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.

Leader: Wayne Neily (902) 765-2455 E-mail: neilyornis@hotmail.com.

Astronomy Observing Session – Join members of the Minas Astronomy Group to observe the night sky. Constellations will identified by the use of a laser pointer. There will be a not-too-bright crescent Moon in the vicinity of the Pleiades, Venus and Mercury are in the western twilight, Mars is high in the south near the Beehive, and Saturn will be well up in the southeast. Meet at 8:30 p.m. at the old parking lot at Grand Pré National Park. Bring binoculars and be sure to dress warmly. Rain/cloud date is Saturday, April 17.

It’s the End of the World As We Know It. Most aspects of natural history occur on the surface of the Earth. Earth’s surface (and its biology, etc.) has changed drastically in the past. One only needs to look at a dinosaur skeleton to bring that fact home, yet we take the existence of life on the Earth’s surface for granted. In astronomy, one is often faced with looking at not only the “big picture” but the “long clock” view of things. Modern astronomers and biologists now have tools that allow them to look far ahead and predict what may be in store for Earth’s long-term future. Will things end with a whimper, or a bang? Come find out!

Patrick Kelly has had a life-long interest in astronomy, and has taught first-year astronomy at Acadia, Dalhousie, Mount St. Vincent, and St. Mary’s. He is a life member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and is an active member of the Society’s Halifax Centre. He currently edits the Society’s annual Observer’s Handbook.