November 27, 2016

Posted by Nick Aroutzidis on Oct 27, 2016

November 3, 2016: Ryan Erb et al, “Block parent program”, Paul Roulston, will introduce and Charlene Gordon will thank our speaker.

Head Table: Our President Kevin Silver, invites, Paul Roulston, Mimi Price, Carol, Steve Rae, Lutzen Riedstra and Robert Ritz, to join him at the head table.

This Week: Our speaker today was Scott Gillingwaters, who is a biologist with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority. Scott is a member of a number of Canada wide associations and committees dealing with at-risk turtles, snakes and amphibians and he is a member of a number of recovery teams.

Guest Speaker Scott Gillingwater UTRA giving talk on endangered turtles and snakes in Ontario.

Through his work, he recognizes that reptiles and amphibians are not generally held at a high level of importance by us humans when it comes to protecting wild species. Therefore there is a big need for education so that we recognize that this class of animals needs and deserves our help. With photos and descriptions, Scott introduced us to a number of Ontario's turtles and snakes and helped us to become comfortable with them and to realize that they are important to our natural environment.

From Scott's talk we learned that we kill turtles and snakes both accidentally and deliberately on roadways and through fishing and hunting sports and through capture for sale or for our amusement. By awareness of the effects of these practices hopefully we could change our ways and help save important species.

There are other factors such as loss of habitat through incursion by invasive plants and other animal predators but the one factor where we can help is to do our part to just stop killing turtles and snakes and to encourage others to do likewise.

Our speaker was introduced by Diane Sewell and thanked by Ian MacLean.

Scribe: Norm Bird

Guests: Today we welcomed John Kastner and Laura Roulston (Laura is the President of the Rotaract Club of Ottawa and a former Stratford Rotary Exchange student).

Draw: The draw prize today was donated by Rob Russell and won by Paul Siberry.

Paul Harris Fellow Award: Steve Rae made this presentation to Stratford's well known community volunteer and photographer Scott Wishart. This well deserved award was enthusiastically received with a rousing standing ovation.

Our own Steve Rae giving well deserved Paul Harris Fellow to Stratford Native Scott Wishart.

With wife Joy

Friends and Beacon Herald staff sharing in the occasion

Make-ups: Ralph Robinson October 20 at Banff Alberta, and Angus Macdermid October 27 at Tavistock

November’s Attendance Committee: Doug Wilson (I/C), Bill Cozyn, Clark Mitchell, Lorne Mitchell, Jim Young, Howard Murray, Marcia Matsui, Lutzen Reidstra, Dave Skinner, Philip Schroeder.