Archive - Member of the Year

The club started choosing a Member of the Year in 1995. The following are extracts from the Newsletters for the various years.

Doug Woods 2008

Kevin Seymour made the following remarks in presenting Doug Woods with the TOC 2008 Member of the Year Award:

Doug joined the TOC with his wife Valerie Jacobs in 2006. Early on, he was asked by then President, Bob Carswell, to take on the Warbler Survey.

Warbler Survey
Doug updated the entry sheets, thereby controlling the organization of the Survey. He created an ACCESS database to record sightings and generate tabular reports. He wrote a C language program to process the observers’ Excel spreadsheets so that the data could be loaded easily into the database, and then uploaded all 34 previous years of data. He created an extensive collection of Excel spreadsheets to create graphics from the tabular summaries produced by the database. Finally, he revamped the annual report to make it more graphics‐ and results‐oriented.

TOC Website
Also at Bob Carswell’s request, Doug took over the TOC website when it was no longer feasible for Marcel Gahbauer to continue in that role. Doug did a complete redesign and changed the site to use cascading style sheets for ease of maintenance. The site is now far more readable than it was and is easier to use and maintain. Doug added the Photo section, using the same freeware technology as the OFO website as well as Google Maps technology to implement the map section of the hotspots pages. He added many pages to the site, including the Council, Bylaws, Member of the Year, Checklist of Toronto Birds, What You Can Do to Help Save Birds and a FAQ page as well as all section introduction pages.

Greater Toronto Raptor Watch
As a result of seeing the new Warbler Survey report, Don Barnett asked Doug to take over the GTRW website from Andy Hampton. Doug completely re‐did the computer collection of data. The data for the reports are handled in the same way as the Warbler Survey data, with an ACCESS database for producing tabular summaries and a second C program to process input Excel spreadsheets. The reports make extensive use of graphics and tabular information that is also produced from the database and spreadsheets. The new website is completely redesigned and follows the same technical guidelines used by the TOC site. The new spreadsheets automatically produce properly formatted input pages for HMANA data input and Doug is currently involved in updating HMANA with all prior year’s data from the three hawk watch sites.

Other
While Doug was creating these resources for the TOC, he also worked on a database for the OBRC and completely re‐did the OFO website with Valerie Jacobs. As Doug is fond of saying, only people who have actually worked on one have any idea of how much work goes into creating and maintaining a website. And he was involved in creating and maintaining three.

Kevin presented Doug with an Open Air Books gift certificate and a framed award that says:

The Toronto Ornithological Club is pleased to award Doug Woods
MEMBER OF THE YEAR FOR 2008
Thank you for your special efforts in modernizing the Club website
and organizing the warbler count and raptor watch records.

Naish McHugh 2007

Naish McHugh fulfilled the duties of both Membership Secretary AND Outings Councilor for almost 9 years. The work was a challenge because, without a computer and with just an old word‐processor, it took a great deal of time to prepare lists, send out mailings and make numerous phone calls. Having worked for City Politicians for almost 35 years, however, he was used to challenges!

Naish's first contact with the TOC was by attending outings over thirty years ago, led by TOC stalwarts Herb Elliott, Bob Yukich and Hugh Currie. Being Outings Councilor has enabled Naish to contact and encourage new birders, as he himself was encouraged. In addition to new birders, Naish has managed to persuade many experienced birders to join the TOC.

Also, Naish introduced the system of members' name‐tags that all of you are wearing, which as you know, facilitates communication at meetings and helps us all put names to faces. He welcomed guests and prospective members, and acted as a general liaison for the Club for public enquiries. For many, he was the warm and welcoming face of the club.

Naish was presented with a certificate that says:

The Toronto Ornithological Club is pleased to award Naish McHugh MEMBER OF THE YEAR FOR 2007
Thank you for your tireless efforts in organizing the Club outings
and reaching out to new members.

He also received a gift certificate for Open Air books.

Garth Riley 2006

Garth has been a member of the TOC for many years. He joined the TOC Council as Outings Councillor in 1996. In 1998 he took over the position of Publications Councillor from George Fairfield. Since then he has produced our monthly Newsletter, the most important means of communication with our members. You can imagine the amount of time and effort it takes to organize, edit and distribute up to 18 pages of ornithological information and reports on club activities every month.

He was also, in recent years, instrumental in creating our checklist and the Club brochure. Apart from his duties regarding publications he has been an invaluable member of our Council, and has regularly led field trips. He has always been available to help the Council and the Club with wise and helpful advice.

All this in addition to holding a senior job, managing eleven regional Health Public Laboratories in Ontario.

Marg Catto 2005

I am delighted to name Marg Catto as the member of the year for 2006. She has been an invaluable member of our Council as Conservation Councillor. I can‘t tell you how many hours she has devoted to making our voice heard in connection with the proposed cull of Double-crested Cormorants at Tommy Thompson Park. She has been one of the key members of the committee providing guidance on the management of the Carden Alvar. She and her committee have been our voices in the Lights Out Toronto project. She has ably represented us in opposition to a number of efforts to diminish or destroy bird habitat or access to bird habitat, including attempts to decommission a sewage lagoon in Grimsby, attempts to block access to the lake at Grays Road, attempts to install a skateboard facility at Colonel Sam Smith Park, and attempts to construct new facilities in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. We have not always succeeded in these efforts, but we could not have had a better voice than Marg‘s. She has also provided advice and guidance on provincial issues such as the proposals to extend hunting on Sundays and to permit motorized vehicles in wilderness parks. Apart from her work as Conservation Councillor Marg has always been available to help the Council and the Club with wise and helpful advice.

Glenn Coady 2004

Don Burton announced that Glenn Coady is the TOC‘s Member of the year for 2004. Don presented Glenn with a $50 gift certificate from Open Air Books.

Brian Henshaw 2003

Brian Henshaw is the TOC‘s Member of the Year. President Don Burton thanked Brian and his wife, Karen, for supporting and hosting the TOC‘s annual Fall Field Day each September. Brian received a cheque from the TOC in appreciation for his efforts. Brian thanked everyone for the kind gesture and graciously credited his wife for her efforts since he is away birding during much of Field Day.

George Fairfield 2002

Don Burton announced that George Fairfield is the TOC Member of the Year. George initiated the Spring Warbler Migration Study in 1970 and organised and published the results for 30 years. He also started the TOC Newsletter in 1990 and edited it until 1998. George edited the anthology about Ashbridge's Bay which was published by the TOC in 1998. He was business Secretary from 1998 until 1992 and was made an Honourary member in 2002. Don will make certain that George receives a $50 gift certificate from Open Air Books.

Don Barnett 2001

Marcel Gahbauer announced that Don Barnett was to be the TOC Member of the Year for his tireless work as a “fixture on Hawk Hill”, an ambassador for the TOC to the general public, and a former TOC Conservation Councillor. Some of Don's conservation concerns involved windmills on the waterfront, development at Downsview Park and the lack of access at Nonquon. Don is also responsible for obtaining the meeting room at the HPTC as well as for opening, closing and arranging the furniture for TOC meetings. Marcel presented Don with a $50 gift certificate from Open Air Books.

John Barker 2000

President Marcel Gahbauer thanked John Barker, TOC's Member of the Year for 1. initiating the first systematic hawk count in High Park with its subsequent links to Cranberry Marsh and Iroquois Shores, 2. nurturing the annual Greater Toronto Raptor Watch Report so that it is now a substantial document, and 3. making Hawk Hill a popular place for birders and non-birders alike while presenting a great opportunity for educating the public. John was presented with a $50 gift certificate from Open Air Books.

Roy Smith 1999

Awarded for ten years´ continuous service to TOC in maintaining the Bird Records Database and producing, with others, the monthly bird reports in the TOC Newsletter over this period.

Bill Edmunds 1998

Bill Edmunds was chosen as TOC member of the Year for his excellent work in compiling the Annual Waterfowl Count. He was lauded for his efforts of organizing the count and the party at Diana‘s Sweets afterwards and for his immaculately complete spreadsheets. Bill received a $50 gift certificate for Open Air Books. Bill thanked all those people who have helped with the count over the years.

Jean Iron 1997

Details unavailable.

Bob Yukich 1996

The TOC Jim Baillie Bird Walks have been well organized, expertly led and very well received by the participants. For his assumption of these tasks over many years, his contributions at the regular TOC meetings, and for also being a fine fellow, Council decided that the 1996 recipient of this recognition, accompanied by a gift from Open Air Books, would be Bob Yukich.

Elizabeth Kellogg 1995