The Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society (the “VKHDNS”) had the pleasure to welcome Lesley Howes as their guest speaker on Monday, September 21.
Howes is a Biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service at Environment and Climate Change Canada where she leads the National Bird Banding Office. Her work focuses on promoting high scientific data and bird welfare standards when birds are used in science.
Her presentation, titled From Shotguns to Satellites: A Century of Bird Conservation in Canada, covered the story of conservation from the late 1800’s, when natural resources were considered limitless and could be shot indiscriminately, through to the present day, where precise satellite technology is being used to monitor bird populations in great detail.
Of particular note was the mention of a Vankleek Hill native, James Bernard Harkin (30 Jan. 1875 – 27 Jan. 1950), who grew up on 86 High Street – where the SKS Law LLP Firm is now located – and who played an extremely important role in drafting and implementing the Migratory Bird Convention Act in 1917. He was also the first Commissioner of National Parks in 1911.
A couple of fun and interesting facts were also shared: Jack Miner, a Canadian known as the Father of Conservation, was the first to band Canada geese, and opera glasses, invented in Germany in 1900, were the precursor to binoculars.
Howes, who had the audience so spellbound throughout her presentation that you could hear a pin drop, ended her talk with very helpful information on how to help birds today and emphasized the importance of citizen science and groups like the Nature Society to conservation now and in the future.
The VKHDNS, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2027, is very grateful for such knowledgeable and engaging guest speakers who agree to educate and inform our community.
