Message from Laura Wensink | Restoration Biologist
Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority
I will be hosting a few volunteer events near Collingwood and the Blue Mountains and would love your support. We will be planting tree seedlings at two locations on May 5 and May 8 (see attached map for approximate locations). On April 15 we will be bioengineering: propagating native shrubs from cuttings and using them to stabilize a stream bank (it will be a bit muddy!).
We will be tree planting and bioengineering at Petun Conservation Area. Perhaps you have hiked the Bruce Trail sidetrail there! Last year we removed a dam and pond that was warming the water temperature by up to 7C, which is not idea for the cold-water fish that call it home. The stream now flows across some beautiful riffles and pools, but the area where the pond once stood needs to be replanted with native trees and shrubs. We would love your help.
We take safety seriously and will be taking the following safety measures:
- NVCA follows Covid-19 safety protocols in accordance with Ontario regulations, including mandatory masks, sanitizing tools, maintaining 2m distance, contact tracing, limit to 25 people per event, etc.
- If Simcoe-Muskoka District goes back to Zone Grey (Lockdown), the events will be cancelled because NVCA staff will not attend.
- Steep slopes at Petun Conservation Area (April 15 and May 8) make this site unsuitable for young children or people with lower mobility
Unfortunately we will have to cancel our April 14 stream restoration event at Petun Conservation Area, due to the province wide lockdown. In order to take advantage of the dogwoods ability to sprout from cuttings, the shrub has to be cut when dormant (ie no leaves). We will have to wait until October or November for this event. By then it will hopefully be a little less muddy and many people will be vaccinated, so I am hopeful it will be an excellent event!
The current Grey Zone/ Lockdown is 28 days long, so our tree planting events on May 5 and 8 are still in the plan! If the Simcoe-Muskoka and Grey-Bruce health units are both out of lockdown (ie we return to zone red, orange or green) these socially distanced events will be permitted! Participants will need to pre-register for these events since we have to limit the size of the event. I will send the links to do that 1-2 weeks before the event, if circumstances allow
Film Premier
“Save Wolf Lake”
Presented by the Friends of Temagami
March 11th 7:30 PM
Followed by a short panel discussion with a Q & A
Watch it online on the Friends of Temagami YouTube ChannelFor More Information visit:
savewolflake.org
facebook.com/friendsoftemagami
twitter.com/FriendsTemagami
“This is an environmental catastrophe in the making,” says local group
Save Silver Creek Wetlands aims to protect environmental legacy, holds builders accountable for responsible development.
The following link will take you to a an article describing the efforts being made by "Save Silver Creek
Wedlands" to fight against inappropriate development.
Save Silver Creek Wetlands aims to protect environmental legacy, holds builders
accountable for responsible development
The staff at the museum has been busily working on projects including our next two films which are to launch February 13 at 7 pm. A trailer for the films is now online at crowdcast, see below. These are natural history topics, Craigleith Fossils and The Niagara Escarpment and our new trailer is already up on the crowdcast site for viewing.
show more ...The film launch for both event will stream through croudcast
If you are interested in joining us please register at crowdcast to participate in the event, view, and a trailer is already up for viewing at the site.
There is unlimited audience on this platform, so help us get the word out for the launch. There is no need for an app just sign onto this platform, the films will be streamed in high definition There are two films being launched on Feb. 13, and then a Q & A with the filmmakers and then staff to chat about the Reel History project and our collection.
It is coming soon to computer near you! Please share, and get the popcorn popping!
Join us on the Virtual Museum
show less ...
Help Keep County Road 91
Hello Friends, especially those located near former Simcoe County Road 91 (CR91) & Clearview Concession 10, west of Duntroon:
We need your help.
Please join us in an online information session, Tuesday 26 January 2021
at 7:00pm.
Sideroad 26/27
As you may know, Clearview intends to close the western section of CR91 and transfer ownership to Walker Aggregates Inc. They propose to replace this important inter-county road by reconstructing Sideroad 26/27, currently a narrow seasonal road with a 14% grade that traverses the Niagara Escarpment's most sensitive lands comprising precious wetlands.
show more ...- Degrade a cold-water trout fishery
- Destroy Escarpment wetlands
- Create a dangerously steep road
- Increase traffic on Concession 10
- Impact inter-county traffic networks
- Impact efficient commercial transportation
The kicker is that what's left of CR91 would still be full of trucks: Walker's. The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust has been fighting this action since 2015. We need to continue this fight; victory is in sight. This is your chance to find out about the issues and what we need to do in preparation for a major hearing before the Environmental Review Tribunal of the Niagara Escarpment.
Sideroad 26/27 is a seasonal road that connects Grey Road 31 to 10th Concession.
We need your help.
We are an all-volunteer registered charity. Our members work (and work hard!) for free; we need
money to pay for experts who will testify—who will “speak for the trees” as Dr. Seuss once wrote.
The Watershed Trust has party status; the Niagara Escarpment Commission leans on us for expert
testimony, studies, witnesses and cross-examination, as concerns conservation.
They need us, too.
Please confirm your attendance by Registering by 11:59pm on Monday January 25, 2021.
show less ...
Nature Network News
Conservation updates for member groups.
Looking Forward to 2021
As we head into a new year, we remember all the amazing things we accomplished for nature in 2020
despite unprecedented challenges. We could not have done it without you, our members, followers,
funders, partners and sponsors. In the coming year, we will continue to support a science-based approach
to conservation and we will fight alongside you to protect our precious environment. Read our new blog to learn about the exciting projects we have planned for 2021!
Explore the Wildlife and Habitats of Stone Road Alvar
Join our conservation staff, partners and researchers on February 2, 2021 for a free webinar on the post-burn species monitoring at our Stone Road Alvar Nature
Reserve on Pelee Island. In 2018, we conducted a prescribed burn on the property and since then we have
been monitoring the burn's effect on the area's species at risk. During the 1.5-hour webinar you will
learn about the unique ecosystems found on Pelee Island and about restoration work on local conservation
lands. Register now to secure your spot for this enlightening session!
Funding for Tree Planting Now Available
Tree Canada is inviting all land owners and conservation organizations to apply to its National Greening Program, which supports large-scale tree planting projects across
Canada. The program provides funding for the purchase of trees to reforest properties to enhance
biodiversity and create habitat for wildlife. Tree Canada is a national charity with multiple programs
dedicated to planting and nurturing trees in urban and rural environments of all sizes. If you are
interested in having a National Greening Program planting on your land, submit an online proposal by January 25, 2021.
Join the Canadian Bat Box Project
Do you have a bat box on your property? If so, researchers with the Canadian Bat Box Project want to
know about it. They are collecting data on Canada's bats and they invite everyone to help by
submitting information about the species using local bat boxes. If you don't have a bat box on your
property but would like to help, please consider installing one. The Canadian Bat Box Project
provides guidance on how to install bat boxes and how to determine if they are being used. The data
collected will help researchers determine which species use bat boxes and the box designs they
prefer. For more information contact Karen Vanderwolf.
Check Out the Winter 2020 Issue of ON Nature
The winter issue of ON Nature, our quarterly award-winning magazine, is now
available! Explore Ontario's wild species and spaces with us by reading about how a warming planet
will impact Ontario's iconic big cat, a cross-cultural conservation campaign that is supporting lake
sturgeon recovery efforts, and why we have reached the tipping point for Ontario's permafrost
ecosystem. ON Nature is a member supported magazine. For $50 per year you can help support Ontario Nature's work protecting wildlife and habitats, and we
will mail you a print magazine.
Become an Advocate for Nature
Tens of thousands of people are raising their voices as advocates for the protection of Ontario's wild species and wild spaces People
who are willing to take that extra step by communicating with the government and other
decision-makers about the need to protect nature. Will you join them? As an advocate for nature you
will receive emails about important conservation issues and easy ways you can take action when your
help is urgently needed.
Dear Migs,
I hope you were able to join us yesterday evening for the live discussion Protecting Ontario’s Environmental Future. If so, you were one of more than 1200 people who joined us live - what a way to kick off this year! If you weren’t able to attend then don’t worry - the session was recorded and is available to watch on Youtube now.
It was a truly inspiring evening, and I’m very grateful again to my special guests, David Crombie, Anastasia Lintner and Anne Bell for their uplifting and informative words.
As David said so eloquently last night, it’s not too late to protect Ontario’s environmental future, but we need to get organised. Together, we have real power to fight for what’s important, which is why we all need to stand up and make our voices heard, at every level of government and in every community.
As a first step, would you take three minutes to take part in this survey, to help us get to know more about you and how we can work together to protect Ontario’s environment? This will help us better support local groups, develop information and resources and drive this movement forward.
We heard it loud and clear last night: Ontario’s environment is Yours to Protect. Thank you for being part of the movement.
In solidarity,
Tim Grey
Executive Director