Nature Club News January 2020
by John Dickson
OSFN Indoor Meetings At Bayshore
After an over 30-year relationship with the Owen Sound Public Library, the Owen Sound Field Naturalists are moving to new premises for our Indoor Meetings. It is exciting, and yet sad, to know we have outgrown their facility. We have greatly appreciated their hosting our meetings.
The OSFN Board have looked at several alternate meeting locations. This spring we will be using the Harry Lumley (Bayshore) Community Centre (1900 3rd Ave E, Owen Sound, ON N4K 2M6)
The Owen Sound Field Naturalists will host their next Indoor Meeting, featuring Dr. Brent Patterson presenting Wolves and Coyotes in Ontario: Population Status and Recent Research in the Bay Room of the Bayshore Community Centre on Thursday January 9, 2020.
The evening gets underway at 7PM, but arriving early allows more networking opportunities with others in the audience. Admission is free, although donations are welcome. Students of the natural sciences are especially welcome to attend.
Dr. Brent Patterson will update and discuss the status and ecology of wolves and coyotes across the province since he was last here on October 11, 2012 and provide an overview of ongoing and recent research on wolves and coyotes in Ontario.
Topics will include life history, abundance, feeding habits, livestock depredation, and will also include advice on how to avoid conflict with coyotes.
Dr. Brent Patterson is a Research Scientist with wolves and deer, and an Adjunct Professor in Trent University’s Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Wildlife Research & Monitoring Section, Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry, Trent University.
Brief Bio: Brent Patterson joined the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources as a research scientist in 2001 and has been an adjunct professor at Trent University since that time as well. His research focuses on the population dynamics of wolves, coyotes and their prey in temperate and boreal regions. He has published extensively on wolves, coyotes, caribou and moose in Ontario and beyond. Prior to joining the MNRF Brent worked as a biologist for the Government of Nunavut in the central Canadian Arctic where his research focused on caribou, muskox and wolverine. Whether it be for work or for pleasure he enjoys spending as much time as possible in the back country of Algonquin Park.
Also of note, tickets ($5 each), are now on sale for the Celebrate Earth Week event to be held on the Chi Cheemaun at 2PM Saturday April 18, featuring renowned ecologist and performer Jarmo Jalava. Entitled Relationships with Nature, as told through Slides, stories and Songs, tickets are available at Thursday’s meeting, and at Ginger Press, Owen Sound Farmers’ Market plus the OSTC office in Springmount.
In December when our scheduled speaker was not available, Dan Ostler once again brought an exceptional and timely presentation to the club. Entitled Connecting the dots in Geology, it also included the volcanic activities that were then happening in New Zealand. Thank you, Dan for filling in so admirably!
