 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 - August 15, 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. NEWS FROM THE NATURE NETWORK NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE
NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS Southern Ontario News
Central Ontario News
NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES |
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Feature: Save Ojibway Prairie Windsor-Essex County is one of the most ecologically important regions of Canada. Although small in size, it has a great richness of plant and animal species that are found nowhere else in the country. Unfortunately, it also is one of the most threatened. Originally a forest covered expanse dotted with grasslands, less than 4% of the County currently remains as forest. Most of Ontario's endangered species live within the landscape of which Windsor-Essex County is a part. Some extremely important and rare natural areas remain. For example, Windsor-Essex is fortunate to contain the 322 hectare Ojibway Prairie Complex. It is one of the best examples of tall grass prairie and oak savannah in Ontario and contains 500 types of plants (69 of which are species at risk), and several endangered and threatened animal species, including eastern massasauga rattlesnake, eastern fox snake, yellow-breasted chat, red-headed woodpecker, and gray fox. Four species of butterfly found at Ojibway are considered rare or very rare in Ontario. Now this rare and fragile prairie is threatened. The City of Windsor is proposing a truck route through part of the Ojibway Prairie Complex. This four lane highway would bisect the Spring Garden Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) portion of the Ojibway Prairie Complex and would have a devastatingly negative impact on its natural features and ecological functions, including an important natural corridor for animal movement. At the recent Ontario Nature Annual General Meeting, delegates representing our 140 member organizations and 18,000 members passed a resolution declaring: the entire Spring Garden Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve are inappropriate for a truck route and are off limits to those planning the route to a second international crossing. A strong public response will help Ontario Nature make sure that the City of Windsor reconsiders this transportation option and provides full protection for the Ojibway Prairie Complex. Make a difference to the future for Ojibway Prairie by writing a letter by August 30th! Please, write a letter to Mayor Eddie Francis today to help ensure all of Ojibway Prairie Complex is properly protected. A sample letter can be viewed at www.ontarionature.org/news/template.php3?n_code=346. For more information about Ojibway Prairie Complex, please visit www.ojibway.ca. Please send a copy of your letter or email to Ontario Nature at jenniferb@ontarionature.org, or 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 201, Toronto, ON M5B 1R9 or fax us at (416) 444-9866. |
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NEWS FROM THE NATURE NETWORK |
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The Ontario Nature fall regional meetings are coming to your area soon. Please mark the meeting dates in your calendar and encourage representatives from your group to attend! Agendas will be going out one month before the meeting. If you have any questions please contact your Regional Coordinator listed below.
Southern Region Central Region Northern Region Eastern Region |
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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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Ontario Nature Announces Staff Change It is with considerable regret that Ontario Nature announces the resignation of one of its longest standing and highly valued employees. Linda Pim, Conservation Policy Analyst, has accepted an appointment to the staff of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in Guelph, where she will apply her knowledge and talents to working on a wide variety of files ranging across agri-food issues, possibly including climate change, farm-generated green energy, trade issues, land use planning, and ecological goods and services. Linda joined the Ontario Nature staff in 1996 and since that time has provided advice and direction on a variety of issues and campaigns related to land use planning law and policy, smart growth, urban sprawl, municipal environmental advisory committees, aggregate extraction, programs to protect the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Niagara Escarpment, and green space protection. As a result of Linda's efforts, Ontario Nature can claim credit for significantly contributing to a variety of positive conservation outcomes, the highlights of which are:
Linda's will be hard shoes to fill, but we will need to do so quickly. Over the next few weeks, we will be developing a plan for recruiting an individual to lead Ontario Nature's land use planning policy and legislative reform work. Please join me in thanking Linda for her valuable contribution to Ontario Nature's accomplishments over the past 10 years and in wishing her well in her future endeavours. Caroline Schultz, |
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Volunteer for Nature This Year! Ontario Nature and the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s Volunteer for Nature (VfN) program is an up-close, outdoor volunteer experience that provides Ontarians with unique opportunities to take an active role in biodiversity protection across the province. This year, you can be part of a stewardship team monitoring the vegetation of globally rare habitats on Pelee Island, paddle your way through Wye Marsh and learn about invasive species control, or design and create new pathways and a footbridge at Ontario Nature’s Altberg Wildlife Sanctuary Nature Reserve. Take a hands-on approach to preserving Ontario's natural heritage, and join us this summer. Visit www.ontarionature.org/action to view the full 2006 VfN Event Calendar and details. |
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Last Summer to Save Lake Simcoe? Lake Simcoe is one of Ontario’s treasures. Located a short drive from Canada’s largest city, it is a natural oasis for residents, cottagers, campers, boaters and picnickers. But Lake Simcoe is at risk of losing its best qualities! The water quality in the lake is deteriorating. Weeds and algae are choking the shoreline, making swimming and wading unpleasant. The once thriving fishery is declining. Many of these problems may be caused by an artificially high level of phosphorus in the lake. The phosphorus comes from many sources, including lawn fertilizers, agricultural products, and airborne emissions. As the natural fields and forests that once surrounded Lake Simcoe are replaced by subdivisions, industrial parks, high-rises, and highways, the soil that once absorbed the phosphorus is covered with asphalt, sending more phosphorus into the lake. Fortunately, someone is doing something about it. Encouraged by Campaign Lake Simcoe, a collaboration of environmental organizations, including Ontario Nature, and Lake Simcoe residents and cottagers, MPP Garfield Dunlop has introduced into the Ontario Legislature the Lake Simcoe Protection Act. If it is passed by the Legislature, it will curb urban sprawl within the Lake Simcoe and Nottawasaga watersheds. Ontario Nature strongly supports the Lake Simcoe Protection Act and wants to help make sure that it receives all the support it needs to pass into law. Together, we need to show provincial politicians of all parties that we’re concerned about the state of the lake and the poorly planned development that threatens green space.You can find out more about how you can take action to protect Lake Simcoe at www.campaignlakesimcoe.ca – and please take just a moment to pass it along to your friends and family by using the easy email tool on the site. |
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Ontario Nature’s Position on the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan - Summary Ontario Nature welcomes the provincial government’s recent initiative, through the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan, to address some of the causes of urban sprawl and traffic gridlock in the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. The Growth Plan requires more homes and businesses to be built per hectare of urban land (called “intensification”) in order to protect natural areas and prime farmlands. Its goal is to foster communities that are walkable, that support viable public transit options, and that provide for a variety of residential and commercial uses. Ontario Nature is supportive of these goals and expects the land use policies in the Growth Plan to go part way towards achieving those intentions. However, we are concerned that the Growth Plan does not go as far as it needs to if Ontario is to stop sprawl, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect natural areas and prime farmlands, and safeguard drinking water sources in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. For example, at the same time that the Growth Plan was released in mid-June 2006, the government made a major announcement about highway expansions and improvements, such as extending Highway 404 through the Greenbelt north to Lake Simcoe – contrary to the intent of both stopping sprawl and focusing on public transit. The Plan’s targets for urban intensification and increased urban densities are un-ambitious compared to those adopted in other jurisdictions facing similar urban development challenges. In some respects, the final Growth Plan is actually weaker than the earlier version, for example that it allows sprawling residential subdivisions in rural areas. Also, the required density of new urban development in municipalities beyond the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton may be reduced, and the protection for what is to be called the “Natural System” (natural heritage features to identified under the Plan) has been weakened. To read more detailed comments from Ontario Nature on the Greater Golden Horseshoe Growth Plan, visit www.ontarionature.org/pdf/GGHGP_Ontario_Nature_position.pdf. |
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New Ontario Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act! Ontario's Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act passed Third Reading on Monday June 19th and received Royal Assent on Tuesday June 20th. Front and centre in the new legislation is the concept of "Ecological Integrity" (EI). EI will become the guiding principle in our parks, putting nature first and moving away from industrial development. While we're very excited about the new law, there still are still some areas of concern in the new bill.
However, at the end of the day we all have a lot to be proud of. The yardsticks of legislative protection have been significantly strengthened. As you can imagine, this isn't the end of the process, the bill still needs to be proclaimed by cabinet. Here is our understanding of the next steps (the dates are a best guess only): While the Bill received Royal assent on Tuesday June 20th, it will only come into affect after cabinet has proclaimed it. This is expected to occur after Ontario Parks staff have completed the new Regulations for Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves. At the earliest, this will come into affect late in 2006, for parks staff implementation in 2007. After the bill is proclaimed and the regulations completed, the development of a new Policy Manual must be completed within two years of the Bill being proclaimed. Of course, there is still more work to be done. We will continue to engage in these processes and will keep you informed along the way. For now it's time to celebrate. |
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2006 A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium Ontario Nature is a member of this year’s A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium Steering Committee and invites you to attend this premiere conservation event. The theme of this year's 13th Annual A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium - Creating a Climate for Change - refers to the actions that conservationists are taking in order to meet the challenges of our changing environment. One of the greatest challenges today is climate change because it affects all aspects of our lives - our environment, economy and ultimately, our lifestyles. It compels all of us to consciously reduce our footprint and move more quickly towards greater sustainability. The A.D. Latornell Conservation Symposium will once again provide delegates with exciting opportunities to learn new strategies, assess innovative technology and debate leading-edge approaches. Some of this year's Program Keynote Speakers include provincial ministers and climate change specialists including:
A Special Session for Student Posters is also being featured as part of this year's Program, which will be followed by the annual Dream Auction. Also featured is Johnny Bagpipes Johnston, as part of Thursday afternoon festivities and evening banquet. Visit the Symposium website at www.latornell.ca for more information including the Program at a Glance, Student Posters, information on Grants for non profit organizations and availability for Exhibitors. If you are interested in joining the Symposium but funding is an issue visit the website for information on Grants. Should you require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Barbara MacKenzie-Wynia, Ontario Nature’s member on the Steering Committee at barbaraw@ontarionature.org. |
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Job Openings at Ontario Nature Assistant Coordinator, Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario First Nation Outreach Coordinator Stewardship Assistant Editorial Assistant, Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario |
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NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS |
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SOUTHERN ONTARIO NEWS |
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Art Auction Benefits Cartwright Nature Sanctuary in Hamilton Internationally renowned textile artist Lorraine Roy has created a special tree wall hanging to raise funds to help pay off the mortgage on Hamilton Naturalists’ Club’s recently acquired Cartwright Nature Sanctuary. The award winning artist visited the sanctuary for inspiration and chose to depict Sweet Pignut Hickory, a provincially rare species that occurs in a number of locations on the new sanctuary. The Cartwright Nature Sanctuary is a partnership project between the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and Conservation Halton, who jointly manage the sanctuary and are working together to pay off a $145,000 mortgage. The 46 acre property is part of an environmentally significant corridor located between the Niagara Escarpment and Cootes Paradise Marsh in the Dundas. In addition to Sweet Pignut Hickory, the sanctuary is home to a wide range of flora and fauna, including species at risk, and is crossed by eight streams. For more information on the Cartwright Nature Sanctuary visit www.hamiltonnature.org. To take part in the auction, or to learn more about the artist and her work, go to www.lroytextileart.com/events.html, then click on CARTWRIGHT SANCTUARY AUCTION - and proceed with the instructions. An ebay link will be provided from this site. To view a detailed colour version of the wall hanging though Lorraine’s web site click on Recent Works and then Trees. Those who wish to bid but cannot do so online can contact Alan Ernest of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club at (905) 689-9466 for information on how to take part. The auction will commence October 4th, 2006 at 9 a.m. EST and close October 8th, 2006 at 8 p.m. EST. Proceeds will be donated to the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club’s campaign to “Burn the Mortgage” on the new sanctuary. |
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Heartland Forest in the Heart of Niagara It takes patience and determination to rescue 300 acres of land from heavy industrial zoning not more than 4 km from Niagara Falls, and to have close to 100 acres granted Environmental Protection Status, but once done, you can be proud. Dan Bouwman is the man behind Heartland Forest, an area that offers visitors an opportunity to explore one of the largest remaining woodlands in the Niagara area while learning about environmental stewardship. The Heartland Forest Nature Experience offers unique and fully accessible educational experiences that allow visitors to make a connection with this important natural area that contains seven species of frogs, a variety of Carolinian trees, and numerous vernal pools. Purchased in 1999 with stewardship activities beginning in 2003, the property currently boasts 1.5 km of wheelchair accessible trails with another 2.5 km being planned, a generator, an accessible classroom and toilets. Enthusiastic volunteers work to see the property reach its full potential as an environmental education facility. Several Ontario Trillium Foundation grants have be received to help expand educational curriculum, extend trails, build learning stations in the forest and make the community aware of what Heartland Forest has to offer. Heartland Forest works with the Niagara school boards and this September will be the second season for Nature Experience classes. Ontario Nature’s Carolinian East region will have the opportunity to explore this special natural area at the fall regional meeting. The site is also open for meetings and other events. Admission is free and the gates are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For further information please see www.heartlandforest.org and www.forestdiscovery.ca. For bookings email booking@forestdiscovery.ca or Paul Philp at philpers@niagara.com. |
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Natural Heritage Areas Inventory Underway in Niagara A three-year project to conduct a Natural Heritage Areas Inventory in Niagara Region has been initiated by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) in partnership with the Peninsula Field Naturalists Club, based in St. Catharines. The project area will encompass the NPCA’s watershed, which includes portions of Haldimand County and the City of Hamilton. Funded partly by a substantial Trillium grant and partly by other sources (Region of Niagara, County of Haldimand) and patterned after similar projects in Halton Region and Hamilton. The study will include input from a number of Niagara environmental groups including the Niagara Falls Nature Club, Bert Miller Nature Club, Niagara Restoration Council, Friends of Fort Erie Creeks, and others. The object is to produce a comprehensive inventory of species within the study area, utilizing GIS mapping and Ecological Land Classification protocols, to produce an interactive database of these species, and to make technical summaries of the study available to project partners and the general public. With a large number of Ecologically Sensitive Areas within the Niagara Region, a rich diversity of natural features exists in the project area, including significant habitats and geological formations, important wildlife corridors, and rare plants and animals. The study is projected to be the first and most comprehensive biological inventory of the Niagara Region. |
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Wild for the Arts at MacGregor Point Wild for the Arts is a festival that celebrates nature as a source of inspiration for all things creative. The Friends of MacGregor Point Park will be offering a full schedule of events and activities amid the autumn beauty of MacGregor Point Provincial Park. Hikes and workshops will explore nature photography, story writing, visual arts and more! Bring the whole family and take part in scavenger hunts, the kids creativity corner, peruse our juried exhibition of artistic creations, meet talented local artists on the 'Campground Studio Tour' art show and sale, and enjoy our featured performers on Friday and Saturday evening. Join us on September 15th to 16th for this fun weekend and prepare to be inspired by nature! Contact the Friends of MacGregor Point Park (519) 389-6931 or fompp@bmts.com or check the website www.friendsofmacgregor.org. |
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Guelph Young Naturalists Receive Grant from Parks and People Program The Guelph Field Naturalists (GFN) is pleased to announce that their Young Naturalists Program has been selected as one of 28 new projects to be funded by the Parks and People program, a national funding program established jointly with Parks Canada and Nature Canada. The Parks and People program, now in its second year, will grant $4,200 to the Young Naturalists Program for fall and winter, 2006 – 2007. The Young Naturalists have been meeting throughout the fall and winter seasons for several years, and have enjoyed nature hikes, treasure hunts, bird watching, animal tracking, insect identification, cave tours, and even edible ‘wild’ feasts. The sessions are led by volunteer GFN members, assisted by the staff of the Guelph Lake Nature Centre, and funded primarily from the GFN budget. In January 2006, the Grand River Conservation Foundation awarded $1,000.00 to the GFN for the Young Naturalists Program. This new grant of $4,200.00 from the Parks and People program will help to enrich, expand and sustain the Young Naturalists Program for Guelph’s budding young naturalists. The Parks and People Program aims to build the next generation of environmental stewards by connecting Canadian youth to nature through learning experiences in Canada’s natural parks. More information about this funding program is found at the end of this newsletter as well as at www.naturecanada.ca. For information, please contact Carol Koenig, President, Guelph Field Naturalists at bckoenig@sentex.net or (519) 824-6222. |
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CENTRAL ONTARIO NEWS |
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Nature League Hosts the Popular House & Garden Tour Building on last year's very successful tour the 2nd Annual House & Garden Tour offers tours of ten heritage properties and modern homes as well as wonderful gardens. When: Saturday, September 9th, 2006, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (rain or shine) Tickets may be purchased from McMasters Crossing, Birding Outfitters (across from Loblaws) in Collingwood. Or by calling (705) 466-2272 in Creemore, or (519) 599-7774 in Thornbury. Proceeds to support Blue Mountain Watershed Trust and saving the Silver Creek Wetlands. |
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York Simcoe Naturalists Meeting The York Simcoe Naturalists will meet on Tuesday, September 12th, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. in the River Drive Park Community Centre, 20 Oak Avenue in River Drive Park (off the Queensville Sideroad, north of Holland landing). The guest speaker will be Mark Carabetta, Ontario Nature’s new Conservation Manager. His topic will be "Stewarding the Cawthra-Mulock Property". Our club is interested in taking on this task and this is the presentation to the general membership on what is involved in such an undertaking.Refreshments will be served. For information call (905) 898-2329 or 1-800-216-3830. All are welcome. |
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Oak Ridges Trail Guidebook 4th Edition Released The Oak Ridges Trail Association has published the fourth edition of its popular trail guidebook. Containing 30 pages of text and 12 detailed maps, the guidebook provides all the information needed to follow over 250 kilometers of trails in the Oak Ridges Trail network. Each map clearly shows the route of the trail, with access points, distances, features and points of interest. The Oak Ridges Trail Guidebook has been very popular over the years, with more than 5,000 copies now printed. The Oak Ridges Trail Association (ORTA) is a volunteer, community-based organization that builds and maintains the Oak Ridges Trail, a 200 km public hiking route across the Oak Ridges Moraine from Palgrave in the west to Rice Lake in the east. The book may be purchased from the Oak Ridges Trail Association for $28.00, shipping included, or from many retailers across southern Ontario. For more information visit www.oakridgestrail.org or contact Harold Sellers, Executive Director at (905) 833-6600 or execdir@oakridgestrail.org. |
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NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS |
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Funding Opportunity Through Parks and People Program The Parks and People Program is an application-based program that provides funding to organizations that deliver learning activities in a park setting. The target audience, in decreasing order of importance: youth, urban Canadians, and rural Canadians. All eligible activities must involve the transfer of personal knowledge and love of nature to the target audience in a natural setting (national park, national marine conservation area, national historic site, provincial park, or other protected area). The next call for proposals will be in September 2006 for the 2007-08 fiscal year. For more information on the Parks and People program, please visit Nature Canada’s website at www.naturecanada.ca or contact Darcie Laur, Community engagement and outreach coordinator at Nature Canada at dlaur@naturecanada.ca or 1-800-267-4088 ext. 235. |
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Workshop to Help Forested Property Owners Reduce Property Taxes and Reap Financial Benefits of Managed Woodlots Landowners with more than 10 acres of forested property can qualify for up to 75% in property tax reductions under the Ontario Managed Forest Tax Incentive Program (MFTIP). Find out how! The Ontario Forestry Association is hosting free workshops (see www.oforest.on.ca for a list of workshop dates and locations) on MFTIP. These workshops will show you how to apply for tax relief under MFTIP, set objectives for your property, prepare a forest stewardship plan and identify local resources to assist you in achieving your management goals. These workshops are sponsored by the Trees Ontario Foundation. To enroll for a workshop or to find out whether your property will qualify for MFTIP, call toll free, 1-800-387-0790, or email info@oforest.on.ca. You can also visit our website at www.oforest.on.ca for more information about MFTIP. Workshop space is limited. |
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Leading Edge: Conference on Biosphere Reserves, Conservation and Sustainability, October 4-6, 2006 On October 4 - 6, 2006, the Niagara Escarpment Commission will host the 7th Leading Edge conference in Burlington. This conference series attracts top-notch speakers from Ontario, Canada and around the world to share their insights on conservation science, environmental monitoring, biosphere research and sustainability. Full conference information can be found at www.escarpment.org/leadingedge2006.htm. |
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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 October 16, 2006. Submissions will be accepted until October 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. |