Notice:
Upcoming NSIS tour of Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens - July 14, 2013

NSIS members and guests are invited to share a summer outing together, visiting the beautiful Historic Gardens at Annapolis Royal on Sunday, July 14th. The admission fee for our group will be $7.50 plus tax per person and will include a 10:30am tour of the gardens. Please confirm your attendance with Michelle Paon (mpaon@dal.ca) by noon July 12th.
[Note: Members will arrange their own transportation on to Annapolis Royal. In case of rain, alternate dates will be: Sun. Aug 3 or Sat. Aug 10.]
The Historic Gardens at Annapolis Royal will host a number of special events during the summer, including An Evening of Wine & Roses, and a House & Garden Tour. For further information, see the Calendar of Events on their website.

News:
On May 29, 2013, the NSIS Council sent another letter to the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. This letter was in response to a letter that the Minister sent to the NSIS on January 21, 2013.
The chain of correspondence can be followed below:
May 3, 2013 - NSIS Council's response to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
January 21, 2013 - NSIS received a letter from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in response to the letter sent to the Prime Minister on June 13, 2012.
June 13, 2012 - NSIS sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper regarding our concerns about environmental aspects of Bill C38 and regarding the media control of federal scientists. Copies were sent to Prime Minister Harper, Environment Minister Peter Kent, the Leader of the Opposition, the NDP Critics for Fisheries and Oceans and for the Environment, and Leaders of the Liberal and Green Parties.

The Institute is delighted to announce the names of the winner and students receiving an honourable mention in the 2013 Student Science Writing Competition.

Reminders:
Copies of the NSIS publication entitled Birds of Brier Island by Eric Mills and Lance Laviolette, a perfect gift for the birdwatcher in your life are available for sale at $25.

---

PREVIOUS NOTICES

2013.06.05  The Annual General Meeting, Dinner and Lecture of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science was held on Monday May 6 2013, at the Great Hall, University Club, Dalhousie University, 6259 Alumni Crescent, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

2012.13.01  The new edition of the Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, PNSIS Vol. 47(1), will be available for pickup by members (with 2012-2013 paid memberships) at the January and February talks. Journals will be mailed in March to members who are unable to attend either of the meetings.

2012.12.09   On November 21, 2012, Dr. Suzane Zeller, Professor of History, Wilfrid Laurier University, presented "The Natural History of a Sustainable Institution: The Nova Scotian Institute of (Natural) Science Since 1862" at the Potter Auditorium, Rowe Management Building, Dalhousie University. This lecture was co-sponsored by the Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society, the Nova Scotian Institute of Science, the School of Information Management at Dalhousie University, the Atlantic Node of the Situating Science Research Cluster, and the History of Science and Technology Programme at the University of King’s College.

2012.11.16   The NSIS supported the Situating Science Strategic Knowledge Cluster in its Dr. Evelyn Fox Keller Visiting Scholar event in Halifax, October 15-November 7, 2012. As part of her activities as Situating Science Visiting Scholar, Dr. Keller, Professor Emerita of History and Philosophy of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presented a special public evening lecture "Paradigm shifts and revolutions in contemporary biology" on Tuesday October 30th at 7 p.m. at the Alumni Hall, University of King's College. For information on Dr. Keller's other activities as Cluster Visiting Scholar, please visit the Situating Science website.

2012.10.10   Symphony Nova Scotia highlighted our NSIS 150th anniversary as part of their special performances of Franz Joseph Haydn's Creation on October 6th and 7th in Halifax.

2012.05.10   On May 7, 2012, Dr. Bernie Lightman of York University delivered the NSIS 150th Anniversary Lecture, a free public event co-sponsored by the History of Science and Technology programme at the University of King's College. The lecture, entitled "Communicating Knowledge to New Audiences: Victorian Popularizers of Science", is available online via podcast. Our thanks to Situating Science for having arranged the recording of the lecture. NSIS is also delighted to present photographs from the lecture by Dr. Bernie Lightman

2012.05.02   We invite NSIS members to attend the following informal lunch-time talk "The Royal Panoption" by Dr. Bernie Lightman about the science museum in Leicester Square in the mid 1850's. Please RSVP as seating is limited. The talk will be held on Monday May 7, 12:30pm, Scotiabank Room, 3rd Floor of the New Academic Building, University of King's College 6350 Coburg Rd.(This lunch event precedes Dr. Lightman's evening NSIS lecture on the same day.) Please RSVP by Friday April 27th. Email Emily Tector at situsci@dal.ca to confirm attendance and to submit any food preferences

2012.07.31   NSIS is delighted to present photographs of the NSIS 150th Anniversary activities (May 2012):NSIS Annual General Meeting, NSIS pre-banquet reception, and the NSIS banquet. We are delighted to announce that during our banquet on 8 May 2012, the late Drs. Kenneth H. Mann and Willard S. Boyle were inducted into the Institute’s Hall of Fame.

2012.04.05   Reserve your seat for the Institute’s 150th Anniversary Banquet on May 8th at the Lord Nelson Hotel.In 1962 the centennial of the Institute was celebrated at the Lord Nelson Hotel and it is fitting that fifty years later we will mark another significant anniversary in the same location. Please read the attached invitation from NSIS President John Rutherford. To learn more about the Institute’s upcoming 150th anniversary events, please take a look at our brochure.

2012.04.05  We are also delighted to announce the two winners of the Student Writing Competition: William Roberts, BSc candidate, Acadia University for his paper “An Overview of the Biology, Ecology, Conservation and Fishing Industry of Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.)” and Suzuette Soomai, PhD candidate, Dalhousie University for her paper “The Use and Influence of Scientific Information in Environmental Policy Making: Lessons Learned from Nova Scotia”. Honourable mention goes to Robert Alan Paul, PhD Candidate, Dalhousie University.

2012.04.02   NSIS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 NSIS Student Writing Contest on Monday 2nd April at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, prior to the evening’s lecture.

2012.03.12   NSIS will co-host the Sable Island Update, Eighth Annual Public Meeting on Tuesday, March 27th 2012 at 7:00 - 9:30 pm, Theatre Auditorium, McNally Building, Saint Mary's University Campus.
NSIS members attending the meeting can pick up their latest issue of the Proceedings, PNSIS 46(2) for free.

2011.11.17   NSIS has recently published the book entitled “The Birds of Brier Island” by Eric Mills and Lance Laviolette. Members attending the November 29th and the December 5th talks can pick up this latest copy of the Proceedings (Vol. 46, part 1)for free. Additional copies will be available for sale at $25 ... a perfect Christmas gift for bird watchers.

2012.10.02  Our brochure for the Institute’s 150th anniversary events and public lectures for 2011-2012.

2009.12.17   We now have a blog! The primary purpose is to provide space for notices for additional public lectures and events relating to science in Nova Scotia.

2009.11.25   8th Annual Kathryn Allen Weldon Public Lecture: "What should we expect of long-term care for people with Dementia?", by Kenneth Rockwood, MD, FRCPC, FRCP. Location: Pier 21 – see the poster for more details.

2009.02.07   The 200th Anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth (12 February 1809) occurs in a few days. See our link listing some excellent sites with much interesting information about Darwin, plus an extensive bibliography of recent books on Darwin, or related to Darwinism, compiled by Michelle Paon.

2009.02.04   See the latest addition to our History page — The Presidential Address delivered by W.J. Archibald at the 101st Annual Meeting, 15 October 1962.

2009.02.03  Humboldt Field Research Scholarship announced.

2008.12.13  The Updated Author Index for our Proceedings now includes Volume 44, Part 2.

2008.11.29  The 2008-09 Brochure has been updated to reflect a change in the panelists for the January 5, 2009 meeting; a link to the new PDF file is available in the list on the left.

2008.10.16  Vol. 44, Part 2 (2008) of the Proceedings of the Institute has been published.

2008.08.28  The 2008-09 Brochure has been updated; a link to the new PDF file is available in the list on the left. Note: the Brochure has been modified (2008.09.29) to reflect an interchange of the previously scheduled November and December speakers.

2008.08.10  2009 Student Writing Competition details posted - see the Students link in the left menubar.

2008.03.30  2008 Student Writing Competition Winners Announced - see the Students link in the left menubar.

2008.03.09  A link has been added to our Proceedings page for the scanned images of Volumes 1 and 2 of the Proceedings at DalSpace.

2008.02.13  Two new members have been added to our Hall of Fame: Margaret Sibella Brown and Constance Ida MacFarlane.

2007.09.29  The list of meetings for the coming year has been updated; see the MEETINGS link in the list on the left.

2007.09.25  Vol. 44, Part 1 (2007) of the Proceedings of the Institute has been published.

2007.09.17  The 2007-08 Brochure has been updated; a link to the new PDF file is available in the list on the left.

2007.07.20  2008 Student Writing Competition details posted - see the Students link in the left menubar.

2006.12.13  An Updated Author Index for the issues of the Proceedings, Volumes 1-43 (1863 to 2006) inclusive, is now available for viewing as a web document.

2006.09.29  Vol. 43, Part 2 (2006) of the Proceedings of the Institute has been published.

2006.09.18 Our new Brochure for 2006-07 is now available as a PDF file.

2006.05.19 The Cumulative Author Index for the issues of the Proceedings, Volumes 1-39 (1863 to 1992) inclusive, is now available for viewing as a web document.

2006.04.07  A list of Presidents of the Institute, from 1862 to the present, now appears in our History page. There are several uncertainties in the list; we would be grateful for assistance in verifying these. Please email us if you can help. We would also appreciate corrections for any errors which may appear.

2006.04.07  Our newly created Hall of Fame is now open.

2006.04.06  Additional Tables of Contents have been added to our Proceedings page, extending the collection back to Vol. 39, Part 4 (1992).

2006.01.25 The Institute is a co-sponsor of a public meeting devoted to Sable Island on February 16th from 7:00 until 9:30pm at the Scotiabank Conference Theatre, Room 201 Sobey Building, Saint Mary's University Campus. For more details please see the notice below.

2005.11.21  Information is now available on the 2006 Student Writing Competition; see the Students page. Further updated 2005.11.29: detailed instructions for authors now available.

2005.11.20  A complete list of speakers (since 1998) is now available through a link in our Abstracts page.

2005.10.31  Abstracts for meetings in the years 1998-2004 are now available through a link in our main Abstracts page.

2005.09.07  Vol. 43, Part 1 (2005) of the Proceedings of the Institute has been published. Also, the "Flora of Nova Scotia" has been photoreproduced and is now available for sale; see "Prices of Past Proceedings", under our Proceedings link.