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Jack Souther honoured by Whistler Naturalists

For members of the Whistler Naturalists, one of the highlights of last weekend’s Federation of B.C. Naturalists fall meeting was the opportunity to at last present Dr.

For members of the Whistler Naturalists, one of the highlights of last weekend’s Federation of B.C. Naturalists fall meeting was the opportunity to at last present Dr. Jack Souther with a special award recognizing his contributions to the group and the community.

Since the creation of the Whistler Naturalists almost three years ago, Souther has become known and respected for his in-depth knowledge of nature and, more importantly, his ability to communicate.

Souther is a frequent contributor to the Pique’s NatureSpeak column with articles on a diverse range of topics, from carpenter ants to ice worms to pikas to volcanoes. To date he has written more than 30 columns.

In addition, he has also contributed several travel stories chronicling his adventures with his wife Betty in places like Iceland, Cuba and Nepal.

He was also recognized for his abilities as a public speaker. A recent presentation on local volcanoes at Millennium Place was attended by 150 people "who were well rewarded by his easily-understood speaking style and fabulous photos," wrote Whistler Naturalists president Bob Brett. "They also saw Jack’s dramatic flair when he shook a bottle of Coke to demonstrate the pent-up pressure within a volcano. No one was hurt by this demonstration."

At the plenary session of the FBCN fall meeting, Souther was presented with his award, a photo of Whistler Village at night by photographer Bonny Makarewicz.

If you haven’t had an opportunity to meet Jack or Betty Souther, they are known as keen skiers and act as mountain hosts for Whistler-Blackcomb during the winter.