NEWSLETTER No. 30 MARCH 1978 NEXT MEETING

Time: 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 7, 1978

Place: Provincial Health Building, 3rd Floor, Room 47.

Program: Rick Pratt, the environmental specialist from the Canadian Nature Federation, is coming to P.E.I. to present the Federation's stand at a public meeting on the Future of Deroche. He is interested in meeting many Islanders and has consented to giving a presentation at our March meeting. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear first hand the past, present and future concerns and activities of the Canadian Nature Federation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Future of Deroche? 0; Wednesday evening, March 8 at 8:00 p.m. there will be a public meeting in Tracadie Hall to discuss future land use plans for the Deroche area. This meeting was requested by the Natural Areas Advisory Committee and will be presided by the Land Use Commission. Our society will be presenting a short brief. All members are requested to attend this meeting in Tracadie where local residents, land owners and interested citizens will be urged to voice their concerns and desires for Deroche.

MEMBERSHIP DUES PAID FOR 1978: 55 Regular, 10 Family, and

5 Student. With this Newsletter, a FINAL NOTICE is being included for each person who has not yet renewed membership for 1978. There will be THREE WEEKS to renew in order to keep the Newsletter going out with interruption.

Cheques should be made out to: THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF P.E.I., c/o Margaret Mallett 53 Fitzroy Street, Charlottetown, P.E.I. ClA 1R4

A CHANGE IN OUR CONSTITUTION is necessary for the Natural History Society to officially become a non—profit organization, with tax- free status. This will be beneficial with reference to our financial dealings with the Canadian Nature Federation Conference next August. We hereby serve notice that proposed changes will

be brought to the floor at March 1978 Natural History Society meeting.

The Constitution and By-laws must be amended to include a non-profit clause to the effect that: the organization shall be carried on without the purpose of gain for its members, and any profits or other accretions to the organization shall be used in promoting its objects.

WHERE DO BIRDS FIND SHELTER DURING WINTER NIGHTS? In mid-February, as I walked home past the telephone building on Fitzroy Street, near dusk, I heard some sparrows having an altercation. Looking up to the second storey, I saw an English Sparrow that refused

to be ousted from the perch it had selected in a vertical recess running up the side of the brick building. The recess is 4" wide and 4" deep. It gives shelter on three sides but is exposed to the north. An ivy branch curved into the recess, providing a roost. Similar neighboring recesses also had sparrow tenants.

Margaret Mallett Charlottetown, P.E.I.