Nature Club News for September 2024

by John Dickson

On Thursday September 12, at 7pm, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists (OSFN) will kick off its 2024-2025 season of monthly speakers, in addition to the complementary  hikes and field trips schedule which has already begun. First up is  The Wonderful World of Bees, with Janine McGowan, M.Sc.

 An Environmental Scientist and Beekeeper with roots in the Meaford area, McGowan will introduce us to many Bees of the World, plus the Bee biodiversity in Canada, and to Honey Bees in particular. During her 6 years working and studying at the “Bee Lab” (U of Guelph’s Honey Bee Research Centre), Janine revived their Apiculture Club, acted as President for 4 years, and she has also participated in many apiculture-related research projects.Janine continues to expand her knowledge of native pollinators, focusing on regenerative agriculture and gardening. “Less grass and more habitat, please! Bring on the bee-friendly cover crops!” This presentation will take place at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre, with doors opening by 6:30pm, to allow some social time and a chance to peruse the renowned OSFN publications, membership purchase and/or renewal, etc. OSFN plans for the meeting to also be available on Zoom. If you would like to receive a zoom link please email web@osfn.ca with Bees in the subject line. The event is open to the public, and admission is free or by donation. For more information please visit www.osfn.ca

Monarch Butterfly migration also gets some attention at this time of year as Audrey Armstrong explains:  “We were gifted with great weather- sunny and hot- just the way butterflies like it, but our OSFN Monarch Tagging event Sunday, August 25th proved to have lower numbers of monarchs in migration this year.  We tagged only 4 as opposed to 100 two years ago on a similar date.  Regardless, the 14 participants had fun with Brian Robin, trying to net and capture monarchs even though very few were moving through. Patti Byers and Audrey Armstrong provided background information to the participants and there is increasing understanding about the importance of creating habitat for these amazing insects. Brian gifted each participant with a free Swamp Milkweed plant from Grange Hollow. We know these will attract monarchs when planted on your property.  The news on Journey North Website indicates there might be a late summer peak, so keep looking for those super-generation monarchs travelling south.”

What a treat it was to see so many drifting butter yellow Clouded Sulphur Butterflies as we cycled the backroads near Chesley recently! I am also enjoying the many blooming Asters I have seen lately – white and yellow and very delicate.  However, my eye is really drawn now to the striking purple and yellow flowers  of the New England Asters. 

  There is always room! The Young Naturalists’ Club is starting up again this fall. Bring the kids and grandkids out and help inspire a love for nature in the next generation! The Young Naturalists’ Club is geared toward children aged 7 to 12 years old. The children must be accompanied by an adult during each meeting.We typically meet once a month from 2 to 4 pm, but for some events the times may vary. The programme operates from September to June but with no meeting in December.We go for guided hikes, snowshoe, create art inspired by nature, see how others in the area are protecting our nature and visit a variety of ecosystems in our area. We learn so much from the experts we recruit to guide us. I have as much fun as the kids do! You don’t have to be amember of the Naturalist club to join so let your friends and family know. Our first meeting is being held at the Grey Sauble Conservation Area Sunday September 22nd at 2pm (meet at the pavilion). We will clean out the bird boxes and see what nests are there. We will play some nature inspired games. Hopefully there will be a few salmon in the river to check out as well.You can get more information by emailing Amanda Eriksen at youngnaturalistsos@gmail.com or by coming to the first meeting!    

Each week the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory (at BPBO.ca) shares its report in a blog, as excerpted here. “From time to time, during migration, something truly extraordinary happens. .. But nothing prepared us … for getting… an exceptional deluge of Bay-breasted Warblers… Of course, we know in theory that the boreal forest holds billions of birds during its proliferate summer and that most of them fly south. But, it is not often that one can get an inkling of the staggering numbers of birds aloft over our heads at migration time… on that fateful day of August 30, 2024, we banded 185 birds of 18 species, including 119 Bay-breasted Warblers (119!), 13 Tennessee Warblers, and 8 Blackburnian Warblers.  I do believe it will take a long time to see another day like that 30 August 2024, if ever. However, in migration, “always expect the unexpected”!

On September 4 and 5, OSFN held its 4th annual Moth Night/Moth Morning event with Moth enthusiast Alan Macnaughton, at the Grey Sauble Conservation Arboretum and pavilion, with 15 to 29 participants on hand too, including former OSFN President Kate McLaren –

“Most people will delight in the flight of a butterfly, but moths, being creatures of the night, raise a slight suspicion – until Alan  shines his light on their beauty and diversity.

Strange, fascinating, fleeting, but such an integral part of ecosystems that a two hour drive away from here yields species unknown to our  leafy friends!”

To close, a Nature quote from Janine McGowan –  “There are two things about honey bees that I particularly revere: the first is the fact that honey bees are one of the only creatures that are givers of life, not takers. They collect nectar and pollen for sustenance and the act of doing so creates a life, as opposed to consuming one”