A busy schedule of research and undergraduate courses kept the station staff on their toes during the summer. Special thanks go to Gordon Goldsborough, who assumed the duties of the Director for these months; his help with the many day-to-day requirements was greatly appreciated. Extra responsibilities were also delegated to Ken Sandilands, who capably looked after the maintenance duties in the summer months. Curt Horning proved to be an excellent teacher and research assistant. Dick Convery was away during autumn; fortunately, the Andersons helped with many duties in his absence–thanks Rob and Trish. Last but not least, the kitchen and housekeeping staff had, without doubt, their busiest year yet and I sincerely thank Doreen, Shirley, Heidi and Ardith for their diligence and concern for the station.

Facility and Property Improvements

An air injector pump was added to the water system late in autumn. This alleviated the continuing water pressure problem experienced over the summer. Thanks are due to Physical Plant and Ray Goetz for their assistance in maintaining and repairing the facility. A backup generator was purchased and a building to house the unit is due to be built in 1995. Finally, Jennifer Barker and Anke Kirch established a low-impact, self-guiding interpretive trails in the Oxbow Woods (see elsewhere in this report for details).

Meteorological Station

The most notable change to the instrumentation was the establishment of a tilting anemometer tower (the second of its kind in the province) along the winter road in early autumn. Environment Canada relocated the tower a greater distance away from the beach ridge, thereby avoiding the air disturbance caused by the ridge trees in the upper air flow measured by the instruments. Two Li-Cor portable weather stations (daily mean air and soil temperature, precipitation, and solar irradiance) were installed in August, one at the marsh meteorological site and one at Oxbow Woods; many thanks to Gordon Goldsborough for installing these units. Monthly sampling of water from Lake Manitoba continued on behalf of Manitoba Environment, along with weekly reporting to the Crop Network program.

School Program

1994 was a distinct year in that it emphasized the station’s ongoing commitment to education and research. The statistics show that all types of use, both in absolute numbers and diversity of offerings, increased over previous years. Junior High and Senior High students from many parts of the province were taught the peer counseling and student match curricula. Although not typical biology lessons, the opportunity for the students to experience a marsh and lake setting (albeit in winter) did provide enhanced awareness of these environments. These visits were in addition to existing programs; consequently, autumn was a particularly busy time at the station. Biological use groups were active at the station during most of the year; special thanks to the dedicated teachers: Mike James (St. James Collegiate), Brent Poole (Fort Richmond Collegiate), Lois Quesnell (St. Adolphe) and Catherine Fillis (Lord Selkirk). Twelve schools from Portage la Prairie and the surrounding area visited the station for day tours of the marsh, mostly in May and June.

Seminars, Workshops, and Elderhostels

The following six presentations were given during the annual summer seminar series:

Louis Lenz
Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba
"From the wild to the garden"

Dr. Karen Johnson
Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg
"Typical plant communities of Manitoba"

Drs. Bill Preston & Brian McKillop
Museum of Man and Nature, Winnipeg
"Field studies of butterflies and moths"

Dr. Richard Staniforth
Department of Biology, University of Winnipeg
"Dynamics of plant populations in the high sub-arctic"

Dr. Jennifer Shay
Department of Botany, University of Manitoba
"Delta Marsh, then and now"

Dr. Jon Gerrard
Canadian Secretary of State for Science, Research, and Development
"The bald eagle: hunt and habit of a wilderness monarch"

The course on Arctic Lifestyles/Winter Survival, held in January, was a great success due, in no small part, to the enthusiasm generated by its instructors, Jill Oakes and Rick Riewe; many thanks for their great instruction and sharing.

A Photography Workshop was held in March with Mike Grandmaison and Dick Toews. A successful afternoon of public canoeing in the marsh, followed by a supper on the beach, was held in August in conjunction with the “International Year of the Family.” Jean Horton instructed an autumn birding workshop in September. Finally, the third Elderhostel offered at the station was held in May. Thanks to the support and assistance of Lorraine Rae and the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, it was a tremendous success and everyone involved had a memorable experience.

Noteworthy Happenings

• The First Annual Delta Marsh fashion show was held in June; thanks to Rhonda McDougal and others, it was a real hoot!
• A successful summer picnic was held by the Friends of the Field Station.
• The t-shirt design contest was won by Mandy Lloyd and Leanne Zrum - well done!