[This event has been POST-PONED]

The Annual General meeting of the Humber Natural History Society (HNHS) will be held Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at Sorrento’s, 6-8 PM.

Most of the current executive members have expressed an interest in remaining in office but we can always use more interested folks to help out.

Please bring along any photos/news/interesting finds related to the natural world that you would like to share with others.

Please think about what activities/presentations you would like the HNHS to offer over the next year.

Please let Lois Bateman (lbateman@swgc.mun.ca, 637-6247) know if you plan to attend and how many people will accompany you. (We will subsidize an order of pizza and need to know numbers. Be prepared to pay $5 per person for pizza and to purchase your own drinks.)

Title of Show: Light on Nature

A selection of paintings by “Monday’s Company” who meet weekly, with Diana Dabinett as mentor, to make art that reflects the pleasure of the natural world.

Public Viewing Dates: June 3 – 27, 2011 (Please note: exhibit hours may vary due to conference room bookings.  Please call 864-8590 to confirm viewing hours).

For more information on this art exhibit, please contact:  Diana Dabinett, email: dianadabinett@nl.rogers.com

The Botanical Garden is located at 306 Mount Scio Road.  For a complete listing of Botanical Garden events,  workshops, and programs, please call 864-8590 or visit www.mun.ca/botgarden.

ACAP Humber Arm’s final Coastal Matters presentation before summer recess will feature Jeff Warren of Transport Canada.  Mr. Warren will be speaking on the topic of boating safety, specifically the effects of cold water shock, hypothermia and pfd’s.  This presentation will take place 12:30 to 1:30pm, Tuesday, June 7th at the Bay of Islands Marina.  This is an important session for anyone who plans on enjoying time on the water this spring and summer. Onboard oil spill kits will be also be available, free of charge, to anyone who attends this session.

For further information:
Sheldon Peddle
ACAP Humber Arm Environmental Association Inc.
phone 709.637.2883

In Celebration of World Environment Day, Labatt St. John’s invites you to an open house to mark our environmental achievements!

Please join us at 60 Leslie Street in St. John’s on Thursday, June 2 between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm for a tour of the brewery and refreshments. Tours will leave every hour. Let us know what time works best for you!

This is a chance to see the inside of one of Newfoundland’s biggest and best known breweries, and learn more about what we have done to cut down on electricity and water use, as well as hear about some of our many recycling programs. We will also be joined by some of our partners who will showcase their environmental initiatives.

Because this is a working brewery, visitors are required to wear long sleeve shirts or tshirts, long pants and closed toe, flat shoes.

Please RSVP in advance to:

Wade Keller
Corporate Affairs-Atlantic
Labatt Breweries of Canada
wade.keller@labatt.com
902-453-3761

Mitchell Wiseman
Environmental Health and Safety
Labatt St. John’s
mitchell.wiseman@labatt.com
709-570-7117

These days, Newfoundland and Labrador is booming, but with declining oil production, what are the fiscal realities facing the province? Are we missing an opportunity to reduce our debt and create a sustainable prosperity for future generations? 

According to well-known Memorial University economist Dr. Wade Locke, these questions need to be discussed openly and honestly. He’ll share his thoughts at a Memorial Presents public forum titled A Prosperity Plan for Newfoundland and Labrador, on Wednesday, June 8, from 7:30-9:30 p.m., at Innovation Hall in the Angus Bruneau Centre (formerly the Inco Innovation Centre) at Memorial University.

Along with Dr. Locke, the panel will include:

•  Lana Payne, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour

•  Bruce Pearce, community development coordinator with the St. John’s Community Advisory Committee on Homelessness

•  Jo Mark Zurel, chair of the St. John’s Board of Trade

Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and respond to the panel discussion.

The event will be webcast live from the Harris Centre website at www.mun.ca/harriscentre to ensure that people across the province have the opportunity to engage in the debate. Viewers will also be able to submit questions to the speakers by email.

“It is important to appreciate what real choices we face, and plan for these possibilities.  While we should hope for continued prosperity, we should plan for what is likely and adjust our priorities accordingly,” said Dr. Locke. “The priorities Newfoundland and Labrador wishes to establish have to be grounded in reality.  It is the base from which all policies need to emanate.”

Free parking is available in Lot # 18 (immediately West of the Clock Tower), and a reception will follow the event.

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To arrange for interviews, and for more information, please contact Rebecca Cohoe, communications co-ordinator, The Harris Centre, Memorial University, at (709) 864- 3739 or rcohoe@mun.ca.

The Town of Hawkes Bay in conjunction with its operating partner, the Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Centre, are pleased to announce the first of its kind Salmon Symposium scheduled for June 24 – 26, 2011, at the Salmon Interpretation Centre in Hawkes Bay. The Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Centre tells the story of the province’s most successful Atlantic salmon restocking story and promotes environmental stewardship. Lloyd Bennett, Mayor of the Town of Hawkes Bay noted, “The people of Hawkes Bay and region have worked hard over the past 36 years to restore and protect the natural assets of the Torrent River. Working with various government agencies and departments the Town and local residents not only restored the river but moreover, have successfully developed a park, salmon interpretation centre, boardwalk and fishway that are excellent examples of sustainable resource management and community engagement. As Mayor, I invite visitors to visit the Torrent River and see what a small town can achieve when people work together to preserve and protect their environment.”

Salmon Symposium events are open to the public and highlights include a musical tribute to Rufus Guinchard featuring Daniel Payne, Anita Best and the local high school’s fiddling group. Guided tours of the interpretation centre and fishway will be available to symposium participants. In addition, other activities will include interactive salmon releases; fly tying workshops; casting clinics; guided hikes through protected wetland areas with the Dept of Environment and Conservation – Wildlife Division; “Big Catch” fishing contest with the chance to win a SAGE fly rod; kids activities; campfires; salmon dinners; traditional kitchen parties and much, much more. While, the wide array of events and activities will largely take place in and around the centre the venue however, for evening festivities will be the Torrent River Inn, Hawkes Bay. “Come visit where the waters still stir.”

“We have been open for 5 summers and after a lot of hard work, we are ready to showcase the site to new visitors, past visitors along with experts in sustainable resource management” states Regina Rumbolt, Site Manager.  “We planned this event to be a weekend delight with high quality fly tying, fly fishing, learning activities and international guest speakers. Several partners have come onboard to help make the weekend a success” Partnering agencies include the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Department of Environment and Conservation, Department of Tourism, Cultural & Recreation, the St. Barbe Development Association and RED Ochre Regional Board. Sponsors include Nalcor Energy, Atlantic Salmon Federation, Tuckamore Lodge, Sage, Bell Wines and Spirits, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Department of Innovation Trade and Rural Development and others.

Guest Speakers include:
• Hans van Klinken, International Fly Tier, Author, Journalist and Conversationalist
http://www.danica.com/flytier/hklinken/hklinken.htm
• Kate Blubaugh, Goodwill Ambassador to the International Women Fly Fishers http://www.flyonly.info
• Don Hustins – Newfoundland Author, River of Dreams
• Bill Maynard – Hear the story from a local fly fisherman that invested personally to save the Torrent River

For more information, please contact Regina Rumbolt at the following:
Phone: 709 248 4066
Email: info@torrentriver.ca
Website: www.torrentriver.ca
Facebook: Torrent River Salmon Interpretation Centre and Nature Park
Twitter: TorrentRiver

Also view: http://torrentriver.wordpress.com/

World Environment Day (WED) 2011, in support of the UN International Year of Forests (IYF), is aimed to be the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive action for the environment. This year’s theme – Forests: Nature at Your Service – underscores the variety of life-sustaining services that forests provide and calls us all to take action to protect these resources and move towards a green economy.

Every activity matters – organize a neighborhood clean-up; announce an environmental initiative for your city, state or country; adopt targets for environmental improvements in your company; use cloth bags and motivate your school mates and teachers to do the same; plant a tree or better yet organize a collective tree-planting effort for your family; walk to work, start a recycling drive among your friends… the possibilities are endless.

Register your activity and join the Wide World of WED http://www.unep.org/wed where you can download WED logo, posters, videos, web banners and other materials to promote your activity. Join us in celebrating World Environment Day!

Date: Thursday, June 23 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Location: The Fluvarium, St. John’s

This film festival world tour brings the world’s best paddling and environmental films to outdoor enthusiasts here in St.John’s. The festival has been created to inspire more people to explore rivers, lakes, oceans, trails and your own local scenery. The Reel Paddling Festival is about pushing physical and emotional extremes, embracing the lifestyle and appreciating the heritage and natural beauty of our home and places we travel to. Come experience an evening of the best travel, action and adventure films that today’s talented paddling filmmakers have to offer. Tickets are available now for $10 + tax from The Outfitters or $13 at the door on the night.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=211072195592283

For further information:

Malcolm Bremner
Community Events & Marketing Coordinator
The Outfitters Adventure Gear and Apparel
tours@theoutfitters.nf.ca

Western Environment Centre presents

Gardening Q & A and Seed Sharing with Elder Ferrin Leavitt

Wednesday, June 1 @ 7:30 pm

Location: College of the North Atlantic, Room 207

RSVP to info@wecnl.ca. Space is limited to 25 participants! Registration is free for WEC members and $5 for non-members. (Annual WEC membership fee is $10)

This gardening workshop will follow an interactive question and answer format. We want you to go away with answers to your questions!

To help make this happen we need:

A) Your questions:

Decide why you want to attend the garden class, then write down the questions you would like answers to. We won’t be able to answer all your questions but will have a better chance if you send us the questions ahead of time to ferrin.leavitt@gmail.com. If you do not have time to send along your questions bring them to the class.

Feel free to ask questions about any of the following topics 

• Preparing the soil
• Planting
• Watering
• Mulching
• Composting
• Weed control

 B) Your solutions:

If you have found success with composting, fertilizing, mulching, watering or weed control please feel free to type up your formulas for success and bring copies for distribution to the class.

Note: you’re also encouraged to bring any plant material or seeds you wish to share!

 The following topics will also be covered briefly in the introduction: 

·      How you affect seeds and plants

·      Using magnetic north and the moon to improve production

·      If some is good, twice as much must be better

·      Recognizing the natural plant cycles

·      Publication information, government and other sources

Elder Ferrin Leavitt has a two year college degree in Practical Agriculture from the Olds College of Agriculture, a Bachelors Degree in Agronomy from Brigham Young University, and a Masters degree in Plant Science from Utah State University. He retired early and worked as a Church representative in Kenya, Africa where he assisted in the development of wells and irrigation projects.