SOCIETY'S ANNUEL REPORT - 1995: 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Society's efforts in 1995 were led by the volunteer Executive composed of 
     
     Ray Cooke (President), Mary Beth Harris (Vice-president), Jean Watts (Secretary), 
     
     Alma Steeves (Treasurer), Meike Keunecke (Program Director), David Cairns (Publicity 
     
     Director), and Barbara Currie (Past-president). Dan McAskill continued as Newsletter 
     
     Editor and coordinator of the P.E.I. National Park, Hillsborough Christmas Bird 
     
     Counts, and Bain Birdathon. Ruth Richman and Gary Schneider coordinated the Montague 
     
     Christmas Bird Count. Donald Wilkinson judged the slide show and both wrote and 
     
     illustrated the new birding column in the Island Naturalist while Linda Thomas and 
     
     her family distributed the newsletter. 
     
    

    
     The Environmental Education program of the Society was very active. The 
     
     monthly program started with the members night show of slides and natural history 
     
     items. Our monthly speakers program featured: David Lemon (Kestrel Nest Box and 
     
     Banding Program on P.E.I.); Jim Jenkins (Marine Mammal strandings and Policies); 
     
     Scott MacDonald (Food Habits of the Eastern Coyote on P.E.I.); Fred Horne and the 
     
     Hillsborough River Association's video; the members slide night with .... Dan 
     
     Kennedy, and Diane Griffin of the Island Nature Trust winning; Brenda Penak on the 
     
     Bedeque Bay Environmental Management Program; Tom Duffy (The Value of Island 
     
     Wetlands); and Irene Novaczek (Ocean Life and Global Warming). In addition to these 
     
     efforts, the Society participated in the Forestry Division’s open house, contributed 
     
     prizes to the Wildlife Week radio program, contributed several issues of Island Wings 
     
     to a school class for a project, coordinated three Christmas Bird Counts and two 
     
     potlucks, participated in the P.E.I. Environmental Network’s Earthcare Fair, and 
     
     published four issues of the Island Naturalist. The Society utilized its slide 
     
     education collection to loan slides to Kate MacQuarrie and Dan McAskill for lectures 
     
     and their book on trails. 
     
    

    
     Members were encouraged to 
     
     participate in the International 
     
     Migratory Bird Day and the Butterfly ( 
     
     Count Day in July. Thanks to D.G. 
     
    

    
     Stewart for coordination of the former 
     
     count results. The lack of autumn bird 
     
     information and the need for natural 
     
     areas funds led the Society and the 
     
     Island Nature Trust to combine their 
     
     efforts to host the first Autumn 
     
     Birding Classic. This project raised 
     
     just over $1,000 for the Trust as well 
     
     as partnership funding monies for the 
     
     Friends of Macphail. 
     
    

    
     The Society, aided by members and friends, assisted national efforts to create 
     
     Federal Endangered Species legislation by attending workshops and contacting MPs. 
     
     Efforts on the Piping Plover forefront were led by Neil and Sally Bennett this year. 
     
     High tides, low numbers or returning Piping Plover, and disturbance led to 
     
     disappointing fledging numbers outside the P.E.I. National Park. 
     
    

    
     Meike Keunecke and Kathy Sieg judged the exhibits at the U.P.E.I. Science Fair 
     
     on behalf of the Society. One individual was selected for the quality of their 
     
     presentation in each of the three age categories. The winners were: Wayne Sandler of 
     
     Montague Junior High School on "The Tides on P.E.I."; Dale Burden of O'Leary 
     
     Elementary on the Piping Plover; and Kevin McLennan and Daniel Murray of Queen 
     
     Elizabeth Elementary "A Closer Look at Fish". 
     
    

    
     Charitable activities: thanks to contributors, the Society raised S 257 during 
     
     its Bain Birdathon for contribution to the Island Nature Trust’s Natural Areas 
     
     acquisition program and the Society’s bird records program; the Society contributed 
     
     Audubon Field Notes to the U.P.E.I. Library. It contributed $ 100 to the Island 
     
     Nature Trust's Natural Areas Honourary Deeds program to purchase natural areas. 
     
    

    
     The Cormorant control issue again heated up and the 
     
     Society reviewed the information presented by the Fish 
     
     and Wildlife Division. At a special meeting called on 
     
     the issue, the Society led efforts to call for changes to 
     
     control measures to alleviate the decline of the Great 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
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