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Conservation updates for member groups. Please pass this newsletter on to other members of your club.
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News from Ontario Nature
Get Your 2012 Endangered Reptiles & Amphibians of Canada Calendars!
Submitted by James Paterson, Ontario Nature
These calendars are a one-of-a-kind item that no Canadian reptile or amphibian enthusiast should be without. They make great Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers! Each month features a full-page photograph of one of Canada's "at risk" herptile species, all of which have been donated by Canadian Biologists. Each month also displays the featured species' habitat, identification characteristics, life stages, conservation status, and interesting behaviours. The calendars are $15 each or 2 for $25. To order calendars, please contact James Paterson at jamesp@ontarionature.org.
Ontario Nature 2011 Conservation Awards
Submitted by Lauren Wright, Ontario Nature
The Ontario Nature Conservation Awards recognize excellence by honouring individuals, groups, government agencies, and corporations who have worked to protect nature in Ontario. If you know of someone you'd like to nominate for their tireless work on behalf of the province's nature, please go to www.ontarionature.org/awards to download an official nomination form. The deadline for nominations for the 2011 round of Conservation Awards is March 30, 2012. All recipeints will be honoured at Ontario Nature's Annual General Meeting on June 9, 2012.
Help a Young Person Attend Ontario Nature's 2012 Youth Summit!
Submitted by Sarah Hedges, Ontario Nature
Plans for our 3rd Youth Summit for Biodiversity are underway and you're invited to help by sponsoring local youth to attend! Once again, this fun and informative gathering will be hosted by Ontario Nature's Youth Council, and will feature numerous workshops and hand-on activities to help young Ontarians become environmental leaders in their community. We are excited to be offering our Nature Network members this opportunity to give youth the chance to meet, share, and learn about issues of importance to us all! for more information on how you can become a youth sponsor, contact Sarah Hedges at sarahh@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 241.
Proposed Wind Farm at Ostrander Point Globally Significant Important Bird Area
Submitted by Joshua Wise, Ontario Nature
On November 30th, a notice was posted to the Environmental Registry for public comment on a proposed wind farm development to be located at Ostrander Point in Prince Edward County. While a staunch supporter of green energy, Ontario Nature is opposed to the siting of this facililty in a globally recognized Important Bird Area. We encourage all Ontario Nature members, supporters and groups to express your opposition to this project. Expect an Action Alert to be sent out in early January. In the meantime, please review the application notice on the Environmental Registry at www.ebr.gov.on.ca/ERS-WEB-External/displaynoticecontent.do?noticeId=MTE1MDI
x&statusId=MTcyMzgx&language-en. For more information, contact Josh Wise at joshuaw@ontarionature.org.
Ontario Nature Welcomes a New Ontario East Regional Director
Submitted by Lisa Richardson, Ontario Nature
Ontario Nature staff and Board of Directors would like to extend a warm welcome to Iain Wilkes, the new Regional Director for Ontario East. Iain comes to us from the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists where he is a long-term nature lover and bird enthusiast. We look forward to having him join us for our upcoming board and regional meetings. Welcome Iain!
Evergreen Now Accepting Grant Applications for 2012
Submitted by Lisa Richardson & Barb MacKenzie-Wynia, Ontario Nature
Evergreen is now accepting applications for the Walmart-Evergreen Green Grants Program supporting community development, environmental stewardship, and urban agriculture projects across Canada. This greening program provides funds of up to $10,000 to groups working on community development, environmental restoration, and other community based projects. For information on eligibility and to download an application, click here. The deadline for application is January 31, 2012.
Vote for Shell Canada Fuelling Change Grant Recipient
Submitted by Lisa Richardson & Barb MacKenzie-Wynia, Ontario Nature
Shell Canada's new grant program, Fuelling Change, offers $1 million/year to projects that improve and restore Canada's environment. Bird Studies Canada and Wildlife Preservation Canada have submitted applications for funding and you can help one of them receive these much needed funds by voting for them. Wildlife Preservation Canada's "Project Soar" will help protect and restore habitat for Loggerhead shrikes, while Bird Studies Canada's "Students for a Swift Recovery" is a school-focused interactive education program to help students learn about and protect swift habitat in school chimneys. The voting period is November 4, 2011 to April 30, 2012. Go to www.fuellingchange.com/main/index to set up your account and start voting.
News from the Nature Network
Snapping Turtle Petition Passes the 4000 Signature Mark!
Submitted by Anne Lewis, Six Mile Lake Conservation Club
The response to the F.R.O.S.T (Friends of Ontario Snapping Turtles) call for the provincial government to ban all legal hunting of Snapping turtles has been fantastic! To date, more than 4,200 people have signed the petition. Their goal is to collect 5,000 signatures by January 10, 2012. The petition will then be given to Orillia MPP, Garfield Dunlop, who will present it to parliament at the end of January. For more information or to obtain a copy of the petition, contact Anne Lewis at 705-856-8425.
"Nature in the Kawarthas", A New Publication of the Peterborough Field Naturalists
Submitted by John Bottomley, Peterborough Field Naturalists
The newest publication of the Peterborough Field Naturalists is due for release this fall in time for the 2011 Christmas season. Led by Gordon Berry, many members of the club have been working for several years to produce this book. It will be an excellent reference on the natural history of the Kawarthas region. The books cost $32.99 apiece. For more information or to order your copy, contact PFN President, John Bottomley at johnbottomley@sympatico.ca.
The Butterflies of Toronto
Submitted by Carolyn King, Pickering Field Naturalists
You may have heard of this beautiful new booklet recently published by the City of Toronto. The Butterflies of Toronto is part of the Biodiversity Series which includes The Birds of Toronto. It has 65 pages, and is packed with colour photographs and illustrations, articles, species lists, and other useful information. Copies of this guide can be found at branches of the Toronto Public Library. The guide is offered free of charge, so get your copy soon!
Innis Point Bird Observatory 30th Anniversary Celebration!
Submitted by Celia Bodnar, Innis Point Bird Observatory
The Innis Point Bird Observatory will be holding their 30th anniversary dinner and silent auction on February 28, 2012 at the Marconi Centre (1062 Baseline Road) in Ottawa. The evening will feature guest speaker, Michael Runtz talking about "Lovers, Killers, Hoarders, and Thieves: The Untold Story of Birds". Tickets are available at $40 each or $300 for a table of eight. The deadline for purchase is February 18, 2012. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact e.slump@rogers.com or 613-725-2362. Information is also available on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/InnisPointBirdObservatory.
Advocate for Nature
As an Advocate for Nature, you will receive important conservation action alerts by e-mail when your help is urgently needed. Each alert includes a summary of an environmental issue and a recommended action. Ontario Nature has recently issued alerts on the Endangered Species Act, reforming the Mining Act and the Far North Act. Visit our website to add your name online.
News from Other Organizations
United Nations Recognizes the Bobolink
The tenth conference of the parties to the United Nations Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species recently concluded in Norway. The 80 national representatives added seven new species to the list of those requiring special protection. Among these was the Bobolink. The press release made the following comments about this bird: "The Bobolink, which travels up to 20,000 km, performs one of the largest annual migrations of a grassland bird in the Western Hemisphere. The global population of this migrant has been declining since the 1960s. Threats include hunting, intensive agriculture as well as habitat loss within its breeding and wintering sites. The Bobolink is currently not protected by any international instrument. Appendix II listing recommends habitat conservation, reduced hunting, improved management practices and awareness raising." To view the full press release, click here.
Events
- rare Charitable Research Reserve Event Listings
- Storyteller Guitar by Doug Larson, Thursday December 15
- Winter Solstice Hike, Wednesday December 21
- Nature London Event Listings
- Christmas Bird Count & Potluck Supper, Saturday December 17
- New Year's Day Bird Walk in Springbank Park, Sunday January 1
- York-Simcoe Field Naturalists Event Listings
- Wild Species & Wild Spaces by Caroline Schultz, Wednesday January 11
- Savannah Sparrows: Life History Trade-offs by Greg Mitchell, Tuesday February 14
- Peninsula Field Naturalists Event Listings
- Christmas Bird Count, Sunday December 18
- Bert Miller Nature Club Event Listings
- Christmas Pot Luck, Monday December 19
- Niagara Falls Nature Club Event Listings
- Regular Meeting, Wednesday December 21
- Christmas Bird Count, Tuesday December 27
- For more details on each event, visit www.ontarionature.org/discover/member_groups
/NN_calendar.php.
Upcoming Nature Network News Deadlines
The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on January 15, 2012. The deadline for submissions is January 1, 2012.
Submissions can be sent to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org.
Please note that events can be listed up to two months in advance - allowing others to put it on their calendar well in advance.
Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every month with contributions from its member groups and staff.
