Where the Amazon Begins  

Assessing the Health and Future of the Peruvian Rainforest 

Next Meeting-

Thursday, January 8, 7:00 pm 

Location- Traditions Senior Living Facility, 10 Green Way, off Rt. 126/27, one mile south of Route 20 in Wayland, MA. Look for the darkened driveway, Green Way, directly across from St. Ann's Church building.

Join Earthwatch volunteer Mark Hopkins for a pictorial visit to the heart of today's Peruvian rainforest, one of the most pristine, wildlife-rich places left on the planet. 

Learn how he assisted biologists working in the area to assess the health of the forest and rivers, and to help the indigenous people sustain an equilibrium that will keep the forests healthy for generations to come. 

Mark's slides will show the work being done with the region's monkeys and other terrestrial mammals, caiman, macaws, manatees and fish, as well as its unique pink fresh-water dolphins.  His discussion will cover both the damage that environmental exploitation has caused, and the significant success that teamwork between the scientists and local people has achieved in helping bring this unique region and its many rare species back to health.

Come early and enjoy snacks and conversation at 6:30 pm. Carol Walsh will bring nibblies; anyone volunteering to bring drinks please call Wayne Hall 978-443-9226

You can view the club's ongoing exhibit at Traditions. If you have print(s) for hanging at Traditions (and we would like more) please contact Wayne Hall (978-443-9226) or Betsy Moyer (508-358-2939). Or simply bring them to the meeting. It might be a good time to swap prints that have been displayed for a while.

Please bring five minutes worth of prints, slides, or digital images for the members to see. This is a great opportunity to share your photographic style and to receive feedback from other members, who especially value expressing their impressions of the world through the art of photography.

Field Trip Scheduled  

Carol Walsh is planning a field trip to the Wellesley (College) Botanical Gardens/Greenhouses, tentatively set for Saturday, January 10, at 9AM.

Members interested in participating should contact Carol at
clesliewalsh@hotmail.com  or (cell phone) 781-820-1833.

Program coordinator Wayne Hall has scheduled interesting programs for February and March 2009.

On February 12 member images will be presented. Wayne is looking for a theme for our member images evening.  Anyone have any ideas? Please contact Wayne.

March 12 will be a presentation on the natural beauty and wildlife of Denali National Park, the location of Mt. McKinley by Bob Diefenbacher.

December Meeting Highlights

Program: Botswana Wildlife

Last August Katherine O'Hara and her husband Neil spent 8 days in Botswana and about 24 hours in Zimbabwe, time enough for her to take 3,500 photographs, mostly of African animal life and birds. 

She showed many images to us of familiar animals -- leopards, elephants, impalas -- as well as many that were strange and unfamiliar - flatback jackal, red lechwes, kudus, etc.  Botswana has 500 species of birds, and Katherine was able to capture images of 89 of them - from the diminutive bee-eaters and African barred owl to the large zebra-billed and saddle-billed storks.
 
They traveled in small groups with a guide, generally in a Toyota land cruiser.  Katherine used her Nikon D-200, and, though she brought a number of lenses she used only one, her Sigma 50-500.
 

Member Images Presented

Don Sherman showed images of the Great Wall in China which he visited last October.

Other Notes

Do you have extinct film cameras and outdated or superfluous film?  If so, SVNP member Suthir Shan can use them in the Peru Project, "Puentes," an education program to enrich the lives of street children in Peru.  You can email him at suthir@onepost.net, bring them to the next meeting, or telephone Betsy Moyer (508-358-2939) for pick up.
 

 Exhibit Opened December 14

Sue Abrahamson opened her exhibition with Bob Cooke at Nancy's Airfield Cafe in the Minuteman Airport Sunday, December 14 with am afternoon reception.

The  exhibit, which continues until Tuesday, January 6, is in the airfield cafe, 303 Boxboro Road, Stow, off Route 111 to the north and off Route 117 to the South. Visit the cafe website for directions, hours, even menus. Note that the airport is closed Tuesdays.

Exhibit Calendar

Individual Member Exhibits 
 
SVNP members - please notify Wayne Hall (wah@waynehallphotography.com) of your upcoming individual exhibits for posting on the SVNP website.
 
Date                                     Member                          Exhibit Location
 
Dec. 1-31                    Sherry Fendell                    Wayland Library (foyer)
 
Jan. 1-31                      George and Ruth                Wayland Library (foyer)
                                       Brawerman
 
Jan. 1-31                      Mark Hopkins                       Concord Art Association
 
Dec. 1 - Jan. 6            Sue Abrahamsen                 Nancy's Air Field Café 
                                                                                Minuteman Airfield, Stow
 
Jan. 1-31                     Sue Abrahamsen                 Boxborough Town Library
 
SVNP Group Exhibits
 
Date                                        Exhibit Location
 
Ongoing                      Traditions, 6 Green Way, Wayland, MA
 
Sept. 10 - Dec. 31      Special exhibit on the SVNP website - Images of the
                                         Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers

Other Exhibits in which SVNP Members are Participating
                                                                        
 Nov. 15 - Dec. 31       Arts/Wayland                          Wayland Library,
                                                                                     Raytheon Room
 
Ongoing                      Susan Majors                           Longfellow Sports Club,
                                                                                      Route 20, Sudbury, MA
 

New England School of Photography

Evening Workshops Winter 2009 

Check out the NESOP Workshops for Winter 2009. Classes begin the week of January 5th. Take advantage of discount tuition rates by enrolling and paying in full by Tuesday, December 30th. Visit the NESOP website for details.