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

Guest Speaker: Becky Stewart. A look into bird banding and what it is all about (believe it or not, there's more to it that just giving birds silver bracelets). Becky Stewart is certified by the North American Banding Council and has banded in Manitoba, Mexico, California and Costa Rica. She'll share her adventures and show us why a bird in the hand is really worth two in the bush. Becky is currently the Atlas Coordinator for the Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas. 

The Sheffield Mills Community Hall will host its annual pancake and sausage breakfast with naturalist displays, films, crafts, and art show. A short drive around the area in the morning will usually offer a sight of more than 100 Bald Eagles and many hawks. Maps and directions can be obtained at the hall or any time at the information post on Middle Dyke Road.

The Sheffield Mills Community Hall will host its annual pancake and sausage breakfast with naturalist displays, films, crafts, and art show. A short drive around the area in the morning will usually offer a sight of more than 100 Bald Eagles and many hawks. Maps and directions can be obtained at the hall or any time at the information post on Middle Dyke Road.

A repeat at the Sheffield Mills Community Hall.

A repeat at the Sheffield Mills Community Hall.

Snow transforms the landscape into stories that unfold as we follow tracks of foxes, mice, and other mammals. A Snowshoe Hare hops along and is pounced on by a Great Horned Owl. Without snow to show us the tracks, wing marks, and perhaps a drop of blood, we would not have known the drama took place. Soren Bondrup-Nielsen (902) 582-3971 will lead this hike on snowshoes or skis, and we will explore the properties of snow (its insulative value, for example). By studying the characteristic imprints made by different organisms we will interpret the various stories that have unfolded. Meet at the Wolfville waterfront at 10 a.m. for a two- or three-hour, non-strenuous hike at a nearby location to be determined by weather and snow conditions.

Open to all. Come to view or bring along slides, pictures, specimens, collections, fossils, videos, computer stuff, favourite books and magazines, or anything that might be of interest to fellow naturalists.  7:30 pm

Leaders: Bernard Forsythe (902) 542-2427 and Suzanne Borkowski (902) 445-2922 E-mail: suzanneborkowski@yahoo.ca This will be a joint trip with the Nova Scotia Bird Society.  Meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Wolfville waterfront. We will be looking for raptors, lingering winter visitors, and rarities in and around Canning and Grand Pré. Dress warmly and bring a lunch.

The Valley Orchid Group will have its annual display of orchids in the conservatory of the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is usually a presentation in the downstairs auditorium about orchid growing and people in the lobby selling orchids along with specialized materials and instructions on how to help them grow well.

Monday, March 15, 2010 –
Replacing Most Fossil Fuel Use in North America with a Two-Terawatt Solar Electric Generating System, or A Practical Solution For the “Inconvenient Truth”. – Guest Speaker: Fred Archibald. Fred is a research microbiologist and was a professor/researcher at McGill and The Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada for many years. He is Associate Editor of the Water Quality Research Journal of Canada, and has much experience in wastewater biotreatment, pathogens, antioxidant enzymes, biological trace metals, and microbial ecology. He is also interested in electrics, electronics, and alternate energy sources.