ANNUAL SLIDE COMPETITION by Marion Copleston

The May 7th meeting of the Natural History Society was well attended. As usual, the slide show proved to be a popular event. Almost 70 slides were submitted for the contest and the quality was excellent.

First prize was won by Geoff Hogan for a winter scene taken in Springvale which included fields, a church, and a red fox. Second prize went to Donald Wilkinson for a striking sunset shot and third prize to Roberta Palmer for the picture of a squirrel at a feeder. The winning prize in the special category on birds was taken by Margaret Mallett. The photo was an amazing close-up of a Great Blue Heron.

Thanks to all who attended for their interest and comments during the show.

Editor's Note: Thanks to Marion Copleston for acting as the judge for the slide show and her preparation of this article.

NEH BIRD CHECK LIST FOR THE ISLAND by Dan McAskill

The Department of Tourism and Parks with the assistance of Geoff Hogan and the Society has completed the 5th edition of the Field Check List of Birds for Prince Edward Island. This edition features the most up-to-date list of the birds of the Island and depicts the Great Blue Heron on the cover.

The Society approached the Department on a number or changes to the Check List including the production of separate French and English lists to reduce paper consumption and the cost of mailing the list, the addition of a section requesting users of the list to report rare or unusual bird sightings to the Society, and information on what information to provide on such sightings. Our thanks to the Department of Tourism and Parks for their cooperation on these changes.

ANOTHER AUTHOR IN OUR MIDST by Margaret E. Mallett lg -A

The news is out. Since last fall our Natural History Society has numbered among its members Louise Ravenhill, a native Islander who now resides in Cornwall, P.E.I. In mid-April, Louise won the Bennett Carr literary award for her historical novel Move Smartz Boy which has a Prince Edward Island setting.

Ten years of research and interviews preceded the actual writing which began in February, 1990. She submitted the completed manuscript to the Bennett Carr Award Competition in 1991.

The suspense ended and the exhilaration began when all the first prize winners received notification a few days before Awards Night at the Coles Building, Charlottetown on April 20, 1991.

In Move Smartz Boy Adam Hollyfield tells the story of the first two years of his life as a 'Home Boy" on Prince Edward Island. Adam was the middle child of three Hollyfield children - Helen, Adam, and Terry - of Birmingham, England. They came to the Island as Home Children in 1911. Helen and Terry were taken to live with ideal guardians. Adam was less fortunate.

Louise Ravenhill was born in Charlottetown. Her early years were spent at her parent's home in Union Road, Queens County, then intermittently in Massachusetts during school years.

Another period of Island residence was in her teens when she attended Union Commercial College. After this she was employed in Charlottetown as a bookkeeper at A. Pickard & Company, coal dealers; then at Central Creameries.

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