Butterflies of Bognor Marsh with Chris Rickard
All posts by Brian Robin
Inglis Falls Aboretum and Propagation Area Tour with Bill Moses
Who Made Those Tracks and Why? With Jeff Kinchen.
Consider having a voice related to trail use in Grey County Forests.
The following is an announcement from Grey County about a public workshop on The Grey County Recreational Trails Master Plan.
Recreational Trails Master Plan
November 14, 2017
Open House and Workshop:
Join us for a workshop to learn about the Recreational Trails Master Plan.
Wednesday November 29, 2017
at 6:00 p.m.
Grey County Administration Building
Council Chambers
595 9th Avenue East, Owen Sound
This meeting is your chance to hear what we’ve done so far and to participate in a workshop for the project. The meeting is open to all members of the public. Please pass along this email to anyone that you may think would be interested in attending.
Please note this is not a formal public meeting. We will share a brief presentation at the beginning of the workshop and then break into smaller groups to discuss the project. A public meeting will be scheduled for later this year.
The Project:
Grey County is preparing a Recreational Trails Master Plan. This plan will provide a blueprint for future trails projects and requirements. It will be focused on linking community trails to County trails, determining the ultimate use of the CP Rail Trail and looking at trail use and future requirements for trails in some of the 48 forest properties owned by Grey County.
The project will develop trail standards for walking trails, bicycle trails and multi-use trails, and considering the compatibility of ATV and snowmobile users with non-motorized users. It will develop criteria to apply for restricting certain trail users to specific areas or trails.
So far, the user groups we have identified include snowmobile, horseback riding, hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, dog walking, and ATV use.
If you have questions please contact Sarah Johnson, sarah.johnson@grey.ca or at 519-372-0219 ext. 1241.
For more information, updates or to subscribe to our mailing list visit the Recreational Trails Master Plan webpage.
Young Naturalists – Habitat Hike, Walter’s Creek Management Area, Sunday, Nov 26th.
The next Young Naturalist outing is a Habitat Hike in Walter’s Creek Management Area Sunday, Nov 26th, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Please note the new location:
County Road 29 runs north/south between Walter’s Falls and Bognor. It passes the Holland/Sydenham Townline on the west. The Townline is closed to vehicles but you can park either along County Road 29 or inside the blockade.
This is a Habitat Hike in Walter’s Creek Management Area, to look for nature’s homes, from cocoons to caves along the Bruce Trail. Parents are encouraged to join us.
- Remember to dress for the weather.
- Please bring a small day-pack.
- Everyone’s should have water, tissue and a small snack.
- You might also bring binoculars, camera, sketch book, sunglasses, lip balm.
Remember:Travel light!
About the Owen Sound Field Naturalist’s Young Naturalists’ Program
The Young Nats Club is for boys and girls ages 7 to 12 years old. Younger and older children are welcome, however ages under 7 must be accompanied by an adult during each meeting. We typically meet once a month from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm (please note offsite trips are planned), but for some events the times may vary. The program operates from October to June but with no meeting in December. Parents or guardians are encouraged to stay and participate or volunteer if they wish.
Paid Registration Required.
Find out more at Young Naturalists
Christmas Bird Counts – Grey and Bruce Counties (2017)
Held every year between December 14th and January 5th, the Christmas Bird Count is one of the the largest citizen science projects.
If you would like to join one of the counts in Grey or Bruce counties, the contact information and dates of the 2017 counts are listed below. If you are outside the area, or would like more general information about the project, head to the Bird Studies Canada Website.
| CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS IN GREY AND BRUCE – 2017 | |||
| LOCATION | COMPILER | DATE | |
| Kincardine | James Turland | Dec. 15, Fri. | jaturland@gmail.com |
| Hanover-Walkerton | Gerard McNaughton | Dec. 16, Sat. | gmcnaughton@wightman.ca |
| Owen Sound | Erik Van Den Kieboom | Dec. 16, Sat. | ekieboom@gbtel.ca |
| Wiarton | Jarmo Jalava | Dec. 17, Sun. | jvjalava@gmail.com |
| Bruce Peninsula N.P. | Tricia Stinnissen | Dec. 20, Wed. | tricia.stinnissen@pc.gc.ca |
| Meaford | Lynne Richardson | Dec. 28, Thur. | lynnerichardson@rogers.com |
| Pike Bay | Andrew Keaveney | Dec. 28, Thur. | uofgtwitcher@msn.com |
| Cape Chin | Andrew Keaveney | Dec. 29, Fri. | uofgtwitcher@msn.com |
| Saugeen Shores | Norah Toth | Jan. 3, Wed. | ntoth@rogers.com |
– INDOOR MEETING (Nov 9th) GOING AHEAD AS SCHEDULED –
Tonight’s OSFN Indoor Meeting, featuring NCC’s John Lounds and Esme Batten will go ahead as scheduled, for those who can make it safely.
Here is the current forecast from the radio station website – which shows that most of the storm will miss Owen Sound. (Their website also does not show any other cancellations, having been posted.)
The radar map I have looked at just now, shows that whatever snow etc., is coming down now, will be done and finished by around 6PM and moving out of the Owen Sound area, with little snow activity for the rest of the evening, and with no imminent threat of heavy weather behind it:
Tonight
Low: -8
Flurries with a chance of a squall could see 5-10 cms mainly in Bruce County and east of Meaford.
Bonus hospitality offer
In addition, we have had a generous offer from Bob and Marie Knapp, of three beds for overnight, if anyone is concerned about getting to Owen Sound and being stranded here.
Thanks for everyone’s cooperation with this. We do hope to see you at the meeting, but also understand the personal decision making that is essential in these situations.
On Behalf of President Kate McLaren,
John Dickson,
OSFN Past President, and
Director of Programming
The Young Naturalist club gets up and running Sunday Oct. 29, 2017.
Welcome to The Young Naturalists Club! We will be meeting this Sunday Oct 29th at the Grey Sauble Administration Centre ( basement door at back of building ) at 2:00 pm and we will be having nature artists Frank and Bonita de Matteis come and teach the kids about art in nature.
There is still plenty or room for more Young Naturalists to join the club this year. Please encourage your young relatives, friends and neighbours – children 7-12 years of age, to sign up for this wonderful learning opportunity. More details and registration information on the forms below (click to download!), or contact the Young Naturalist Club Program Coordinator, Elaine Van Den Kieboom (519 371-1989 or ekieboom@gbtel.ca).
Please have your kids dress for the weather as I expect for part of the session we will be outside sketching. We will provide all supplies and we should be finished by 4:00 pm.
Please bring your registration form and payment if you haven’t already sent them in. I will have copies of our program for the year for you as well.
See you on Sunday!
Bridges featuring Northern Adventurer, Adam Shoalts
Nature Club News, October, 2017
NATURE CLUB NEWS
by John Dickson
A version of this column appeared in the OS Sun Times on Friday October 6, 2017 and in the Owen Sound Hub on Sunday October 8, 2017.
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists have been able to enjoy several terrific field trips already this season. There were several opportunities to observe, and tag Monarch butterflies as they begin to migrate southward. It certainly looks like we have a bumper crop of them for a change this year. I have heard several individuals referring to more milkweed plants than usual, and it was suggested that the seemingly “extra” rain in the Spring and early summer may have contributed to that “extra” supply of milkweed plants for the butterflies to utilize for their “extra” population growth this year.
Peter Middleton’s two fern Hikes,September 13 and 20, filled to capacity almost right away and Peter reported –
Over the past two weeks “we have shared some remarkable places and habitats so close at hand, yet so far from the city streets a few blocks away. Fortunately the ferns were still in quite good shape and provided a feast of diversity and form. By my count over the two weeks, we observed 26 species and one unique variety. The number is not the important thing, however, but rather the exposure to the diversity of habitats and species that inhabit them. To that end, we started last week in the upland forests above the escarpment. Today, we visited the face of the escarpment, crevices carving through it and the scree slopes below the cliff face, before concluding the outing in rich bottomland forests found close to streams draining the escarpment.
On September 14, the club hosted its first Indoor Meeting of the season, featuring Kerry Jarvis, speaking about Fascinating Pollinators, and the experience of initiating a community project of successfully establishing butterfly gardens in Saugeen Shores. The presentation, which also welcomed many new members, demonstrated how a combination of initiative, research, and volunteerism provides an opportunity to help enhance the habitats and populations of these fascinating pollinators, while at the same time bringing a team spirit and sense of accomplishment. In addition, a short film by Liz Zetlin combined visual images, with music and a narrative story line.
At this meeting the latest version of the OSFN Constitution was ratified, allowing the executive to go ahead and set up more convenient donation options for those who wish to support, financially, the ongoing charitable work of the Club. The website now includes a “Donate” tab, with secure access through Canada Helps, which also generates a receipt for income tax purposes. Donations can also be made in person, at the monthly meetings and via the mail.
On September 17 Bob Gray’s tour of the Colpoys Creek traced the stream which originates in the Purple Valley area, and is gradually captured by karst features, disappearing completely underground and re-appearing as it flows downstream towards Georgian Bay. Features noted included resurgant springs marked by heavy clumps of watercress, later a section of dry streambed, and eventually a small waterfall before it emptied into Colpoys Bay. Bob’s familiarity with the geological features of our area is well known, and he was a key member of the OSFN committee which produced several excellent books, including one on geology. These popular editions are available at Ginger Press.
On September 23, the OSFN partnered with the City, TD, and members of the public to participate in planting of 150 trees in the Kelso Beach Park area to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial. This was a very successful venture, which resulted in a team effort to enhance the diversity of trees in that area. Kudos to Adam Parsons and his team from the City, Annette Penning and her team from TD, and Lloyd Lewis whose background with NeighbourWoods in Elora, led him to approach the Owen Sound Field Naturalists a year ago, as a possible umbrella of support for establishing something similar here. We look forward to further developments in this regard, and will share those with you in the future. A very special thank you to all of those from the general public who answered the call, and helped to create this legacy of new “Trees in the City”.
On September 30, Robert Burcher led a tour to the Trout Hollow area of the Bighead River just outside Meaford. OSFN Club member Joe Buchanan reported “We enjoyed a delightful and informative talk and ribbon cutting ceremony held at the Riverside Community Hall followed by a walk-and-talk into Trout Hollow led by local historian (and archeological sleuth) Robert Burcher, all to celebrate the new info-signs locating and describing the mill workings and footsteps of John Muir during his time here. Robert’s enthusiasm is infectious. Although I had walked the area several times, to hear the details while standing in the actual locations was especially refreshing for me. I would also recommend a visit to the Meaford Museum any day as a further source of information re John Muir’s stay in the area.” The OSFN offers our gratitude to the Meaford Museum, and to Ron Knight whose generosity and welcoming hospitality has been key to the success of this historical recognition. Of special note was the opportunity to meet George Trout of Austin, Texas, a direct descendant of the Trout family.
This Thanksgiving weekend OSFN also offered two outings – one with Bob Knapp at the Marshall Woods on Saturday morning, and one with Bill Moses at the Inglis falls Arboretum on Monday – visit www.osfn.ca for more details.
The Young Naturalist programme is ramping up again this fall – with the first activity scheduled for October 29, with Frank and Bonita Johnston – de Matteis with some nature art activities for the youngsters. Details are on the OSFN website. Young Naturalists and their families also have full access to the other regular activities of the club, many of which are very “kid friendly”.
Thursday October 12, OSFN is pleased to present Paul Aird, a life long conservationist, and emeritus professor of history at U of T, and a former member of the NEC board. Paul Aird will be reading some of his ecological fables and nature tales, witty and wise gems that will charm, and stimulate.
Accompanying these stories will be some of the exquisite and distinctive line drawings of Thoreau MacDonald, a prolific artist and naturalist (and son of JEH MacDonald of the Group of Seven) The meeting begins at 7PM in the auditorium of the public library in Owen Sound. Admission is free although donations are welcome.