Picturing Protection Photo Contest

It is safe to say that we all have a favourite natural area that we hold dear to our hearts. We want to see yours! Submit a photo of your favourite protected place or a special natural area you think should be protected for a chance to be featured in the fall issue of ON Nature magazine. Not only will your photo be entered into the contest, but you will be supporting the Protected Places Declaration and helping to protect nature across Ontario. You can read more about the contest on our blog. Enter Today.

Youth Summit Registration is Now Open

We are excited to share that registration for our highly-anticipated 9^th annual Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Environmental Leadership is now open. Alongside our Youth Council, we are welcoming 100 environmental leaders from high schools across the province to come together for a weekend of nature exploration, networking and outdoor fun. This year’s summit will be held from September 21 to 23, 2018 at YMCA Geneva Park in Orillia. For more information contact Christine Ambre at christinea@ontarionature.org or 1-800-440-2366 ext. 244.

Indigenous Perspectives on Protected Areas

We are pleased to announce the report and summary video of our landmark gathering on Indigenous perspectives on protected areas held in Peterborough last fall. The gathering was hosted by Ontario Nature, Plenty Canada, Walpole Island Land Trust and the Indigenous Environmental Science/Studies program at Trent University. It provided a unique forum for cross-cultural dialogue about commitments under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to protect at least 17 percent of our lands and inland waters, and to fully and effectively engage Indigenous and local communities in reaching that goal.

Join the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas BioBlitz

The last weekend of Ontario Nature’s competitive BioBlitz series is happening from June 16 to 18 and we don’t want you to miss it! The goal of the BioBlitz is to search for reptiles and amphibians across Ontario, and add these new observations to the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas. All aspiring or experienced citizen scientists are invited to participate by conducting their own survey or by joining one of the guided hikes hosted by experts at select locations across the province. Contact Emma Horrigan to learn more about how you can join the fun.

Celebrate Piping Plovers at Wasaga Beach

Come out to Ploverpalooza at Wasaga Beach’s Waterfront Festival on June 16 and 17 to celebrate the community’s iconic piping plovers. The weekend festivities will feature numerous activities for kids, including birdhouse building, face painting, plover masks and a colouring contest. The festival is free and everyone is welcome! For more information visit the Wasaga Beach Park website.

Nipissing Naturalists on Bat Patrol

For the third summer in a row, the Nipissing Naturalists Club has deployed stationary acoustic recorders to monitor bat populations in North Bay and Nipissing. The monitoring is being done as a part of the North American Bat Monitoring Program. Over the three years that the group has been involved with the program, its members have seen a decline in local bat numbers, likely due to white-nose syndrome. You can read more about the Nipissing Naturalists bat-monitoring efforts on their website.

Events

• Butterflies of Bognor Marsh with Chris Rickard, Saturday June 16 @ 1:30pm; meet at Bognor Marsh parking lot; rain date is Sunday June 17; for more information visit the Owen Sound Field Naturalists website.

• Bird and Amphibian Outing to Allanburg, Gibson Lake, Wednesday June 20 @ 7:00pm; meet at the parking area at Holland Rd & Hwy 20, just west of Allanburg Bridge; for more information contact Michael Deeley at 905- 257-6836.
• Outing to Wetland Ridge Trail at Niagara College (Glendale Campus), Wednesday June 27 @ 7:00pm; meet at Niagara College (135 Taylor Rd) in Niagara-on-the-Lake at the southeast corner of the parking lot near the greenhouse; for more information contact Paula Clark at 905-374-2278.

• Outing to Maher/Weir Family Farm, Saturday June 23 @ 10:00am; for more information contact Nikki May at 519-369-5121 or saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.ca.

• Outing to Jaycee Park, Thursday June 28 @ 7:00pm; for more information contact Jean Hampson at 905-688-1260.
• Outing to Windmill Point, Saturday July 7 @ 9:00am; meet at the Shoppers Drug Mart and bring a lunch; for more information contact Rick Young at 905-734-6226.

Upcoming Deadlines

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on July 15, 2018. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2018. Submissions can be sent to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org. Please note that events can be listed up to two months in advance – allowing others to put it on their calendar well in advance.

 Ontario Nature publishes the Ontario Nature Network News every month with contributions from its member groups and staff. Ontario Nature grants permission for use of the information above in member group newsletters. Please credit either Ontario Nature or the member group.