June Provincial Election: Vote for Nature

The provincial election is coming up on June 2nd. We must make our voices heard about the urgent need to address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Together, we can be the voice for wild species and wild spaces.

For more information on what Ontario Nature is advocating for in the provincial election and how you can get involved, check out our election webpage, housing blog, social media toolkit and sign our Action Alert.

In addition, Nature Network member clubs were sent a draft of a letter that will be going out from Ontario Nature and any participating clubs/organizations to provincial party leaders asking them to commit to protected places, species at risk and accountability goals. If your club has not already done so, please read the letter and consider lending your support to these important messages. If you have any questions or your club did not receive the letter, please contact Lesley at lesleyr@ontarionature.org.

Annual Gathering

Join us in Sudbury for our 91st Annual Gathering on June 10–12, 2022. Registration is now open! The deadline is April 22, but spots are likely to fill up quickly! Details on the excellent program are on our Annual Gathering webpage. 

Participate in the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas

Are you interested in learning more about the third Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (Atlas-3) and how you can get involved? The spring migration is underway, and the Atlas-3 partners are offering lots of events to engage volunteers in collecting important bird data for the atlas. You can learn more about upcoming events, including the popular "Sappy Hour" birder socials, named for the yellow-bellied sapsucker, on the Atlas-3 Facebook and Instagram pages. Happy birding!

Yours to Protect

A coalition of concerned individuals and organizations Yours to Protects states: we live here, we love this province, and we are not going to let it be dug up, paved over and polluted. The Yours to Protect Weekend (April 22–24) is gaining momentum. We want to show how much this election matters to the environment by having even more events! Right now, Perth Ontario is leading the pack with not one but two events on different days! If there's nothing in your area, consider signing up for a letter delivery to your MPP – it's an easy action which only takes one or two participants, but it will still get your town or city on the map and inspire people to get involved.

Stewards Neededs

Looking for an excuse to get involved with Ontario Nature’s diverse nature reserves? Our nature reserve’s team is actively seeking an enthusiastic group or individual to fill two stewardship roles. Volunteers are the backbone of our nature reserve system. We rely on local stewards to monitor and appreciate them. Stewards ‘adopt’ a nature reserve and act in partnership with us to help protect and manage the property.

Wilfred G. Crozier is nestled in the Niagara Escarpment of Halton Hills. The reserve features a range of species and habitats including an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, which is part of Halton Forest North. Learn more about Wilfred G. Crozier Nature Reserve.

Baptist Harbour Nature Reserve, acquired by Ontario Nature in 2000, is an important ecological area on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula.  Located on the shores of Lake Huron, this ten-hectare (24-acre) nature reserve encompasses stunning and diverse scenery. Learn more about Baptist Harbour Nature Reserve.

To learn more about stewarding one of these amazing properties, please contact the nature reserves team at reserves@ontarionature.org.

New Nature Network Organizer

Lesley Rudy joined Ontario Nature in March as the new Nature Network Organizer. This position moves from part-time to full-time, allowing Ontario Nature to provide more support to the Nature Network. Lesley lives in and works from Kingston, Ontario. She has an education in Biology and a history working with nature-based not-for-profit organizations. She is excited to join Ontario Nature and work with all the fantastic Nature Network groups!

Ontario Nature would like to thank Lisa Richardson for her many years of work with the Nature Network. Lisa is still at Ontario Nature, working as assistant editor for ON Nature magazine.

Resources and Links

• We thought you might enjoy this wetlands infographic.
• Hap Wilson, a fantastic naturalist who has recorded two webinars that all are welcome to watch: Fifty Years, One Hundred Rivers and Wild Temagami: Half A Century of Conflict. 
• Ontario Nature has a YouTube channel with lots of useful webinars, interesting tours and more. 
  

Events Calendar

See our events calendar for a complete listing of events organized by Ontario Nature and Nature Network groups.

 

Earthroots: 

Join us for an Intimate "Virtual Tour" of Ontario's Old Growth Forests through the eyes of experts. Ontario's old-growth forests are spectacular and under threat. No one knows this better than experts Michael Henry and Dr. Peter Quinby, authors of the recently published, Ontario's Old Growth Forests. Join us on Wednesday, April 20 at 7 pm for a one-hour virtual event featuring the authors and hosted by Earthroots' Chair Gord Miller. Register here. 

Pelee Buzz
View Pelee Island 2022 Events Poster 

Owen Sound Field Naturalists 

7th Annual Owen Sound Field Naturalists Keynote Speaker Event. Presenting Celebrate Earth Week with Hap Wilson: 2p.m. Sunday, April 24, 2022 at the Bayshore Community Centre, Owen Sound. Fifty years in conservation, mapping Canadian wilderness and covering almost half the landmass in the country. The ups and downs of guidebook writing as an environmental tool. Working with and against a political mindset that affects the integrity and sanctity of our wild places. Working with First Nations in understanding the importance of traditional territories and respect for sacred places. Tickets are $5 and are available by emailing John Dickson jwdickso@gmail.com. 

Interpretive Hike at Neyaashiinigmiing with Lenore Keeshig We will search for trail-marker trees. Bring a lunch. Register: Lenore Keeshig, lenorekeeshig@gmail.com Limit: 12. Wed April 27, 10 a.m. – 1 or 2 p.m.

May 12, 2022 Dr. Gary Umphrey – Ants of Ontario, Including Grey Bruce. Learn about ants, their activities and behaviours, plus their relative status on the continent and in the world. Dr. Umphrey, University of Guelph, will share his knowledge and enthusiasm for the ants we know – and those we have yet to meet. 

June 9, 2022 Andrea Gress – Our Piping Plovers: Where are they at? How are they doing? Ontario’s Piping Plover population has been declining in recent years. The 16th breeding season well underway, Andrea, the Program Coordinator with Birds Canada, will refresh your general plover knowledge, tell us if this season might have higher results and explain how you can help. 

Tues June 14, 10:30 am - 1:30 pm - Discovery Tour of Britain Lake Wetland & Woodlands with Nature Conservancy of Canada biologists Late spring in this newly protected NCC property. Bring a lunch/snack. Register: Megan.Bonenfant@natureconservancy.ca. Events and presentation methods are subject to change. Visit www.osfn.ca or check e-Heralds for updates.  

Prince Edward County Field Naturalists 

‘Mosses in Prince Edward County’ - Botanists Jennifer Doubt and Eric Snyder will share their knowledge of Bryophytes (mosses) in Prince Edward County. Learn the names and unique qualities of the mosses all around us. Presentation and meeting by the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists. E-mail gerry.jenkison@icloud.com for Zoom link. All welcome. Tuesday April 26, 7 p.m. 

Nith Valley EcoBoosters

Woolwich Healthy Communities and the Nith Valley EcoBoosters are hosting an online session RUN FOR OFFICE, on Thursday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. EDT to provide you with the knowledge and know-how to put a campaign together. Local politicians Ken Seiling, Patrick Merlihan, Angie Hallman, Shelly Wagner and Rod Rolleman will share their experiences and answer your questions about life on-the-job. For more details and to register visit www.healthywoolwich.org/runforoffice 

Learn how to make your existing home more energy-efficient while also reducing carbon emissions. The Nith Valley EcoBoosters are hosting a free webinar that will answer your questions on Thursday, April 28th, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. EDT. The webinar will feature Greg Labbé, a Building Science Consultant and educator at Ryerson University, as keynote speaker. Greg’s presentation will focus on how homeowners can reduce their home’s energy use through improvements/retrofits, insulation, air sealing, windows & doors, heat pumps/air handlers, water heaters, solar panels and smart thermostats. A panel of homeowners with experience of retrofitting their homes plus experts from REEP and Climate Action WR will join Greg for a Q&A following the presentation. For more information and to register for this free event visit https://nvecoboosters.com/ 

Midland-Penatanguishine Field Naturalists 

"The Kayapo Project in the Brazilian Amazon" webinar with Barbara Zimmerman, Kayapo Project Director, International Conservation Fund of Canada.  Thurs. Apr. 21, 2022 7:30 PM on Zoom. Please email mpfieldnaturalists@gmail.com to receive the Zoom invitation. In 1991 Barbara Zimmerman became involved with the struggle of the Kayapo Indigenous people of the Brazilian Amazon to defend their rights in the face of the rapidly advancing frontier.   She will tell us of her work with local, national and international partner NGO's and Kayapo communities to strengthen Kayapo capacity for protecting over 23 million acres of their legally ratified territories from encroachment, invasion and destruction.  

"Alvars: A Globally Significant Habitat...Right Next Door!" webinar with Ontario Nature Education Award winner David Hawke. Thurs. May 19, 2022 7:30 PM on Zoom. Please email mpfieldnaturalists@gmail.com to receive the Zoom link. Alvars are found only in five places on Earth, and many are scattered around the Great Lakes. The Carden Alvar is a globally renowned limestone-based area east of Orillia that supports a collection of rare and unique plants and animals. 

Upcoming Deadlines

Have something fascinating to share with the Nature Network? We want to include more content from the network and will feature a story each month. We can also share resources you think may be useful to Nature Network groups in our resources section. The deadline for stories for our consideration for the May 15th issue is May 1, 2022. You can send your submissions to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org. We may not be able to include all stories and resources sent but hope to be able to have some great content from the network!

To submit your public events for the online calendar, send to naturenetwork@ontarionature.org at any time (not restricted by May 1st deadline). Events will no longer be listed in this newsletter. Please send events that are open to the public and try to limit to 3 events per month. Please allow up to a week for posting. 

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.