should be made payable to the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund and
note on your cheque that the donation is for the Friends of the Oldman
River. Send your cheque to Canadian Environmental Defence Fund, 347

Coiltege: St, Suite 3Qa;,

Prtends of the Oldman’ River, 455-l2th St. NW,

C oming events

January: A Birds of Prey exhibit at the Eptek Centre in Summerside. The
exhibit is from the Provincial Museum of British Columbia.

Bebs+6:

Toronto, M5T 2V8. For more information, contact
Calgary Alberta T2N 1Y9.

The Environmental Coalition of Prince Edward Island (ECOPEI),

the new environmental group that has formed to look at a broad

range of interests and concerns,

Basilica Recreation Centre on Richmond St.
Ls'-invited ‘to attend.

Pebs: igs

will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the
in Ch'town. Everyone

UPEI professor Earl Wonnacott will speak on astronomy at the

February meeting of the Natural History Society. Please note new

time .of 3/: 30:°"p. ms

University Ave.

instead of 8 p.m.,
in Charlottetown.

Feb. 16: On the third Thursday of every month,
Slipper Naturalist's Society meets at the Eptek Centre in Summer-

side. For more information on speakers,

at 436-9078.

at the Farm Centre on
(i800 poems tne Lady's

contact Elsie Cannon

March 7: Monthly meeting of the Natural History Society, 7:30 p.m. at

the Farm Centre.

March 16: Regular meeting of the Lady's Slippers Naturalists, at the
Eptek Centre in Summerside, 7:30 p.m.
June 11-14: Canadian Nature Federation annual meeting at UPEI in Char-

lottetown. The theme is
For registration kits,

P.E.L.,°ClA 7K4.

BIRDER BADGE TAKES FLIGHT

The Canadian Nature
Federation, in co-operation
with the Canadian Wildlife
Service, has developed the
“Birder Badge” to reward
participants for their achieve-
ments in bird study.

The primary focus of

the Birder Badge will be
young people, although there
are no age restrictions. The
program will build on exist-
ing activities of nature groups,
adding structure and provid-

ing incentives for partici-
Dean's, and will use formal-
ized, nationally standardized
criteria for recognition of pro-

ficiency in amateur ornithol-
ogy. A combination of field
and classroom sessions will be
most suitable.

Badges will be
awarded to participants for
their skill in identifying birds
by: sight and sound; knowl-
edge of theory (e.g. bird anat-
omy, use of binoculars, adap-
tations of birds for flight, etc.);
and participation in conserva-
tion activities (e.g. bird walks,
bird habitat enhancement,
assisting with bird atlassing,
etc.). All three aspects of the
program must be met for each
badge level.

oe ce

"A Century of Change - the Island Way".
write: tooP 0 ./BOx sabo,

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Charlottetown,

Eight badge levels
have been defined; three be-
ginner, three intermediate
and two advanced levels. A
participant can achieve the
first beginner level simply by
participating in the required
field trips. The next two be-
ginner levels, leading to mod-
erate proficiency, are acces-

sible to anyone who is willing
to study birds over a short
period of time. Intermediate
levels bring the participant to
a level of competence in the
identification of birds. The
advanced levels will require
continued dedication for sev-
eral years.