Join to hear findings from the recent report: Local Leadership Matters The latest research from the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation looks at a mix of initiatives and tools 30 municipalities are using to enhance Ontario’s Greenbelt. Based on interviews with dozens of municipal officials, the report Local Leadership Matters: Ontario Municipalities Taking Action to Strengthen the Greenbelt finds there are many ways communities are directly and indirectly helping to achieve the objectives of the Greenbelt—enhancing valuable natural heritage sites, supporting agriculture, increasing tourism, and strengthening local economies. This workshop will feature a presentation by the report’s author, Sean Hertel, a panel of municipal representatives outlining leading initiatives, and facilitated discussion of the implications of the report’s findings. Copies of the report will be available at the event. The workshop will take place on September 28th, from 10am to 12:30, with lunch to follow, at the Caledon Community Complex, 6215 Old Church Rd, Caledon. Please RSVP by September 23rd via the Eventbrite page to reserve your spot. There is no cost to attend. http://www.greenbelt.ca/
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The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry posted Wetland Conservation in Ontario: A Discussion Paper on Ontario's Environmental Registry (www.ebr.gov.on.ca, ER posting number 012-4464). The purpose of the Discussion Paper is to seek input on challenges, opportunities, ideas and actions related to wetland conservation in Ontario, with a view to developing a Strategic Plan for Ontario's Wetlands. The Strategic Plan will identify a provincial vision, goals and objectives, as well as set out a series of actions that the Ontario government will undertake over the next 15 years to improve wetland conservation across the province. The public review and comment period for Wetland Conservation in Ontario: A Discussion Paper extends until October 30, 2015. During this time the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will be holding a series of public listening sessions to seek feedback and ensure all thoughts and ideas are considered. The details of the sessions are as follows: Ottawa September 16th RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa 6:30-8:00pm Toronto September 23rd Black Creek Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, Toronto 6:30-8:00pm Thunder Bay September 29th Valhalla Inn, 1 Valhalla Inn Road, Thunder Bay 6:30-8:00pm London October 6th London Public Library, 3200 Wonderland Rd S, London 6:30-8:00pm North Bay October 8th Discovery North Bay Museum, 100 Ferguson Street, North Bay 6:30-8:00pm Niagara Falls October 14th Gale Centre 4171 4th Avenue, Niagara Falls 6:30-8:00pm The Bancroft Area Stewardship Council (BASC) asked for your ideas on topics for the October Conference and we are pleased to say we have had your input. From these ideas we have been able to develop an agenda…your Agenda for the October 2-3 Conference (See Agenda here and below). So join us on Friday, October 2nd to Saturday October 3rd, 2015 at Joy Bible Camp (www.joycamp.ca) just outside Bancroft. Registration cost is $175 / person and includes overnight accommodations (ranging from suite to dormitory style – can be viewed on Joy Camp website) and 3 hearty meals - lunch and dinner on Friday, Saturday’s breakfast plus a Box Lunch for your tour day on Saturday. The first 120 registrants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Friday Nights Gala Dinner will include our keynote speaker Dr. Peter Schleifenbaum, Owner of the 80,000+ acre, award winning Haliburton Forest. Saturday is Tour Day, your chance to learn about and hopefully view our majestic elk and visit our unique Fish hatchery. Both provincially significant and successful ventures made possible by community volunteers. We also guarantee lots of networking opportunities in the beautiful Bancroft Area. TO REGISTER: Register online with our secure website at: http://bascstore.ecwid.com/# or just search for "Bancroft Area Stewardship Council" or go to www.bancroftstewardship.ca and follow the links to our online store. It’s that easy! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Steve Wilkins e-mail [email protected] or Doug Wellman e-mail [email protected] or phone 416-518-5396. The Friends of the Salmon River, with help from Quinte Conservation, is hosting a Living Watersheds Workshop, an active learning experience designed for those with a strong commitment to the future of our watersheds in Eastern Ontario. Participants in the workshop will:
Saturday, September 12, 9am – 3pm on the Salmon River in Roblin, Ontario Roblin Wesleyan Church, 3100 County Road 41 (20 km north of Napanee) Registration More participants are needed for the workshop, particularly from the Moira, Black and Skootamatta watersheds. Anyone interested in attending may contact Susan Moore at 613-379-5958 and [email protected] OR Gray Merriam at 613-335-3589 and [email protected]. There is no charge for the event and lunch will be provided ONLY if you register in advance. Contact Susan or Gray to register as soon as possible. The Workshop Keynote speaker Cindy Chu will address the concept of the holistic watershed, complete with the headwaters, wetlands, creeks, and land, along with her findings on the effects of climate change on our rivers and watersheds in Eastern Ontario. Cindy is a scientist currently with MNRF and has done extensive fieldwork on the Salmon River. Friends of the Salmon River will present their Salmon River Habitat Strategy and a template package for developing an effective watershed group. Emphasis on Small Group Activities to bring participants together and define the unique characteristics and needs of your watershed. Resource people from FSR and Quinte Conservation will be there to help. Want to learn all about Party Crashers – invasive species – and how to protect our biodiversity? Join the Invasive Species Community Seminar at the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre on August 29 from 9 am to 3:30 pm. The Frontenac Stewardship Foundation and Queen’s University Biological Station are hosting this active learning day. It is sponsored by the Community Foundation for Kingston & Area.
Nuts and Bolts: · Prevention of the spread of invasive species; Monitoring and reporting programs · Risk of invasive species to Ontario and current provincial policy initiatives · Using research to guide Policy and Best Practices. Highlight: zebra mussels, the bloody red shrimp, and the spiny water flea · Rapid Response Program: the European water chestnut on Wolfe Island · Invasive species strategy, monitoring and active control in the Frontenac Arch Natural Area. Highlight: Elbow Lake case study. A Field Tour of the Elbow Lake property will showcase the garlic mustard, dog-strangling vine and European buckthorn management areas. Learn how to identify local invasive plants at various stages, understand why these species are so invasive, and practise some recommended management strategies. Find out how you can help monitor the spread of invasive plants at a broader scale using Citizen Science programs. The Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre is near Perth Road Village. (See elbowlakecentre.ca/contact.php). Admission is free, but space is limited, so registration by Friday, August 21 is recommended. Overnight accommodation is available on-site for a nominal fee. To register or for more information, contact [email protected] or phone 613-353-7968. For the last several months the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences has been coordinating an inventory of the fish, reptiles, mammals, insects, and plants that make their home along the upper St. Lawrence River. By recruiting “Citizen Scientists” in waterfront communities the River Institute is generating a roster of species that will help to define the health of the environment in specific areas that are along the River and its tributaries. On Saturday, August 8 beginning at 10 am, the River Institute and Raisin Region Conservation Authority are extending a special invitation to the citizens of Glengarry and beyond to get their feet wet by becoming nature detectives as a “Bioblitz” investigation is brought to Island Park and Mill Pond. The collection, observation and documentation of species found on and near the park that day will assist in determining specific research goals that lead to strategies to repair and protect the St. Lawrence River and its ecosystems.
Lacey MacDonald, the Science Education Specialist working with the Biodiversity Project, is recruiting Citizen Scientists of all ages to be environmental investigators to help her track down the creatures and plants that live in the St. Lawrence River watershed. Lacey says, “There are thousands of different species of plants, fish and mammals living all around us in this area.” She adds, “No find is too insignificant. We are thrilled to have those with specific expertise join us as volunteers such as members of birding or fishing clubs, but all interested individuals and families are more than welcome to come out as well. We provide the tools for gathering data and it provides an opportunity to get into the great outdoors and have fun at the same time. It is a chance to participate in real science.” The day long Bioblitz in Iroquois is flexible giving volunteers the ability to devote as much or as little time as they desire. Prizes will be awarded to the most species recorded over the course of the day. For more information, potential volunteers can e-mail the River Institute Biodiversity Program at [email protected], visit the River Institute website at www.riverinstitute.ca under the Teacher’s Corner, or call 613-936-6620 (ext. 237) The Biodiversity Project is funded in part by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Ontario Power Generation. Join A2A partner, the Nature Conservancy of Canada on Thursday, July 23, 7–10 pm, for a boat cruise, cocktail reception, and an evening with guest speaker Brock Fenton, bat expert & Emeritus Professor of Biology at Western University. Buy tickets online here.
American residents are invited to learn about donating ecological lands to support conservation in Canada on Saturday, July 25, hosted by A2A partners, the Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust and American Friends of Canadian Land Trusts.
The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences in Cornwall, Ontario is kicking off yet another season of its eagerly awaited summer youth camp series with Eco-Friends Summer Camp at Cooper Marsh Conservation Area in South Lancaster and the Jr. Scientist Camp in Cornwall at the River Institute.
Eco-Friends Day Camp provides children ages 6 to 11 with an opportunity to learn about science and the natural environment in the active setting of Cooper Marsh. The week-long sessions begin June 29th and run through until August 14th. Eco-Friends is often a stepping stone to the Jr. Scientist Camp that has been designed for 12 to 14 year olds who want to delve deeper into science by working with River Institute scientists on actual St. Lawrence River research projects. Junior Scientists participate in turtle surveys, fish sampling and analysis, insect and plant identification, and more. Over the years, many of these young researchers have gone on to pursue a career in the sciences. Eco-Friends Summer Camp programmer Annie St. Marseille and the enthusiastic team of camp leaders design the week long sessions to engage young campers in a world of nature and science discovery. "Each week we have a theme. Depending on the day, nature hikes, frog catching, turtle tracking, games, creating nature crafts, or executing scientific experiments are on the agenda", says Cristina Charette, newly appointed River Institute Education Coordinator." She adds, "It is exciting because our camps and education programs are growing a healthy curiosity for the world around us." There is currently a waiting list for Jr. Scientist sessions but Eco-Friends is open for registration. Participants in the Eco-Friends Day Camp can register for one or more of the following seven exciting week-long themed sessions at Cooper Marsh: Week 1 June 29 - July 3: Man vs. Wild No food? No shelter? No Water? No Tools? No problem! Campers learn all about how they can navigate using the land and sky, find water, and the basics of how one can survive in the wilderness. Week 2 July 6 - 10: Arts in the Marsh Campers are encourages to grab a paintbrush, snap some pictures, put on their dancing shoes and get creative while listening to the music of the Marsh. The natural world of animals and plants is explored through art, song, music, and dance. Week 3 July 13 - 17: Mad Scientist Future chemists, biologists, and ecologists will have an opportunity to be a scientist for a wild week of experiments and scientific discovery. Microscopes included. Week 4 July 20 - 24: Animal Mania There are millions of species of animals (and plants) on the planet and many thousands right in our own back yard. From organisms lurking in the mud to birds in the trees, campers will learn to spot, identify, come to know all about the animals that live in and around the Marsh. Week 5 July 27 - 31: Nature Nut Campers will get up close and personal by exploring some of the most fascinating nature on the planet. From spider webs to beaver dams, campers witness spectacular wildlife and natural wonders hands on at the Marsh. Week 6 August 4 - 7: Reptiles & Amphibians Campers investigate cold blooded critters this week some with four legs and some without. Turtles, frogs and salamanders are special guests at Cooper Marsh this week as campers have fun learning all about reptiles and amphibians. Week 7 August 10 - 14: Fishing Frenzy Campers are invited to get their feet wet and fall hook, line and sinker for scaly friends of the St. Lawrence River. More details on both the Eco-Friends and Jr. Scientist Camp, including registration, is available online at www.riverinstitute.ca, or by calling the River Institute at 613-936-6620. You can also follow the River Institute on Facebook. The St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) are kicking off this summer’s 5 part series of Family Environmental Education Workshops with Wild for Wildlife or “Biodiversity is a Blast” on Saturday, May 30th between the hours of noon and 4 pm at Ontario Power Generation’s St. Lawrence River Power Development Visitor Centre in Cornwall.
The entire family is invited outdoors to discover the world of science and nature along the St. Lawrence River in Cornwall at OPG. “Wild for Wildlife” is a local adventure in biodiversity. This fun filled afternoon is action packed and invites the public to join in on several interactive Science and Nature Stations that explore the local plants and animals. Visitors are invited to become real wildlife detectives by helping to build up an inventory of local species through an outdoor scavenger hunt otherwise known as a mini “Bio blitz”. This event is an opportunity to learn more about those species that live in our own back yard through hands-on activities for all ages. For those with a natural curiosity, the St. Lawrence River watershed provides the outdoor living laboratory that accommodates thousands of different species of plants, fish, mammals, and reptiles. Bats, eels, fish, plants, trees and turtles are subject matter for some lively discussion with River Institute scientists as they undertake their research on and along the upper St. Lawrence River. “The general health of local ecosystems can ultimately be determined by understanding the varieties of plant and animal life that exist in and around the St. Lawrence River,” says Biodiversity Educator Lacey MacDonald. “A healthy biodiversity provides us with the natural amenities that give us our food, drinking water, wood/lumber, medicine and so much more. The more we learn about local biodiversity, the better our chances for protecting our own health and the health of our environment.” Family workshops are free of charge and are facilitated by research scientists from the St. Lawrence River Institute of Environmental Sciences and their special guests. The OPG Visitor Centre also offers displays and interactive exhibits that illustrate the St. Lawrence Seaway and Power Project construction story and its effects on the nearby communities. Visitors can also learn and observe how OPG safely generates electricity at its power generating stations located across Ontario. Visit www.opg.com/stlawrencevisitorcentre for details, or call Karen Cooper at 613- 936-6620 (ext. 229) or e-mail [email protected] at the River Institute. |
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