Club President's Message

What a challenging year!

Your executive this year has wrestled with the political fall-out of potential Park Closures, such as Springwater, and changes to the Endangered Species Act which threaten the survival of those species who rely on us, as Stewards, to protect their welfare.

This has resulted in a series of letters to our elected representatives informing them of our concerns. We believe that through proactivity on these matters people can influence change. Case in Point;- the cancellation of the Melancthon County Quarry, and Dumpsite 41.

We've managed to get more exposure in the press and on television. Example the widespread coverage at Christmas time for the Bird Count. Some of these efforts are reflected in the increased number of new members.

Our meetings have been well attended, to the credit of our Meeting Organizer.. Dave Phillips filled the Hall at our Garden Club joint Meeting in January as he discussed the haunting spectre of Global Warming.

This fall (our September meeting) we shall be hosting the joint Orillia, Carden, Midland and Barrie Nature Group Meeting and we are in the process of obtaining a great speaker!.

Our field trips have been well attended. The March trip will have a sizeable number of guests from the Midland Club. We believe that this type of interactivity is beneficial to all.

We have a special challenge ahead of us and that is to replace five executive members, who following exemplary service, will be retiring from the executive. We know that Club Members will come forward and fill these roles. We are sure that you'll find our meetings (we have about 5 or 6 a year) interesting, and at times entertaining.

To Pat Duncan, Lyn Pope, Lynne Gibbon, Ian Cook, and Jean Wilson who will be retiring from the executive, (we hope temporarily!), thank you so much for your contributions. As well, I wish to thank the continuing executive members for their valued support.

Webmaster's Comments

As of our April meeting we have a new club executive and some new committee representatives.  If you go to the Contact  page you will find the revised listings.  To contact an Executive member or Committe member click on the blue position name and you will be sent to a new screen.  Click on Contact Form and a contact form will open for you to fill out.  Click on Send Email and your message will be forwarded to the person who will respond to you.

We are still working on implementing Members' Only material for the web site.  Each current member will receive a log-in name and password which will allow them to access members-only content on the site.  Eventually we can distribute the Blue Heron to members via a mailing feature.

Carden Nature Festival

May 31 ­ June 2, 2013

Back for a seventh year, the Carden Nature Festival is a smorgasbord of environmental delights set amidst a globally-rare landscape. With almost 100 field trips, workshops, and presentations, there's something for every nature lover.

The festival is an exceptional opportunity to learn more about the unique limestone plain known as the Carden Alvar. Located between Orillia and Lindsay and just north of Kirkfield, this area is familiar to many naturalists across Ontario for its variety of bird species. The Carden Alvar has been designated by Birdlife International as an "Important Bird Area." Plant life is abundant as well and Festival events include rare alvar plants and exploration of the mosses and lichens found there.

Click on the logo for more information

Friends of Scanlon Creek

The Friends of Scanlon Creek are looking for naturalists who would like to volunteer to lead one or more nature walks on Saturday mornings (9:00 to 11:00 a.m.) between July 6th and August 24th. Experienced and inexperienced hike leaders are sought.

Scanlon Creek Conservation Area is owned and operated by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority and has a long history of local use. It is located immediately north of Bradford and includes a 300 hectare combination of hardwood bush, damp lowland forest, old farm fields, a small arboretum, a steam and a wetland meadow which is developing as a result of the removal of a dammed reservoir. It has over 10 km of well established trails and a short boardwalk through cattail marsh. We are seeking both experienced and inexperienced naturalists. If you have a particular specialty such as birds, trees, wildflowers, fungi, insects, spiders, reptiles and amphibians or an interest in doing a night walk we will advertise and promote that event as such in the local press and on our Facebook site. If you are inexperienced, please don't be shy about talking with us as we are willing to train hike leaders as well. In either case we will provide local park orientation information to prospective hike leaders. We are planning that this effort develop into a seasonal naturalist program that will continue well into the future.

If Interested:
Contact either by email or telephone.
Ken Vogan, Chair, Friends of Scanlon Creek
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
416-727-4261

Birding By Radar

Modern technology allows us to view bird migration using weather radar.  It is fascinating to see the migration build through the course of a night.  A good resource to learn more is the Birding By Radar web site which has numerous link to explain how radar is used.

For a direct link to the radar data click on the image.  Check several times over the course of the night to watch things change.

Cornell Hawk Cam

The Red-tailed Hawks are back on their nest at Cornell and you can watch on the Cornell Hawk Cam.  Click on the Photo below to take a look.