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Congratulations and Thanks

by Brian Elliot

     "The founding meeting of the Kennebecasis Naturalist Society was held in Sussex Composite High School on Feb. 28, 1974. Phillip Mallory was elected president. Mrs. Mary Majka, a well known New Brunswick Naturalist gave a talk illustrated with slides, on animal and plant life in southern New Brunswick." So an article in the March 14th edition of the King's county Record states. Yes, the Society was born twenty-five years ago this past spring.

     Flipping through the society scrap book gives a glimpse of the wide variety of presentations and field trips enjoyed by the members:

• "Being a Naturalist Detective", "Sailing on Belleisle Bay",
• going underground at the Potash Company of American mine in Penobsquis,
• several tours to Fundy National Park,
• "Bobcats and Lynx in N.B.",
• "Woodlot Management",
• "Natural Dyes",
• "Butterflies and Moths of N.B.",
• Trips to:
  • King's Landing,
  • Magnetic Hill Game Farm,
  • Deer Island,
  • Irving Nature Park,
  • Anderson's Holiday Farm,

     Scanning the minutes from the business meetings is also interesting. By the third meeting members of the society were being encouraged to: "not just be passive observers of nature but active in conserving nature." In the second year the Society agreed to join the New Brunswick Federation of Naturalists as a way to add our voice to conservation efforts.

     Through 1975 and 1976 much discussion centered on the idea of identifying an area near Sussex to study the flora and fauna and perhaps work towards preserving. It was felt society members should have a specific project to work on. Even obtaining their own meeting place, a retired school building, was considered.

     It was not all easy. In late 1976 and 1977 minutes show several discussions about the possibility of disbanding the society due to a lack of members. In fact, the meetings did stop between May 1978 and Jan. 1980 except for participation in the annual Christmas Bird Count. The Jan. 1981 meeting saw the members raise the dues from $2 to $3 per year and form a lunch committee. The social aspect of the society seems to have outweighed the cost as the society continued to grow.

     Meetings were held at the Sussex Composite High School, in members homes, the agricultural building, the Anglican Homes Club House, and finally in 1981 settled in St. Paul's United Church. Field trips have ranged across Southern New Brunswick from Grand Manan Island to Mary's Point, Fundy National Park to King's Landing. Members have explored ice caves and potash mines, viewed farms and forests, identified plants and animals, and expressed their concern about land use and preservation in Sussex and surrounding area.

     Early minutes show the society was originally set up to encourage people in the Sussex area to enjoy and become aware of nature. Initially meetings tended to be planned by the entire group and the next meeting agreed to before dispersing. By 1987 a program committee had been formed and the 4th Monday of the month agreed to as the regular meeting date. Meetings and field trips were reported on in the King's County Record and membership had grown from the original 13 to 50 with both members and guests attending the meetings.

     Important parts of each meeting were, and still are: the sharing of sightings by members, the opportunity to ask each other questions about nature, sharing of magazines and articles relating to nature, a presentation relating to nature and of course the social time following the completion of business.