August 2013
Do More on the Shore!
 
Become a Member Today!
This month I became well acquainted with Carolinian Canada and the shore of Lake Erie from the seat of my bicycle as I cycled from Port Stanley to Fort Erie on the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure. “Do more on the shore” is the motto of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and they successfully had over 200 cyclists doing just that from August 11-17 along the shore of Lake Erie.
Carolinian Canada Coalition is very excited about the Waterfront Regeneration Trust's work on the Lake Erie Waterfront Trail. The Waterfront Trail provides an excellent route through the landscape and communities of Lake Erie, and makes a great addition to the Erie Coastal Stewardship EcoTrail, a network of over 80 sites that showcase the natural and cultural significance of Carolinian Canada and Lake Erie. Stay tuned to our website and EcoNews for more news on the EcoTrail guide and interpretive information, coming soon!
I had the privilege of cycling and representing Carolinian Canada Coalition for three days on the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure. Equipped with some fun facts about Lake Erie and the Carolinian life zone, I spoke with many riders about the treasures of Carolinian Canada.
I hope the trip fostered an appreciation for the wild spaces in our deep south among the riders – the trip sure gave me a new appreciation for Carolinian Canada. Our forests, prairies and beaches (and the habitats in between) are beautiful and need to be protected in perpetuity for the enjoyment of current and future generations. I hope you will continue to work with us and support us to make this happen.
Plan your own Lake Erie adventure. Tells us your Grow Wild Habitat Action Story. Become a member of Carolinian Canada Coalition. Visit our website for more information on how you can help green the future of southwestern Ontario!
Thanks to the support of Ontario Trillium Foundation, Parks Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment Canada and a host of other partners for supporting our programs to "Green the Future of southwestern Ontario".
Jen van Overbeeke - Metcalf Foundation Intern
In Memoriam: Dr. Jane Bowles
Click Here to Read the Full Tribute Online
 It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Jane Bowles on July 27th. Jane was an accomplished biologist, passionate advocate for the Carolinian Zone, dedicated volunteer, valued mentor and friend. In addition to her work as a much-loved professor at Western University and Director of the Sherwood Fox Arboretum, Jane was one of southwestern Ontario’s most respected freelance ecologists. Jane was an active participant in the Carolinian Canada’s (CC’s) Science Advisory Committee, and was a member of the ecology team for three of our conservation action plans. She authored several recovery strategies for Carolinian species and ecosystems at risk, and helped develop the Carolinian Woodlands Recovery Strategy. Jane was recognized for her dedication to the protection of nature in the Carolinian Zone with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Carolinian Canada in May 2013. She will be sorely missed across the zone but her legacy can be found in our dunes, meadows, prairies, forests and wetlands and in the stewardship actions of many.
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Carolinian Student Internship Program
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS!
Apply by September 15, 2013
Learn More at www.carolinian.org
Carolinian Canada is pleased to announce the return of our successful Carolinian Student Internship (CSI) program, in partnership with Western University and the University of Waterloo. New CSI opportunities are available to employers for both fall and winter interns to be cost-shared 50%. The students available during this period are undergraduate co-op students from Waterloo's Faculty of Environment. We are accepting posting from now until September 15. Contact Sandy at csi@carolinian.org for more info or an application package.
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Registration Opens Soon - 2013 Ecosystem Recovery Forum
TRACKING THE BIG PICTURE: ECOLOGICAL CHANGE IN CAROLINIAN CANADA
November 4-5th, 2013, Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, ON
Watch www.carolinian.org for updates.
Carolinian Canada and Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) are partnering to bring you the 2013 Ecosystem Recovery Forum, with the theme of monitoring ecological change across the Carolinian life zone. We will ask where do all the data go, and how are they best used to rebuild healthy ecosystems? The Forum will explore:
- The rapid advances in remote sensing tools
- The flowering of citizen science initiatives
- The monitoring of rare species populations and habitats
- Many other related topics, in a concurrent session format
The Forum will kick-off with a public event on the evening of November 4th with keynote speaker John Riley. Registration Opens Soon, so plan to join us for this great event!
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Conservation Action Planing
TWO CONSERVATION ACTION PLANS COMPLETED IN CHATHAM-KENT
Click Here to Read More
In 2012-2013, Carolinian Canada teamed up with the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and more than a dozen local groups (farmers, cottagers, ecologists, nongovernmental organizations, government agencies) to develop Conservation Action Plans (CAPs) for two biodiversity hotspots in Chatham-Kent: the Rondeau – Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Coastal areas. These plans provide a current assessment of the natural heritage features (e.g. forests, wetlands, prairies, reptiles), as well as strategic actions to improve their long term health and viability. The CAPs focus on collaborative efforts among local stakeholders and community members. Carolinian Canada will be involved in several projects this year including habitat restoration, development of EcoTrails, and a partnership with a restorationecology course at Western University. Check out the CAP documents here and stay tuned for more updates!
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Back To School? It’s time to become a Hometown Hero
OPPORTUNITY FOR SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL CLUBS
To learn more, contact woodland@carolinian.org
Teachers and students: Do you want to involve your environmental club in local issues? Are you interested in leading change within the school or beyond? Carolinian Canada is developing a one-day workshop to inspire you to take actions that will benefit species at risk. Workshops include discussion, hands-on activities and materials. Let us help you promote the messages about stewardship you care about.
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Plant while the Sun Shines
SHOW OFF YOUR SENSE OF PLACE WITH NATIVE PLANTS!
www.carolinian.org
 Did you know that by gardening with native plants, you can foster a sense of place? They can create a special look in an otherwise homogeneous landscape. Hint: The autumn is a good time trees and shrubs. Or, take the time to plant cool season species such as Monarda, Black-Eyed Susan and Hoary Vervain. The roots of these plants will continue to grow until the cold weather sets in.
Make your actions count: If you currently plant native plants, or plan to do so, let us know by clicking any link to Grow Wild on our website. Your action counts towards our 1,500 pledge goal.
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Presentation to Youth Stewardship Rangers at Luther Marsh
PROMOTING A SENSE OF PLACE
www.carolinian.org
Bronwen Buck, Outreach Coordinator recently presented to youth Stewardship Rangers about the Carolinian Life Zone. “The youth spend all summer in southern Ontario. We teach them about why the species and habitats they work with are so special”, she says. “If there is one thing I hope they can take away, it would be a heightened sense of place – it helps to develop a caring attitude.”
Stay tuned to our website. We are working to bring you elements of the presentation, including maps, which will help web visitors enhance their understanding of this special place.
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Save. Steward. Seed
Click here to join, or renew your membership with the Coalition.
Your support helps save species, steward ecosystems and seed habitats in the Carolinian Life Zone. Together we are a strong community.
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Feature News
Botany and Birding on the Beach
September 6 - 7, Windmill Point Cove
Niagara Land Trust
Click Here to Learn More
The Niagara Land Trust is hosting a special fundraiser: "Botany and Birding on the Beach" at a historic Windmill Point Cottage. This is a very special opportunity! Come out for wonderful meals, beautiful shoreline and guided tours. Stay for lunch or for the entire weekend.
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REGIONAL ECOLOGY PROJECT - A Community Mapping Event
October 11, St. Johns Nature Centre
Climate Action Niagara -and- Association for Canadian Educational Resources (ACER)
Click Here to Learn More
Learn of biodiversity risks and the opportunities to address them. Join community partners to use scaled, local maps to examine, locate and share the natural areas where we, as a community vulnerable to climate change. Help to locate and begin discussions for future projects to help ecosystems adapt to climate impacts.
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Spirit Walk
September 26-28, Norfolk County
Nature's Calling Environmental Education -and- Shadowland Theatre
Click Here to Learn More
Spirit Walk is comprised of a series of free workshops over the summer and into September, leading to a production at the St. Williams Forestry Station on a trail on September 26, 27 and 28. Workshops will involve stilt-walking, masks, puppets, including giant ones, lanterns, costume and prop-making, music, acting, training, rehearsals, and more - all lead by Shadowland and local artists and naturalists. The focus of the project is our relationship with our natural heritage, local flora and fauna, and stewardship. For the production the audience will be taken on a journey through the woods where a story unfolds: a little girl, wrapped up in today's electronic world, finds herself lost in the woods. She meets a series of animal characters that teach her about nature so that she comes to appreciate and love the outdoors. When she emerges from her journey she is cured of "nature deficit disorder".
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Big Picture Talks
The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Bike Ride
I was fortunate to participate in the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure this past month as one of three individuals representing Carolinian Canada and sponsored by the The Waterfront Regeneration Trust.
This cycling experience of almost 700 km began at Light House Cove in Essex County and continued along the Carolinian coastline of Lake Erie until our final destination of Fort Erie. This amazing ride offered a unique glimpse into the special natural features of Canada’s ‘deep south’. We were fortunate to cycle by a national park, Point Pelee; a provincial park, Rondeau; a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, Long Point and the Dunnville Marshes. Many cyclists viewed for the first time: a Sassafras tree, a Bald Eagle, a Blue Racer and Pink Swamp Mallows in bloom.
In addition to the diverse vegetation of this area, were the historical/cultural points of interest such as Tecumseh, named after the famous native chief of the War of 1812 and the Ojibwa Submarine in Port Burwell.
For those who have yet to explore the natural ‘treasures’ of this Carolinian landscape, don’t delay! Outside your backdoor lies a natural world unlike any other in Canada. Once exposed, you, too, will become an advocate for its preservation for the 7th generation. Stay calm, be strong and cycle on!
Jim Rule - Participant
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Members Notice Board
Announcements
19th Annual Marsh Monitor Newsletter Released
August 14, Ontario
Bird Studies Canada
Click Here to Read the Newsletter
Bird Studies Canada's Great Lakes Marsh Monitoring Program has published its 19th annual newsletter. The new edition of The Marsh Monitor covers the program's activities over the past year, species to expect during bird and frog surveys, and why 15-minute broadcast-assisted surveys for birds are worth the effort. It also includes a great article by Ohio volunteer Jay Abercrombie, describing the numerous advantages of Citizen Science.
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The High Costs of Sprawl
August, Online
Environmental Defence
Click Here to Read the Report
Environmental Defence has released a new report that outlines many of the policies that provide the foundation to create sprawl. The report unveils the hidden costs paid by governments, businesses and residents when new sprawl developments are built.
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Agreement between ERCA and US Fish and Wildlife Signed
August 14, Windsor / Essex County
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Click Here to Read More
American and Canadian partners gathered at Riverdance Park in LaSalle to sign an agreement between the Essex Region Conservation Authority and the US Fish and Wildlife Services to ensure that lands on both sides of the border will be managed collaboratively in the spirit and intent of the 2001 Conservation Vision, the US Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and the Western Lake Erie Watersheds Priority Natural Areas initiative.
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Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas comes to Android!
August, Online
Ontario Nature
Click Here to Learn More
The much-anticipated Android app for the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas is now available! Just like its iPhone cousin, you'll find this free app is an easy-to-use field resource for nature enthusiasts of all levels.
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Ivey Award for Environmental Excellence
by September 17, London
London Community Foundation
Click Here to Nominate
This award recognizes an individual who has improved the quality of life in the City of London or County of Middlesex through his or her outstanding contributions to the environment. Nominate a community member today!
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Events
Youth Outdoors Day 2013
September 14, Grand River
Grand River Conservation Authority
Click Here to Learn More
Youth Outdoors Day is a unique annual event designed to provide youth ages 9 to 16 with an opportunity to learn about conservation, wildlife, wetlands, hunting, fishing, stewardship and much more that the Great Outdoors has to offer!
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Bee-pocalypse
September 11, Sarnia
Bluewater Sustainability Initiative
Click Here to Learn More
Kick off the first meeting of the Sarnia chapter of Green Drinks with Dan Davidson, President of the Ontario Beekeepers Association. Green Drinks is a social gathering and informal discussion on a current environmental issue. Come out to Ups N' Downs and get in on the conversation!
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Annual Farm Twilight Tour
September 7, Essex County
Essex Soil and Crop Improvement Association
For more information phone 519 776 5209, ext 369
The Essex Soil and Crop Improvement Association will be holding their Annual Farm Twilight Tour this year at John Fittler's Farm, the 2012 Essex Conservation Farm Award winner. The date is Saturday, September 7th, 2013, beginning at 2:00 pm. The tour will take place at the Fittler farm located at 2201 Deer Run Road, Leamington (just East of Mersea Rd 21). The focus of this year's event is "Healthy Soil, Healthy Environment". Fertilizer Management and Water Quality Issues will be demonstrated and discussed.
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Leading Edge 2013
October 24, Milton
Niagara Escarpment Commission
Click Here to Learn More
2013 marks a milestone anniversary year for the Niagara Escarpment program with the 40th anniversary of the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act. At this 9th installment of Leading Edge, the conference will highlight the Niagara Escarpment program's successes over the past 40 years and consider how best to plan and adapt for the future.
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Raptors Soar During Hawkfest 2013
September 14, 15, 21, 22, Amherstburg
Essex Region Conservation Authority
Click Here to Learn More
Holiday Beach Conservation Area, named North America's third best raptor watching location by Audubon Magazine, is once again ready for the Migration Celebration at the annual HawkFest. Throughout the Festival, visitors can climb the tower to watch and identify the hawks in flight.
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A call for young environmental leaders
September 22, Orillia
Ontario Nature
Click Here to Learn More and Register
Ontario Nature is inviting young people aged 14-18 to join us for a weekend of inspiring workshops and outdoor fun. The Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Green Solutions is the highlight of the Nature Guardians program that connects young people of diverse backgrounds with nature.
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Join the Rouge Park BioBlitz
September 14 - 15, Toronto
Ontario Nature and Partners
Click Here to Learn More and Register
The transformation of Toronto's Rouge Park into Canada's first urban national park continues this year with the second Rouge BioBlitz. All naturalists are invited to grab their binoculars and join the fun. Camping spots will be available to all participants wishing to stay for the duration.
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Experience Fall Migration at the Tip of Long Point
August 25 to October 25, Long Point
Ministry of Natural Resources
For more information, or to book your adventure, email lpbo@birdscanada.org
Are you interested in experiencing fall migration at the Tip of Long Point, in southern Ontario? Long Point Bird Observatory is making their private cabin available for guests to rent between August 25 and October 25 (for minimum five-day stays). The private and rustic cabin is nestled in the dunes of Long Point, overlooking the Tip. The cabin sleeps up to six and has basic amenities. Your only neighbours will be the birds (and a handful of researchers, housed in a separate building).
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Building Sustainable Behaviours - Fostering Urban Forests
November, Toronto
Ontario Urban Forest Council
Click Here to Learn More
Save the date and Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Ontario Urban Forest Council Conference. Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr will lead the conference, and attendees will benefit from over two decades of experience incorporating scientific knowledge of behaviour change in the design and delivery of community programs.
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Turtle Conservation in Action
August - September, Lambton Region
Lambton Wildlife Incorporated
Click Here to Learn More
Learn all about the Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre, which provides care to injured wild turtles before releasing them to the wild. Also, walk the Potawotami Prairie with Larry Cornelis on Walpol Island, and don't miss the tour of Wallaceburg Area Nature Preserves lead by Denise Shephard
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Natural Foods and Wild Edibles
September 21, Walsingham
Acorus Restoration and Blazing Star Learning Centre
Click Here to Learn More
Come and explore the bounty of nature and explore the culinary treasures of the wild lands around you. Harvest and prepare edible plants around the farm and sample some treats!
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Tree Management Workshops for Landowners
August - September, Wellington County
Grand River Conservation Authority
contact Mark Funk: 1-866-900-4722, Ext. 2259 email: mfunk@grandriver.ca
The workshops are geared to landowners in central and western Wellington County and northern Waterloo Region. Each of the two hour sessions will include a short presentation followed by tours of farms and demonstrations. The goal of the workshops is to encourage more landowners to plant trees, particularly windbreaks and creek buffers, and to maintain them to maximize their value to agricultural operations. The workshops are sponsored by the GRCA, the Rural Water Quality Program, Trees for Mapleton, Trees for Woolwich and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
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In this Month's News
In Memoriam: Dr. Jane Bowles
Attention Employers!
Forum 2013 - Registration Opens Soon
Two Conservation Action Plans completed in Chatham-Kent
Opportunity for School Environmental Clubs
Show off your sense of place with native plants!
Promoting a Sense of Place
Big Picture Talks
The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure Bike Ride
Feature News
Here
Botany and Birding on the Beach
REGIONAL ECOLOGY PROJECT - A Community Mapping Event
Spirit Walk
Member Announcements
Here
19th Annual Marsh Monitor Newsletter Released
The High Costs of Sprawl
Agreement between ERCA and US Fish and Wildlife Signed
Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas comes to Android!
Ivey Award for Environmental Excellence
Member Events
Here
Youth Outdoors Day 2013
Bee-pocalypse
Annual Farm Twilight Tour
Leading Edge 2013
Raptors Soar During Hawkfest 2013
A call for young environmental leaders
Join the Rouge Park BioBlitz
Experience Fall Migration at the Tip of Long Point
Building Sustainable Behaviours - Fostering Urban Forests
Turtle Conservation in Action
Natural Foods and Wild Edibles
Tree Management Workshops for Landowners
Why is Carolinian Canada Coalition Unique? Click here to find out. The Carolinian Canada Coalition connects people who care about nature in southwestern Ontario. Together our members give strong voice to a green future and a healthy landscape. Visit this link to support our work.
Carolinian Canada Coalition News Network: Connecting Our Community
Reach people across southwestern Ontario. If your event or announcement promotes the protection and restoration of our natural heritage in Carolinian Canada, we'd love to hear about it.
Carolinian Canada Coalition Board of Directors
Read more about the Coalition and our board here
Don Pearson (Chair)
Ron Wu-Winter (Vice-Chair)
Mark Helm (Secretary-Treasurer)
Caroline Biribauer
Tara Borwick
Brian Craig
Wendy Cridland
Douglas Desmond
Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
Mary Elder
Carla Grant
Audrey Heagy
Alistair MacKenzie
John Urquhart
Owen Williams
Jim Oliver
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