 c o n s e r v a t i o n u p d a t e s f o r m e m b e r g r o u p s |
| Ontario Nature Network News - April 21, 2006 |
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To view a copy of this newsletter online or to subscribe to receive a copy of the Nature Network News by email visit www.ontarionature.org/resources/nnnews.html. Please pass this newsletter on to other members of your club. Ontario Nature grants permission for use of the information below in member group newsletters. Please credit either Ontario Nature or the member group. Feature! Ontario's Endangered Species Need Your Help! NEWS FROM THE NATURE NETWORK
NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS Central Ontario News
Southern Ontario News
NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES |
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Feature: Ontario's Endangered Species Need Your Help! Ontario's Endangered Species Act was first passed in 1971. At the time it was one of the earliest and strongest laws protecting endangered species in the country. But it has not been changed since then. Now, the act is outdated and is not doing the job of protecting Ontario's many endangered species. Here's the scoop: Both Ontario and the federal government have panels of scientists whose job it is to identify those species so in danger of extinction that they need special protection. These scientists have identified 190 such species in Ontario. Only 43 of the 190 species are protected by Ontario's Endangered Species Act. It gets worse. The greatest cause of species loss is loss of the habitat they need to survive: habitat that is gobbled up by highways, new suburbs, hydro impoundments, logging, mining, and other activities. Ontario's Endangered Species Act does not protect the habitat of endangered species. The Ontario government has made many commitments to improve the Endangered Species Act. Promises to update and strengthen Ontario's Endangered Species Act were made by Dalton McGuinty in the lead up to the 2003 election, in the province's Biodiversity Strategy, in its Sustainable Future strategy and in response to concerns expressed by the Environment Commissioner of Ontario. In addition, Ontario is obligated - as a signatory to the National Accord for Species At Risk and under the federal Species at Risk Act - to ensure its laws adequately protect endangered species and their habitats. Because of unique southern Ontario habitats and our large population, Ontario is the jurisdiction with the greatest number of endangered species in the country. Ontario's inadequate protection for endangered species is causing them to go even further into decline. Research done by a new coalition of groups working to improve the Endangered Species Act, of which Ontario Nature is a member, found that for endangered species for which trends were known, 77% of their populations are in decline. We cannot wait while further species disappear from Ontario. The Ontario government is listening and knows it needs to act quickly to introduce improvements to the Endangered Species Act. Please, write a letter to Premier McGuinty today to help ensure Ontario's endangered species are properly protected. A sample letter is available on the Ontario Nature website (www.ontarionature.org). |
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NEWS FROM THE NATURE NETWORK |
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Ontario Nature’s 75th Annual Meeting and Greenways & Waterways Conference Ontario Nature invites you to the Greenways & Waterways Conference, which will take place at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo on June 2-4, 2006. The Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists (KWFN) is graciously hosting this special 75th anniversary event. The conference is a great opportunity to connect and reflect on the past accomplishments and future opportunities for the protection and restoration of nature in Ontario. Enthusiasts from across the province will gather to learn from each other and invited experts about this rich, magnificent countryside situated beside the Grand River. This conference is a must for both conservation professionals and people interested in exploring nature. Whatever your interest in nature, you will be sure to come away with increased knowledge and renewed enthusiasm. Our Provincial Issues Day on Friday June 2nd is focused on our Greenway vision for a connected system of connected cores and corridors across Ontario. Participants will enjoy hearing debate about the merits and potential problems of greenways from a variety of perspectives. Saturday’s sessions will be launched by Dr. Alan Morgan, Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Waterloo, who will speak about the formation and shaping of the Grand River basin and will explain some of the impacts of modern society on the Greenways & Waterways of Waterloo region. Saturday’s sessions will showcase the talents, knowledge and progressive thinking of the KWFN, local government and area individuals. All of the presentations are designed to stimulate awareness of local environmental issues and discuss creative solutions to address those issues. On Saturday evening, enjoy a special illustrated presentation by Bill Lishman about pioneering efforts with ultralight aircraft and how the project resulted in a new flock of migrating whooping cranes in eastern North America, called “The Wildlife Equivalent of Putting a Man on the Moon”. Sunday will wrap up with unique field trips in the Grand River watershed, including birding outings and rafting down the Grand River. Please join us at our 75th AGM and conference. Come to learn, connect with and enjoy our Greenways & Waterways as we celebrate 75 years of protecting and conserving the environment, expanding the public’s knowledge about conservation issues, and promoting interest in the enjoyment of nature. The conference brochure, illustrating the program, is available at http://cobalt.golden.net/~kwfnconference or by contacting Jennifer Baker at 1-800-440-2366 ext. 224. Everyone is welcome. |
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Doors Open to Ontario Nature Update Ontario Nature is celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2006 with a series of events, including the Greenways & Waterways conference hosted by the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists, a special 75th anniversary edition of ON Nature and Doors Open to Ontario Nature. Doors Open to Ontario Nature features 75 community events that highlight the diversity, strength and commitment of Ontario Nature’s member groups. Ontario Nature would like to thank the groups who are hosting events. It is a great opportunity help celebrate our anniversary as a federation. Let us celebrate together! For information about the events in your area, please visit www.ontarionature.org/events/doors_open.php. |
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NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE |
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Keeping Simcoe County Safe from Sprawl Starting last spring, Ontario Nature teamed up with Environmental Defence and Rescue Lake Simcoe Coalition to form Campaign Lake Simcoe. Together, we are promoting the improvement of Lake Simcoe water quality and the protection of natural areas and prime farmlands from urban growth pressures. The pressures are particularly acute in south Simcoe as developers seek to “leapfrog” over the protected Golden Horseshoe Greenbelt. Studies just completed as part of the Intergovernmental Action Plan (IGAP) for Simcoe County show that the county’s ecosystems can sustain very little additional urban growth indeed. Simcoe County watersheds are currently under considerable stress, even without taking future urban development into consideration. For example, meeting the current target for total phosphorous loadings to Lake Simcoe of 75 tonnes per year (from urban runoff, farmlands, sewage plants, etc.), is only “potentially” achievable with no new growth and is “potentially” achievable with growth that is already approved but not yet built only if “Best Management Practices” are used. With a significant portion of the phosphorous loadings to Lake Simcoe originating from urban growth, plans for any future urban development in the Lake Simcoe watershed must be extremely conservative. Equally troubling results have been obtained for the Nottawasaga River watershed as well. Campaign Lake Simcoe will be actively involved in pressing for very tight controls on any future urban expansions in Simcoe County. To find out more, Simcoe County residents are urged to keep in touch with Ontario Nature…and we will keep in touch with member clubs in the county. For more information, please visit www.mah.gov.on.ca (to learn more about the Intergovernmental Action Plan) and www.ontarionature.org. |
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Volunteer for Nature This Year! Polish your plant identification skills on Stone Road Alvar and enjoy a tour of Pelee Island Winery. Help protect Ontario’s wetlands by minimizing ecological footprints at Petrel Point Nature Reserve, along the shores of Lake Huron, and the Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary, in the heart of the Kawartha Lakes region. These are just some of the exciting opportunities that await you on a Volunteer for Nature (VfN) trip this field season. Ontario Nature and the Nature Conservancy of Canada will be hosting a variety of excellent conservation volunteering events this year including even more opportunities for recreation and nature appreciation in some of Ontario’s ecologically significant areas. Hike the Bruce Peninsula, swim in Georgian Bay and tour the globally rare habitats of Pelee Island. Watch our website for more information on the 2006 VfN schedule of events! |
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NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS |
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Central Ontario News |
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North American Native Plant Society’s (NANPS) Annual Plant Sale When: Saturday, May 6, 2006, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. May 1-7 is National Wildflower Week! Celebrate by adding wildflowers to your garden. NANPS brings together the largest selection of truly native species in the GTA in this huge one day event. Experienced volunteers will be on hand to help you pick the perfect plants for your yard. All plants come from ethical growers approved by NANPS. Native plants provide food and habitat for birds, butterflies and other desirable wildlife. Once established, they thrive without additional watering, fertilizer, or pesticides. NANPS plants are of local origin - ensuring hardiness and genetic suitability. Add just a few or transform your whole yard into a wildlife oasis. The North American Native Plant Society is a volunteer-based registered charitable organization no.130720824 established in 1984. Please help NANPS to study, conserve, cultivate and restore North America’s native flora. For more information contact NANPS at nanps@nanps.org or (416) 631-4438. |
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Mother earth day celebrations with the Couchiching Conservancy Join the Couchiching Conservancy on Saturday, May 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Grant’s Woods for a special celebration of spring. Activities at the event will include:
Learn about sea-stars and lampshells (fossils). Cook bannock over an open fire and enjoy some cedar and sumac tea (courtesy of Wye Marsh Wildlife Centre). Learn about tree planting and tree selection. The cost of admission is only $5/person and children 5 and under are free. For more information contact Rose at (705) 326-1620 or outreach@couchconservancy.ca. |
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SOUTHERN ONTARIO NEWS |
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Stratford Field Naturalists Celebrate 40 years! Stratford Field Naturalists are celebrating their fortieth anniversary this year. The feature event will be a dinner April 11 at the Kiwanis Centre. Noted nature photographer Ethan Meleg will be the guest speaker. Tickets are just $25. The group has prepared a history of the club and the Stratford Beacon Herald will be printing a special anniversary edition featuring the Stratford Field Naturalists. For information or tickets call Don Farwell (519) 273-3423 or email dfar@sympatico.ca. |
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On Saturday, April 29, as part of the Doors Open to Ontario Nature celebrations, the Niagara Falls Nature Club will lead a walk down into the Niagara Glen by the Niagara River. We'll be finding spring ephemerals, magnificent trees, and ancient potholes. This walk is open to the public. For further information, visit the Ontario Nature website at www.ontarionature.org/events/doors_open_detail.php?id=11. |
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Update from the Upper Credit Field Naturalists Upper Credit Field Naturalists' Club was weakening and fading out in the last couple of years. During the last six months it has regained vigor with more visitors, new memberships, workshops and field trips. Much credit is due to one member, a beginning bird watcher who organized events where members could learn from the club's experienced members! Most of us focus on feeder watching, annual bird counts and the like, but we have speakers and field trips addressing a wide variety of nature topics. One unusual field trip saw twelve members visiting migrating tundra (Whistling) swans at Thetford Bog near the Pinery Provincial Park. Despite the strong cold wind, we enjoyed the sights and sounds of those graceful white swans circling in to feed on the large flooded grain fields. The same group enjoyed a lunch stop in the Pinery Visitors' Centre. Seated inside close to large windows, we faced several large feeding stations. The forest there is an ecologically rare oak savannah. Along with the feeders, it provided some of our best entertainment of the day. That brief interlude was like stepping into a virtual Garden of Eden, in direct contrast to the snow and ice at home. |
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NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS |
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Fundraising Dinner in Honour of Kay McKeever On Sunday May 7 at 5:00 p.m. at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto, the Elsa Canada Wild Animal Appeal of Canada will be hosting a fundraising dinner in honour of Kay McKeever and her enormous contribution to the care and rehabilitation of injured owls. For over 40 years, Kay has worked with selfless dedication and commitment. She is recognized as an international authority on owl research and care. Artist Robert Bateman will be attending the May 7 event and has generously donated 15 original etchings of a barred owl. Each person attending the dinner on May 7 will have a chance to win one of the 15 Bateman etchings. It is appropriate that Robert Bateman will be at the May 7 event, as he was the person who introduced Elsa Canada to Kay McKeever over 30 years ago. Since that time, Elsa Canada has been a loyal contributor to Kay's Owl Foundation. All proceeds from this fund-raising event will go directly to support the work of the Owl Foundation. Price per ticket is $ 150. A tax receipt will be issued for the charitable portion of the cost. To order tickets, contact Elsa Canada by phone at (416) 489-8862, by email at info@elsacanada.com or by mail at Box 45051, 2482 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario M4P 3E3 |
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The Ontario Hummingbird Project is a province-wide initiative to learn more about the life cycle of Ontario's hummingbirds. Cindy Cartwright started the project in 2005, and was pleased to receive information from three migration monitoring stations, one raptor watch and several individuals. One of the major goals for 2006 is to increase participation from the general public across Ontario. The website is now available at www.ontariohummingbirds.ca for more information about the project. Please forward this information to anyone in your area (birders, gardeners, nature lovers, organizations) who might be interested in contributing to the project. Feel free to contact Cindy Cartwright at the Ontario Hummingbird Project, www.ontariohummingbirds.ca, if you would like additional information. |
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Protecting Norfolk County’s Crown Jewel – Backus Woods In the heart of Norfolk County lies a unique and wonderful 422 hectare tract of mature Carolinian forest called Backus Woods. If you hike the trails of Backus in the spring you can experience a spectacle of woodland flowers and a cacophony of bird song. At other times of the year get a glimpse of an Acadian flycatcher, yellow-billed cuckoo, southern flying squirrel, eastern hognose snake, or southern woodland katydid – some of the unique species that are at their most northern range limit in southern Canada. You can look up in awe at colossal tulip trees towering 30 metres (100 feet) over the forest, and admire 400-year-old black gum trees in the swamps of Backus. The fall provides an amazing array of colours along Backus’ trails and provides excellent cross-country skiing opportunities while enjoying the serenity of winter’s solitude. The Long Point Foundation for Conservation (LPF), a registered charity whose community volunteers give generously of their time in order to contribute to conservation efforts, launched the Backus Woods Enhancement Campaign. The Foundation invites you to support their campaign in conserving and protecting Backus Woods as a magnificent part of our natural heritage. Your financial support will ensure the ongoing sustainable management of Backus, assist in continued trail maintenance and repairs, and further our knowledge of the biodiversity of species making Backus Woods their home. For further information or to make a donation contact the Backus Woods Enhancement Campaign’s fundraising coordinator, Bernie Solymár, at (519) 426-7124. |
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UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES |
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Next Issue of Nature Network News The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on June 15, 2006. Submissions will be accepted until June 1, 2006. Please send articles to jenniferb@ontarionature.org. Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every other month with contributions from its staff and member groups. |