We are so saddened by the recent passing of our Founder and Executive Board Member, Dr. Keith A. Hobson.
In 1992 Keith set out to duplicate a songbird monitoring project originally from 1982-1984 to observe possible population changes that had occurred over the previous decade. He also had a secondary plan in mind, “In addition, it was my ambition to use this study as a springboard for a permanent migration monitoring station at Delta Marsh.”
The dune-ridge forest between Lake Manitoba and Delta Marsh acted as a funnel for migrating songbirds which made the habitat a great place to observe and collect large amounts of data on migration, population dynamics, and individual species. In 1995 Delta Marsh Bird Observatory was created and would go on to be part of the Canadian Migration Monitoring Network and operate until about 2010. After the floods, habitat destruction, and closure of the Delta Marsh Field Station, the banding station was resurrected at Oak Hammock Marsh in 2011. Keith had been involved and an Executive Board Member since its beginning. Without his dedication, support, and enthusiasm we would not exist.
Thank you Keith!
For more on Keith’s amazing career, check this link.
