Author Archives: JohnOyston

“Medicare” must include “pharmacare”

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Canadians pride themselves on “Medicare”.  Under the Canada Health Act the provinces and territories are required to provide health care which is: Publicly administered on a non-profit basis by a public authority. Comprehensive: The health care insurance plans must cover … Continue reading →

Yellow birch

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Yellow birch and old stump What has happened to this tree? How come it seems to start off like a three-legged stool hovering over a stump? Actually, this is not an unusual growth pattern for yellow birch, (Betula alleghaniensis). The … Continue reading →

Trees in winter

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If you are trying to learn how to identify trees in winter, one good place to start is to look for trees which still have their dried leaves attached. In Ontario and most of the northeast USA these will be either beech trees or oaks. The phenomenon of retaining dead leaves in winter is called marcescence. Continue reading →

Dr John's Blog

This is where I will post some stuff intended mainly for friends and family. Some parts may be password protected. If you think you should have access to something here, email me at johnpoyston@gmail.com. Thanks!

Dr John's Blog

This is where I  will put posts on a variety of usually topical issues.

Usually they will relate to politics, security from surveillance, environmental issues and the internet.

Dr John's Blog Posted on by

This category is about why nature is important in our lives and for our mental health,and in particular, why children should spend more time in natural environments and less time in front of screens.

It will also be about some things I find interesting in nature, such as this article on how to grow Kentucky coffeetrees from seed.