.....MORE ON THE CNF CONFERENCE 
     
    
   
   
    
     Since the last newsletter a press felease has come in from the 
     
     organizers of the CNF conference to be held in Guelph in May. 
     
     Read on for details of what's shaping up to be a very excellent 
     
     and exciting conference. 
     
    
   
   
    
     WOOLLY MAMMOTHS IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO YOU SAY? 
     
    
   
   
    
     What do woolly mammoths, rattlesnakes, lungless salamanders, 
     
     piping plovers and Robert Bateman have in common? Two things -- . 
     
     they all occur in Canada's deep south and they will all be featured 
     
     at the Canadian Nature Federation Annual Conference, "South of 
     
     45 in 81: A Naturalist's View," Friday May 8 to Sunday May 10 in 
     
    

    
     -Guelph, Ontario. 
     
    

    
     The Canadian Nature Federation is a national organization of 
     
     naturalists' organizations, local societies, and individuals 
     
     across Canada. Among its goals is to ensure that Canada's 
     
     development as a technological and industrial nation takes place 
     
     in harmony with the preservation of our wild animals, plants, and 
     
     places. The Federation serves an invaluable educational function 
     
     in spreading this conservation message and fostering a widespread 
     
     understanding of the inter-relationship between the prosperity of 
     
     man and the preservation of a healthy natural world. 
     
    

    
     Through presentations, and field trips and exhibits at the 
     
     CNF 1981 conference this spring, you can experience "total 
     
     immersion" in the unique Canadian ecosystems of southern ontario. 
     
     Paul Keddy, program committee chairman, observed, "Many Canadians 
     
     and residents of southern Onatrio are unaware of the many special 
     
     plants and animals which occur only in the extreme southern part of 
     
     Canada. This conference.will be an opportunity to increase 
     
     personal awareness of the rich ecosystems and life forms of 
     
     southern Ontario, as well as to meet people with similar interests 
     
     from across Canada." 
     
    

    
     The indoor conference program on Friday will provide an over- 
     
     view and,introduce you to "Ontario south of the 45th parallel". 
     
     Presentation topics will include: 
     
    

    
     The Foundations of Ontario (the bedrock of Ontario and the 
     
    

    
     effects of the Ice Age on the landscape) 
     
    

    
     The Greening of Ontario (early vegetation changes after the 
     
    

    
     Ice Age, and early Man) 
     
    

    
     The Megafauna Before Man (big mammals of bygone days when 
     
    

    
     woolly mammoths and giant beaver did abound) 
     
    

    
     Birds of Southern Ontario (the special birds of the area, their 
     
    

    
     natural communities and distributions) 
     
    

    
     Herptiles of Southern Ontario (the frogs, snakes, lizards, 
     
    

    
     toads and turtles special to southern Ontario) 
     
    
   
   
    
     On Saturday, more specialized interests will be persued with 
     
     workshops, panel discussions and presentations such as "Naturalists 
     
     and the Planning Process", "The Niagara Escarpment's Past, Present 
     
     and Future" and "Natural Values of the Great Lakes Shorelines". 
     
    

    
     The day will conclude with a banquet featuring as guest speaker 
     
     Robert Bateman, Canada's internationally-acclaimed artist and 
     
     naturalist. Also, a copy of Bateman's limited edition print, 
     
     "The Hooded Merganser", will be a door prize at the banquet. 
     
    
   
   
    
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