Edited Text
held a tour of the Energy from Waste Plant, two owl prowls, and a bird walk at
the National Park.
HARASSED PLOVER by Margaret Wheatley
One day while visiting friends at their cottage on Rustico Bay, E.
happened to spot a small hawk - Merlin or Kestrel - harassing a lone
Black-bellied Plover feeding at the edge of the water. As the attacker flew
boldly in to strike the smaller bird, it would advance into deeper water and
submerge, whereon the aggressor rose in the air until the plover returned to
shallow water, when again the hawk tried to catch the victim. All three of us
hurried forward across the garden, shouting and clapping our hands. At one
point it looked as though the hawk had the plover in its talons, but somehow
the plover was released, and the attacker desisted and took off to find other
prey.
NATURALISTS IN ACTION by Dan McAskil1
One of the many unsung heroes who has toiled for thot'sands of hours for a
host of groups will be our feature naturalist in action in this issue. Bruce
Smith, a resident of Crossroads, has been an active member of the Natural
History Society since 1976. He has been a guest speaker for the Society and he
served as the Society's liaison person with the Island Nature Trust for the
last 2 years.
In 1978 Bruce was one of the individuals who saw the need for a group to
work for the preservation of representative natural areas on the Island. He
worked with these individuals to establish the Island Nature Trust and became
one of its founding members. From 1978 to 1983 he served as the Secretary-
Treasurer of the Trust and later became chairperson of both the Land
Acquisition and the Land Management Committees. In addition to these efforts,
Bruce has worked on its fund-raising dinners, the Seeds of Conservation bird
seed sale, the raffles, the Brudenel] wildflower garden, and the natural areas
rating system. He has led and organized a number of field trips for the Trust's
directors and members.
Bruce's efforts did not stop with the Society and the Trust. Bruce was a
founding member of the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists, served
as its president in 1984-85, and served as its newsletter editor from 1985 to
1987. Prior to this he was an active member of the Canadian Society of
Environmental Biologists, a precursor of the Atlantic Society. In addition to
these duties he was always ready to brew a pot of Island blue mussels,
sometimes he even provided illustrated shows on how they were grown!
An active outdoorsperson, Bruce is a member of the Bonshaw Hills Trail
Club and he has organized maintenance for this trail. This work has been to the
benefit of all trail users.
In the field of environmental education Bruce has worked enthusiastically
both as a volunteer and a provincial government employee. As part of his
volunteer efforts he has taught courses in both canoeing and humane methods of
trapping. For many years he was the Chief Parks Naturalist with the Provincial
Parks Division and, as such, he was instrumental in developing interpretation
programs, bird conservation programs, and land acquisition. Eventually, Bruce's
enthusiasm for conservation led to his being seconded to Policy Board to assist
with the development of the Prince Edward Island Conservation Strategy. Soon
thereafter, it became Canada's first approved conservation strategy. His
-4-
the National Park.
HARASSED PLOVER by Margaret Wheatley
One day while visiting friends at their cottage on Rustico Bay, E.
happened to spot a small hawk - Merlin or Kestrel - harassing a lone
Black-bellied Plover feeding at the edge of the water. As the attacker flew
boldly in to strike the smaller bird, it would advance into deeper water and
submerge, whereon the aggressor rose in the air until the plover returned to
shallow water, when again the hawk tried to catch the victim. All three of us
hurried forward across the garden, shouting and clapping our hands. At one
point it looked as though the hawk had the plover in its talons, but somehow
the plover was released, and the attacker desisted and took off to find other
prey.
NATURALISTS IN ACTION by Dan McAskil1
One of the many unsung heroes who has toiled for thot'sands of hours for a
host of groups will be our feature naturalist in action in this issue. Bruce
Smith, a resident of Crossroads, has been an active member of the Natural
History Society since 1976. He has been a guest speaker for the Society and he
served as the Society's liaison person with the Island Nature Trust for the
last 2 years.
In 1978 Bruce was one of the individuals who saw the need for a group to
work for the preservation of representative natural areas on the Island. He
worked with these individuals to establish the Island Nature Trust and became
one of its founding members. From 1978 to 1983 he served as the Secretary-
Treasurer of the Trust and later became chairperson of both the Land
Acquisition and the Land Management Committees. In addition to these efforts,
Bruce has worked on its fund-raising dinners, the Seeds of Conservation bird
seed sale, the raffles, the Brudenel] wildflower garden, and the natural areas
rating system. He has led and organized a number of field trips for the Trust's
directors and members.
Bruce's efforts did not stop with the Society and the Trust. Bruce was a
founding member of the Atlantic Society of Fish and Wildlife Biologists, served
as its president in 1984-85, and served as its newsletter editor from 1985 to
1987. Prior to this he was an active member of the Canadian Society of
Environmental Biologists, a precursor of the Atlantic Society. In addition to
these duties he was always ready to brew a pot of Island blue mussels,
sometimes he even provided illustrated shows on how they were grown!
An active outdoorsperson, Bruce is a member of the Bonshaw Hills Trail
Club and he has organized maintenance for this trail. This work has been to the
benefit of all trail users.
In the field of environmental education Bruce has worked enthusiastically
both as a volunteer and a provincial government employee. As part of his
volunteer efforts he has taught courses in both canoeing and humane methods of
trapping. For many years he was the Chief Parks Naturalist with the Provincial
Parks Division and, as such, he was instrumental in developing interpretation
programs, bird conservation programs, and land acquisition. Eventually, Bruce's
enthusiasm for conservation led to his being seconded to Policy Board to assist
with the development of the Prince Edward Island Conservation Strategy. Soon
thereafter, it became Canada's first approved conservation strategy. His
-4-