states 35 years ago. Now its recovery symbolizes how the nation can solve its ecological problems experts said. The government is also in the process of de-listing the peregrine falcon and the Aleutian Canada goose. (adapted from The Gazette (Montreal) 17 Jun/99 page A21 in CNF’s Conservation News June 17 daily summary by Tom Balint )

A ﬁrst page article in the Moncton Times and Transcript reported that for the second year in a row, a controversial experiment aimed at studying the impact of a free-ﬂowing Petiteodiac River has failed to get off the ground. The provincial Department of Environment announced yesterday that it has canceled the Petiteodiac River trial gate opening for this year. The Petiteodiac gates will be closed, allowing the adjacent head pond to once again ﬁll with water. A dry spring and lack of water nmoﬁ‘ was cited by the study monitoring group as the reason for calling off the experiment. (Moncton Times and Transcript, June 2, 1999, Page A1)

A survey released by Environment Canada, The 1996 Survey on the Importance of Nature to Canadians, that in 1996 a staggering 3/4 of Canadians aged 15 and older took part in “nature-related activities" ranging from snowshoeing and climbing to nature viewing on television. They spent $11 billion on these activities. 639,000 nature lovers ventured outdoors for some form of “wildlife viewing" (feeding pigeons counts) and 537,000 went ﬁshing. The average yearly spending by participants “in nature-related activities" in BC. was $767, compared with $1,052 in the Yukon, $616 in third-place Alberta and $271 in Prince Edward Island. BC. had above-average participation in most of 17 speciﬁed outdoor activities, but Yukoners and Albertans were more likely to go sightseeing, picnicking, camping, hiking, photographing, climbing, horseback riding and even skiing. Manitobans spent the most time at the beach, Ontarians lead in motorless boating, Quebecers are the top cyclists and Newfoundlanders excel at berry-picking and off-road vehicle use. (Shane McCune, Vancouver Province, June 3, 1999, Page A3)

Efforts to return farmland to a wildlife marsh in the Lake Apopka area north of Orlando, Florida led to the death of over 1,000 white pelicans. Dieldrin and Toxaphene pesticides moved from the soil to the water and then up the food chain through ﬁsh to the pelicans reported the Florida Audubon Society. The marsh has been drained to prevent further kills (adapted from June 9 Conservation News excerpt from The Saskatoon StarPhoenix, June 9/99, article by Kim McNaim).

Environment Canada and the Canadian Space Agency are chipping in to equip two North West Territories peregrine falcons with satellite transmitters that will monitor their migration paths over the next year. In addition, polar bears from northern Ontario and the east coast's leatherback turtle will have transmitters installed. Astronaut Bob Thirsk came up with the idea as a way of demonstrating to the public the value of space technology, says Canadian Wildlife Service scientist Geoﬁ‘ Holroyd. Mr. Holroyd helped capture and equip the falcons from nests in Wood Buﬁalo National Park in northern Alberta. The technology on the Peregrines will give scientists information about the location of the birds, the landscape they ﬂy over, and the weather they are up against. The Canadian Wildlife Federation is to set up a web site in October to track their movements. (Ed Struzik, Edmonton Jorunal, June 23 & Aug. 9, 1999, Page B5)[from Weekly Media Analysis by CNF June 19-25 and August 9th.]

The British Columbia government introduced legislation that permanently protects 1.4 million hectares of British Columbia parkland. Premier Glen Clark said the parkland, is more than twice the size of Prince Edward Island. Many of the parks were announced previously, but the legislative amendment results in their permanent protection as parkland. The legislation will result in the establishment of 35 class—A parks totaling 1.3 million hectares. (Victoria Times Colonist, June 23, 1999, Page A3) from Weekly Media Analysis by CNF June 19-25

An ancient sea turtle, nearly half the size of a full grown steer, was rescued near the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York Harbour, the US. Coast Guard said Tuesday. Coast Guard ofﬁcers who rescued the turtle, estimated to weigh 270 kg and to be nearly a century old, spotted it on Monday during an inspection of the 245-metre Cyprus-ﬂagged tanker Loucas. The turtle had snagged its left ﬁn on a line attached to a lobster cage near the bow of the tanker and was weak from trying to keep aﬂoat with one free ﬁn. “This is an unusual case," said coast guard ofﬁcer Don Wagner, who said the coast guard chose to return the animal to the sea rather than take it to an aquarium. “It has been doing well for a hundred years, so it was better to let it go," said Wagner. The Atlantic Green turtle, an endangered species and one of the largest sea-going turtles, nests in Florida but can be found throughout the world in tropical and sub-tropical oceans. (Adapted from Conservation News Aug. 11/99)