Past PRESIDENT : ADAM THOMSON

Adam Thomson moves on to be Past President, continuing to share with us a wealth of experience and organizational skills. He feels that teaching people to see and hear the world around them –to observe- is the role of the Orillia Naturalists’ Club.

He was born in Northern Ireland, but came to Canada in 1952, and came to Orillia in the 60’s to teach, and soon became a principle in the Public School system.

He and Shirley had always been interested in camping and canoeing, and enjoying the outdoors, but in 1983 Shirley went with Muriel Sinclair to a FON conference, and realized that there was an even more exciting world around them if they really saw what they were looking at. The Orillia Naturalists’ Club was forming at about that time, and they have been involved ever since.

Adam was on the board of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists for 15 years, and was president from 1994-1996.

He is active in many other areas: Project Ploughshares; Amnesty International; Telecare (including president and 6 years on the advisory committee); started, with Mary Lou Kirby, the EAC in Orillia; founding member and Past President of the Couchiching Conservancy; on the organization group of the Ontario Land Trusts, and more.

For 20-30 years he and Shirley have sung in choirs – Jubilee, Cellar Singers, and many church choirs.

When we get Adam, we get two people –for Shirley, his wife, is equally involved in enjoying nature, and has a lot of experience and organizational skills. They have four grown boys.