Patrick Kelly (patrick.kelly@dal.ca, 902 472–2322) will lead a canoe trip in the Cloud Lake Wilderness Area. Please call to register, so that if the date is changed you can be notified. This should be a great time of year to see the autumn colours reflected in the water. The trip will be at about five hours long.  Bring a hearty lunch, water, drinks, etc. and, of course, life jackets, canoe, and paddles. If you have access to a life jacket but not a canoe there will likely be extra room in one of the canoes.

Kingsport Mudflat Critters (shells, snails, clams, worms, crabs, mud shrimps, sand shrimps, etc.)  Jim Wolford (902-542-9204) will lead us on a hike to the bottom of the Minas Basin at low tide to see the incredible diversity of life on the mudflats.  Rubber boots or old washable shoes are a must. Meet at the Wolfville Waterfront at 10:45 a.m. or the Kingsport Wharf at 11:15 a.m.

Last fall, a conference was held in Halifax called For Our Birds. One the projects that developed from the conference was a commitment by the Nova Scotia Bird Society to host a series of field trips, all over the province, that were designed to introduce new people to birding, so this trip is geared for those who have always had an interest but were not sure how it was actually done. Bring binoculars and field guides, if you have them. Leader: Patrick Kelly 494-3294 (w) 472-2322 (h) E-mail: patrick.kelly@dal.ca

Join Roy Bishop (542–3992), Patrick Kelly (472-2322) and members of the Minas Astronomy Group to observe the night sky. Constellations will identified by the use of a laser pointer. Telescopes will be on hand to view Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune (now the official outermost planet!) galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae. Meet at 7:30 p.m. at the old parking lot at Grand Pré National Park.

 Monday, October 19, 2009 — Cultural and Natural History of Brier Island by June Swift. June Swift is a resident of Brier Island, which is known for its beauty as well as being one of the birding hot spots in the province. Whether it is whale watching, wildflowers, birds, beaches, marshes, or rocks shoreline, all can be found on this relatively tiny island. June is an author, photographer, and naturalist.

George Forsyth (902 542-7116) will lead this walk to see a mature pine/hemlock forest, original Acadian cellar remains, Poor Farm graveyard, and beech hardwoods along the Cornwallis River. Meet at the Wolfville Waterfront at 1:00 p.m. or Noggins Corner Farm in Greenwich at 1:15 p.m. for this easy hike.

 Monday, November 16, 2009 — Sharing Our Environment with Bears. Depending on the circumstances, an encounter with a bear can be instructive, fascinating, spiritual, or terrifying. Tony Nette works for the Department of Natural Resources in Kentville.

 Monday, December 14, 2009 — Galileo, the IYA, and Our Place in the Universe by Roy Bishop. To commemorate the 400th anniversary of the first use of a telescope in astronomy, the International Astronomical Union and the United Nations have designated 2009 as the International Year of Astronomy (IYA). The central figure in this story is Galileo Galilei, renaissance physicist and the founder of modern experimental physical science.

The Christmas bird count has been an annual tradition since 1900, now with over 50,000 participants from all across North America. A vast pool of bird data has been created on the status and distribution of early winter bird populations. The count area is a circle that is 15 miles in diameter where volunteers count all the birds they see on the count day. All levels of birders are invited to participate in the Wolfville count.

We invite everyone to welcome the winter season and continue the 5000-year  tradition of celebrating the return of the Sun after the longest night of the year; although this year we will be a day early. We will meet around a roaring bonfire at Noggin’s Corner Farm and set off for a hike through the centuries-old pine and hemlock forest. We will pass an 18th century Acadian cellar, Poor House graveyard and a huge bald eagle nest.

Patrick Kelly (902 472–2322, patrick.kelly@dal.ca) will be compiling the count again this year. All are welcome to participate, but please contact the compiler as soon as possible so that you can be included in the planning. Following the count, around 5 p.m., all participants are invited to Frank and Beth Wollavers’ house near Brooklyn for a tally count and potluck supper.

Wayne Nealy (902) 765–2455, (neilyornis@hotmail.com) will be compiling the count again this year. All are welcome to participate, but please contact the compiler as soon as possible so that you can be included in the planning. There is a $5 fee for all participants over 19 to help cover the cost of generating materials for compilers, producing the annual CBC summary issue, and maintaining the CBC website and database