[BCMA] (Fwd) BC entomologist to receive national award from Canadian

Fri Oct 23 11:33:38 PDT 2009

Add my name to those offering warmest congratulations to Rob Cannings on his 
award! Was a colleague during the 70s & 80s at the RBCM when both Rob and 
his work were highly admired and respected even back then.

Dan Gallacher

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Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 12:41 PM
Subject: [BCMA] (Fwd) BC entomologist to receive national award from 
Canadian

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Subject: BC entomologist to receive national award from Canadian museum 
network
Date sent: Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:17:36 -0400
From: "Laura Sutin" <lsutin at mus-nature.ca>

<Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada logo>

PRESS RELEASE
Embargo until October 27, 2009

BC entomologist receives national award from Canadian museum network

Victoria, BC - Dr. Robert Cannings, a respected scientist who has devoted
his career to the study of entomology (insects), is the distinguished 
recipient
this year of the Bruce Naylor Award. This national award, presented by the
Alliance of Natural History Museums of Canada (ANHMC), recognizes
exceptional contributions to the study of museum-based natural history in
Canada.

Dr. Cannings' contributions as a biologist go back decades, from his early
days as a naturalist and nature interpreter, to his 29 years as Curator of
Entomology at the Royal BC Museum (RBCM) in Victoria. He has authored
several books, published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and
written over 100 popular articles. Under his curatorship, the RBCM
entomology collection has grown from a few thousand specimens to the
present day collection of over 250,000. He has also written text for, and
contributed to the planning of, a wide range of museum exhibitions.

While he publishes on many kinds of insects, Cannings' research focuses on
the diversity and evolution of dragonflies and robber flies. Books that he 
has
authored or co-authored include The Dragonflies of British Columbia (1977),
The World of Fresh Water (1998), Introducing the Dragonflies of British
Columbia and the Yukon (2002) and The Systematics of Lasiopogon
(Diptera: Asilidae) (2002).

He joined forces with his brothers, biologists Sydney and Richard, to
produce Birds of the Okanagan Valley (1987), and his artistic talents were
put to use to illustrate the White-headed Woodpeckers on the book's cover.

For many years Cannings has served on the executive of the Entomological
Society of British Columbia and was editor of the ESBC newsletter Boreus
(which he started in 1981) until 1991. He is a member of the Arthropod
Subcommittee of COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered
Wildlife in Canada) and the British Columbia Invertebrate Recovery Team.
He has also been active on the Scientific Committee of the Biological Survey
of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods).

"The thing that I've always tried to do is be broad in my interests, rather 
than
always simply focusing on particular research and collections projects," 
says
Dr. Cannings. "I've tried to be a bit of everything. I like to think this 
award
recognizes that versatility. "

Periodically he teaches at the University of Victoria and has brought 
fourth-
year students into the RBCM labs to give them direct exposure to the kind of
work done by museum biologists.

"I have never known anyone so well-rounded and devoted," says Mr. Kelly
Sendall, Manager of Natural History at Royal BC Museum. "In my mind he is
the epitome of what a curator in a natural history museum should be."

Cannings grew up in Penticton in the Okanagan Valley. His father was the
photographer for the Agriculture Canada research station in Summerland.
The young Cannings frequently hung around with the scientists. An amateur
biologist, his father often took the family to the Penticton museum, and at
times they would donate things they found in nature to the museum.

"I was a museum kid long before I ever came here," says Cannings. "Natural
history and collecting were part of our life."

Cannings recalls that his family had a long shelf of natural history books,
including handbooks produced by the RBCM (formerly the British Columbia
Provincial Museum). Even at a young age, one of his ambitions was to write
a museum handbook. His goal was realized with The Dragonflies of British
Columbia, which was published before he joined the museum in 1980.

In 2008, the Okanagan University College recognized Dr. Cannings and his
two brothers as Honorary Fellows for their contributions to the appreciation
of nature through their writings, professional activities and dedication.

The Bruce Naylor Award is named for the former director of the Royal Tyrrell
Museum of Palaeontology. Deceased in 2007, Dr. Naylor had also served as
president of the ANHMC.  The award will be presented at a special reception
of the ANHMC on October 27, 2009 in The Speaker's Reception Room in
the Centre Block of Parliament Hill, Ottawa.

Created in 2003, the ANHMC now has 16 members from coast to coast. Its
goal is to increase visibility of Canada's natural history museums, which 
are
responsible for preserving precious collections of millions of specimens 
that
are the record of our natural heritage.  The network strives to build 
capacity
in the areas of scientific research, collections development and education
about the natural environment, for the greater benefit of all Canadians.

Members
*Canadian Museum of Nature
*Muséums Nature de Montreal
*New Brunswick Museum
*Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
*Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
*Royal Alberta Museum
*Royal British Columbia Museum
 Royal Ontario Museum
*Royal Saskatchewan Museum
*Royal Tyrrell Museum
*The Manitoba Museum
*The Rooms Provincial Museum
 Vancouver Aquarium
*Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre

* Founding members

Associate Members
Redpath Museum
Toronto Zoo

-30-

For more information and to arrange interviews, contact:
Diane Dakers, Communications Manager
Royal BC Museum
250-387-2101
ddakers at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca

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