NATURE CLUB NEWS April 2019

by John Dickson

On March 13, Nikki May’s presentation to the Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) – Prairie Ecosystems – featured intriguing details of the resilience of the root structures of various prairie grasses, and their ability to stay alive underground in spite of drought, floods, foraging by bison, and fire. Some of these grasses have both shallow roots and deep roots to ensure their access to nutrients.

On March 20th, the Bruce Birding club witnessed two to three thousand Tundra Swans, in a staging area near Grand Bend. Here they rest and fuel up to fly across Lake Huron, and across Lake Superior, to Manitoba, eventually arriving at their destination – the tundra. The BBC members also visited Pinery Provincial Park, where the resident Tufted Titmouse population and a few wild turkeys were observed at very close range through the large windows of the Visitor Centre there. Another highlight of the day was the discovery in Kincardine, of a pair of Snow Geese, with a Ross’s Goose (a smaller relative of the Snow Goose) keeping them company, and likely migrating with them. Within a day or two of this outing, David Turner of Flesherton, reported that there were about 25 migrating Tundra Swans along with a selection of other waterfowl, at Lake Eugenia.

On March 24, a full busload of the Owen Sound Young Naturalist Club visited the Butterfly Conservatory in Cambridge, to see and learn about, first hand, the many exotic butterflies on hand there.

One of the Young Naturalists, Kate Burridge-MacDonald also created artwork for a toque, which was voted the winner in a nation-wide contest as the basis for a design that will grace the hats of over 10,000 Junior skiers nation-wide next year! It featured a smiling polar bear, on skis, looking up at a puffin flying by, along with some clouds and snowflakes in the air. Congratulations Kate!

At the Bluewater Science and Technology Fair, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists award was won by Islay Graham, for her Piping Plover Project, demonstrating conclusively their preference for beach habitat with debris and vegetation, which not only provides some much needed shelter from predators, but also encourages the presence of more food for the Piping Plovers to find when they forage in the sand.

NeighbourWoods North is gearing up for its 2019 campaigns of developing and nurturing our urban trees. In a recent communication, with the heading Branch and Root news, they announced “It’s springtime and we’re getting ready for the spring planting and gardening season at the Owen Sound Hospital. Right now it looks like we will be busy tending the Forest of Hope and Healing every Saturday morning in May. Keep updated on these events through our website, or on Facebook, or Twitter.” For more information on how you can help here is the website link https://www.neighbourwoodsnorth.com/

On Tuesday April 2nd, Bob Knapp presented Rocks and Rock Formations in the Owen Sound Area, to a capacity audience in the theatre at Grey Roots. If you missed that one, Bob is also giving the same presentation to the Owen Sound Field Naturalists at 7PM Thursday April 11, in the auditorium of the Owen Sound and North Grey Union Public Library.

On Tuesday April 9, Naturalist Audrey Armstrong will twice present Monarchs in the Queen’s Bush at Grey Roots, at 1PM and again at 2:30PM. For more details please visit https://greyroots.com/

On Thursday April 18, at 7PM, Grey Sauble Conservation Foundation hosts its Earth Film Festival, at the Roxy theatre, featuring Project Wild Thing, and The Messenger. This fund raising event will support projects of the Grey Sauble Conservation Foundation. For ticket information please call the Roxy at 519 371 2833.

On Wednesday May 8, at 7PM, the film Resilience: Transforming Our Community created locally, will have its first screening also at the Roxy theatre. Admission is by donation. More information is available at www.resiliencedoc.info

The Celebrate Earth Day event, presented by OSFN, on Saturday April 20, featuring renowned Ecologist and Scientist Doug Larson, aboard the Chi Cheemaun, is almost completely sold out, with only a handful of tickets ($5. each) still available at the Ginger Press. For information about this event or other activities of OSFN please visit www.owensoundfieldnaturalists.ca/programs

To close, a Nature quote from Doug Larson and Peter Kelly, referring to the forces responsible for the rocks, trees and ecology of the Niagara Escarpment: “The relentless pressures of human development …may be the most imposing force in the Escarpment’s long history.”

NATURE CLUB NEWS March 2019

by John Dickson

NATURE CLUB NEWS MARCH 2019

The Owen Sound Field Naturalists and Young Naturalists Club met on February 10, to learn about the Flesherton Hills and the rest of the property behind Grey Highlands Secondary School, all of which was, at one time, part of the Bentham Heritage Farm. In addition to learning about the diverse natural features and species of the property, it was explained that at one time there was oil exploration and drilling taking place there, along with such other locales as Hepworth. The quality of the oil, however was not high enough to justify continued pursuit of an oil industry here.

Springs and ponds in the Flesherton Hills are also the beginning of the Boyne River, which meanders to Hogg’s Falls and to the Beaver River. Nesting ducks, beavers, otters, and mink have been regular inhabitants of the wetland there for decades. Guidance for the day was provided by Richard Bentham, and John Burton.

On February 14th, Brian Robin brought his innovative and detailed nature photography to share with the audience at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Hall. There were ooh’s and ah’s galore, and a lot of laughs, while folks were still learning about the many “bug” species who were captured by Robin’s camera lens.

On February 28th, Leanne Robinson demonstrated how she and her husband and small children travel by canoe in the far north, surviving on what they are able to harvest along the way, supplemented by the little they bring with them. Their son Emile learned to walk on uneven ground and while he was in the canoe, soon was able to recognize rose hips along the shore, and demand that they stop so that he could enjoy this wild food he enjoyed so much.

On March 2nd, there was a good turn out for Jeff Kinchen’s annual tracking outing, and even with the fresh new snow from that very morning, Kinchen was able to demonstrate how the evidence in the snow, on nibbled saplings and bushes, plus on the tree trunks, told the stories of who made those tracks, and why. Tracks observed included Jack Rabbit, Coyote, Fisher, Skunk, and White-tailed Deer.

Members of the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association (SSA) have recently been inspecting, cleaning out and readying duck nesting boxes for this Spring’s arrival of Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers. They have also installed some newly constructed boxes which they have built in preparation for this upcoming season. Sites for this work include Hibou, Bognor Marsh, and the Sydenham River. Jim Hastie reported that all of the boxes at the Bognor Marsh had been occupied since the last inspection. While on site at the Bognor Marsh, we observed several chickadees feeding on the fronds of last year’s cattails there. Cheryl Jobbins also found a pussy willow there which had already opened.

On Thursday March 7th, their monthly speaker was Stephanie Nickels of the Grey Bruce Health Unit, with her presentation on Lyme Disease, breaking it down into signs and symptoms, prevalence in our area. She then discussed the tick program at the health unit (personal protection, surveillance program, types of ticks in our area, submission process, etc.).

To learn more about the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association please visit http://www.sydenhamsportsmen.com/

There have already been some reported sightings of Red-Winged Blackbirds, and of an Eastern Towhee, back to find and claim territories for sharing with mates when they arrive. The Bruce Birding Club is usually out for a day of birding, twice per month, to observe and document the birds that are in our area on those days. More information can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/brucebirdingclub/home

There have also been some owls observed in the area, including the Great Horned Owl, plus both grey and red morph Eastern Screech Owls.

I have been hearing more vocal Cardinals, with Spring on their minds, and many of the willow trees in the area definitely have that extra bright glow that tells me they are getting ready too.

On March 7th the Friends of Hibou invited Bruce Trail and OSFN members to join them in a snowshoe hike along the ice-bound shore and on the woodland trails at Hibou. Conditions were excellent and hike leader Marie Knapp shared some of the history of the property, now owned by Grey Sauble Conservation. We were able to hear several woodpeckers and there was also evidence of recent Beaver activity in the wetlands there.

Registration is now open for the Huron Fringe Birding Festival in late May and early June at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. This Festival continues to grow and to attract the best guides, on an even wider range of topics. To learn more visit
http://friendsofmacgregor.org/page/huron-fringe-birding-festival

This Thursday March 14, in the Library auditorium, Nikki May, former President of the Saugeen Field Naturalists, will discuss Prairie Ecosystems, speaking about the different kinds of prairie in North America and Ontario in particular, their extent, history and ecology. The talk will feature iconic fauna and flora and their role in the prairie ecology. Learn about species you can grow in your own back yard to attract butterflies and bees.

To close, a nature quote from Richard Outram, referring to the nature losses occurring around us, “Unless the prevailing misrule is corrected, a heritage loved and inhabited as such, will be gone.”

NATURE CLUB NEWS February 2019

by John Dickson

OSFN Celebrates 30 Years
On Thursday January 10, 2019, Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy presented this Certificate of Recognition to Club President Gordon Toth, at the regular Indoor Meeting of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists in the Library Auditorium.

President Toth got a strong showing of hands from the capacity crowd, when he asked the audience how many were there 30 years before, on Thursday January 5th, 1989, when President Lorraine Brown presided over the Inaugural Indoor Meeting of the Club. During the fall months of 1988, an initial gathering, chaired by Andrew Armitage at the Library, took place to gauge the level of interest in forming a Naturalist Club. With the endorsement of those present, the creation of the club took place – planning, programming and organizing, with help and guidance from members of the already established Saugeen Field Naturalists.

On this occasion 30 years later, (2019) Audrey Armstrong and Willy Waterton gave an informative and entertaining presentation entitled Bruce Trail: 856 kms of Discovery, based on their end to end hike, with references to science, geology and history all along the Niagara Escarpment with a healthy emphasis on our area. (i.e. black bears, rattlesnakes, ferns and a plane crash!).

Young Naturalists Club report by Elaine VanDenKieboom

Our outing on February 2, 2019 had the Young Nat’s snowshoeing in mixed hardwood forest and some conifer plantation, searching for signs of wildlife. The animal tracks that were observed included Snowshoe Hare, Red Fox, Fisher, and American Mink. We were also fortunate to see the resident porcupine resting up in a tree. The conditions were excellent for snowshoeing and we were lucky to have a mild day in the midst of some recent poor weather. Afterwards, gathering around an open fire, the Young Nat’s enjoyed some hot chocolate, and roasted bannock on sticks over the open fire. The conditions of the day made for a great hike, and the kids really seemed to enjoy being out in the woods.

On Monday February 4, NeighbourWoods North chairman Lloyd, and Rhiannon Lewis hosted a dinner and presentation, featuring Toni Ellis, who started and continues to lead the volunteer program called NeighbourWoods, out of Centre Wellington (Elora and area) in 2006 and since its inception, have planted and maintained over 1500 trees in their local communities. The organization runs annual workshops on learning tree skills and educating the public of the critical role trees play in our towns and how we need to foster their continued good health. It was at one of these workshops that Lloyd was introduced to the idea of school yard greening, which he applied to a school where he taught in Guelph. In addition, the organization does a great job collecting tree data, which is used to map the town species and monitor their health.

I was delighted to finally meet Toni, as I had heard about her from Lloyd, when he first approached the Owen Sound Field Naturalists to see if NeighbourWoods North might be a good fit for working together. Guests at the dinner found Toni’s infectious enthusiasm, and love of Nature, to be key factors for Lloyd’s inspiration, upon moving here to form Owen Sound’s NeighbourWoods North organization. Watch for more news about NeighbourWoods North’s upcoming projects in this column.

This entire 2018-19 OSFN season, we are celebrating 30 years of what our motto says – Knowing Nature Better.

One highlight is the Celebrate Earth Day event with Doug Larson’s Songs and Stories of Nature and Ecology. University of Guelph Professor Emeritus Doug Larson was the club’s first guest speaker, in January of 1989. This year he returns on Saturday April 20, 2019, at 2PM, aboard the MS Chi Cheemaun, berthed in Owen Sound harbour, with songs and stories of nature and ecology. In recent years he has also been crafting his own guitars, and these instruments also have tales to tell, some of which are outlined in his book The Storyteller Guitar.

Tickets (only $5 each) are now on sale for this 4th Annual Celebrate Earth Day event and are available at Ginger Press, Owen Sound Farmers Market (Saturdays, from Sheila Gunby), OSTC Springmount office, and at OSFN meetings – (Jan 10, Feb 14, Feb 26, March 14). Once again this event is sponsored by Caframo, and is hosted by Owen Sound Transportation. All proceeds are directed to OSFN youth projects. Don’t miss out – tickets continue to sell quickly.

This Sunday February 10, from 1PM to 3:30PM, the OSFN Club and Young Naturalists will be on a field trip snowshoeing to the Flesherton Hills and the Bentham Heritage Farm, starting from Grey Highlands Secondary School. This outing will be led by Richard Bentham, whose property received high praise from legendary naturalist Mark Kressman, and by John Burton, former teacher at the school, known for leading many outdoor activities and expeditions, with his students there.

Coming up soon, on February 14, OSFN Board Director, and member of the Owen Sound Camera Club, Brian Robin, will present Nature Photography – Armed with a camera, a desire to learn, and the ability to enjoy the underappreciated, Brian will take you on a lighthearted photographic tour of his favourite nature observations. This is not one to miss, as Brian’s enthusiasm and sense of fun, along with the quality of his images and intriguing approach to both Nature and photography are indicative of his engaging personality, and his artistic flair.

Because the Library is undergoing some renovations, this meeting will be held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 856 1st Avenue West, and we are encouraging folks to arrive by 6:45 if possible. Admission is by donation.

Of special note is a bonus presentation on Tuesday February 26, also at St. Andrew’s, with admission by donation and proceeds going to OSFN Youth Projects. There will be an even earlier start time of 6:30PM, as some parents may wish to attend with their “little ones” to see and hear –
Travelling by canoe with little ones by Leanne Robinson and
Harvesting food from the land by Dwayne Wohlgemuth

Owen Sound native, Leanne, and her spouse Dwayne and their family live in Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. They seek to harvest food from the land, pack less food, and take the routes less traveled. They live a life that allows them to get out for long summer canoeing adventures, enabling their two children to have nature nurture them. At the age of 1, Emile learned to walk over uneven ground, identify and pick berries and feel at home in the wilderness on a 2 month canoe journey in the Northwest Territories.

Leanne Robinson hopped in a canoe early with her family in Owen Sound ON but didn’t really get into canoe travelling until she moved to Yellowknife, NT, where her love of canoeing was fostered by the uncountable lakes and rivers of Canada’s Northwest Territories. Her spouse, Dwayne Wohlgemuth chooses not to buy food for their family but relies on what nature provides and what society discards. They now have two little ones, both of whom were taken on multi-day canoe trips before the age of two months, they are dreaming of how and where they will teach their second child, Aleksi, to walk.Robinson will be speaking at the Wilderness Camping Symposium in Toronto, the previous weekend, while her husband has been a presenter there in the past.

Robinson will be speaking at the Wilderness Camping Symposium in Toronto on the previous weekend, while her husband has been a presenter there in the past.

Leanne Robinson hopped in a canoe early with her family in Owen Sound ON but didn’t really get into canoe travelling until she moved to Yellowknife, NT, where her love of canoeing was fostered by the uncountable lakes and rivers of Canada’s Northwest Territories. Her spouse, Dwayne Wohlgemuth chooses not to buy food for their family but relies on what nature provides and what society discards. They now have two little ones, both of whom were taken on multi-day canoe trips before the age of two months, they are dreaming of how and where they will teach their second child, Aleksi, to walk.

Robinson will be speaking at the Wilderness Camping Symposium in Toronto on the previous Saturday, while her husband has been a presenter there in the past.

This may be especially interesting for parents who have their children in cubs, scouts, guides, as well as the Forest School, etc.

To close, a Nature quote from Winchell Price, (1907-2003) once known as the Painter of the Bruce – “Winter created a breathless beauty, as all hummocks, dells, knolls and recessions are covered in deep snow, which on a clear cold day had lots of long blue shadows cast on the ground. Many a time I spent painting out in the snow, in the bushland,”