Quarterly Newsletter

Forest and Bird, Issue 105, 1 August 1952, Page 13

Quarterly Newsletter

— The news in this Newsletter is that received in the office of the Society up to 30th June. Tauranga Primary School. The large and active Forest and Bird School Group in this school, under the guidance of Mr. P. Furse, sends us frequent accounts of its activities. Recently a cutting from the local paper reached us of an essay competition held for the members in which two nine-year-olds, Anne Wishart, and Lynne Gilbert, scored more points than anyone else necessitating the abandonment of an idea of dividing the competition into senior and junior divisions; lan Cameron was highly commended. Nature Question-Time Broadcasts, Prizewinners. Commencing with May of this year the N.Z. Broadcasting Service is giving a book prize every month for the best question of the month. The winner of the prize for the first month, May, was Master Guthrie Beatson of Ngatimoti, Baton, Motueka. The winner of the prize for June was Sonia France of Roseneath, Wellington. • Auckland Section. — A most successful ' field day was held at Motuihi Island on 10th May. More than ninety members were present under the leadership of Mr. R. B. Sibson, and spent the day studying the birds of the Island. The party met Mrs. Hilda Ross, M.P., who was visiting her son on the island. Introduced by Sir Alexander Young, Mrs. Ross spoke of the important part young people had to play in such 1 Societies as ours. A picture of this episode appears on the inside back cover of this number. We have received a copy of the Section’s attractively printed card programme of events for 1952/53, an interesting list of Lectures and Field Days which caters for the tastes of all types of members. The preparation and organisation of such a programme must entail considerable work and the officers of the Section responsible are to be congratulated. Auckland’s first evening function of the year, held in the Zoology lecture theatre of the University, took the form of a Brains Trust. The panel, chaired by Mr. W. T. Slater, comprised Mrs. B. Knight who answered botanical questions, Mr. E. G. Turbott entomological, Mr. R. B. Sibson ornithological, and Mr. A. W. B. Powell marine life. Great interest was shown by a good attendance of members. Afterwards Mr. Noel Gleeson showed some beautiful films of the Firth of Thames which were much appreciated. McPherson’s Bush, Turakina. — On 22nd March a party from the Rangitikei Scenery Preservation and Tree Planting Society, joint Trustees with our Society of this Bush, paid it a visit of inspection and heard Mr. McLeay, a neighbour of Mr. McPherson’s, describe how before it was fenced he could drive cattle through on horseback, whereas now in the short space of eight years astonishing growth had occurred, which should make botanists watch the development of the Bush with keen interest. After tea, Mr. G. L. Marshall, Patron of the Rangitikei Society, presented to Mr. McPherson an album of photographs of the Bush as a token of his Society’s appreciation of the gift.

Christchurch Section.— Miss Jennings has been appointed Honorary Organiser of the Section’s activities. On 29th March an evening meeting organised by Miss Jennings was held at Redcliffs. This meeting filled a good-sized hall with an appreciative audience, a tribute to Miss Jennings’ enthusiastic work, particularly among the young people of Redcliffs, to which suburb she has recently moved. Mrs. W. S. Mac Gibbon showed colour films of the Southern Lakes and Sounds, Christchurch through the seasons, and the Section’s 1951 outings. Mr. J. T. Erridge told the story of his pet crow, while Mrs. Mac Gibbon showed films of these and other birds on Mr. Erridge’s property. One of the shorts was of Mrs. Mac Gibbon wearing clothes taken off a dummy on which pots of sweetened water had been regularly placed, with the result that she was covered with silvereyes, who, provided she stood still, showed no fear. On 16th April, the Section held a meeting at which Mrs. Mac Gibbon showed the film of Christchurch throughout the seasons and the Section’s 1951 outings which she had previously shown in Redcliffs. Professor McCaskill showed and commented on, colour films taken while tramping through the Haast Pass.

Above is a photograph by Miss Aldred of the lunch interval at a successful field day held by the Section at Glentui on 19th April. The snap only embraces part of the party, and we are not sure of the nature of the activity in progress in the centre! On 17th May a social evening was held for the Redcliffs members, at which, in spite of rain, 70 were present to hear Mr. Norman France, a Missioner, give an illustrated talk on China, India and the Pacific Islands. The Chairman of the Christchurch Section, Mr. Bailey, gave an account of the objects and work of the Society, and Miss Jennings told of her work among the young people and her efforts to obtain a piece of land in the district for the planting of native trees. The Section held a meeting on 18th June at which Mr. W. W. Leonard, who is motorcycling round the world with a camera, showed scenic films. The contrast between two high-vantage-point films, one of a Canadian city almost invisible under its trees, and one of Auckland, like other New Zealand cities with all its buildings showing, was remarkable. Mr. Leonard gave the same talk 10 days later, in a packed house, to Miss Jennings’ Redcliffs Group.