sIUnY LAUNCHED FOR NATURAL SCIENCE CENTRE

Through the federal—provicial tourism development agreement, a study has been launched to determine the feasibility and develop the concept for a natural science centre. A consultant will be selected shortly for the study.

The Natural History Society through Mary Beth Harris will be_involved in working with other agencies who have an interest in this project including the. University, the P.E.I. Museum and Heritage Foundation, the Island Nature Trust, the Cavendish Tourist.Association, and the Community Museums . Association. More information will be available at the Society's regular meetings as the consultant gets to work.

KESTREL NESTING BOX PROGRAM ~ David Lemon, a holder of a master bird banding permit, started a nest box establishment program for Kestrel's on Prince Edward Island this spring. He installed 31 nest boxes and already 8 of these haVe become the home for Kestrel's in central and eastern Prince Edward Island. David'will be monitdring the success of this program. 4 '

OBSERVED — A CHIPPER-EVENT ' 7 by Donald Wilkinson

On Tuesday, May 19 I was sitting on the patio_doing some reading. A male Chipping Sparrow flew past me heading for a leaf-less maple tree. It immediately mated with a female Sitting in the branches. The mating took 2-3 seconds and then the male moved to a branch a couple of feet away. *After about 15 seconds the female lifted her tail whereupon the male immediately went over to her and mated once more; this also taking 2-3 seconds. _

The male then went back to his previous branch and wiped his beak .’rapidly twb or three'times on the branchL He then flew over to our bird

.feeding table and took some seeds. The female flew to the bottom of the garden and sat.on the top wire of a wire fence. After 25-30 seconds the ’female was heard to chip in the rapid, familiar churring of-a Chipping. p Sparrow. ‘The male immediately flew from the feeder and sat momentarily beside the female. The female lifted her tail whereupon the male mated with her once more. The female flew off out of sight, pursued by the male. And so life goes on... ‘ ‘

NEWS FROM ABOUT ‘ ' i

The presence of the largest known I”

' population of threadéleaved sundew, Drosera

' filiformis in Canada, in the Swaine's Road Bog in Shelbourne County Nova Scotia led to the Minister of Environment's decision not to _ approve a peat mining project which would have

.posed an unacceptable risk to_the plant. ' (adapted from Blomidon Naturalists Society

' Newsletter 19:2; Originating from the Nova

Scotia Wildflower 2:2) '