Please save the date for the 19th annual Carden Challenge!
100% of funds raised supports efforts to protect nature on the Carden Alvar
2022 HIGHLIGHTS
- 247 total species: 150 birds, 20 mammals, 7 reptiles, 11 amphibians, 32 odes, 27 leps
- Singular teams counted a Green-winged Teal, Great-Horned Owl, Bark Swallow, Swainson’s Thrush
- Only two teams counted Cormorants, Common Moorhen, Cliff Swallow, Pine Siskins
- New to list: Powdered Dancer, Stream Bluet, Northern Cloudywing, Connecticut Warbler, Short-tailed Shrew
- Over $33,000 raised!
COMPETITIVE
The Cool Catbirds
190 points (131 birds, 12 mammals, 5 reptiles, 8 amphibians, 18 odes, 16 leps)
Best: Moose. Miss: Downy Woodpecker
RECREATIONAL
Pedaling & Paddling for Nature
112 points (95 birds, 7 Mammals, 4 Reptiles, 4 Amphibians, 2 Leps)
Best: all of the Carden experiences! Worst: dumping kayak!
FUNDRAISING
Top Fundraising Team: Coucou-KaChings, $6,843
Top Fundraiser: Nathalie Rockhill, $3,834
BONUS PRIZE
Ginny Moore saw the most Midland Painted Turtles, with 34
TEETER ASS TROPHY
Jenkins family
COMPETITIVE TEAMS
Bruce & Spruce Moose - 171 points (109 Birds, 12 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 7 Amphibians, 24 Odes, 16 Leps). Best: Virginia Rail. Miss: Snakes.
Pink Flamingo - 155 points (126 Birds, 7 Mammals, 5 Reptiles, 5 Amphibians, 6 Odes, 6 Leps). Best: Clay-coloured Sparrow. Miss: Sandhill Crane.
Ravin' Ravens - 137 points (103 Birds, 6 Mammals, 1 Reptiles, 5 Amphibians, 15 Odes, 7 Leps). Best: Pine Siskins. Misses: Downy Woodpecker, Black Tern, Golden Winged Warbler
Let's Wing It - 115 points (105 Birds, 3 Mammals, 2 Reptiles, 5 Amphibians). Best: Three American Bitterns flying overhead. Miss: Upland Sandpiper
RECREATIONAL TEAMS
Coucou-KaChings - 107 species. Best: marsh in wylie for marsh wren and there were hundreds, sora and rail and bitterns. Miss: chimney swift
Loon Rangers - Best: Broad winged at 5:40 with beer in hot tub. Miss: Ruffed Grouse. Personal best was 98. 107 birds this year!
Cathy Massig - 85 birds
Red capped Chickadees - 70 birds (up from most improved). Best: golden winged warbler. Miss: all woodpecker except sap sucker.
Watching with Wonder - 75 points (50 Birds, 10 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 5 Amphibians, 1 Odes, 6 Leps)
Whooo’s Watching You - 64 points (59 Birds, 6 Mammals, 3 Reptiles, 1 Amphibians). Best: Peregrine falcon. Miss: Red-tailed Hawk that was JUST outside of the Carden Circle
Fantastic Fledgings - 62 birds. Best: Whimbrels! Miss: Wild Turkey that they saw near their house before AND after the Challenge
Grand grackles - Best: snipe (maybe), bobolink (close up view). Miss: a rock pigeon. 50 species.
The Campbell Blue Jays - 20 birds.
Best: Killdeer and Great Blue Heron.SAVE THE DATE
May 26 - 27,2023
Register!
Nature needs you! Last year almost 90 people took part in the event and they raised a whopping $33K for alvar conservation!
To register, email Tanya Clark with your team name, team members, category (competitive or recreational) and where you will be counting from.
Fundraise!
Every dollar raised matters. Funds raised helps us care for this landscape, empowers us to work towards protecting more Alvar and more.
There is no minimum for fundraising - $250 helps the Conservancy protect 10 acres for a year.
Count!
On May 27 - 28, count as many species as you can & share your journey with us while spreading awareness of the critical need to protect nature.
Join in for the re-cap in June for full results and to share your stories.
What is an Alvar?
In an area east of Orillia and northwest of Lindsay, a flat limestone landscape called the Carden Plain harbours rare habitats known as alvars. Alvars occur only on limestone bedrock with little or no soil, where spring floods and summer droughts create harsh conditions. Many of the wildflowers, native grasses and invertebrate species found on alvars normally occur in the western provinces, and many are rare. These habitats are globally imperiled, occurring only in the south of Sweden and scattered around the Great Lakes Basin. Carden Township’s alvars are thought to be among the richest in the province, with a great diversity of alvar species.
Celebrity Birder
Julia Zarankin, author of Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder
Julia is a writer, lecturer and birder in Toronto. Her first book, Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder, a Canadian bestseller, is published by Douglas & McIntyre. When she’s not writing (or visiting sewage lagoons in search of elusive waterfowl), she give lectures to lifelong learners in and around Toronto.
Thank you Julia for joining us and helping protect the Alvar!
Bird banding activity
2022 RESOURCES FOR PARTICIPANTS
Rules and Studying:
WHEN
Friday, May 27 at 6:00pm to Saturday, May 28 at 6:00pm.
You choose your schedule! Want to search for species at 1am? Do it - we support that decision. Want to sleep longer? That's cool too.
WHAT
Use the Carden Checklist, available in an Excel file here. We recommend printing the list off for the event and then moving your list to Excel afterwards. Please count everything you see and hear – birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, odes, leps. We are counting presence, not individuals.
WHERE
Come out to the Carden Alvar OR stay in your own backyard / neighbourhood (stay within a 8 km radius).
WHO
Form a team or go it alone. You do not need to be an expert, but should connect with others to confirm species if you aren’t confident.
FUNDRAISE
Raising funds to protect the alvar is still an important part of this event! This event raises critical funds to help make conservation efforts in Carden possible.
HOW
Form a team or go it alone. You do not need to be an expert, but should connect with others to confirm species if you aren’t confident.
SUBMIT
If in Carden, join the in person recap on May 28. If at home, compile your lists by May 29 and send the Excel file to Ron Reid for the June Zoom recap (details sent to participants).
2022 Teams & Participants
Please email tanya@couchconservancy.ca to register!
Teams
Participants
Acres of Alvar protected by The Couchiching Conservancy and partners like Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ontario Parks
COMPETITIVE
TEAMS
The Ravin' Ravens
Carden Circle
- Ron Reid
- Janet Grand
- Ginny Moore
- Dale Leadbeater
The Pink Flamingos
Carden Circle & Orillia area
- Tanya Clark
- Meagan Coughlin
- Phil Careless
- David Giannunzio
- Julia Zarankin (our celebrity!)
Let's Wing It!
Carden Alvar
- Kyra Howes
- Sarah Hodgkiss
- Cameron Curran
- Mike Francis
Bruce & Spruce Moose
Carden
1. Kristyn Ferguson
2. Julie Scott
3. Ali Giroux
4. Rick Simpson
5. Meghan Duell
Cool Catbirds
On the Alvar
- Chase Moser
- Patrick Jackson
- Matthew Fells
- Stewart Blackwell
- Josiah Vandenberg
RECREATIONAL
TEAMS
The Loon Rangers
Carden Alvar
- Glen Hodgson
- Mark Stevenson
- Jeramie Jenkins
- Jonathan Ball
Team Whooo's Watching You
Carden Alvar
- Courtney Baker
- Stevie Baker
Plus five kids!
- Sophie Barnes
- Stella Minges
- Gilda Minges
- Rhett Mawdsley
- Ellie Mawdsley
The Fantastic Fledglings
At Home
- Simon Francis
- Melissa Bulgutch
- Reid Bulgutch-Rosenblum
Pedalling & Paddling for Nature
Alvar & At Home
- Dorthea Hangaard
- Aiesha Aggarwal
- Mark Bisset
- Brandon Guoth
Red capped Chickadees
Alvar
- Kelly Gibson
- Mandy Gibson
- Alexander Grout
the grand grackles
At Home & Carden
1. Jane Ball
2. Gord Ball
3. Jamie Ross
4. Anne Ross
5. Jamie Powell
6. Valerie Powell
Coucou-KaChings
At Home & On the Alvar
1. Kathy Callahan
2. Philip Hamilton
3. Jean Humphries
4. Nath Rockhill
5. Adam Thomson
6. Alexandra Petersen
Team Watching with Wonder
At Home & On the Alvar
1. Alain Cote
2. Carole May-Cote
3. Phyllis May
4. June Hill
5. Shannon Banfield
6. Kate Bridges
the Campbell Blue Jays
At Home
1. Jacob Campbell
2. Gavin Campbell
3. Matt Campbell
4. Benjamin Campbell
At Home & going solo!
1. Cathy Massig
2021 Results
Competitive: The Cool Catbirds with 182 points
Chase Moser, Patrick Jackson, Geordie Ray, Matthew Fells & Stewart Blackwell
135 birds, 11 mammals, 3 reptiles, 6 amphibians, 12 odes & 15 leps
Best- Mourning Warbler and the 2 hour early morning time being out
Miss - Northern Cardinal
Recreational: The Pink Flamingos with 147 points
Tanya Clark, Meagan Coughlin, Philip Careless, Joelle Burnie, David Giannunzio plus family
119 birds, 9 mammals, 4 reptiles, 5 frogs, 5 odes & 5 leps
Best - Eastern Wood Peewee
Miss – Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Rough Winged Swallow, Sandpiper
Top Team Fundraisers: The Ravin' Ravens, who raised over $8,000!
Top Fundraiser: Tanya Clark, who raised over $2,500!
Teeter-Ass Trophy - the grandgrackles