This message has been approved by Mark Cranford, Ontbirds Coordinator. It is with incredible sadness that we inform the birding community of the sudden passing of Matt Holder, long time Ontario birder, on Friday, October 14 in Calgary, Alberta. Matt was born in England and raised in Durham Region. He was known to many as a superb birder who knew the province very well from his extensive travels through work and pleasure. Among many of Matts accomplishments in the birding world were his significant role in the editing and production of the extremely successful Birders Journal and as seasonal editor for North American Birds. His passion for the natural world wasnt limited to birds, however, and he was an expert in many other aspects of our provinces natural history particularly Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) and Lepidoptera. From 1997-1998 Matt was the co-editor of Ontario Insects, the newsjournal of the Toronto Entomologists Association. One of many of Matts other contributions related to insects was as co-author of the Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin Park and the Surrounding Area. Matt will be remembered fondly by all those who worked in the Interpretive Program at Algonquin Park over the last 20 years and the many birders who chatted with him while frequenting Ontarios great birding locales.
Matt is survived by his wife Andrea, their two sons Craig and Adam, his sister Kelly and his mother and father, Phil and Sue. Colin Jones and Peter Burke ______________________________ Colin Jones Natural Heritage Project Zoologist Natural Heritage Information Centre Science and Information Branch Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources 300 Water St., 2nd Floor N Peterborough, ON, Canada K9J 8M5 Tel: 705-755-2166 colin.jo...@ontario.ca http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/nhic_.cfm Working with conservation partners to track Ontario's biodiversity _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
