Wildlife in Japan with Roy John – postscript
by Jakob Mueller On 12 March 2019, Roy John presented an excellent talk on wildlife in Japan to the OFNC monthly meeting. Those of you who attended will remember that the projector was acting up, and was unable to properly display anything with red pigments. Those of you who missed this talk are in luck - you can see a sample of Roy's images below. Unfortunately you will have to imagine the descriptions, anecdotes and jokes that accompanied them. (If [...]
Stand up for species at risk
from the Conservation Committee of the OFNC The question is simple really. Do you care about species at risk? Do you care about Barn Swallows, Blanding’s Turtles, Eastern Whip-poor-wills, or Monarch Butterflies? If you care about these species and the other 200 species at risk in Ontario, then it is time to stand up for them. The government of Ontario is currently reviewing the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the legislation that provides protection for species at risk and their habitat. [...]
OFNC Point Pelee Bus Excursion – May 9-13, 2019
Update: As of now, the trip is full! Thank you for your interest. OFNC Point Pelee Bus Excursion - May 9-13, 2019 The Events Committee is pleased to announce that the Point Pelee Bus Excursion will be returning in 2019. This page will be kept updated with any new information as it becomes available. The primary feedback from previous trips is that it was too short. This year, we have extended it by a day. The trip will run for five [...]
Birding in bleak mid-winter
Report on the 26 January 2019 field trip along the Rideau River by Gregory Zbitnew Nine participants enjoyed a pleasantly bleak mid-winter morning near Hurdman, the Adawe Bridge, and Billings Bridge. Conditions were actually almost pleasant, or at any rate only slightly uncomfortable, with average temperatures, little wind, and a bit of sun. We saw 15 species at the three stops. Unfortunately recent severe cold diminished the open water and may have been a factor in the absence of the BARROW’S GOLDENEYE, [...]
Proposed cormorant hunt: what to know and what to do
by Jakob Mueller, OFNC Vice President The Ontario government is considering a proposal to establish a hunting season on the Double-crested Cormorant. The details and potential effects of this proposal are a serious cause for concern. If enacted, the law will set responsible conservation back in Ontario and cause ecological harm that will take decades to reverse. The OFNC has posted an official objection to this. However, the OFNC is also asking its members and all concerned citizens to post [...]
Keep our environment commissioner
The OFNC has signed an Ontario Nature letter to Premier Ford protesting elimination of the role of environment commissioner. by Sandy Garland Ontario Nature (ON) is rallying its members (including the OFNC) to express concern over the move to eliminate the office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO). OFNC President Diane Lepage has signed ON's letter to Premier Ford on the club's behalf. As an individual, please also consider signing ON's petition here - We, the people, are for the [...]
Britannia woods – a forest professional’s view
Ken Farr and Nancy Young, of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, share their knowledge about trees and forests with OFNC and CIF members by Bev McBride, photos by Dave Moore What a great chance to meet some new people and hear some different perspectives. Thirty-two OFNC and Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) members joined Ken Farr and Nancy Young on a walk through the Britannia Conservation Area woods. Nancy and Ken are vice-chair and chair of the Ottawa Valley Section [...]
Part 1 of CFN Special Issue is Now Online
By William Halliday, Online Journal Manager of CFN The latest issue of The Canadian Field-Naturalist has now been published online, and this one is special! We decided to make a two-part special issue on amphibians and reptiles in Canada, dedicated to Dr. Francis Cook. Dr. Cook was a long-time editor and associate editor of CFN, as well as curator (now emeritus) at the Canadian Museum of Nature where he studied amphibians and reptiles in Canada. Dr. Cook was also just [...]
NCC’s anti-buckthorn squad
Mission: eliminate buckthorn at the alvar in Aylmer, Quebec From the Nature Conservancy of Canada La version française suit Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Protects High Biodiversity Natural Habitats. The alvar is a type of rare habitat worldwide characterized by outcrops of limestone and colonized by a very specific plant community. The largest portion of the Aylmer Alvar is protected by NCC, but a strong abundance of buckthorns has been established over time. Thus, to restore the alvar and curb [...]