Plans for the Central Prince Section (Travellers Rest to Northam) of the Confederation Trail were revealed at a public meeting on July 6 in Summerside. This development is being spurred on by the Summerside Development Corporation and they hope to have the trail open in September of this year. Discussions revealed that: a Coastal Lighthouse Trail would be developed along the waterfront; there would be an attempt to create a Trail Technology Interpretive Centre; and an equestrian trail and horse tie-up area would be created near the terminus on the old line in Summerside.

Forty-five female Maritime Ringlets (Coenonympha nepisiquit) with eggs captured near Bathurst were release in similar habitat near Bas-Caraquet. This rare butterfly is known to occur at only three locations in New Brunswick. The operation was carried out by Reg Webster an entomologist. (adapted from Saint John Naturalists' Club Bulletin May-June 1995.)

Congratulations are extended to the Minister of Natural Resources and Energy for the designation of five new ecological areas in New Brunswick. The five areas have a combined area of 612 hectares (1512 acres). The new reserves represent old growth balsam fir, black spruce forest, black spruce/jack pine, rare Arctic plants and bat caves, and eastern hemlock, grassland, and freshwater marshes. This brings the New Brunswick total to 13 reserves designated.

The Canadian Nature Federation published a special issue on Nature Canada (Spring 1995) focusing on backyard wildlife enhancement. Their lady beetle survey is off to a flying start with many reports submitted to date.

On June 9, 1995, the Nova Scotia government announced a provincial policy for Rails to Trails. This policy should lead to community partnerships and trails development. (adapted from Rails to Trails in Nova Scotia by Dale Smith and Ted Scrutton, Conservation 19:2, 1995) . .

The Canadian equivalent to an endangered species list, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada list, grew by 8 species in 1995. Three flowering plants (white wood aster (ON, PQ), golden paintbrush (BC), and yellow montane violet (BC) were listed as threatened while Ord’s kangaroo rat (AB, SK) ,Queen Charlotte goshawk (BC), harefooted locoweed (AB), Bolander's quillwort (AB), and the first lichen, the cryptic paw lichen (BC). The Burrowing Owl’s status has elevated to endangered. Only one species, the Ferruginous Hawk, improved moving from threatened to vulnerable. (adapted from CNF’s Nature Alert 5:3, p.2)

A former contributor to the Island Naturalist has taken on a new venture with the creation of the Grand Hanan Bird Observatory on Kent Island. Congratulations and best wishes go to Brian Dalzell on this effort for the birds. (adapted from Razorbill 4)

Project FeederWatch 1995-96 is gearing up so those feeder watchers who would like to participate in the feeder monitoring programs please contact Long Point Bird Observatory, P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario NOE 1M0. This year's fee is $20.

FIRST AUTUMN BIRDING CLASSIC: by Dan McAskill

Conserving natural areas through either purchase, deed covenants, or other means is expensive business. The Island Nature Trust, with the generous assistance of its members, supporters, corporate donors and government, has risen to that challenge. Since its inception in 1979 and its .

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