was licking it clean! When we turn on the light, the racoons flee but not the skunk. He just lifts his tail 
     
     and protects the territory until the racoons come back. Then everyone starts feeding again! This has been 
     
     repeated every evening now for at least 3 days now - before we don't know. Had noticed the feeder being 
     
     exceptionally clean each morning but didn't know why. 
     
    

    
     As for the birds - we still have a lot of juncos, tree sparrows (and others too) chickadees and 
     
     goldfinches with the occasional Purple Finches, Mourning Dove, Blue Jays, and Downy Woodpecker at 
     
     the feeder. Flying over is the occasional Bald Eagle, some kind of broad winged hawk, Great Blue 
     
     Herons, gulls, crows (eating the "compost") and ravens. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NEWS FROM ABOUT: ' Compiled by Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Provincial Forests Section of the Department of Agriculture and 
     
     Forestry launched its web page to improve communications with those 
     
     wishing to obtain information on management of these provincial 
     
     government owned lands. They will be holding three consultations across 
     
     the Island to public input into value based forest management, forest wealth 
     
     creation, and management of the Provincial Forest (See Environmental 
     
     Calendar). You can visit the web page at 
     
     http://wwwgov.pe.ca/af/agweb/index.php3 
     
    

    
     The Departments of Agriculture and Forestry and Fisheries, Aquaculture and Environment 
     
     combined expertise to produce a new booklet on Best Management Practices - Agricultural Waste 
     
     Management. This effort will assist farmers working on Environmental Farm Plans for their properties 
     
     and is a welcome addition to easily understood information. Contact 1-800-236-5196 to obtain a copy. 
     
     (Gilan/Murphy Press Release, Feb. 27/01) 
     
    

    
     The Cooper Institute, the Atlantic Council for International Cooperation and six community 
     
     partners such as the Village of Mount Stewart participated in a dialogue on Climate Change. A value 
     
     based discussion technique called deliberation was used to allow the participants to voice concerns and 
     
     discuss potential solutions. These will be presented at a regional meeting this spring. (Cooper Institute 
     
     Correspondence) 
     
    

    
     The latest Canadian Species at Risk list was released in November 2000 by the Committee on the 
     
     Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. This year 11 new species were added to the list, 7 were 
     
     upgraded to a high level of risk, and 1 was down listed to a lower level of concern. There are now 364 
     
     species on the list. 12 are extinct, 15 extirpated, 107 endangered, 76 threatened and 154 of special 
     
     concern. There are another 24 species that have been considered for which there is insufficient data. 
     
    

    
     The Great Backyard Bird Count ran as scheduled on the weekend of Feb. 16th to 19th. Cornell 
     
     Lab of Ornithology has established a video cam with an infrared illuminator in a Barn Owl nest box in 
     
     Florida. You can visit their site at http://birds.comell.edu/birdhouse/camfiamehtml Other species will be 
     
     shown as the year progresses. 
     
    

    
     Visiting Ontario between 2001 and 2005? Interested in birding? If the answer is yes, Ontario has 
     
     commenced its second Breeding Bird Atlas and you could participate. View the Atlas page at 
     
     www.birdsontario.org or telephone Nicole Kopysh at 519—826-2092. (adapted from TFN 498, Mar. 2001) 
     
    

    
     An effort to protect plants from extinction has led to the banking of millions of seeds from at least 
     
     24,000 plant species. The seeds are stored in underground, bomb and flood-proof vaults in the newly 
     
     opened Millennium Seed Bank in England. (adapted from TFN 497:23, Feb. 2001)