Register now for a webinar November 29th at 7 p.m. to launch the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas publication. This publication is a celebration of over ten years of collaborations, support and contributions from more than 12,000 herpetologists, researchers and community scientists. The free publication provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive source for reptile and amphibian information in the province with nearly 500,000 expert-vetted observations. Join the celebration!
This webinar is generously supported by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation.
The Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance (BCWA) held its second annual Watershed Forum at which over 75 attended on September 25th in Millbrook Ontario.
BCWA was incorporated in November of 2021 and has since held two Watershed Forums to share the work of the Alliance in the Baxter Creek Watershed region.
This year, Chief Taynar Simpson of Alderville First Nations, the keynote speaker, shared his thoughts on the parallels between watershed resiliency and Indigenous resiliency. Both were relatively balanced before outside forces disturbed their refined order. It looked bleak, but then came rejuvenation.
The Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance is an organization founded through diversity and united by passion. It seeks to protect and enhance the health of the watershed and to preserve its integrity for future generations of humans and wildlife to come.
For more information on Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance please visit baxtercreekwatershed.org or email baxtercreekwatershed@gmail.com.
Mark your calendars! November 28th is Giving Tuesday, a day for Canadians to give to the causes that mean the most to them. If you give to Ontario Nature this Giving Tuesday, you will be supporting our nature reserves which protect and restore vulnerable habitats. You don’t have to wait until November 28th! If you donate today your gift will be matched with a donation from Quest Nature Tours (up to $18,000). Together, we hope to raise $40,000 to safeguard habitat for at-risk wildlife and to protect biodiversity.
In 2023, Friends of Second Marsh (FSM) rethought its plant management strategies at Oshawa Second Marsh and the McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve, both owned by the City of Oshawa. The task seemed overwhelming due to the area to be managed and the current number of dominant introduced plant species – over 15! A simple algorithm was created to help prioritize our efforts to add value to the natural habitats while minimizing disturbances.
Enthusiastic volunteers included a re-forester; environmental science and biology grad and invasive species service provider; a recognized ecologist and naturalist; and a teacher. Volunteers were trained and did field work from May to October. Results were visible and purposeful while volunteers enjoyed the camaraderie and reconnection to nature.
We look forward to another year of impactful plant stewardship in 2024. To learn more about FSM programs visit www.secondmarsh.ca.
Article: By Susan Ellis, Friends of Second Marsh Board Member and Lead Steward, Plant Stewardship Subcommittee
Photo: Plant Stewardship Subcommittee of FSM volunteers and staff
See our events calendar for a complete listing of events organized by Ontario Nature and Nature Network groups. To submit your public events for the online calendar, send them to noahc@ontarionature.org and allow up to a week for posting. Please send only events that are open to the public and no more than three per month.
We want to include more content from the network and will feature a story or two each month from network groups, as well as other resources. We encourage you to share your stories and links by emailing them to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org.
Ontario Nature @ Centre for Social Innovation720 Bathurst Street Toronto, Ontario M5S 2R4
Photos © Diana Troya, Baxter Creek Watershed Alliance, Joe Crowley, Friends of Second Marsh, Noah Cole, Jim the Photographer CC BY 2.0