ENVIRONMENTAL CALENDAR:

Note: All Society presentations and field trzps are open to the public. YN = young naturalists encouraged to attend or participate

Jan. 27 - A guided snowshoeing or hiking excursion (dependant on conditions) to see forest wildlife in the RBI. National Park. Meet at the Dalvay Activity Centre at 1:00 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre-register by calling 672-6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Feb. 6 - “Crows and Ravens: Their Ways and Life - Observations by Dr. Ian MacQuarrie” will be the Natural History Society's monthly guest speaker presentation. The meeting will start at 7:30 pm with the Annual General Meeting and report with the speaker’s presentation commencing at- approximately 8:00 pm. The meeting is at the Farm Centre, 420 University Avenue in Charlottetown.

Feb. 16 to 19 - The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society will host the Great Backyard Bird Count. Anyone with a computer and Internet service can participate by sending in your sightings on line. The next newsletter will provide further information.

Feb. 24 - A guided snowshoeing or hiking excursion (dependant on conditions) to see forest wildlife in the P.E.I. National Park. Meet at the Dalvay Activity Centre at 1:00 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre-register by calling 672-6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Mar. 6 - "Do It Yourself Backyard Wildlife Enhancement" will be the topic for this Natural History Society's meeting. Dan McAskill will be the guest speaker The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

Mar. 10 - National Park staff will host an Owl Prowl on snowshoes to see or hear owls. Meet at the Dalvay Activity Centre at 7:30 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre-register by calling 672- 6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Apr. 3 - The Natural History Society's guest speaker will be Rosemary Curley who will speak on “The Reptile and Amphibian Atlasing”. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown. A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the meeting for a reptile and amphibian field trip to be held in late April. Please contact Meike Keunecke at 961-2737 for information.

Apr. 29 - Hike the beautiful Dune Trail in the Greenwich adjunct to Prince Edward Island National Park. A National Park guide will discuss dune ecology and the describe the rare dune formations found at this site. Meet at the Greenwich Visitor Reception Centre at 1:00 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre-register by calling 672-6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

May 1 - The Natural History Society's will be the third evening in the Society's three night bird course. Ray Cooke will use tapes and slides to teach "Warblers, the Sights and Sounds". The talk will focus on identification both acoustically and visually as well as the habitats where they might be seen. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

May 12 - North American Migration Count Day. You can participate from your feeder or from the field and its free. You record the birds by county and submit your results to Day McAskill (see page 2).

May 26 - The Natural History Society will host the Bain Bird Count, the Society's spring migration count. Count teams can bird anywhere on Prince Edward Island within the midnight to midnight period on the 26th. Please forward your results to Dan McAskill (see page 2).

May 26 - Join a National Park guide at 7:00 am at the Robinson's Island Campground in the RBI. National Park for the Birds and Breakfast birding trip. Park‘s staff encourage participants to join the group at the Dalvay Activity Centre afterwards for breakfast at a cost of $4.

Jun. 5 - The Natural History Society's last meeting of the spring will feature Ben Hoteling who will offer "The Beauty of Woodland Flowers - Identification by Flower and Leaf". The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

NOMINATIONS CALL FOR FEB. 6 AGM: If you would be interested in serving on the Natural History Society’s Executive or its committees, please contact Ben Hoteling or Ray Cooke (see page 2 for phone numbers).

12