CONTENTS

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

• Nipissing Naturalists Awarded SAR (Species at Risk) Funding
• High Park Awarded SAR (Species at Risk) Funding
• Want to Learn How You Can Help Stop Global Warming?
• Upcoming Events with The Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC)
• Learn About Successful Nesting of Piping Plovers at Sauble Beach
• First Steps to Climate Change Adaptation on a Local Level - Workshops a Resounding Success
• Kawartha Field Naturalists Busy at Altberg Nature Reserves
• Fall Regional Meetings – Will you be there?

NEWS FROM NATURE NETWORK

• Welcome Carolinian Canada Coalition
• See the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike
• A Novel Idea for a Club Outing
• Advocate for Nature
• IMBY (In My Back Yard) - Farm Fresh Food

NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE

• Highlights from the Field
• Not a Fen?
• Forest Harvest Levels Not Sustainable
• Dam Removal and Stream Restoration Project
• To All Who Ordered the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005 During the Pre-Sale

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

• Attention Ottawa Valley! - An important conference October 12 - 14
• Conservation Awards in the Nottawasaga Watersheds
• Owl Banding at Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory
• Paper Published on Reptile Road Mortalities
• Invasive Fish Found in Rice Lake - Public Asked To Report Round Goby

UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES

• Next Issue Of Nature Network News

NEWS FROM MEMBER GROUPS

Nipissing Naturalists Awarded SAR (Species at Risk) Funding

The Nipissing Naturalists (NipNats) recently received SAR funding to produce a booklet on species at risk, including colour photos, in the Lake Nipissing watershed. Funding will also allow the completion of a webpage to be included on their website www.nipissing-naturalist.com.

This funding was obtained by submitting a proposal to the MNR which included letters of support from Ontario Nature and the North Bay MNR. The NipNats will be partnering with the North Bay MNR and Nipissing Forest Resource Management to complete the booklet. The outreach programs will be conducted by NipNats with the support of biologists from the MNR.

If you are interested in seeing the Nipissing Naturalists application please contact Angela Martin at (705) 594-1153.

High Park Awarded SAR (Species at Risk) Funding

Great news! High Park has been named as one of the organizations to receive funding under the new Ontario Species at Risk Stewardship Fund.

To be eligible for funding, proposals had to achieve one or more of the following:

Want to Learn How You Can Help Stop Global Warming?

Join a One Day Interactive Workshop - A Citizens Guide to Reducing Your Carbon Footprint, where you will:

Upcoming Events with The Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC)

Monday, October 15, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.
Bird Study Group
Where: Shaklee Canada Auditorium, 952 Century Drive, Burlington.
This is an informal meeting featuring a discussion of recent bird sightings, an identification session and a workshop or slides about some aspect of birding. If you are a beginning birder, come out to learn more about birds. If you are an experienced birder, come out to share your knowledge and enthusiasm. For more info about the Bird Study Group call Arlene McCaw at (905) 637-6004.
This month: Barn Owls and Short-eared Owls
Presenter: Debbie Badzinski of Bird Studies Canada

Sunday, October 20, 2007
Spooky Hollow Fall Work Day
Meet at the Egg and I restaurant at Hwy 53 and Hwy 2 at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast. Then it's off to our sanctuary jewel, Spooky Hollow, for trail maintenance. As always, it is not all work as we can enjoy the beauty of Spooky and the fall colours should still be outstanding. Please bring a lunch. Call Warren Beacham at (905) 627-3343.

Saturday, October 27, 2007
Trees Of Hamilton Cemetery
How well do you know your local trees with or without leaves? Meet at Dundurn Castle at 9:00 a.m. for this informative morning hike concentrating on the many aspects of identification of trees of the area.
Leader: Frank Morley (905) 575-0668.

Visitors are always welcome to attend our meetings and nature outings. For more HNC information contact: The HNC website at www.hamiltonnature.org or Jim Heslop at 905-648-5770 or heslop@cogeco.ca.

The Hamilton Naturalists' Club "Protecting Nature….Since 1919"

The Hamilton Naturalists' Club is a 500 member non-profit organization dedicated to the study, appreciation and conservation of wild plants and animals.

Learn About Successful Nesting of Piping Plovers at Sauble Beach

The Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory (BPBO) is excited to announce that a successful nesting of the endangered Piping Plover took place at Sauble Beach. Stewart Nutt of Southampton took on the task of ensuring the birds’ survival. He worked with South Bruce Peninsula council, liaised with Canadian Wildlife Service and MNR, and lined up and coordinated dozens of volunteers to watch over the birds.

Stewart will be the guest speaker at the BPBO fourth annual fund-raising dinner on Saturday, November 24th. Stewart will tell the story of the Piping Plovers at Sauble Beach from start to finish, beginning with the discovery of the breeding pair by 13-year-old Brendan Toews in early May, and finishing with their flight south in mid-August. It’s a great story and an example of what we can do for nature and endangered species when we work together.

There will also be a silent auction and this year’s menu will feature Chicken Cacciatore and homemade pies for dessert. There will also be a vegetarian option.

We’re hoping to surpass 100 guests this year, so we encourage you to invite friends and family to help us reach this goal. Tickets are $40 and can be obtained by contacting Lorraine at lorraine@apropos.ca (or 519-372-0322). A tax receipt of $25 can be issued.

You can learn more about the BPBO by visiting their website at www.bpbo.ca.

First Steps to Climate Change Adaptation on a Local Level - Workshops a Resounding Success

According to Lanark County and area residents we need to prepare for climate change and we need to do it now!

“Many important economic and social decisions are being made today on long-term projects and activities in our watershed based on the assumption that past climate data are a reliable guide to the future. This is no longer a good assumption. We believe that all levels of government are key players in this issue and must raise awareness and incorporate climate change into planning, decision making and leadership.”

The above “Almonte Communiqué” was drafted and unanimously endorsed by participants of the September 22 workshop; “Weathering the Change: Adapting to Climate Change in the Mississippi Valley”, one of two workshops presented by Mississippi Valley Conservation and the Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists. Ten speakers, all experts in their fields, led discussions over the course of the two day event.

The speakers communicated a summary of the impacts of climate change from their area of expertise along with messages of optimism and inspiration. Following the presentations, participants explored local concerns at breakout sessions where discussions focused on potential adaptation options and barriers to taking action. Two common themes emerged, the need for more education and information on the issues, and the need for a greater emphasis on local action. A document embracing the proceeding of the workshops is being prepared.

For more information please visit the websites of Mississippi Valley Conservation www.mvc.on.ca and Mississippi Valley Field Naturalists www.mvfn.ca.

Kawartha Field Naturalists Busy at Altberg Nature Reserves

In addition to being stewards of the Altberg Nature Reserve, we have become the stewards of a second reserve, the Altberg Wetland. Recently, representatives from Ontario Nature, along with some of our members, started doing inventory in this reserve.

As well we are monitoring the original Altberg Reserve for herptiles and for the regeneration of the forest after the destructive storms of 2006. Salamander boards were placed in two locations in December of 2006 and our first investigation of those was done in early June of this year. On October 12, we will be finishing inventorying the plots recently created in the blowdown areas. This will be a collaborative effort between Ontario Nature, the Kawartha Field Naturalists and students from Sir Sandford Fleming College.

And September 21 was a big day for our club - We got our website up and running! My daughter is the computer programmer and together we dedicated a lot of hours to put it together. It has been a fantastic experience. Check us out at www.kawarthafieldnaturalists.org.

Fall Regional Meetings - Will You Be There?

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Fall Regional Meetings. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to meet others from your region and exchange and share ideas and experiences.

Lake Ontario North - October 13th hosted by the Richmond Hill Naturalists.

North - October 19th-21st hosted by the Sudbury Naturalists.

Carolinian West - October 27th hosted by the Sydenham Field Naturalists.

Huronia - November 3rd hosted by Friends of Wye Marsh.

Great Lakes West - November 3rd hosted by the Stratford Field Naturalists.

NEWS FROM THE NATURE NETWORK

Welcome Carolinian Canada Coalition

The Ontario Nature Network is excited to have Carolinian Canada Coalition as the newest member group in the Carolinian West Region.

Carolinian Canada is a non-profit coalition of over 40 government and non-government conservation groups and many individuals working to conserve the ecological diversity of Canada's most threatened natural region. Members include Conservation Authorities, Ontario Nature, Ontario Stewardship, federal and provincial departments and ministries, Canadian Botanical Association, Ontario Federation of Agriculture and other groups.

The activities of the Coalition are directed by a Board of Directors drawn from a wide range of groups and organizations. Coordination for Coalition activities is provided by an Executive Director, Michelle Kanter. The Board of Directors meets six times annually in alternate months. In addition, a series of Working Groups meet to address specific program themes. Annual or biennial meetings are held to draw together partner organizations, often around a theme or topic.

From 1984-1994, Carolinian Canada funded land acquisition and stewardship projects directed at conserving 38 critical unprotected areas across the region. These programs resulted in private landowners agreeing to conserve over 15,000 acres and acquisition of 2,000 acres by conservation groups. Public education and scientific studies were also undertaken.

Today, Carolinian Canada promotes innovative and comprehensive approaches to conserving our natural heritage. The "Big Picture" project is a state-of-the-art combination of conservation science and computerized mapping technology used to develop a system of natural areas across the entire Carolinian Zone. Our awards program honours exemplary efforts by conservationists across the region. Conferences, workshops and publications help inform and educate the public and conservation professionals.

Carolinian Canada's funding comes entirely from grants, memberships and donations. Many major public and private sector organizations and foundations have supported Carolinian Canada's projects over the years. Your support and involvement would be greatly appreciated. Click here to find out how to make a donation and join the organization.

Grosvenor Lodge
1017 Western Rd.
London, ON
N6G 1G5
Phone (519) 433-7077
(http://www.carolinian.org/)

See the Eastern Loggerhead Shrike

You may have heard on the CBC that on September 25th about 50 members of the Ontario Landowners Alliance, an extreme property rights group, gathered on the Carden Plain to announce they would cut down all the hawthorn trees from 10,000 nearby acres. Hawthorns are the preferred nesting sites of the Easter Loggerhead Shrike. The bird is classified as endangered in Ontario and across Canada with only 20 nesting pair identified in 2007. 12 on the Carden Plain and 8 in Napanee. The Wildlife Preservation Canada operates a successful captive breeding and release program on the Carden Plain and on the Bruce Peninsula to augment the population.

The Landowners Alliance is protesting the new Endangered Species Act in Ontario that comes into force in 2008. They claim that if a Loggerhead Shrike should nest on their land the farmer will be forbidden to drive, walk or work within 400 meters of the nest. Of course this claim is wildly exaggerated but it achieves their objective of stirring up the crowd and getting publicity.

Fortunately, most of the Loggerhead Shrike nests on the Carden Plain are located on conservancy property, not accessible to the chain saw wielding Alliance members. Also the hawthorn eradication process appears to have lost its momentum after clearing a few acres. The Loggerhead Shrike will probably survive this latest threat to its existence.

If you register to attend the Carden Nature Festival on June 6, 7, 8, 2008 you can take guided tours that will probably let you see a wild Loggerhead Shrike and will definitely let you see a captive Loggerhead Shrike. The 2008 Carden Festival will be held in partnership with Ontario Nature. Registration on www.CardenGuide.com/Festival.

A Novel Idea for a Club Outing

If your nature club puts together a special weekend outing once or twice a year, the Carden Nature Festival would like to invite you to join them on the first weekend in June. All you have to do is to let organizers know that your club plans to bring a group, and your participating members will qualify for a 25% discount on their Festival passes.

June 6-8, 2008 will be the second year for the Carden Nature Festival, which will offer over 50 field trips and workshops for naturalists at all skill levels. For 2008, the Festival will also be a partner in hosting the Ontario Nature Annual General Meeting, so that members can make the most of their spring weekend.

The 2007 Carden Nature Festival was a big hit with the 230 people who participated in activities ranging from bird ID sessions on warblers and sparrows, to kayaking the Head River, to butterflies and dragonflies. Expert leaders, lots of interesting displays and exhibits, and a superb natural setting all make this Festival a natural!

Program details will be confirmed later this fall, but you can see the 2007 program on-line at www.cardenguide.com/Festival. If you think this is an event that your club might enjoy, and want further information, please contact Ron Reid at The Couchiching Conservancy – nature@couchconservancy.ca.

Advocate for Nature

Thank you to the individuals that have had added their name 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, make a presentation at your Annual General Meeting, share it with your members at the next meeting or announce it at your next Board of Directors meeting. Every little bit helps!

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

In September 2007 we had 12 new subscribers to our Advocate for Nature email list.

IMBY (In My Back Yard) - Migration Hotspots Found all across Ontario

Fall migration is underway in Ontario. We are fortunate that it is drawn out over a couple of months, affording lots of opportunity to visit a nearby hotspot.

Tim Tiner, ON Nature contributor, has offered some timely tips in his article entitled “The Great Fall Migration - Where you can watch our avian travelers head south”. Tim reports on prime locations, the species that you will most likely see, and the best time of day to visit.

If you live in the London to Hamilton area, for example, Tim suggests visiting Long Point along the north shore of Lake Erie. There you may see Long-billed dowitcher, common snipe, green-winged teal, rusty blackbird, red-breasted merganser and numerous others.

A trip to Prince Edward Point or Amherst Island on the north shore of Lake Ontario awaits birders in the Trenton to Gananoque region. There you may see northern pintail, American coot, Northern saw-whet owl, or maybe even catch a glimpse of the Boreal-dwelling Bonaparte’s gull.

Check with your local naturalist club to see if there is an outing that you can join, and be sure to pick up the Fall edition of ON Nature to read more. To locate the magazine in your community consult the list of participating newsstands at http://www.ontarionature.org/onnature/getacopy.html.

NEWS FROM ONTARIO NATURE

Highlights From the Field

We’ve reached the end of another Volunteer for Nature season, and what a season it’s been. Nearly 200 enthusiastic participants joined us this year to help conduct wildlife surveys, plant native trees, remove invasive plants and improve visitor access on our nature reserves. We’d like to extend a hearty “thank you” to everyone who lent a hand with our conservation efforts this year.

Highlights from the 2007 field season include the reintroduction of the VfN Leadership Training Course, the creation of a community-based monitoring program for our nature reserves, and the establishment of two new conservation partnerships (with the Friends of the Don East and the Niagara Parks Commission).

Planning for the 2008 VfN field season is underway, and we look forward to offering an exciting suite of events to suit everyone’s interests. The monitoring events that took place on our Altberg, Kinghurst and Quarry Bay nature reserves will be held again next year, as will the VfN Leadership Training Course. The 2008 Schedule of Events will be posted on our website at www.ontarionature.org/action, and included in the spring edition of ON Nature Magazine.

Not a Fen?

For many years, the residents of Red Bay, on the western edge of the Bruce Peninsula, have spoken with pride of their special “fen” at Ontario Nature’s Petrel Point Nature Reserve. Thus, many of the “fen’s” proud neighbours were rather shocked when it was announced at this year’s Red Bay Community Event that Petrel Point is actually not a fen at all.

In order to qualify as a fen, the surface substrate would have to consist of a deep layer (at least 40cm) of organic material (peat). However, when staff were sampling the substrates at Petrel Point this summer, they found only very thin deposits of organic matter at the surface, underlain by deep, fine sand. This means that Petrel Point is NOT a fen!

In fact, the Petrel Point Nature Reserve is a fine example of “Great Lakes Coastal Meadow Marsh”, a community type that is considered both provincially and globally rare. Ontario Nature is proud to conserve a portion of this very special habitat and we thank all of our neighbours in Red Bay for their enthusiastic support of the Petrel Point Nature Reserve.

Forest harvest levels not sustainable

A report from CPAWS-Wildlands League discusses what many have wondered – is the amount of harvesting in Ontario’s allocated forest sustainable? The harvest level is determined through assumptions made with a computer modeling system. This has an enormous impact on Ontario’s forests, particularly when the model is faulty and leads to unsustainable logging.

The report shows that there are many faults with the current harvest levels model including a lack of biological information about Ontario’s forests and a lack of consideration of wildlife needs. The model also overestimates how fast the forest will rejuvenate after logging. The faults in the model seem to be leading to over-harvesting which drastically alters wildlife habitat and decreases the ecosystem services forests provide, such as carbon storage and water filtration.

MNR, as the caretaker of Ontario’s public forests, is mandated to manage these forests sustainably. Due to a lack of resources, MNR has downloaded the computer modeling responsibility of forest management to the forestry industry. MNR is now in an awkward position of both allocating and regulating commercial forestry – an industry driven by short-term economic gain. This shift in responsibility questions MNR’s ability to steward the public forests, as the current thinking appears to be to maintain and increase the wood supply demanded by the mills, instead of seeing what the forest can sustainably provide.

Recommendations included within the CPAWS-Wildlands League report are: to increase funding for MNR to supervise the industry, and improvements to biological inventory and data collection. MNR could also ensure the highest number of jobs per cubic metre cut, by investing more in value-added operations.

Dam Removal and Stream Restoration Project

A dam removal and stream restoration project is currently underway at Ontario Nature’s Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve in King Township. When the project is complete, a man-made pond will have been replaced by a wetland meadow with a free-flowing stream running through it.

Monitoring is being carried out to track the progress of revegetation and stream channel restoration. To learn more about this project, contact Mark Carabetta, Conservation Science Manager at Ontario Nature, at markc@ontarionature.org or 416-444-8419 ext. 264.

To All who Ordered an Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario, 2001-2005 During the Pre-Sale

We thank all of you who ordered an advance copy of the atlas. We apologize for the delay in publication. We have been making good progress towards the completion of the Atlas, but we are behind in the schedule we originally established. As a result, the Atlas will not be published until later this year. At this time last year, we anticipated that we could have the book out to you by about the end of September. Unfortunately, we did not make this deadline, largely because producing a second atlas has turned out to be a bigger job and more complicated than expected – the first one was a piece of cake in comparison!

Presently, things are going well and it’s looking great! In fact, a majority of design work and proofing has been completed, but much does remain. Rest assured that we are working very hard to have the book mailed out to you in December – if all goes smoothly with compiling and the printing process (keep your fingers crossed)! Books will be available in stores in 2008.

NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

Attention Ottawa Valley! - An important conference October 12, 13 and 14

Join the 11th Conference of the International Environment Forum - Responding to Climate Change: Scientific Realities, Spiritual Imperatives.

This conference will explore the spiritual principles, educational approaches and practical actions of individuals and communities of diverse cultures facing global environmental change.

The International Environment Forum in Ottawa will feature:

Conservation Awards in the Nottawasaga Watersheds

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) requests nominations for our Watershed Stewardship Awards.

The help of community groups, corporations, landowners and individual residents is critical to maintaining and improving the health of our watershed. Some individuals go above and beyond their part in helping the environment and we want to recognize their inspiring efforts, time, skill and enthusiasm.

Nominations are open to individuals, landowners, community groups, small businesses and corporations, municipalities and agencies who have made a significant contribution to the health of the NVCA Watersheds.

The Young Watershed Stewardship Award is open to individuals or groups under the age of 25.

Eligible Projects include:

• Environmental restoration
• Tree planting and forest management
• Publications
• Educational programs
• Donation of conservation land or easement
• Contribution towards purchase of conservation land or in support of an environmental project
• Environmental policy or plan implementation
• Advocacy for natural heritage protection

Submissions must be received by Monday, Oct. 15 and winners will be invited to our Watershed Stewardship Recognition Night on Tuesday Oct. 30th.

The application form can be found on the NVCA website at www.nvca.on.ca/latest-news/ under the Latest News link.

For more information, please contact Shannon Stephens, Healthy Waters Program Co-ordinator at 705-424-1479, ext.239 or sstephens@nvca.on.ca.

Owl Banding at Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory

Prince Edward County boasts some of the best birding opportunities - not only in Eastern Ontario but in the entire Province. The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory is a premiere spot and is located along the eastern tip of Prince Edward County about 20 minutes from Picton, in a National Wildlife Area.

First established as a migration monitoring station in 1995, to continue research started by the Kingston Field Naturalists, the site is very significant due to the tremendous number of migratory birds that pass through the area.

This years banding began in August and continues until November 1st, with operations starting at dawn. Owl banding has also just begun, offering an evening opportunity that starts around dusk (approximately 7:00 p.m.).

Volunteers are always welcome to assist with:

1. scribing information about birds
2. extract birds from nets and band birds (training needed)
3. help with census and daily observation of bird species
4. maintain the banding station

If you are interested in visiting or want to volunteer, visit the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory website at www.peptbo.ca or send an email to peptbo@rogers.com.

Paper Published on Reptile Road Mortalities

August 2007 – Paul Ashley (Canadian Wildlife Service), Amanda Kosloski (University of Western Ontario), and Scott Petrie (Long Point Waterfowl and Wetlands Research Fund/Bird Studies Canada) recently published a paper on the “Incidence of Intentional Vehicle-Reptile Collisions at Long Point” in Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 12:127-143. The impact of vehicles on certain reptile species is well-documented, and population consequences of associated mortality from collisions with vehicles can be significant. The intentionality of some of these collisions by motor vehicle drivers has been speculated upon but had not been studied.

The authors documented the response of motor vehicle drivers to a fake turtle, a fake snake, an item frequently found on the road (i.e., disposable cup), and an inconspicuous control. Response was documented as a hit, miss, or rescue. It was determined that reptile decoys were hit at a higher rate than by chance, with approximately 2.7% of motorists intentionally hitting them. These results may be used to improve vehicle-reptile collision probability models and demonstrate the need for highly effective mitigation measures to prevent reptile access to roadways with moderate to heavy traffic volumes.

Invasive Fish Found in Rice Lake - Public Asked To Report Round Goby

PETERBOROUGH — Ontarians can help slow the spread of the round goby, an invasive species of fish, by only disposing of baitfish on land and by reporting any round goby they catch to the Invading Species Hotline – a partnership between the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

The species was recently found for the first time in Rice Lake. Round goby are voracious eaters of young fish and reproduce often. Because the presence of round goby can lead to a sharp drop in the number of native species in a lake, its use as bait was banned in Ontario waters in 2005.

Round gobies are relatively small (less than 25 cm) mottled brown in color, have frog-like eyes and a distinctive fin on the belly that resembles a suction cup.

To help slow the spread of round goby, anglers should take the following precautions:

• Learn to identify round goby and other invasive species by visiting www.invadingspecies.com
• Never use round goby as bait
• Never release any baitfish or dump the contents of bait buckets into a lake or river, or onto the ice. Empty bait buckets on land and dispose of unused bait in the trash, or freeze or salt for future use
• Keep and freeze any fish suspected of being an invasive species and call the Invading Species hotline toll-free at 1-800-563-7711 to report the finding.

Round goby became established in the Great Lakes after being discharged from the ballast water of ocean-going vessels. First discovered in the St. Clair River in the late 1980s, this invasive species is now found in all five Great Lakes as well as two inland locations – on both sides of the dam in Hastings on the Trent Severn Waterway near Peterborough and in the Pefferlaw River south of Highway 48 near Sutton. The high numbers of round goby in Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie and much of Lake Ontario are affecting native species and the biodiversity of those lakes.

UPCOMING NATURE NETWORK NEWS DEADLINES

Next Issue of Nature Network News

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on November 15, 2007. Submissions will be accepted until November 1, 2007. 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.