I'm very pleased to report that Peter Banks has been awarded the W.H. Gunn Conservation Award by the Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON). This award recognizes individuals who have given outstanding personal service to conservation over a number of years and have achieved exceptional results. The award was presented to Peter during the FON's Annual General Meeting and Conference held in Port Elgin from May 23 to 25, 2003. To quote from the FON's citation, "Peter Banks is recognized for his ongoing advocacy for nature preservation and natural history education. He has been a major fundraiser for Lambton Wildlife Inc (LWI) where he has provided leadership for thirty years." During that time Peter has been an indispensable part of the acquisition and management of the Port Franks properties, the creation of the Howard Watson Nature Trail and the production of the Insect Inventory of Lambton County.

When you realize that these projects are also the most significant and long-lasting achievements of our club, it becomes very clear how valuable Peter has been to LWI. The province-wide recognition, which this award gives to Peter, is richly deserved. We all know of his achievements and now the rest of the environmental community knows it as well.

Congratulations, Peter!

Diane: