SOCIETY'S ANNUAL REPORT - 1998:

In 1998, the Society's efforts were led by Ray Cooke (President), Mary Beth Harris (Vice— president), Jean Watts (Secretary), Jim Jenkins (Treasurer), Meike Keunecke (Program Director), Murray Russell (Publicity Director), and Barbara Currie (Past-president). Ruth Richman and Gary Schneider coordinated the Montague Christmas Bird Count. Dan McAskill continued as Newsletter Editor and coordinated the RBI. National Park and Hillsborough Christmas Bird Counts, the Bain Bird Count, and the lntemational Migratory Bird Count Day. Maurice Roy and Jesse Francis set up the Dalvay Interpretive Centre for the P.E.l. National Park Christmas Bird Count potluck and Diane and Kevin Griffin hosted the potluck for the Hillsborough CBC.

While Donald Wilkinson moved to Calgary to take over a new congregation, he continued providing the illustrations and text for the bird monograph column in the Island Naturalist. Linda and Allen Thomas and their family packaged and mailed the newsletter to members and schools.

The Environmental Education program of the Society was again active. Our monthly speakers program at the Farm Centre featured: Rosemary Curley on Protecting and Managing P.E.l. Natural Areas for the Future", Mark Arsenault on "Forest Trends and Plants", Jennifer Brown on "Bats of P.E.l. and Elsewhere", Kate MacQuarrie and Paul Stewart on "Propagation of Rare Plants on P.E.l.", David Calms on the North Atlantic, John DeGrace on "The Geological History of Prince Edward Island", Gisele Martin on the "Birds of Santa Bella and Little Gasparilla Islands in Florida", Meike Keunecke on the "Costa Rica Monta Verde Rain Fores and Ray Cooke on the "American Birding Association Texas Bird Trip".

Thanks to the coordinating efforts of Meike Keunecke, the Society mounted its most active field events program in many years. Ray Cooke and Dan McAskill coordinated a birding trip to western Prince Edward Island in March, Dan McAskill and Jim Jenkins led a field trip and survey for "Night Sounds - Amphibians and Owls in April, Gary Schneider led a walk celebrating the spring arrival of the warblers at Macphail Park in May, Jim Jenkins hosted a Society field trip to see coastal animals and plants at Covehead Harbour in early June, Gerald MacDonald led an interpretive walk at Baltic Bog in June, and Linda Thomas was the Society's field trip leader in Watching the Shorebird Migration in September at Stanhope.

In addition to these efforts, the Society supported, reviewed, and provided comments on the Greenwich National Park Interim Management Guidelines, researched and developed a presentation to the Standing Committee on the Issue of Watercourse Buffers, assisted with the Wildlife Habitat Stamp Project and the new Wildlife Conservation Fund which resulted due to this effort, and published three issues of the Island Naturalist. Ray Cooke provided input into the Important Bird Areas program sponsored by the Canadian Nature Federation and CWS in Sackville. Stuart Tingley provided an illustrated lecture and, along with Bob Hardy, guided an identification walk on dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies at O'Keefe's Lake. Dan McAskill spoke on winter bird feeding at P.E.l. Museum and Heritage Foundation's Eptek Centre in Summerside on behalf of the Society and the Island Nature Trust.

Members were encouraged to participate in the International Migratory Bird Day in May and the Butterfly Count Day in July. Society members Linda Thomas, Roberta Palmer, Ray Cooke, Dan McAskill and Island Nature Trust staff combined their efforts to host the third Autumn Birding Classic. The donors contributing to this project provided over $750 towards the acquisition of the Trout River Natural Area.

Society members participated in Piping Plover monitoring. Bruce Smith led the Great Black- backed Gull egg removal project on the Hillsborough Bridge piers to assist the terns nesting there. Linda Thomas judged the exhibits at the U.P.E.I. Science Fair on behalf of the Society.

Charitable activities: in addition to those noted above, the Society contributed Audubon Field Notes to the U.P.E.I. Library and a cash gift for land acquisition by the Island Nature Trust. The Society completed the year with a balance of $6,696.99. Most of this was in the publications fund.

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