20th and runs until February 24th from 7pm-8:30pm Join as many as you like! We have tried to plan something for everyone. Interested viewers need to subscribe to the series in order to receive the invitation to watch the talk, by emailing Helen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Visit www.meraschoolhouse.org.to see the list of speakers and topics, as well as all the exciting things happening at the schoolhouse.

Jan. 20 Francine Desjardins, Indigenous Knowledge Keeper: Connecting to All Our Relations 

Indigenous knowledge keeper Francine hopes this talk will allow an awakening to our perspective and connection to the land, her teachings and how we interact with All Our Relations. There are many ways to share these teachings, but she finds her voice through our songs, their teachings and intentions.  Please join her on this brief journey into our ways of being.

Donations for this talk be made to support Perth’s Community Food Centre, The Table www.thetablecfc.org

Jan. 27 Ross Elliott, Certified Passive Home Consultant: Keeping the Heat In

How much insulation is too much? How much is too little? Is it possible to make a house too airtight? Are triple glazed windows worth the extra cost? Where do our homes lose the most energy and which upgrades have the best payback? Can we get rid of expensive fossil fuels and use heat pumps instead? How do I get a rebate from the Canada Greener Homes Program? MERA’s speaker series presents the answers to these questions and more!

Feb. 3 Jennifer Raby, Batiks in Africa: Discovering my visual voice

www.jennifer-raby.pixels.com

Jenn developed a passion for Batik through its unique elements and petulant requirement of the artist for innovative thinking and action. She loves to share the joy and magic of this process with others.

Feb. 10 Ankaret Dean, Adventures from around the world by a lifelong basket maker

Ankaret Dean never imagined that making a small weeping willow basket in 1975 at Sheridan College, would lead her to a lifelong Interest in baskets. From teaching across North America and internationally, she has had the opportunity to travel to learn, and also to travel with C.E.S.O. as a volunteer. She opened the Lanark Highlands Basketry Museum in 2016, with a collection of over 300 baskets.

Feb. 17:  Kathy Boelsma https://re-cognition.ca/, Melissa Cornacchia, Anna Baranyi , Children, Nature and Relationships: Creating Spaces for Connection

Three educators offer different perspectives from their unique backgrounds and will share how experiential learning, co created spaces, and creating community can impact children's wellness and ecological identities. Connections to plants, the land, and the elements, form the foundations of creating curriculum together. Discovering the relationships formed in nature, through the eyes of a child, can impact our own thinking and learning. 

Donations for this talk can be made to www.artforaid.ca

Feb. 24 Chris Anstead, Searching for Postal History. A chance to wave the flag for Elphin's favourite son, duelist John Wilson