1993 RmIURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND UPDATE by Dan McAskill & Barbara Currie

It has again been a fairly busy year for the Natural History Society of Prince Edward Island. Together, we were able to achieve the following:

In the winter on 1992-3, the Society joined with representatives of ECOPEI, Holland College Summerside Centre, P.E.I. Fish and Wildlife Division, and the P.E.I. National Park to form the Amphibian Monitoring Committee. The Society led the volunteer training efforts with the sponsoring of lectures in conjunction with the Souris and Area Wildlife Federation, the Friends of MacPhail, and the Provincial Parks Mill River staff and provided audio- cassettes to the volunteers. Over thirty volunteers from across the Island participated in this program and their efforts are now being summarized into a report.

The Society contributed $ 100 to the Island Nature Trust's natural areas acquisition program and it coordinated a birdathon to raise funds for the Geoff Hogan Biology Honours Research Fund at U.P.E.I. In addition, the Society donated S 50 to the Canadian Nature Federation to support their national efforts on our behalf, it purchased American Birds for the U.P.E.I. Robertson Library and the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas for the Confederation Centre Library, and sponsored Rachel Gautreau’s Piping Plover ESRF grant.

Bruce Smith-led the Society's efforts at the Hillsborough piers tern colony this year. The nests of three pairs of Greater Black-Backed Gulls were removed under permit to ensure that predation on the terns was maintained at a low level. Despite the very wet nesting season, production of tern fledglings was fairly good. Letters were send to the Canadian Wildlife Service eliciting action with certain power boaters who are disturbing the colony.

The education efforts of the Society continued with the hosting of six slide presentations, a members display night, and a slide show at its monthly meetings; the production and distribution of S newsletters to members, media, and school libraries; the judging of Science Fair entries; and four bird identification and feeding clinics in conjunction with Agro Co—op, the Island Nature Trust, the Souris and Area Wildlife Federation, and Eptek Centre. The six slide presentations featured David MacKinnon on the effect of forest herbicides on songbirds, Wayne Barrett on Coastal Birds and Waterfowl, Dr. Donna Giberson on the ecology of James Bay, Dr. Paul Brodie on structure and function in whales, Brenda Brydon on the P.E.I. wood duck nest box program, and Diane Griffin and Jackie Waddell on the fauna and flora of the Galapagos Islands. In addition, a display was developed and placed at the Forestry Branch’s Open House at the J. Frank Gaudet Nursery on Upton Road.

The P.E.I. National Park, Hillsborough, and Montague 1992-93 Christmas Bird Counts were held with 95 volunteers participating and 14,734 birds recorded in 63 species. Thanks to the P.E.I. National Park staff who hosted the lunchtime pot—luck and Diane Griffin who hosted the Hillsborough Count Pot-luck .

The Society participated in an forestry economic assessment of birdwatching with the consulting company Gardner Pinfold Consulting Economists and wrote letters calling for renewal of silviculture program funding and research into forest wildlife interactions. When the fixed link project seemed inevitable, the Society also assisted with the development of innovative ideas to enhance the environmental education, wildlife habitat creation, and ecotourism potential of this strait crossing project. The Society also participated in meetings on the National Park Policy development, the formation of a strathgartney Foundation, Fisheries' Zone Area Management Committee, and Actice Living for the Environment.

The largest field trip undertaking of the Society was to Les Iles- de—la-Madeleine and ten members partook of the opportunity. Reviews suggest that all had a good time despite the failure to reach the outer bird Islands.

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