Akimiski Island topic of Naturalists next meeting

Nipissing Naturalists Club
News Release

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The Nipissing Naturalists Club is pleased to present a renowned guest speaker at their October 13th monthly meeting.

Jean Iron, naturalist and tour guide, will speak on the natural history of Akimiski Island. Remote and uninhabited, Akimiski Island is the largest island in James Bay. It is the summer home of the most southerly polar bears in the world, and its vast tidal mudflats are of hemispheric importance to migrating Arctic shorebirds. In spring and summer 2008, Jean joined a Ministry of Natural Resources crew counting, aging and studying shorebirds on Akimiski Island, including an isolated population of marbled godwits. In her digital presentation, you will see Akimiski’s birds, mammals and wildflowers, and experience its subarctic wilderness. Jean will also speak on fall shore bird identification.

Jean has volunteered for many studies on birds in N. America. Most recently she worked with a group from the Royal Ontario Museum to understand the recent decline of the red knot, a small shore bird that breeds in the arctic and spends our winter months in southern S. America. The red knot flies continuously for 3 - 4 days and nights when migrating and is being studied by an international team of researchers.

Jean is also a much sought after guide on exclusive cruises in Canada’s arctic, the Caribbean, and Central America.

Join us at Cassellholme, on Olive St., in the auditorium, at 7:00 pm on Oct. 13th. This meeting is open to all members of the community. A donation to our speaker fund would be appreciated.

For additional information about the Nipissing Naturalists, please visit www.nipissing-naturalist.com

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