The Inside Story: News from The Royal Canadian Geographical Society Speaker Series: Walking on air Photo Club: Shoot and click! Research: Farm aid Expeditions: Land o' lakes Challenge: Are you smarter than a ninth grader?

There were a few tense moments during MacLean’s seven-hour spacewalk. As he and American crewmate Daniel Burbank worked on installing solar panels on the space station, two bolts wouldn’t budge. It took 30 minutes to remove one of them, and by the time MacLean pried it loose, he had no feeling in his right hand (he later lost two fingernails). Sharply focused on his spacewalk, however, he managed to complete his task.

On his 12-day mission, MacLean became the first Canadian to operate the Canadarm2 in space. He also photographed geographical features across Canada to document the impact of deforestation and global warming.

He made his first space flight in 1992. Since then, he says, the icefields in Western Canada have shrunk, clearcuts have expanded and large tracts of western forest appear red from the invasion of the mountain pine beetle. Viewing our planet from space, says MacLean, “you develop an appreciation for the word ‘fragile.’”

That may also describe how an astronaut feels as he lands on terra firma, before fully recovering from zero gravity. “In the first couple of hours, you can’t stand up very well,” explains MacLean. “You can if you separate your feet like a lineman. You look like a duck when you walk, but if you bring your feet together, you’re going to fall over.”

For all his stellar accomplishments, MacLean credits his three teenagers for keeping him grounded. “One thing about space flight is that when you land, you feel invincible for a little bit… until you meet your kids, and they bring you back to Earth.”

Based at the Canadian Space Agency’s headquarters in Longueuil, Que., Canada’s chief astronaut will return to his hometown of Ottawa on April 16 and 17 to bring audiences into orbit as part of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society Speaker Series.

Monique Roy-Sole

Inspired by the magazine’s strong photographic tradition and the growing popularity of its annual photo contest, the Photo Club invites shutterbugs to post their images online for critique by fellow members. Experts will share tips on everything from composition to editing, and Canadian Geographic’s contributing photographers will provide a behind-the-scenes perspective on shooting the magazine’s feature stories. Members can also take up the challenge to complete their own field projects on suggested topics. For more on the Photo Club or for a free membership, visit photoclub.canadiangeographic.ca.

The recipient of a research grant from The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Herron interviewed 15 women living on farms near Peterborough, Ont., ranging in age from their early thirties to their late sixties. Most of them are concerned with the lack of affordable and part-time child care, says Herron, and “safety is a constant worry.” Juggling farm chores is challenging in itself without also having to keep an eye on children or care for elderly parents. They are also anxious about the welfare of their partners, whose occupation is among the most dangerous in Canada.

Since farming is “still a family-oriented business,” says Herron, women rely mainly on the support of family and friends to cope with caregiving and to “bring them food if somebody gets injured or help them with the haying if they need it.”

Concerned with the plight of Canadian lakes, Casey travelled across the country, assisted in part by an expeditions grant from The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, to explore Okanagan Lake, Lake Winnipeg and Lac Saint-Jean, among others. His journey will form the basis of a book to be released in the fall. (Casey’s story on Lake Winnipeg was published in the Nov/Dec 2006 issue of Canadian Geographic and an article on Okanagan Lake is being prepared for an upcoming issue.)

Aboard a research vessel on Lake Winnipeg, says Casey, he “woke up to how a water watershed is a far-reaching thing. For instance, what we do in Saskatoon ultimately ends up in Hudson Bay.” He also learned that governments attach little importance to fundamental research on biodiversity. “If a lake the size of Lake Winnipeg can fall through the administrative cracks of four levels of government,” he says, “huge chunks of the biosphere will too.”

However, Casey sees promise in “citizen science,” where interested Canadians help scientists track the quality of their lakes. One of his goals is to launch a national citizens’ group to promote lake conservation and environmental monitoring.

Rachel MacNeill