10_122(4)NewsComment.qxd:CFN_122(4) 2/8/10 12:25 PM Page 376 News and Comment Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada Annual Meeting and Awards 2008 The 2008 annual meeting of the Alliance of Natural demics is attested to by colleague Dr. James Rising of History Museums of Canada (ANHMC) was held in the University of Toronto and Dr. Bruce McGillivray Ottawa on 22 and 23 September . This was the fifth a former student of Barlow’s and now director of the anniversary of this network, which was created in 2003 Royal Alberta Museum. The award was accepted by to enhance collaborative work in the areas of research, members of Barlow’s family as failing health prevent - collections development and education about the nat - ed his attendance. ural environment. The ANHMC’s 13 members from west to north to A reception was held the evening of 23 September east are: the Royal British Columbia Museum, Royal on Parliament Hill, where the second annual Bruce Alberta Museum, Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeon- Naylor Award was presented. The award recognizes tology, Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre, Prince of significant contributions to museum-based natural Wales Northern Heritage, Royal Saskatchewan Mu- history in Canada. This year’s recipient was Dr. Jon C. seum, Manitoba Museum, Royal Ontario Museum, Barlow, who held the position of Curator of Ornithology Canadian Museum of Nature, Montreal’s Nature Mu- at Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) for 35 seums (Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Gardens and years until 2001 . Over the course of his career, Barlow Planetarium), New Brunswick Museum, Nova Scotia personally contributed over 6000 specimens to the Museum of Natural History, and The Rooms Provincial provincial bird collection, building it into one of the Museum, Newfoundland and Labrador. These institu - largest in the world, and was a world authority on vire - tions are responsible for preserving the record of Can- os (small to medium-sized songbirds). Through his ada’s natural history through time. Together, member combined talents as a researcher, collector, curator, edu - museums safeguard more than 19 million catalogued cator, mentor, editor, administrator and larger-than-life specimens of plants, animals, minerals and fossils col - personality – he transformed the ornithology program lected over 150 years. The purpose of the national col - into a flagship department at the ROM. His collabora - lections strategy is to ensure that this crucial record is tions included 25 museums around the world and exten - complete and is preserved in perpetuity. Pauline Raf- sive involvement with American and International ferty, President of the ANHMC and Director of the Ornithological Societies. He also led the University of Royal British Columbia Museum, stressed that the Toronto’s Museum Studies Program. That his efforts member institutions are “… working on a national elevated the status of Canadian museum-based research strategy for developing a collection that will represent in the minds of North American and European aca - all of Canada’s biodiversity.” USA National Phenology Network The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) servers making observations in their backyards to pro- monitors the influence of climate on the phenology of fessional scientists monitoring long-term plots. plants, animals, and landscapes. They encourag e peo - The efforts of the USA-NPN are organized and direct - ple to observe phenological events like leaf out, flow - ed by the staff at the USA-NPN National Coordinating ering, migrations, and egg laying, and provid e a place Office at the University of Arizona, with support from for people to enter, store, and share their observations. the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Science Foun- They also work with researchers to develop tools and dation, and many other funding agencies, organizations, techniques to use these observations to support a wide and partners . The USA-NPN is governed by an exec - range of decisions made routinely by citizens, man - utive committee consisting of a 12-member Board of agers, scientists and others, including decisions related Directors , the NCO Executive Director, and Assistant to allergies, wildfires, water, and conservation. Director, as specified in its constitution . Several work - The USA-NPN is comprised of many partners,¡ in- ing groups have also been established within the USA- cluding federal, state and local agencies, universities, NPN to address specific issues within the field of colleges and schools, non-governmental organizations, phenology. and volunteers .Participants range from individual ob- 376 10_122(4)NewsComment.qxd:CFN_122(4) 2/8/10 12:25 PM Page 377 2008 NEWS AND COMMENT 377 Marine Turtle Newsletter (122) October 2008 28 pages: ARTICLES : An introduction to Bayesian The Marine Turtle Newsletter is edited by Lisa M. statistics without using equations (T. Eguchi) — Ebi- Campbell, Nicholas School of Environment and Earth bionts associated with Green Sea Turtles from Cana- Sciences, Duke University, 135 Duke Marine Lab néia, Brazil (B. Oliveira De Loreto and C. V. Bondioli) Road, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 USA; and — Analysis of a live stranded Leatherback, Dermo- Matthew H. Godfrey, NC Sea Turtle Project. North chelys coriacea , in Brazil (M. R. Werneck, G. H. P. Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 1507 Ann Dutra, and B. M. G. Gallo — NOTE : Juvenile Hawks- Street, Beaufort, North Carolina 28516 USA. Sub- bill tagged in The Bahamas nests in Tobago K. A. scriptions and donations towards the production of the Bjoundal, T. Clovis, K. J. Reich, G. Alkins, P. J. MTN can be made online at <http://www.seaturtle.org/ Ellazar, and A.B. Bolten) — LETTER TO THE EDITOR mtn/> or postal mail to Michael S. Coyne (Managing — B OOK REVIEW — M EETING REPORT — Editor), Marine Turtle Newsletter, A321 LSRC, Box ANNOUNCEMENTS — IUCN-MTSG QUARTERLY 90328 Nicholas School of Environment and Earth REPORT — NEWS & L EGAL BRIEFS — RECENT Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina PUBLICATIONS . 27708-0328 USA; e-mail: [email protected]. Ontario Crayfish This attractive identification brochure condenses a ulatory stylets. There is a labelled diagram of “the multitude of information. It is printed on glossy-fin - shape of crayfish”, and a map showing the number of ished cardboard for durability in field use. Ten species species in various Ontario regions. Brief statements are depicted in exquisite detail in lateral view in colour are given on the ecological importance, possible dis - by Aleta Karstad, seven native, one spreading west - appearance, lifestyle, and how to find crayfish. More ward from Quebec in the St. Lawrence River, and two information is available at www.crayfishontario.ca. introduced. Brief range, maximum size, behaviour Production has been supported by the Bishops Mills and or habitat notations are given. Black-and-white Natural History Centre, Ontario Nature (Federation diagrams by Parmek Hamr compare dorsal views and of Ontario Naturalists) and the Toronto Zoo. detail the rostrum, chelae, carapace, abdomen and cop - Canadian Association of Herpetologists Association canadienne des herpetologists Bulletin 16(1) Fall 2008 CONTENTS : Instructions for Authors — EDITORIAL red-bellied snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipit - NOTES — M EETINGS : Northeast Natural History omaculata) (Supervisor: Pamela Rutherford); Kel P. Conference, Albany New York 16-18 April 2008 Cullis BSc 2008 Lakehead University, A comparison (Shane de Solla) — Joint Meeting in Herpetology in of herpetofaunal monitoring methods for use in the Montreal 23-28 July 2008 (Leslie Anthony) — Thunder Bay, Ontario, District (Supervisor: Stephen FEATURE ARTICLE : Keeping the ‘Herps’ in Herpe- Hecnar); Christopher B. Edge MSc 2008 Laurentian tology: Is the use of live animals in teaching being University, Sudbury, Ontario, Multiple scale habitat threatened? (Stephen Hecnar) — FIELD NOTES : What selection by Blanding’s Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) the heck happened to that thing? Tales from the field (Supervisor: Jacqueline Litzgus); Felix Eigenbrod PhD notes of a turtle biolgist (Amanda Bennett) — BOOK 2008 Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Measuring REVIEWS : Review of The Ecology and Behavior of the effects of forest extent and road traffic on anuran Amphibians by K. Wells 2007 (Richard W assersug) — populations (Co-supervisors: Stephen Hecnar and Review of Malformed Frogs by M. Lannoo 2008 (Janet Lenore Fahrig); Karen Elgee BSc 2008 University of Koprivnikar) — THESIS ABSTRACTS IN CANADIAN Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Sexual size dimorphism in HERPETOLOGY : Christine Baptista BSc 2007. Lake- garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis), water snakes head University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, The effects of (Nerodia sipedon) and black ratsnakes (Elaphe obso - environmental variables on five-lined skink (Eumeces leta) (Supervisor: Gabriel Blouin-Demers); Dale M. fasciatus) abundance in Point Pelee National Park Jefferson MSc 2008 Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, (Supervisor: Stephen Hecnar); Pascule Belleau MSc Nova Scotia, Stable isotope characterization of com - 2008 McGill University; Montreal, Quebec, Habitat munity trophic structures in assemblages of aquatic and selection, movement patterns, and demography of the terrestrial herpetofauna (Supervisor: Ronald Russell); common musk turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) in south - Megan K. Johnson MSc 2008 University of Calgary, western Quebec (Co-supervisors: Gabriel Blouin- Calgary, Alberta, Relationships between setal field Demers and Roger