of our Maritime species and sites. Under the strict criteria of this 
     
     program which ranks internationally important sites at the population 
     
     level, no Island sites were listed. 
     
    

    
     Rosemary Curley raised the concept of a Butterfly Atlas for Prince 
     
     Edward Island. This atlas project could be conducted in a similar 
     
     manner as the bird atlas with sightings recorded by square or samples 
     
     could be collected, conserved according to set instructions, and sent 
     
     in for identification. If you would be interested in such a project, 
     
     please contact Rosemary at 368-4807. 
     
    

    
     How long does it take a Peregrine Falcon to migrate 1,400 km 
     
     south? An Alberta Peregrine covered the distance between her nest near 
     
     Robertson Lake, Alberta to 80 km south of Veracruz, Mexico. Satellite 
     
     tracking of one Peregrine showed only three days. (adapted from TFN 
     
     473:25 article originating in London Free Press Sept. 27/97) 
     
    

    
     The Texans are off and running again! Tourism officials in Texas 
     
     have started a birding trail contest which promises to become a yearly 
     
     event. An 800 km automobile route from Port Arthur down the coast to 
     
     Brownsville, then up the Rio Grande has been designated the Great Texas 
     
     Coastal Birding Trail. When complete, it will feature over 300 prime 
     
     birding sites and a potential 400 species. (adapted from a Globe and 
     
     Mail article by Gene & Adele Malott which Dave Stewart forwarded) 
     
    

    
     For the internet literate try the BirdSource site which is 
     
     sponsored by National Audubon Society, Cornell Laboratory of 
     
     Ornithology, Canadian Nature Federation, and others. 
     
     http://birdsource.cornell.edu 
     
    

    
     The world of ecological monitoring, especially monitoring that 
     
     attempts to interpret population changes and the reasons for them is 
     
     very interesting to some people. Dr. Thomas Nudds of the University of 
     
     Guelph recently looked at integrated monitoring and analysis of duck 
     
     declines. This work showed that where duck populations declines exist 
     
     over the level that can be attributed to climate change that these 
     
     declines are in proportion to the amount of agricultural land use and 
     
     not as a result of nest predation (adapted from Canadian Global Change 
     
     Program 8(1) 1997). 
     
    

    
     The news is not all good unfortunately. Loons from the Kejimkujik 
     
     area tested with the highest levels of blood mercury of any tested ’ 
     
     population in North America. Fortunately this finding (1995) comes 
     
     with enough notice that efforts are being made to identify methods of 
     
     circumventing wide spread population impacts. (excerpt from Blomidon 
     
     Naturalists Society Vol. 24 #4 article by J.J. Nocera) 
     
    
   
   
    
     QLF’S CARING FOR THE EARTH AWARD 
     
    
   
   
    
     Ted Winter of Trepassey, Newfoundland is the 1997 
     
     recipient of the Quebec-Labrador Foundation (QLF) 4 
     
    
   
   
    
     Caring for the Earth Award. Created in 1995, this A<f! 
     
     annual award recognizes persons in eastern Canada and 
     
    

    
     New England who demonstrate outstanding leadership, I:: 
     
     service, and dedication to the field of conservation 
     
    

    
     and sustainable development.