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Woodpeckers’ winning ways

The Past President of BC Nature, John Neville, will present a talk entitled Avian Carpenters: Canada’s Woodpeckers
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A woodpecker in flight.

Calling all bird lovers and environmentally active groups.

On Saturday, March 14, from 1 - 2:30 p.m., the Past President of BC Nature, John Neville, will present a talk entitled Avian Carpenters: Canada’s Woodpeckers.  Neville brings his enthusiasm for the topic based on a lifelong interest in birds which began in England. He sound records in the wild with great sensitivity and field craft awareness. His major aim is that the production of his nature recording art will make people more aware of the feathered creatures and their need for a protected habitat.

Neville is hoping to create interest in forming a naturalists club in Campbell River that would be affiliated with BC Nature.  He says, “We would like to help start a Campbell River Naturalist Club. Currently there are 53 clubs around the province under the umbrella of BC Nature (see bcnature.ca or contact manager@bcnature.ca). Our moto is ‘Know Nature and Keep it Worth Knowing’. We therefore have a strong interest in education and conservation. Any individuals, environmentally active groups or staff and students at the college studying conservation, forestry, or biology might be very interested.

Neville is a regular supplier of nature recordings to the Library of Natural Sounds and his work is now being exhibited in the new Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria.  He is currently working on his most ambitious project to date, “Bird Songs of Canada”.  Serious Field Recording of birds began in 1993 after studying with the MacAuley Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell University. As Neville Recording, John has produced seventeen regional sound guides to bird identification and an e-book titled ‘Travelling the Dempster’. He just released the 4CD set ‘Bird Songs of Canada , Chants D’Oiseax du Canada’. He regularly presents at Birding Festivals such as Brant Festival, Wings over the Rockies and the Meadowlark Festival. He has published articles in Birds and Blooms and journals for the Ontario Nature (Seasons), Nature Saskatchewan, BC Field Ornithologists (BC Birds), Wildlife Sound Recording Society (Wildlife Sound), and BC Nature (bcnature).  He is the current recipient of the BC Nature Elton Anderson Award for outstanding achievement in public conservation. The cost for the talk is $7. Call the Museum at 287-3103 to reserve a seat.Woodpeckers’ winning ways