COMING EVENTS 
     
    
   
   
    
     MAY 1 MEETING. The last meeting of the season will feature the showing of entries 
     
     to the annual nature slide contest, and the presentation of prizes to winners. 
     
     Come and bring a friend. Meet at 8:00 p.m. in the Provincial Health Building. 
     
    
   
   
    
     NATIONAL FOREST WEEK. May 6—12 has been designated as a time to increase our 
     
     understanding and appreciation of Canada's forests. See elsewhere in this 
     
     issue for details of events. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ENVIRONMENT WEEK. This year’s Environment week will be held May 12—19. Notch 
     
     the media for details of events. 
     
    
   
   
    
     ARBOR DAY. On May 18, 1984 the centennial of Arbor Day celebrations on Prince 
     
     Edward Island will be marked with ceremonial tree plantings by government 
     
     representatives, municipalities, schools and private organizations. 
     
    
   
   
    
     BIRDATHON. Reserve Sat., May 26 for the seventh annual Francis Bain Birdathon. 
     
     Both new and experienced birders are welcome to participate. Contact Geoff 
     
     Hogan for details. 
     
    
   
   
    
     VALLEYFIELD WOODLOT FIELDTRIP. Sat., June 2 is the date for an expedition to 
     
     look for early returning woodland birds and to enjoy the trees and flowers of 
     
     spring. Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the YMCA in Charlottetown or at the woodlot at 
     
     10:00 a.m. Bring a lunch. (This trip will finish early enough to allow those 
     
     who wish to participate in the following event.) 
     
    
   
   
    
     SHARAM POINT OUTING. Cblonel Pat Wbotton has invited interested persons to visit 
     
     his property to learn more about his plans for developing youth camps and a 
     
     center for alternative technology and self sufficiency. Meet at Sharam Point 
     
    

    
     at 3:00 p.m. on sat., June 2. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     SIGNS OF SPRING 
     
    
   
   
    
     One of the earliest confirmatibns that 
     
     spring is really on the way comes with 
     
     the finding of the first Mayflowers 
     
     (Epigaea repens) of the season. Look 
     
     in unshaded sandy or stony areas for 
     
     the trailing heavy stems. The sturdy 
     
     . oval shaped leaves 
     
    

    
     often show up in a 
     
     shiny green contrast 
     
     to the remnant winter snow. The pink or white flowers 
     
     appear in small clusters at the tips of the branches 
     
     and are most readily identified by their spicy fragrance. 
     
    

    
     Another harbinger of spring is sweet-grass (Hiero- 
     
     chloe odorata), one of the earliest flowering of grasses. 
     
     The crinkly-stemmed flower heads appear in May, to be 
     
     followed later by the short leaves. The leaves contain 
     
     coumarin, which is responsible for the sweet scent for 
     
     which the plant is named. sweet-grass grows in low- 
     
     lying heavy soils, including the upper edges of salt 
     
     marshes.