Trumpeter Swan Naturalists Society fonds. — 1953-1981. — 9 cm of textual records.
Agency History
The Trumpeter Swan Naturalists Society was organized in April 1976 as the Northern Alberta Nature Club by 17 residents of the Wembley rural area. Yvonne McAlister was the driving force behind the club, which changed its name to the Trumpeter Swan Naturalist Society in the summer of 1977, and became incorporated as such in 1978. Their crest was a white swan on a blue background, designed by Dr. Ray Salt of the University of Alberta. The society’s main purpose was to document the natural history of the Grande Prairie region, to identify areas accessible for birdwatching and nature appreciation, and to promote the conservation and preservation of these areas and endangered species such as the Trumpeter Swan. The members took part in the summer and Christmas bird and mammal counts each year, as well as yearly wildflower counts. They held monthly meetings and regular field trips in the summer, and published monthly newsletters which they shared with other naturalist groups in the Peace, the Province, Western Canada and Western U.S. The club folded in 1981 and was replaced by the Peace Parkland Naturalists in 1989.
Custodial History
The records were donated to the Grande Prairie Regional Archives by Margot Hervieux, a member of the succeeding organization, the Peace Parkland Naturalists.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of executive records regarding the formation and maintenance of the society; field records recording bird, mammal and wildflower counts; copies of the monthly newsletter, The Northern Naturalist; and copies of a collection of historical articles by F.M. Helleiner, who identified 180 bird species in the Grande Prairie area and wrote articles in the Herald-Tribune from 1953-1954. An embroidered crest, showing a trumpeter swan on a blue background, is included in the collection.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Table of Contents
| Series 106.01 | Executive Records |
| Series 106.02 | Field Records |
| Series 106.03 | F. M. Helleiner Collection |
| Series 106.03 | The Northern Naturalist Newsletter |