Speaker John Rankin

Rotary Club of Stirling Report – Meeting 29th March 2019

President Sandy Farquharson welcomed members and presented the Spring Meeting of 2018 Golf Cup to Secretary and star golfer Crawford Gordon.
The speaker was member Dr John Rankin who spoke about a book ‘The Seabird’s Cry‘ by Adam Nicolson. Much more is now understood about these remarkable creatures thanks to modern technology. In the past, the only way to attempt to understand their capabilities and behaviours involved some unpleasant experimentation but through tracking devices we can now observe their amazing powers of navigation. Some seabirds rely on the sun but others have almost unbelievable powers of smell that enables them to construct an oceanic smell map. Sadly, decaying plastic in the oceans emits a similar odour and attracts the birds and causes damage. These birds that have lived in the air, on land and in water through the millennia are now threatened by mankind.
The vote of thanks was given by Sandy Leven.
Next week Martin Ross is accompanying speaker Henry Edwards that will be of great interest to rugby enthusiasts. Faye McPherson is Visitors Host.
Peter