Feb. 1 — Gary Schneider will be the Natural History Society’s guest speaker for the regular monthly meeting. He will speak on re-structuring the MacPhail property forest. The meeting will commence 7:30 p.m. at the Farm Centre on University Avenue

Mar. 1 - The regular monthly meeting of the Natural History Society will commence at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm Centre on University Avenue. Rachel Gautreau will speak on the results of the Piping Plover Research Project.

Mar. - Wildlife Tours Ltd. will offer harp seal tours from Prince Edward Island. They can be contacted at 227 Wright Street, Fredericton, N.B. E3B 2E3 or by phone at 506—459-7325 or by fax at 506-453-3589.

Apr. 5 - Glen Roberts will be the guest speaker for the regular monthly meeting of the Natural History Society which will commence 7:30 p.m. at the Farm Centre on University Avenue. Glen will speak on the spectacles of the night sky.

May 3 - This is the member's annual slide show. The meeting will commence at 7:30 p.m. at the Farm Centre on University Avenue.

May 28 — The Bain Birdathon will be held.

Aug. 4 to 7 - The 23rd conference of the Canadian Nature Federation will be held in Halifax. For registration information, please contact Peter Payzant, P.O. Box 2, Waverly, N.S. BON 250 902—861-1607.

NEWS FROM ABOUT compiled by Dan McAskill

A call to National Sea Products’ trawlermen to watch for strange fish led to the delivery to Steve Saunders of a 15" long fish with deep orange flabby skin that felt like sandpiper. Considerable research led to its identification as a Redeye Gaper, Chaunax stigmaeus, a fish that is rare in waters this far north. (adapted from Halifax Field Naturalist # 70).

winging It (5:4, April 93) reports that Doug Helmers of Manomet Bird Observatory organized a workshop of 12 experts in wetlands management for shorebirds and edited the results into a Shorebird Management Manual. For more information you can contact Doug at Manomet Bird observatory, P.O. Box 1770, Manomet MA 02345.

The sixth annual spring survey of important Arctic goose nesting areas (a cooperative study of the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canadian Wildlife Service) showed that, in contrast to the last two years, snow cleared rapidly and nesting was initiated early. (excerpted from 1993 Migratory Game Bird Hunting in Canada, CWS)

The Canadian Wildlife Service Atlantic Region has initiated a project to monitor Tree Swallow reproductive success and analyze samples of their eggs to assess the exposure of wildlife to toxic chemicals at five Atlantic Coastal Action Program sites. For more information or if you are interested in volunteering to periodically monitor bird species near where you live, work, or commute contact Kate Bredin, CWS, P.O. Box 1590, Sackville, N.B. EOA 3C0 506—364—5044. (Adapted from Saint John Naturalists' Club Bulletin Sep-Oct/93)

The Canadian Museum of Nature, the publisher of many of the key publications on species occurrence, identification, and rarity has been slated for a 16.7% budget reduction which will mean the loss of about one fifth of its staff (50 positions) at a time when its work is required to support many species conservation initiatives. If you would like more information, contact Donna Naughton 613—954-2656 or Henri Ouellet 613-954—2657. If you would like to send comments, write to Ms. Louise Winter, Secretary to the CMN Board of Trustees, P.O. Box 3443, Station D, Ottawa, Ont. KlP 6P4 or Fax 613-995-3040 and contact the M. Rochon, Deputy Minister of Heritage fax 613-952-0568. (Adapted from The Networker, Sept—Oct/93)

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