Warblers to Waterfowl Weekend - May 28 to 30
Explore two of the most beautiful areas in Manitoba with renowned interpreter Cal Cuthbert. Saturday, Cal will take you to Riding Mountain National Park in search of colourful wood Warblers and other exciting boreal forest birds. Sunday, you’ll tour Minnedosa’s pothole country looking for Red-necked Grebes and other wetland birds.
The package includes:
Friday evening get together with refreshments.
Admission to the park.
Two nights accommodation (May 28 & 29) at one of four beautiful Minnedosa and
area Bed and Breakfasts, where hosts will make sure you have a great country
breakfast each morning before you climb aboard the tour bus at dawn.
Transportation supplied for the group on the Saturday and Sunday tours.
A box lunch to enjoy in the Riding Mountain boreal forest on Saturday, and a sit
down hot lunch on Sunday, at Fairmount Bed and Breakfast located right on the
edge of a prairie wetland.
Dinner on Saturday night at Fairmount B&B, featuring foods from the farm and a
chance to enjoy the evening and conversation with other birders around
a bonfire.
Cost $345.00 per person (private accommodation, shared bath)
Deadline for registration is May 7th, 2010.
For more information call Val Pankratz at (204) 848 4574 or
e-mail RMBR@mts.net.
Run With Porter on June 6
This 5-10km run takes place June 6th, 2010 in Birds Hill Park Manitoba. The event includes a sunrise yoga, organic breakfast, with onsite composting and recycling. For more information, please check out www.runwithporter.com.
Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Project
As many of you know, we are gearing up for an ambitious project in
Manitoba, starting this year. The Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas!!
Over a five-year period, Manitobans from all walks of life, from all skill
levels as naturalists, amateurs of nature, professionals, lay people, you name
it – will also contribute data to produce the most comprehensive data set ever
assembled in this province… To do this – we need you!!
The website is now up and running at
http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/ . If you don’t know what a Breeding Bird Atlas
is, you can get some background information on the atlas homepage and
http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/atlashow _en.jsp . Please watch this website as
it evolves over the next few weeks. In a matter of a fortnight or so you will be
able to register online and then contact your regional coordinator about
choosing a square. Ther eare 14 regions and you can view a map at
http://www.birdatlas.mb.ca/mbdata/ regions.jsp? lang=en. The list of
regional coordinators will be posted after a planning meeting on Feb 11th. You
can contact me in the meantime with any questions.
The next big announcement regarding the atlas is that we will hold a weekend
workshop at FortWhyte alive on the weekend of 9 – 11th April. Hope you can all
make it for some of the workshops or demonstrations (general atlassing
demonstration, point counting demonstration, GPS demonstration) and
presentations. We will advertise more about this event soon but we hope you will
mark your calendar now to keep that date free!
If you don’t live near Winnipeg and would appreciate a similar style of workshop
on the atlas, please get in touch and maybe you can help us spread this project
throughout the province – which is what we absolutely need to do!
It's February and spring is not far away!
Christian Artuso (Manitoba Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator)
Atlas Office: (204) 945-6816
Nature Manitoba Weekly Trip List
Please note that trip leaders may change location according
to trail conditions.
Beaudry Park Tuesday Evening Ski
Join Les McCann for some Tuesday evening skis. To register call Les at 895-8108
or email: lmcann2001@yahoo.com
Weekly Saturday Snowshoe Outings
Grab your snowshoes and enjoy the snow while it lasts. Meet at 9am in the
parking lot and the outing will change based on fitness levels of participants.
Rate 1-2. Contact Scott Falkingham <scott@falkingham.ca>
for information and times.
Mar 13 - St. Vital Park @ Duck Pond Parking Lot
Mar 20 - La Barriere Park @ Main Parking Lot
Mantario cabin
March 12-15, 2010
Join Jim Kirby and Brian Meakin for a ski trip to Mantario. Friday, March 12 to
Monday, March 15, 2010 (3 or 4 day trip depending on interest) Lots of daylight
and time to explore the area around the cabin. Participants should be able to
ski at least 20 km with a loaded pack or sled and be equipped for severe
backcountry conditions. Rate [5]
For more info or to register e-mail: kdwf@shaw.ca
Mystery Ski
Sat. March 13, 2010
Join the young-at-heart Ray Nielsen for a ski where the location will be
determined by the best snow conditions. To register, call Ray at 338-6569. Rate
1-2.
Beaudry Ski or Hike
Sat. March 20, 2010
Ski or hike the beautiful riparian forest of Beaudry Park with Les McCann, a
person who knows the area well. To register email
lmcann2001@yahoo.com or call 895-8108
Rate 1-2.
Last trip to Mantario
March 18th-21st, 2010
Leigh Cullen will be leading a trip to the Mantario cabin, weather permitting.
Last trip of the season on the crust of the snow, if it doesn't freeze, we can't
go! Contact Leigh Cullen at 878-3578
Assiniboine Park Hike
Sun. March 28, 2010
Join Gemma Briggs for a 5 km spring walk starting at the Duck Pond in
Assiniboine Park. To register, call Gemma at 947-5138. Rate 1
Sunday, April 25
South Whiteshell Trail Hike
Join Rose Kuzina on this spring jaunt along the Trans Canada Trail spur from
Falcon Lake to Faloma - 12 km. return. To register Call the MNS office (rate 2)
Saturday, May 15
Assiniboine River Corridor Wildlife Management Area Hike
Explore the historic junction of the Souris and Assiniboine rivers, and he
Criddle-Vane Homestead Provincial Park in the middle of the Yellow Quill
Prairie. Includes historic ferry crossings, bridges, steep riverbanks and maybe
Spruce Wood Provincial Park. To register Call the MNS office (rate 2)
Canoe Woodlands Caribou Park
Join Jerry Ameis (45 years of wilderness canoeing experience, much of it in
Woodlands Caribou Park) on a 10-12 day canoe trip around mid July 2010
in Woodlands Caribou Park. Maximum 6 people (3 canoes) To register or
for info please send an email to
raven981@mts.net . Rate 5
Nature Manitoba notes the passing of Dr. William O. Pruitt Jr.
Dr. William O. Pruitt, Jr. Bill Pruitt, a great naturalist, died December 7, 2009, at age 87. He will be missed by Nature Manitoba members and his loving wife Erna, daughter Cheryl, and son Charles.
Recently retired as professor and senior scholar of the U of M
Zoology Department, Dr. Pruitt had a profound impact on Nature Manitoba, as an
organization, and on environmental causes provincially, federally and
internationally. Dr. Pruitt produced three films, published 67 scientific
papers, 42 popular articles, 28 technical papers and two books on boreal
ecology. He played a major role in the establishment of Gros Morne National
Park. He also presented on several occasions at Nature Manitoba indoor programs.
Nature Manitoba tried to acknowledge his contributions by inviting him to be our Honorary President, a service he accepted from January 2007 to March 2009. He was also the recipient of numerous NM awards including being made an Honorary Life Member in 1980, being presented the Ernest Thompson Seton Medal in 1984, and the Crocus Award in 2000.
Other awards he deservedly received included being named a Fellow of the Explorers Club, recipient of the U of M Outreach Award, the Centenary Medal (Government of Canada Northern Science Award), the Vilhjalmur Stefansson Award (The Memorial University of Newfoundland, Northern Studies Committee Award), and an Award of Merit for his educational film, Technique in Boreal Ecology. These are just some of the awards Dr. Pruitt received.
Interestingly, in 1993 Dr. Pruitt received an official apology from the legislature of Alaska for their earlier reaction regards his efforts to prevent the creation of an artificial harbor using "atomic engineering". The research of Dr. Pruitt and his colleagues showed that the blasts would cause widespread damage to northern food chains and native people and the "atomic" was dropped from the proposal. At the same time, in 1993, Dr. Pruitt was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Alaska.
Dr. Pruitt has been referred to as one of the world's foremost authorities on snow, and the father of North American Boreal ecology. His love of boreal ecology is reflected in the work that has come from the Taiga Biological Station, (1973 to date). The TBS has served about 500 University Students, and numerous other groups including our NM Outdoor Program, and was described by Dr. Pruitt as a place where education meets reality.
Bill had many friends within Nature Manitoba, and his companionship
will be deeply missed. A celebration of Bill's life will take place at a later
date. People who wish to be notified of the event please contact
pruittmemorialmeeting@shaw.ca.
A more complete obituary may be viewed at
The Globe and Mail or the
Winnipeg
Free Press.
Also of interest is a tribute paid Dr. Pruitt, in the Memorial University of
Newfoundland, 2000-2001
President's Honor Roll Report.
Les McCann Past President, NM
Enjoy a paid summer in Whiteshell Provincial Park
Nature Manitoba is looking for mature individuals to lead the
Mantario Summer Program.
The successful candidate will have the following skills:
• Canoeing and hiking skills
• First Aid Certificate (Wilderness First Aid preferred)
• Strong leadership skills
• Ability to work with diverse groups
• Cooking ability
• Enthusiasm for and knowledge of wilderness environments
Particulars about the position:
• Guide leads participants by canoe to our wilderness cabin on Lake Mantario
departing each Monday from Big Whiteshell Lake and returning each Friday
• 11 weeks employment from June 21st to Sept 3
• Training and guidance provided
• Rates of pay commensurate to qualifications and experience
Interested individuals should send resumes before April 15, 2010
to:
Mantario Summer Program Committee
C/O Nature Manitoba
401 – 63 Albert St.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1G4
Phone/fax 943 9029
www.naturemanitoba.ca/mantario
naturemanitoba@mts.net