Nature PEI

The guest speaker at our May meeting will be Dr Donald McAlpine, Research Curator and Head of the Zoology Section at the New Brunswick Museum who will discuss “The Decline and Fall of Bats in Eastern Canada”. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Donald F. McAlpine, Ph.D. Head, Department of Natural Science, Research Curator and Head, Zoology Section at the New Brunswick Museum is well known to the conservation community throughout the Maritimes and across Canada. Don has published dozens of scientific articles on both vertebrates and invertebrates, from whales to snails, and is the co-editor of the recent book “Assessment of Species Diversity in the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone”. Since 2010 he has coordinated research on bat caves and bats in New Brunswick, both before and after the arrival of White-nose Syndrome. 

Nature PEI: Natural History Society of PEI meets at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, May 7^th at Beaconsfield, the Carriage House, corner of West and Kent Street, Charlottetown.

Nature PEI monthly meeting is at 7:30pm,Tuesday, April 2 at Beaconsfield, the Carriage House, 2 Kent Street, Charlottetown. It will feature the presentation, “Canadians, Cacti  and Chachalacas” in which Sue and John Whitaker will take you along on their four month trip across parts of Canada and the US with their 13 foot trailer and 90 pound dog. They will show some fascinating photos and highlight some of the amazing natural history they experienced on their journey. Admission is free and all are welcome.

Nature PEI meets at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, March 5^th at Beaconsfield, the Carriage House, corner of West and Kent Street, Charlottetown.  The guest speaker will be Julie-Lynn Zahavich of Island Nature Trust who will discuss  “The Plight of Two Farmland Birds on PEI”.  Both the once-common Barn Swallow and the Bobolink are species of concern, and may indicate wider problems in the world of birds. Admission is free and all are welcome, so bring along a friend!

Everyone loves a garden full of colour and variety and that offers surprises all year round. While the common approach is to consider what your neighbours are planting, or what is available at the local garden center, there are other options. As the guest speaker for the February meeting of the Natural History Society of PEI, Karen Samis will explore some of the positive and negative effects of the plants we choose to use in our gardens, and how careful selection of native species can be just as rewarding –with better long-term impacts – as the selection of plants from away. The meeting occurs on Tuesday, February 5th 2013 at 7:30pm in the Carriage House at Beaconsfield, at the corner of Kent and West Streets. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend.

In early June 2012 we received this notice.

We are very pleased to announce that the project concept plan has been approved by all partners, including the Province of PEI, the Town of Stratford, Island Trails Inc. and the Trans Canada Trail Inc. This is a five-year plan and funding has been approved for the first sections in 2012. One of those sections is located in Stratford along the south side of Shakespeare Drive and the other two are between Mount Albion and Vernon River. Construction is anticipated to begin by mid-summer. The total length of trail being developed this year is approximately 10 kilometres. The announcement of support for the project was confirmed last week by Deborah Apps, the President and CEO of Trans Canada Trail Inc. in Stratford at the annual meeting of Island Trails. The project in PEI is a part of approximately 1800 kilometres of trail being developed across Canada in 2012.

 We thank you for your support. Trans Canada Trail was impressed by all of the expressions of interest from the diverse range of organizations among the fifteen letters received.

Doug Murray

TCT Representative for PEI

Island Trails Inc.

and

Chair, Active Transportation Committee, Stratford

 Nature PEI - The Natural History Society of PEI will hold its next monthly meetings with the following speaker: Tuesday, January 8^th, Meeting Topic — Wildlife and Its Management in Tanzania – Diane Griffin & Barb Trainor.

NEW LOCATION – AND DATE OF JANUARY 2013 Meeting is 2nd Tuesday (January 8)

All meetings are fully open to the public, and everyone is welcome to attend.

• Meetings are held of the first Tuesday of the month (except July, August, and September) at 7:30 p.m. at the Beaconsfield Carriage House, Corner West/Kent St. Charlottetown. Note - NEW LOCATION – AND DATE OF JANUARY 2013 Meeting is 2nd Tuesday (January 8)