ENVIRONIVIENTAL CALENDAR:

Note: All Society presentations and field trips are open to the public. YN = young naturalists encouraged to attend or participate

Feb. 16 to 19 - The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society will host the Great

Backyard Bird Count. Anyone with access to a computer and Internet service can participate by sending in your sightings on line. Contact www.birdsource.org

Feb. 22 - Venus will be at its greatest brilliance in evening sky.

Feb. 24 - A guided snowshoeing or hiking excursion (dependant on conditions) to see forest wildlife in the RBI. National Park. Meet at the Dalvay Activity Centre at 1:00 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre-register by calling 672-6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Mar. 6 - "Do It Yourself Backyard Wildlife Enhancement" will be the topic for this Natural History Society's meeting. Dan McAskill will be the guest speaker The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

Mar. 10 - National Park staff will host an Owl Prowl on snowshoes to see or hear owls. Meet at the Dalvay Activity Centre at 7:30 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre—register by calling 672-6350, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

Mar. 20 - Vernal Equinox at 9:27 AST. Spring begins in the northern hemisphere.

Mar. 27 - Pesticides Advisory Committee will hear and receive written submissions on pesticide use at the Howard Johnston Dutch Inn at 1:30 pm. and 7:30 pm. Submitters must register with Teresa Mellish at 368-5605.

Apr. 3 - The Natural History Society's guest speaker will be Rosemary Curley who will speak on “The Reptile and Amphibian Atlasing”. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown. A sign-up sheet will be circulated at the meeting for a reptile and amphibian field trip to be held in late April. Please contact Meike Keunecke at 961-2737 for information.

Apr. 8 to 14 - Wildlife Week: the theme is ”Our Community Includes Wildlife, Does Yours?”. This year, in addition to the school kits, a community kit is available and these can be obtained from the Fish & Wildlife Division. Contact Diane Arsenault at 368-4683.

April 22 - Earth Day. Earth Weeks 2001 run from April 14 to 29th. All are invited to stage an environmental activity or project in their community. You can register projects ta 416-599-3100 or online at www.eathday.ca. '

Apr. 29 « Hike the beautiful Dune Trail in the Greenwich adjunct to Prince Edward Island National Park. A National Park guide will discuss dune ecology and the describe the rare dune formations found at this site. Meet at the Greenwich Visitor Reception Centre at 1:00 pm. Numbers are limited so please pre—register by calling 672-63 50, Monday to Friday between 8 am and 4:30 pm.

May 1 - The Natural History Society's will be the third evening in the Society's three night bird course. Ray Cooke will use tapes and slides to teach "Warblers, the Sights and Sounds". The talk will focus on identification both acoustically and visually as well as the habitats where they might be seen. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

May 12 - North American Migration Count Day. You can participate from your feeder or from the field and its free. You record the birds by county and submit your results to Day McAskill (see page 2).

May 26 - The Natural History Society will host the Bain Bird Count, the Society's spring migration count. Count teams can bird anywhere on Prince Edward Island within the midnight to midnight period on the 26th. PleaSe forward your results to Dan McAskill (see page 2).

May 26 - Join a National Park guide at 7:00 am at the Robinson's Island Campground in the RBI. National Park for the Birds and Breakfast birding trip. Park's staff encourage participants to join the group at the Dalvay Activity Centre afterwards for breakfast at a cost of $4.

Jun. 3 to 9 - National Environment Week, encouraging community action on clean air and climate change.

Jun. 5 - The Natural History Society's last meeting of the spring. A change in speakers is in progress. The meeting starts at 7:30 pm at the Farm Centre on University Avenue in Charlottetown.

12