CONTENTS

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

• Carden Nature Festival – Last Chance to Register!
• Work at High Park Continues
• No Burn Notice and Art Exhibit
• A Walk in Breithaupt Park
• Huron Fringe Birding Festival
• Heartland Forest Walk
• Are you up for a Challenge?
• Fireman’s Park
• Kingston Field Naturalists' BioBlitz 2008
• Eurasian Watermilfoil – Serious Aquatic Invasive
• Are you still looking for something to do outdoors?

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

Friday June 6th, Saturday June 7th and Sunday 8th, 2008

Half the events at the Carden Nature Festival are sold out. That means that half of the events are still available. Hurry and register while you still have some choice. Campers can stay at Balsam Lake Provincial Park as well as other camping sites in the area.

For complete details and registration form visit www.CardenGuide.com/Festival.

High Park Volunteer Stewardship meetings are held on the first and third Sundays of each month. We gather in front of the Grenadier cafe at 10:30 am and go to our work site from there.

Sunday May 18th, 2008 - No session
Sunday June 1st, 2008 - Planting area preparation
Sunday June 15th, 2008 - Planting (many hands required)

Also, check the porch of the Nature Centre regularly for seasonal displays about what's happening in the park, such as What's in Bloom, First Arrivals for Migratory Birds and Fall Raptor Sightings. If you have an interesting sighting to report you can contact the Nature Centre at (416) 392-1748 or send an email to naturecentre@highpark.org.

The High Park Nature Centre is located on Parkside Drive at the first traffic light south of Bloor St. (the white building closest to the street).

For more information visit http://www.highpark.org.

Wednesday May 14th to Sunday May 25th, 2008

For the first time since the burn program started in 2000, Urban Forestry has decided not to conduct a prescribed burn in High Park this spring. This will give oak seedlings and other savannah plants a chance to get more established and is actually an indication of the success of previous burns.

To see some interesting images from past burns, check out the exhibit featuring the work of local artist/photographer Frances Patella, Transitional Environments, at Propeller Centre for the Visual Arts, 984 Queen St. W., from Wednesday May 14th to Sunday May 25th.

Thursday May 22nd, 2008
7:30 pm
Breithaupt Park at the parking lot north of Union Street
Kitchener

A walk in the woods on a spring evening is an opportunity to enjoy the resurgence of nature. Spring ephemerals such as hepatica, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Solomon's seal, trillium and bellwort will have emerged on the forest floor, and leaves of red oak, sugar maple, beech, butternut, and other species of deciduous trees, will be forming a green canopy above.

Small mammals and intriguing insects will be active and hopefully we will once again see the Cooper's hawk which has resided in the park for many years. We will also look at the area where KWFN members have planted trees and observe the success of our efforts.

For more information http://www.sentex.net/~tntcomm/kwfn/

Friday May 23rd to Sunday June 1st, 2008
MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Bruce County (on the shores of Lake Huron)

May 23rd has traditionally been the peak of warbler migration along the Huron Fringe. A total of 239 species have been spotted during the festival with an average of 175+ species each year.

This year we are offering over 80 different sessions - bird hikes and field trips, birding for beginners, in-depth species workshops, photography sessions and field trips, nature rambles, astronomy, botany, biking, canoeing, painting and more.

Space in each session limited to between 6 and 20, depending on the event so register early.

For complete details and the registration form visit www.friendsofmacgregor.org.

Wednesday May 28th
7:00 pm
Niagara Falls

This wooded area will have many spring flowers, interesting trees, and amphibians. The Heartland Forest is on the west side of Kalar Road between Brown Road and Chippewa Creek Road in Niagara Falls.

For more information http://niagaranatureclub.tripod.com/WedWalk.html

Friday May 30th and Saturday May 31st, 2008
Carden Alvar

Birders at all levels can enjoy the 4th annual Carden Challenge on the weekend of May 30th to 31st. The Challenge goal is simple: raise funds to support the stewardship of Carden’s alvar and bird habitats. Teams of four gather pledges based on how many bird species they see in a 24-hour period within the Carden Alvar Christmas Bird Count circle.

Last year’s winning team bagged 122 species and the event raised over $14,000 for conservation. We hope 2008 will be even better.

For more information or to register your team, contact Ron Reid at (705) 326-1620, nature@couchconservancy.ca, or send the $60 registration fee (which includes a wrap-up dinner) to The Couchiching Conservancy, Box 704, Orillia, L3V 6K7.

Wednesday June 4th, 2008
7:00 pm
Niagara Falls

This area has an abundance of trees and flowers. Meet in the parking lot off Dorchester Road near the bandstand.

For more information http://niagaranatureclub.tripod.com/WedWalk.html

3:00 pm Friday June 13th to 3:00 pm Saturday June 14th
Loughborough Lake (north of Kingston)

The Kingston Field Naturalists invite you to participate in the 2008 Great Canadian BioBlitz - our tenth! We would like to record over 400 species in 24 hours! We hope too that you will find it fun and educational.

The BioBlitz, the idea for which comes from the Canadian Biodiversity Institute, is an inventory of as many living things as can be identified within a 24 hour period. Specialists and experts from a diverse set of disciplines will be grouped with interested volunteers to explore the area.

We are delighted to be able to hold this BioBlitz on the recently acquired property of The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) at Elbow Lake. This 1100-acre natural property north of Loughborough Lake, north of Kingston, has a variety of habitats including mixed deciduous forest typical of the Frontenac Arch, unusual Hickory-Oak forest, lakes, beaver ponds, rocky outcrops and old pasture. This mixture of habitats allows for a good variety of species. We are especially keen to be able to record the species at risk for this area.

For more information contact Anne at n8ture.anne@sympatico.ca.

Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is an aggressive submerged aquatic plant native to Europe, Asia and North Africa that has become one of the most widely distributed non-native aquatic plant species in North America. It has become the most widely distributed invasive aquatic plant species and has now been confirmed in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

Eurasian watermilfoil lives submerged in water and rooted to the bottom of waterways. It has long narrow leaves arranged in whorls of 4-5 around the stem that gives it a feathery appearance. It has 12-21 leaflets and looks very similar to the native Northern milfoil which usually has 5-9 leaflets. It is usually found in depths of .5-3.5m. It thrives in disturbed areas where human activity has altered the environment.

Identification from illustration of Eurasian Water Milfoil

To learn more about the environment and protecting the world around us visit the Kids For Turtles website at www.kidsforturtles.com or email info@kidsforturtles.com.

Ontario Nature’s Nature Almanac will keep you posted on upcoming events and activities from our member groups across Ontario. Go to http://www.ontarionature.org/network/naturealmanac.php to find activities in your area.

NEWS FROM NATURE NETWORK

At the last Ontario Nature Board meeting two new groups were welcomed to the Nature Network. Welcome to the Ontario Puma Foundation (http://www.ontariopuma.ca/) and Kids for Turtles Environmental Education (http://www.kidsforturtles.com/).

The Eastern Ontario Regional Meeting was hosted by the Upper Ottawa Valley Nature Club on Saturday May 3rd, at the Petawawa Research Centre. Twenty people from ten member groups were in attendance.

We welcomed Lucia and Armin Trommer as new Club Representatives for the Vankleek Hill and District Nature Society.

Also in attendance as guests for the day, were members of the Four Seasons Nature Conservancy and Ontario Nature’s Stewardship Coordinator Maria Papoulias.

The business portion of the day concluded with a very interesting walk and talk led by Research Forester Steve D’Eon that led the group through a research plot within the forest that is representative of an old growth stand.

Our generous Upper Ottawa Valley hosts, many from the Four Seasons Nature Conservancy, opened their homes to billet attendees from afar. On Saturday evening, following an enjoyable meal at a local restaurant, all attended a slide presentation Kicki Sipi: End to End Along the Ottawa River. On Sunday morning we all met for a very interesting guided hike of the Four Seasons Forest to look for spring arrivals and to view special features of the land that were discovered during a recent study of the area.

The Fall Eastern Ontario Regional Meeting will be hosted by the Algonquin to Adirondack Conservation Association.

The Huronia Regional Meeting was hosted by the York Simcoe Naturalists Club on Saturday April 5th, 2008 at the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority in Newmarket. Twenty-seven people from sixteen clubs were in attendance.

A new meeting format was introduced at this meeting. Instead of the roundtable discussion of all groups highlighting 2 to 3 club activities, we had 3 speakers from our clubs addressing their club key issues, which included Dealing with the OMB – Paul Harpley, South Lake Simcoe Naturalists; Conservation Easements – Ron Reid, Couchiching Conservancy and East Gwillimbury Official Plan Review – Sylvia Bowman, York Simcoe Naturalists.

We welcomed Ontario Nature President Rosemary Speirs, Executive Director Caroline Schultz and Board Member Stephanie Foster.

We were fortunate to have Beth Clare, PhD, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph join us to describe her fascinating work on DNA barcoding.

Caroline Schultz, Executive Director of Ontario Nature, provided background information on the Lake Simcoe Act and Campaign Lake Simcoe.

The fall meeting has not been confirmed, however we hope to join the Muskoka Field Naturalists in October.

The Northern Regional Meeting took place on April 29th, 2008. We had planned to meet at Welcome Lodge, Lavigne for our weekend meeting, however with folks’ busy spring schedules, our confirmed attendance was too low to justify a full weekend. A conference call was organized and we had 13 people from 7 clubs join us for a 1 ½ meeting teleconference. We know a face to face meeting is more ideal – nonetheless it was satisfying to know that using new technology we can carry on with the work that needs to be done.

After a long tenure with Ontario Nature we thank Dieter Schoenefeld of the Sudbury Naturalists for unfailing commitment to Ontario Nature and the Northern club members as the Northern Regional Director.

It is with great pleasure to announce that Angela Martin, President of the Nipissing Naturalists and Friends of Mashkinonje, was elected as Regional Director by the participating Presidents and Ontario Nature Representatives from the northern clubs.

Thank you Dieter and welcome aboard Angela.

Our friends, the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, have invited us to join them for the 2008 Fall Regional Meeting which has been entitled, the Boreal Summit. We will be meeting at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park outside of Thunder Bay for the weekend of September 19th-21st, 2008. More details to follow – please mark your calendars.

The Lake Ontario North Regional Meeting was hosted by the Durham Region Field Naturalists on Saturday, April 12th, 2008 at the Durham College / UOIT Campus in Oshawa. 26 people from 13 clubs were in attendance. The Boreal Bird Petition, the Endangered Species Act and the Lake Simcoe Protection Act were addressed.

Our guest speaker, Ian Kelsey an Aquatic Resource Analyst with the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, provided a presentation on the Cranberry Marsh Restoration process.

Three resolutions were brought forward for consideration to the Annual General Meeting on June 7th, 2008 in Kirkfield. Resolutions included – The Banning of Sale of Bottled Water in the Province, David Dunlap Park and Observatory and Water Exports from Canada.

The fall meeting has not been confirmed, however we hope to join the Kawartha Field Naturalists in October.

Did you know that Ontario has nine species of crayfish? Elusive and all too often overlooked, these fascinating creatures can tell us a lot about what is happening in our aquatic ecosystems. A new identification guide to Ontario’s crayfish, produced collaboratively by the Bishops Mills Natural History Centre, the Toronto Zoo and other expert crayfish-ers from across the province, is now available for free from Ontario Nature. These beautiful laminated guides are designed to assist the study of crayfish in the field, highlighting the unique characteristics of each species. Copies of the guide can be obtained from Ontario Nature’s head office and a downloadable pdf is available at www.crayfishontario.ca.

If you are interested in participating in some hands-on crayfish study this summer, join our St. Lawrence Crayfish Crawl on August 8th-10th, 2008. For more information on the crayfish crawl and how you can register, pick up a copy of our Volunteer for Nature brochure or visit the Volunteer for Nature page on our website at www.ontarionature.org.

Thank you to the individuals who have had added their names to our Advocate for Nature list. Please help to spread the word about the Advocate for Nature email list - you could post this in your newsletter, share it with your members at the next meeting, announce it at your next Board of Directors meeting or make a presentation at your Annual General Meeting. Every little bit helps!

In April 2008 we had 14 new subscribers to our Advocate for Nature email list. We now have 1802 Advocates for Nature.

To add your name online, copy and paste this link in your web browser or click here http://www.ontarionature.org/news/archive.php?type=action.

At this time of year when we are busy getting our lawns and gardens ready it is helpful to know that there are a number of organic pesticide products in the market place. As a good alternative to chemical pesticides there are also many insecticides, fungicides and herbicides that people can make at home to maintain our gardens and lawns. Treating your lawn and garden with naturally based organic mixtures are a great alternative to using chemical pesticides.

Many municipalities hold workshops to encourage their residents to take a natural approach to gardening. Call your town hall or look online to see what they offer.

For more help and advice visit these web sites. They are packed with useful tips on pesticide-free gardening.

www.ene.gov.on.ca/en/land/pesticides/greenAlternatives.php
www.greenup.on.ca
www.toronto.ca/health/pesticides/index.htm
www.letscurbpesticides.ca/en

NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE

Ontario Nature is pleased to welcome Amber Cowie as our new Conservation Coordinator. Amber will be assisting with the coordination and implementation of Ontario Nature’s Greenway initiatives in Grey and Bruce counties and the Frontenac Arch. This will include working closely with staff, stakeholders and the public, setting up, organizing meetings and networking to plan and implement the Greenway program. Amber can be contacted at amberc@ontarionature.org. Welcome Amber!

ON Nature has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards!

One is for Cecily Ross's feature “What the woods taught me” and a second for an illustration by Marco Cibola in the Winter 2007/08 issue. Congratulations on the nominations!

This field season, Ontario Nature is conducting surveys to confirm and document the presence of at-risk reptile populations on and around our six nature reserves in Grey and Bruce Counties, and to map and describe habitat for these species. The project will allow us to identify opportunities for habitat restoration and single out key areas of habitat as priorities for protection. The project is being led by Joe Crowley, Metcalf Foundation Intern. Joe is a graduate of the University of Guelph and Nipissing University. He has extensive volunteer experience and has demonstrated a sincere dedication to reptile conservation.

Ontario is home to 24 species of reptiles (8 turtles, 15 snakes and 1 lizard), substantially more than any other Canadian province. Most of these are found in Southern Ontario, south of the Canadian Shield, and many are not found anywhere else in Canada. Ontario was once home to a 25th species, the Timber Rattlesnake, which was extirpated from the province in the 1940s. Many of Ontario’s reptiles may face a similar fate. Over half of Ontario’s reptile species (15 of 24) are listed as species at risk both provincially and nationally. The primary reason that Ontario’s reptiles are in trouble is the widespread alteration and fragmentation of their habitats. Other threats include road mortality and collection for the pet trade. The ultimate goal of the Reptiles-at-Risk project is to help ensure that reptiles are given the increasingly urgent attention they need.

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Evergreen Common Grounds is now accepting applications for two grant programs supporting community environmental restoration projects!

The Home Depot-Evergreen Rebuilding Nature Grant 2008 provides grants of $1,000, $3,000 or $8,000 - plus $2,000 in Home Depot gift cards - to cover the costs of tools and building, native plants and trees, and other expenses associated with urban environmental stewardship projects in Canada. The application deadline is Friday, June 6th, 2008.

The Unilever-Evergreen Aquatic Stewardship and Conservation Grant Program 2008 provides grants of between $3,500 and $10,000 to support small-scale, community-driven, education and restoration projects that increase public awareness of sustainable water use and the importance of aquatic features, while providing meaningful opportunities for community action. The application deadline is Friday, June 13th, 2008.

For more information and downloadable applications, visit www.evergreen.ca.

Thursday June 26th, 2008
Peterborough Lift Lock
Peterborough

Last year the canoe was named a wonder of Canada and we had a party to celebrate. This year, we’re inviting any and all comers with their canoes to do the same thing. Let’s pack the Lift Lock and have a party. Help create National Canoe Day.

5:30 pm - 6:00 pm - Paddlers register and gather on the water at the base of the Lift Lock
6:20 pm - 7:00 pm - Pack the Lift Lock for ascent and descent enjoying the ride and the view
7:10 pm - 7:20 pm - Official National Canoe Day Proclamations to paddlers in boats below the Lift Lock
7:20 pm - 8:00 pm - Out of canoes for cake, music, and fellowship with fellow canoeists

For more information visit www.canoemuseum.net or call (705) 748-9153.

Not in the Peterborough area? Why not celebrate the wonder of the canoe in your own backyard? Email us with plans, details, pictures and stories and we’ll collect and share it with the world on our website. Write to wonder@nationalcanoeday.net.

Bursaries are available from the Sustainability Network to help Ontario-based environmental leaders access nonprofit management training.

Up to 50% of the cost of training to a maximum of $500 per person is available to help cover tuition costs or registration fees associated with nonprofit management training opportunities.

You are invited to request financial assistance to help you to attend workshops or courses organized by non-profit, professional associations, academic institutions or the private sector. For example, we can help support your participation in an extension course offered by a community college or university or a workshop, seminar or conference sponsored by a Volunteer Centre, United Way or the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Funds will not be provided to subsidize participation at general conferences or to cover travels costs associated with the training opportunity. Applicants should be in a position of responsibility (executive director, staff, lead volunteer, board member). The application process is simple and the turn around time quick. The application process is ongoing throughout the year with no formal deadline.

For more information visit http://sustain.web.ca/fa/fa.htm.

After a smashing success in Quebec, the Group Ecosphere will hold the first edition of its environmental fair August 2nd and 3rd, 2008, in Ottawa.

Group Ecosphere and the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum invite you to display your products and services during the Project Ecosphere in the Environmental and Green Building Fair. The enchanting Cumberland Heritage Museum is a prime location to attract the 4,000 visitors expected over the two days. A highly ambitious marketing plan will allow us to reach our objective.

Visit the Project Ecosphere website at www.projetecosphere.org to fill out the registration form.

For more information contact Éric Ferland at e.ferland@projetecosphere.org or call (450) 298-1441.

A new Oak Ridges Moraine website was launched in the fall of 2007. Included on the website is information and interactive learning tools for landowners and the general public. Topics include where the Moraine is, why it is important, what is being done on the Moraine by environmental groups and agencies, and much more!

Visit www.moraineforlife.org to see the Moraine formation animation, the interactive map showcasing different features and places on the Moraine and for a free downloadable screen saver.

Feel free to add the www.moraineforlife.org link to your website.

For more information contact Kate Potter, Project Coordinator at (905) 579-0411 ext.106 or kpotter@cloca.com.

Thursday June 12th to Sunday June 15th, 2008
University of Ottawa
Ottawa

The Ottawa Valley Rock Garden and Horticultural Society (OVRGHS) is a chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) and as such will be hosting their Annual General Meeting in Ottawa.

The title is One Valley: Five Habitats. The focus is on five field locations in the National Capital region that were selected for their significant biological diversity: Purdon Conservation Area, Mer Bleue, the Burnt Lands alvar, Gatineau Park and Marlborough Forest.

Thursday June 12th, 2008 - Allan Donaldson, Geological History of the Ottawa Region and Daniel F. Brunton, Special Ottawa Valley Landscapes: An Armchair Overview

Friday June 13th, 2008 - Michael Runtz, Floating Fens and Arid Alvars: Rare and Unusual Habitats of the Ottawa Valley

Saturday, June 14th, 2008 - Marilyn Light, An Orchid for Every Habitat: Orchids of Canada’s Capital Region

The registration fee of $425 includes lunch, snacks and dinner on Friday and Saturday and a buffet breakfast on Sunday, admission to all lectures and transportation from the University of Ottawa to the two selected field visit destinations and return.

For more information visit www.ovrghs.ca or e-mail specialevents@ovrghs.ca.

UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on June 15th. Submissions will be accepted until June 1st. Please send articles to clarem@ontarionature.org.

Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every month with contributions from its staff and member groups.