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Acclaimed wildlife artist Robert Bateman is returning to Algonquin Park to celebrate the 75th <\/sup>anniversary of the Algonquin Wildlife Research Station (AWRS) at a special fundraiser and art exhibit hosted by the Algonquin Art Centre. Bateman will be the keynote speaker at the sold-out fundraiser and will be receiving the Algonquin Art Centre\u2019s Legacy Award, honouring his outstanding contributions to art and conservation.<\/p>\n Bateman has very special ties to Algonquin Park. He first discovered Algonquin in 1939, when his family spent their summer vacation in Haliburton County. Although a young boy at the time, the park had an immediate impact on his imagination and his love for the outdoors.<\/p>\n At 17 years of age, Bateman took a job at the AWRS, a pioneering research facility located just north of Lake of Two Rivers. Although he describes his job there as unsavory \u201cgrunt work\u201d, repairing roads, dishwashing, etc., he also acknowledges the formative influence it would have on him both as an artist and naturalist.<\/p>\n The young Bateman took full advantage of his time there, assisting researchers in their field work\u2014such as small mammal trapping, parasite collections, and the bird population census\u2014all while honing his abilities as an artist, sketching the various landscapes and wildlife he would encounter. Bateman\u2019s experiences in Algonquin Park and the research station would have a lasting influence over the lucrative career that was to follow.<\/p>\n\n\t\t