WINGS Spring 2026 Edition

Hello Readers of WINGS,

We’re excited to share with you what we've been up to over the this past winter and so far this spring!

Fieldwork for the Space for Birds project continued over the winter with Dr. Bondar photographing at-risk Plover species in the Outback Key on the Gulf of Mexico. Following an incredible stay at UCN (University College of the North) in The Pas, Manitoba, we are pleased to announce that Patterns & Parallels: The Great Imperative to Survive has now opened in Kenora, Ontario. Shannon Whiteside, RBF's Program and Research Coordinator was on-site in both The Pas and Kenora to coordinate the curation and installation of the exhibition. Finally, after a long winter, we are excited that summer is approaching, which means we are gearing up for another amazing season of the Summer Camp Bondar Challenge.

Read on to catch up on our current projects and programs.

Following a stay at the Saskatchewan Science Centre, our travelling exhibition, Patterns & Parallels: The Great Imperative to Survive reached Manitoba for the first time. On November 27, the exhibition debuted at the University College of the North (UCN) in The Pas, Manitoba. Dr. Bondar attended the opening event to deliver a presentation and sign books. Dr. Bondar also presented to school groups and met with local cadets.

We enjoyed partnering with The Pas Guest List and UCN to bring the exhibition to The Pas. It was on display there until March 14, 2026.

Photo Left: L-R Dr. Roberta Bondar, Gabrielle Swan of The Pas Guest List, UCN President Doug Lauvstad, RBF Board Chair Prof. Bonnie Patterson

Patterns & Parallels then travelled to The Muse | Douglas Family Art Centre in Kenora, Ontario, and opened to the public on April 11th. Dr. Bondar will speak to a general audience and also a student group on site in Kenora late May, with remarks delivered by the Chair of the RBF Board, Professor Bonnie Patterson, in person. They both will work with the The Muse | Douglas Family Art Centre to provide more backstories for the images.

We are delighted to be sharing the exhibition with Kenora and the surrounding community. Patterns & Parallels will be open to visitors there until July 19th, 2026.

Photo Left: Patterns & Parallels installation at The Muse | Douglas Family Art Centre in Kenora.

If you or someone you know may be interested in hosting Patterns & Parallels, you can visit the link below to learn more and get in touch with us. The exhibition is available to book from late 2026 through 2027.

More on Hosting

Summer is just around the corner, and we're gearing up for the Summer Camp Bondar Challenge. Each summer, campers who participate in the Bondar Challenge see nature through a new lens, exploring their passion for science, art, and protecting our planet.

With its integration of artistic expression and scientific inquiry, this program is a great way to engage campers and teach them new skills. If you are involved with a camp and would like to participate, please complete the application on our website. If you know of a camp that may be interested, help spread the word!

This past winter, the RBF conducted fieldwork in Outback Key (OBK), a critical wintering and nesting habitat for several at-risk Plover species located near Fort De Soto Park on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. While there, Dr. Bondar captured many beautiful photos of Snowy and Piping Plovers that will be included in the second bird book that she is currently writing.

We are also delighted to introduce you to Lorraine Margeson, with whom Dr. Bondar connected once again this winter while conducting fieldwork in the area. Lorraine identifies as an environmental activist and is an amazing shorebird volunteer, conducting monitoring work on OBK. She works on bird counts and surveys of banded birds virtually every day.

Photo right: Dr. Roberta Bondar with Lorraine Margeson. Photo taken by Bonnie Patterson on Outback Key, Dec 2025.

In pre-nesting season (mid-February) Lorraine alerts local environmental Rangers as to when it is useful to extend the habitat posting areas - areas cordoned off by ropes and signs to protect nesting grounds. These areas give birds a place of refuge while they are nesting or avoiding "beach goers".

Photo above left: a Snowy Plover is tugging an aquatic worm out of a worm cast on Plover Point, Outback Key.

Photo above right: a banded Snowy Plover, named "Crow" on Outback Key.

The contribution that Lorraine makes to shorebird surveys is quite extraordinary. This past winter, more than 23 Snowy Plovers foraged on the OBK mud flats. At least six of them were banded. They are very rare. Whether on North Beach or OBK, one often sees Lorraine engaged in a lot of impromptu teaching. She ensures that local residents and visitors understand not only the species they are seeing, but also the habitat that is so important to their survival. Lorraine is active on Facebook and well worth a follow - you won’t be disappointed.

Photo left: a banded Piping Plover named Patty (blue ring on foot), who was featured in a previous update last summer. Patty was born and banded in Wasaga Beach, Ontario and overwinters in Outback Key, Florida.

This past fall, there was an exciting development in the conservation efforts for the endangered rufa subspecies of Red Knot, a focal species of RBF's Space for Birds project.

To provide some background on the issue, the rufa Red Knot relies on horseshoe crab eggs during their stopovers as a key food source to fuel their migratory journeys. Unfortunately, the horseshoe crab population has been declining in recent years due to habitat loss and overharvesting for use as fishing bait and in biomedical testing. Horseshoe crab blood contains an enzyme that is highly effective at clotting around bacterial toxins, making it incredibly useful for testing for contamination in vaccines and other drugs. A synthetic alternative has been adopted in Europe and Asia, but in North America, horseshoe crabs are still widely used, causing population declines for them and species that rely on them such as the Red Knot.

In November 2025, the U.S. Congress advanced a resolution advising the FDA to update its endotoxin testing guidance to accept synthetic testing methods. This would be an important step in moving away from the methods that have made the horseshoe crab population vulnerable, and could have a positive ripple effect on the rufa Red Knot population.

The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has been a key advocate for this policy change, and has plenty of great resources to learn more about Red Knot and horseshoe crab conservation, including this article and webinar. Check it out to learn more!

Circle 129 is a community of the Roberta Bondar Foundation that was launched on January 22, 2022, at the 30th Anniversary event of Dr. Bondar's historic spaceflight. Supporters include people from various parts of the world who share Dr. Bondar’s belief in the importance of inquiry, creativity, and the conservation of our natural world.

The significant and ongoing commitment of these individuals ensures that the organization can undertake long-term programming and seize opportunities that make a positive impact. Join Circle 129 and enjoy unique opportunities to connect and learn with the RBF community.

Donations to RBF are put into action to decrease the growing nature deficit in society and inspire conservation of our natural world. Together we can make great strides in addressing the growing challenges of declining biodiversity, habitat loss, and a changing climate. Please take a moment and make your gift today using the secure form below.

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