Historic Hyde Park William Edwin Saunders (August 1861 – June 1943) was a London-born pharmacist, naturalist and horticulturalist. President of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists, he also founded the Mcllwraith Ornithological Club in London in 1890, championing the study of and protection of birds. The club sponsored the Audubon films, awarded scholarships, purchased books and films for the W. E. Saunders Memorial Library, con- ducted field trips and bird counts, erected bird nesting boxes and advocated for the protection of Saunders Pond, the Byron Bog (now Sifton Bog) and other local natural areas. In the spring of 1963, club members witnessed the shooting of a young Bald Eagle at Wonnacott’s Farm (Komoka), and aided in the prosecution of the case. The shooter was fined $50.
Juvenile eagle and W.E. Saunders, May 1941. Photo by H.M. Halliday, courtesy of Nature London. The club changed its name in 1965 to the McIlwraith Field Naturalists and in 2009, changed its public name to Nature London. Learn more at NatureLondon.ca
Frances Jacobs, Mel Dale and Keith Reynolds at the “old farm” of W.E. Saunders, overlooking the Thames River, in 1937. In 2014, this location became occupied by the London Hunt and Country Club. Saunders owned this property from 1903 to 1909, but naturalists continued to visit it long after he sold it. Photo courtesy Nature London.
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Hyde Park – Oakridge Villager • October 2025 • Page 11
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