Our traditional DNS Meeting Venue (Cammidge House) can only accommodate 40 persons – and often there are more than 40 people wanting to hear our Guest Speakers!
DNS Monthly Meetings will be held on the FIRST TUESDAY of each month (except July and August) at 7:30 p.m. at BENEDICTION LUTHERAN CHURCH, 5575 6th Ave, Tsawwassen (map at http://goo.gl/D2azbK).
After the business is concluded, and a refreshment break, there will be a Presentation by a guest Speaker (8:15 pm to 9:45 pm).
Next DNS Monthly Meeting:
TUESDAY, September 5, 2017 at Benediction Lutheran Church
Speaker: Diane & David Reesor
Topic: MADAGASCAR – The Mini-Continent
Ours was the first ever flying safari to Madagascar October 2013. Madagascar is actually a mini-continent, larger than France, containing the world’s most bizarre and diverse flora and fauna along with some otherworldly landscapes and geology.
In our 18 days there, we were able to see and photograph many of the endemic species. Shown will be Lemurs, including the dancing ones, reptiles, geckos and plenty of birds.
Having traveled the globe for decades, David and Diane are not only experts in navigating the world, but they have taken astonishing photos along the way, capturing every beautiful moment.
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| David sparked an interest in photography ever since he received his Brownie Hawkeye camera on his tenth birthday. His parents encouraged his interest and obligingly allowed his darkroom setup in the basement of their home. In 1992, David won the “Best Canadian Amateur” photo of the year in the Canadian international underwater photo contest. In 2007 David co-authored a book “Predator – Life and Death in the African Bush” with African safari guide Mark Ross. David has immense patience to remain “in place” for long periods of time to photograph birds and animals, and capture the most breath-taking shots. | Having lived in remote villages in Dominica, WI, and Nunavut, Canada, Diane really appreciates the local people. The things she enjoys most about them is how they live their everyday lives, their most promising traditions, festivals, and ceremonies. Some of Diane’s most challenging journeys are the ones she cherishes most. Her favorite treks include Nepal, the Inca Trail, The Compostela Route and Copper Canyon. When it comes to her love for Photography, Diane has David to thank. After meeting David, traveling and photography have now become an integral part of their life together. |
Previous DNS Monthly Meeting:
TUESDAY, June 6, 2017 at Benediction Lutheran Church
Speaker: DNS Members
Topic: SHOW & TELL (Various topics, short presentations)
Poster by Geof Hacker – more posters at DNS Posters Archive
see collection of previous posters at DNS Posters Archive
| Delta Naturalists Speaker List 2017 | ||
| Date & Speaker | Bio | Topic will be updated as more information is made available |
| Jan. 3, 2017
Joe Foy |
Joe Foy is National Campaign Director, Wilderness Committee. As a child growing up in the Fraser Valley, Joe loved to hike and fish in the country surrounding his home – but it was his love of the Stein Valley wilderness that led him to begin volunteering with the Wilderness Committee in 1984. In 1987 Joe became the Wilderness Committee’s first paid campaigner and initiated the Lower Mainland Pocket Wilderness Campaign. Since then, Joe has been the driving force behind many of our campaigns, and has led the Wilderness Committee to successfully protect spectacular areas such as the Elaho Valley, Boise/Pinecone/Burke, and the Stein, Carmanah and Lower Walbran Valleys. Joe’s passion for the wild shines through in his speeches at rallies, to media, and to the public. In all of his front line work, Joe is inspired and informed by his love for wilderness and the thousands of hours he has spent exploring BC’s wild places. | Endangered Species in B. C. , including the need to have provincial legislation. Wilderness Committee is the organization which made the film entitled TOAD PEOPLE.
Did you know BC has no endangered species legislation? Most people are unaware that although BC has the greatest biodiversity in the country, we are one of only two provinces in Canada – the other being Alberta – that has no stand-alone law to protect endangered wildlife. Today, more than 1,900 species and subspecies are at risk of disappearing from our province. From peregrine falcons to monarch butterflies, endangered species in BC are left to fend for themselves against climate change, toxic contamination, urban sprawl, logging and industrial development. |
| Feb. 7, 2017
Peter Ward |
Peter Ward worked as a Hydrology Engineer for several decades, and his career took him to many parts of the world, especially to his favourite areas, in sub-tropical latitudes on 3 continents. He started bird watching in Africa, and spent many years making sound recordings of birds, initially as a student in California, and later in Africa and in British Columbia. He is now a keen bird and nature photographer, and is still travelling widely. | A winter visit to Oman: Birds and Nature |
| Mar. 7, 2017
Anne Murray |
Anne has had a life-long interest in birds, nature, history and different cultures. Born and educated in England, where she received her BSc (physics and geology), she has taught mathematics and science to every age group. She took up writing about nature, ecological history and conservation in 2004. She has lived in Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Alberta and for the last two decades, in Tsawwassen, British Columbia.
Anne volunteers with a number of non-profit organizations including Bird Studies Canada (Board Secretary), the Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust (Board member), the Delta Naturalists’ Society, and BC Nature (the Federation of BC Naturalists), of which she is a past-President and currently the BC Important Bird Areas liaison member. She is a past-trustee of the Delta Museum and Archives. Among other awards, she was a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal for nature conservation, BC Nature’s Elton Anderson Award, and Nature Vancouver’s John Davidson Award for Conservation. |
Australia: Wild, Hot & Birdy
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| Apr. 4, 2017
Emma Langson |
Emma Langson’s involvement with Plastic Oceans came from her natural interest in the marine environment having lived by the coast in the UK, HK and now Canada. Over the past 15 years she has had a successful career in Marketing, PR & Fundraising. She was a member of the Institute of Fundraising in the UK before moving to Vancouver BC in 2009. In 2014, she began building the Canadian branch of the Plastic Oceans Foundation, who have charitable offices in UK and HK and will soon be established in both Canada and USA. Plastic Oceans mission is to change the world’s attitude to plastic in one generation. Emma is working with NGO’s and policy makers to engage & connect with Canadians on the issues and solutions to plastic pollution here in Canada. |  Devil in the Deep Blue Sea: Plastic
Emma will be bringing a private 10 min trailer of clips from the film plus the 2 min official trailer of the documentary feature film ‘A Plastic Ocean’ and will follow that with a PowerPoint presentation on the issues surrounding plastic pollution and its impact on marine life and human health. By helping consumers to become plastic literate, they will make informed decisions about how they use plastic. |
| May 2, 2017
David Hoar & Noreen Rudd
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David Hoar: Retired University Professor in the field of Molecular Genetics doing studies in DNA based genetic diagnosis and forensics. Noreen Rudd: Retired Pediatrician and University Professor in the field of Medical Genetics.David & Noreen have spent most of the past 25 summers cruising the coastal waters of B.C. and SE Alaska. They lived aboard their 42′ power boat Pacific Sapphire for 5 years, but are now back in a Tsawwassen condo when they are home. Birding-focused trips to more tropical climates are a winter passion, and their favorite summer cruising grounds are in Haida Gwaii. |
Birding in Costa Rica We will present an overview of Costa Rica as a destination for birders. This politically stable Central American country has protected over 25% of its land mass as National Parks and its economy depends heavily on tourism. Having both a Pacific and Caribbean coast separated by central mountains creates diverse habitats for migrants from North and South America and the establishment of endemic species.Our 2017 trip focused more on the birds along Pacific coast; however, in 2012 we also spent time along the Caribbean coast, in the central valley, and on the slopes of the volcanoes. This country, although it may be challenging for first time birders, has very competent Guides that can introduce you to both flora and fauna of this tropical paradise. |
| Jun 6, 2017 | DNS Members | Presentations by DNS members |
| Sep. 5, 2017 | Diane & David Reesor |
MADAGASCAR – The Mini-Continent
Ours was the first ever flying safari to Madagascar October 2013. Madagascar is actually a mini-continent, larger than France, containing the world’s most bizarre and diverse flora and fauna along with some otherworldly landscapes and geology. In our 18 days there, we were able to see and photograph many of the endemic species. Shown will be Lemurs, including the dancing ones, reptiles, geckos and plenty of birds. |
| Oct. 3, 2017 | Ken Hall |
Water in the Desert Starts on the Canadian Okanagan and goes south through Washington State and finishes in Arizona. It shows plants, birds and animals and how they can live and thrive in this arid environment. |
| Nov. 7, 2017 | South Coast Bat Conservation Society | TBA |
| Dec. 5, 2017 | Anne Murray | Life on the Edge – seabird colonies in Iceland, Peru and England
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My slide show will look at all aspects of nature, including birds, marsupials, reptiles and plants, from different regions of Australia, based on my travels there on numerous occasions over the last 33 years.
Tentative schedule for DNCB outings: see DNS Upcoming Events page.
