February 2010
Job Postings: Ron & Janet’s Big Year: Update January 5, 2010 The following is an excerpt from a report by Ron Reid & Janet Grand on their fundraising effort to count as many bird species as possible in one year. Funds will help purchase a property featuring significant alvar habitat in Carden Township. Instead of the dozens of Redpolls and Siskins we normally feed in early winter, this year we have had zero. Judging from the Christmas Bird Count results around southern Ontario, no one else has them either. Even Algonquin Park has very few finches, as these birds have stayed north in the boreal forest to feed on rich seed crops there. Some northern migrants have appeared, though, especially birds of prey. We skipped out for 15 minutes before a family turkey dinner in southern Bruce County, and soon found both a Snowy Owl and two Rough-legged Hawks. Both of these species nest on the tundra, and like open pasturelands with lots of mice and voles. Buoyed by this success, we decided to squeeze in a two-day trip along the Lake Ontario waterfront to start 2010. The weather forecast sounded benign – breezy with scattered flurries. That soon turned into a frigid gale with driving snow squalls, making a normal 2-hour drive into a 4-hour white-knuckler. And one of our target species – a Barnacle Goose at the Grimsby waterfront – was right beside the QEW closed by a multi-car pileup! We gave up on that one, but did check off another uncommon goose species called Brant at the Burlington waterfront, and a search off a Mississauga shore yielded Harlequin ducks.
Janet Grand takes a break from her fundraising effort to feed a welcome visitor. Our next day was much better, as we took a 20-minute ferry ride to Amherst Island near Kingston. It has an especially high population of small rodents, which makes it the most reliable place in the province for winter owls. And it didn’t disappoint this year! Some of the owls prefer open country, and are easy to spot – a couple more Snowy Owls perched over an open pasture, and a pair of Short-eared Owls hunting just at dusk. After about 4 hours searching a scruffy pine plantation, we did manage to find both a Long-eared Owl and a special treat, a Boreal Owl. This little predator, spends most of its life in the boreal woods of the north. Ironically, we missed finding a common Amherst Island bird – a Saw-whet Owl, but we hope we can pick up that species later. And on our return to Orillia, we saw another winter visitor – a Northern Hawk Owl – sitting on the edge of Highway 11. So with this latest addition, our total to date stands at 92 species. But we don’t expect that to climb much more until the spring migrants return. Our list of sponsors, keeps steadily increasing – now at over $37/species and nearly $5800 in general donations, with all funds going to the purchase of Wolf Run Alvar. It’s not too late to add your support, please contact the Couchiching Conservancy at 326-1620 to find out how. Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2010, and thanks to everyone for your support. Ron & Janet Horror Films Inspired by Nature by Mark Bisset Seymour was an ordinary guy until he took possession of Audrey II. Never mind that the plant stood out because it could talk. Worse, it liked to eat human flesh. And it had a hell of an appetite. Audrey II managed to convince Seymour that providing fresh humans was in the interest of the greater good, and by the time he saw the errors of his ways, it was too late. "Don't you talk to me about old King Kong," Audrey II sings in the film hit Little Shop of Horrors. "You think he's the worst, well, you're thinkin' wrong. Don't talk to me about Frankenstein. He got a temper, ha! He ain't got mine". Audrey II is perhaps the most aggressive in a long line of carnivorous plants that have grabbed the popular imagination. Any kid who has ever tried to keep an exotic Venus fly trap alive can tell you about the chills of watching a plant trap, then slowly devour another living creature. It gets the creative juices flowing, as so many Hollywood versions of man-eating plants in unexplored jungles attest to. But you don't have to go to Hollywood to find plants that eat things alive. Some local spots managed by the Couchiching Conservancy are home to plants that trap and eat insects. They're nothing like the bone-crunching Audrey II, but they're among the most fascinating plants you will encounter locally....More News Release The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area and The Couchiching Conservancy launch 'Care for the Land You Love'. Orillia (July 13, 2009) - The Couchiching Conservancy and The Community Foundation of Orillia & Area today launched 'Care for the Land You Love' a province-wide campaign to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing stewardship of preserved lands in Orillia & area and other communities across Ontario. "This new partnership will help us raise the funds needed to maintain and preserve special lands, like Grant's Woods or the new Alexander Hope Smith Nature Reserve at Washago, for generations to come," said Isabelle Theiss, President of the Couchiching Conservancy. "Our board looks forward to working with the Community Foundation of Orillia to secure funding that will support stewardship activities on the lands under protection."...More Life on the Edge...The importance of shorelines Central Ontario is blessed with an abundance of waterways; lakes, rivers, creeks, and wetlands. We depend on this water to provide irrigation for crops and gardens, recreational opportunities such as boating and swimming, and in some cases, to provide a safe drinking water supply. But we aren't the only ones who enjoy the benefits of waterfront areas. Many species of wildlife depend on the continuation of healthy aquatic ecosystems especially the rich yet fragile shoreline area. Water lilies, loons, frogs, mink, and fish all need healthy shorelines to survive. ...More Just off the presses........ The Couchiching Conservancy is pleased to announce the publication of two special field guides. Each book is only $16.95 (tax included) and proceeds from the sales goes towards the conservation efforts of the Conservancy. Alvar Specialty Plants of Central Ontario By Margo Holt This is a valuable addition to any nature library and especially welcome by anyone who wants to learn more about the unique flora found on Ontario's alvar communities. The book features full colour photos and descriptions of 53 species. Spiral-bound, 67 pages. Species on The Edge Compiled and written by Kristen Field
Hours of volunteer assistance went into the creation of this publication; local naturalists who provided sightings and photographs of the area's plant and animals listed as being at risk in the western portion of The Land Between. Spiral-bound, 122 pages. To order copies of these books, please contact Gayle Carlyle at 705-326-1620 Our office is located at 1485 Division Road West, Orillia. Books can be picked up during regular office hours, Monday to Friday. Payment can be made by cheque or VISA. Please note that shipping and handling charges will apply to mail orders. .Upcoming Volunteer Activities How can we better protect the natural heritage and species at risk on the Carden Plain, while bringing greater benefits to private landowners and the local community? A multi-stakeholder approach towards developing an Integrated Carden Conservation Strategy
Stewardship Management Forms
 |
||||
 |
