Stop Bill 66

Help us stop the provincial government’s attack on the environment. On December 6, 2018, the government introduced Bill 66, Restoring Ontario’s Competitiveness Act, to facilitate development across Ontario. If passed, this legislation would allow municipalities to circumvent planning requirements and land use restrictions under numerous provincial laws, plans and policies. It would roll back environmental progress that has been decades in the making. Please join us in urging the government not to privilege big business over the people of Ontario.

Taking Action for Healthier Waterways in Sudbury

For nearly two decades the Junction Creek Stewardship Committee  has been making Sudbury’s Junction Creek a cleaner and healthier waterway for local species and citizens. This past fall, the group joined Plastic-Free Greater Sudbury and other concerned nature-lovers to remove and inventory 400 kg of waste from the creek and surrounding area. The inventory of waste items will be used to determine possible sources of debris and to raise public awareness about the importance of clean water for wildlife, habitats and people. To learn more about the restoration of Junction Creek or to join a local cleanup, email restoration@junctioncreek.com or call 705-525-8736.

Who Are Your Conservation Heroes?

There is still time to submit your nominations for the 2018 Ontario Nature Conservation Awards. These annual awards recognize the excellence of individuals, groups, government agencies and corporations who have worked to protect nature in Ontario. All award recipients will be honoured at our Annual General Meeting on June 1, 2019 at Mohawk College in Hamilton. The deadline for nominations is March 25, 2019. Visit the Ontario Nature website for more information about the award categories and submission guidelines.

Ontario’s Cormorants in the Cross-hairs

Ontario Nature and the David Suzuki Foundation are urging the Government of Ontario to withdraw its ill-advised proposal to establish a hunting season for double-crested cormorants. In a letter to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, we stressed that this so-called “population management tool” is lacking in any scientific justification or evidence. Additionally, the provision allowing an individual to kill 50 birds a day for nine-and-a-half months could cause significant harm to cormorants and other native wildlife. Visit our blog to read about some common cormorant myths.

Sponsor a Young Person to Attend the 2019 Youth Summit

September 20-22, 2019 marks our tenth annual Youth Summit for Biodiversity & Environmental Leadership and we’d like you to consider sponsoring a young person to attend. As in past years, the Ontario Nature Youth Council will host this unique event that brings together 100 high school-aged youth from across Ontario. Your support will help us connect like-minded young people with one another and create lasting positive impact in their lives. Contact Christine Ambre to learn more about how you can become a sponsor this year.

International Day for Biodiversity Grant Program Accepting Applications

The Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network (BEAN) is pleased to announce that they are once again accepting funding applications of up to $500 for International Day for Biodiversity events across the province. In the past, BEAN has supported activities such as invasive plant pulls, native plantings, BioBlitz events and nature hikes, as well as conferences and educational workshops. Applications for the 2019 International Day for Biodiversity Grant Program will be accepted between January 10, 2019 – March 22, 2019.

Events

• Ontario Turtles: Past, Present and Future with Peter Mills, Friday January 18 @7:30pm at North West Barrie United Church (464 Ferndale Drive North) in Barrie; for more information contact Alex Mills at 705-739-1094.
• Minesing Raptors Outing, Saturday February 2 @ 8:30am; meet at the Little Lake Parking Lot; for more information contact Brian Gibbon at 705-721-4599.
• Information in Mud with Jamie Summers, Friday February 15 @ 7:30pm at North West Barrie United Church (464 Ferndale Drive North) in Barrie; for more information contact Alex Mills at 705-739-1094.
• Horned Larks and Tiffin Pancakes Outing to the Minesing Flats, Saturday March 9 @ 8:30am; meet at the Little Lake Parking Lot; for more information contact Brian Gibbon at 705-721-4599.
• Darkside: Illuminating the World of Moths with Basil Conlin, Friday March 15 @ 7:30pm at North West Barrie United Church (464 Ferndale Drive North) in Barrie; for more information contact Alex Mills at 705-739-1094.
• Spring Birds in the Minesing Floodlands, Saturday April 6 @ 7:45am; meet at the Little Lake Parking Lot; for more information contact Chris Evans at 705-722-1136.
• American Woodcocks Outing, Wednesday April 17 @ 7:30pm; meet at the Little Lake Parking Lot; for more information contact Ian Cook at 705-727-4004.
• Annual General Meeting and Potluck, Friday April 26 @ 6:00pm at North West Barrie United Church (464 Ferndale Drive North) in Barrie; for more information contact Alex Mills at 705-739-1094.

• 2019 Annual General Meeting, Saturday January 19 @ 4:00pm at Historic Fort Willow; admission is free; visit eventbrite to register.

• Wingtips at our Fingertips: Understanding the Complex Lives of Migratory Birds with Stuart Mackenzie (Bird Studies Canada), Monday January 21 @ 7:00pm at the Burlington Seniors Centre (2285 New Street) in Burlington; for more information contact Bruce at kintail52@gmail.com.
• Trees of McMaster Forest Outing, Saturday January 19 @ 1:00pm; for more information contact Bruce at kintail52@gmail.com.
• Future Wetland Development in Stoney Creek with Scott Peck (Hamilton Conservation Authority), Monday February 11 @ 7:00pm at Royal Botanical Gardens Headquarters (680 Plains Road West) in Burlington; for more information visit the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club website.
• Birding in the Falklands and Beyond with Dr. David Brewer, Monday February 25 @ 7:00pm at the Burlington Seniors Centre (2285 New Street) in Burlington; for more information contact Bruce at kintail52@gmail.com.
• Environmental Changes with Dr. Bill McIlveen, Monday March 11 @ 7:00pm at Royal Botanical Gardens Headquarters (680 Plains Road West) in Burlington; for more information visit the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club website.
• India: Temples, Tigers and Peacocks with Peter Middleton, Monday March 18 @ 7:00pm at the Burlington Seniors Centre (2285 New Street) in Burlington; for more information contact Bruce at kintail52@gmail.com.

• Winter Birding in Haldimand County, Sunday January 20 @ 2:00pm; meet in Port Dover at the base of the dock on the west side of the harbour; for more information contact Len at 519-428-6796.
• What a Hoot – Owl Prowl, Saturday March 2 @ 7:30pm; for more information contact Bernie at 519-427-9969.
• Presentation on the First Nations of Southern Ontario by Garth Pottruff, Tuesday March 12 @ 7:30 pm at the Simcoe Seniors Centre (89 Pond Street) in Simcoe.
• Winter Backus Woods Tree Ecology Hike, Sunday March 17 @ 1:00pm; for more information contact Len at 519-428-6796.
• Timberdoodle Night Hike, Friday April 12 @ 7:30pm; meet at 273 Charlotteville Road 2 in St. Williams; for more information contact Audrey at 519-586-9464. 

• Weather Forecasting Today: Global Scale Science with Rick Berry, Tuesday February 12 @ 7:30pm at Queensville Holland Landing United Church (20453 Leslie Street) in Queensville; for more information visit www.ysnatureclub.com.
• Initiatives of the East Gwillimbury Environmental Advisory Committee with Kyla Greenham, Tuesday March 12 @ 7:30pm at Queensville Holland Landing United Church (20453 Leslie Street) in Queensville; for more information visit www.ysnatureclub.com.
• Displays of the Woodcock and Other Native Birds with Ian Cook, Tuesday April 9 @ 7:30pm at Queensville Holland Landing United Church (20453 Leslie Street) in Queensville; for more information visit www.ysnatureclub.com. 

• Advances in DNA Sequencing: How We Will Assess Water Quality in the Future with Dr. Tom Edge (McMaster University Dept. of Biology), Wednesday February 6 @ 7:30pm at the Orillia Museum of Art and History (Peter Street South) in Orillia.
• Snowshoe Outing to East Coulson Nature Reserve, Saturday February 23 @ 9:30am; meet behind Zehr’s at 8:45am to carpool; for more information contact Leanore Wiancko at 705-326-5261.

• Snowshoe Hike to Look for Screech Owls, Saturday January 19 @ 7:00pm; meet in the parking lot of Sulphur Spring Conservation Area (261123 Grey Road 28) just south of Hanover; for more information contact saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.ca.
• Winter Nature Walk at Kinghurst Forest Nature Reserve, Saturday February 16 @ 10:00am; meet at the east parking lot for the Kinghurst reserve opposite Harrison Lake; for more information or to register contact saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.ca.
• Regular Club Meeting Featuring a Presentation on the Bruce Trail, Monday February 18 @ 8:00pm at the Masonic Lodge (33133 Grey Road 28) in Hanover; for more information contact saugeenfieldnaturalists@yahoo.ca.

• Festival of Birds, May 1-20, 2019 at Point Pelee National Park; for more information visit the festival website.

Upcoming Deadlines

The next issue of the Nature Network News will be sent on February 15, 2019. The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2019. 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.