That’s a wrap on the 15th annual Carden Challenge. With 34 participants, these nine teams scoured the Carden alvar in search of as many species as possible in 24 hours. Participants battled the rain, hail and thunderstorms on Saturday but birds were singing, the reptiles were out and it was another enjoyable year …
15th Annual Carden Challenge
This weekend! Birding, biodiversity, binoculars…these all come together in the 15th annual Carden Challenge, an event in support of our conservation efforts of the Carden Alvar. The Carden Challenge will take place from Friday, May 24 at 6:00pm to Saturday, May 25 at 6:00pm. The goal of the Carden Challenge …
Notes From The Field – Fall 2018
On Sunday December 2nd from 1:30 to 4 pm, we’re going to take over the basement of the St. Paul’s Centre and hold an event for all of our monitoring teams (including General Property Monitoring, Water Monitoring, Whip-poor-will surveys, and Reptile & Amphibian monitors). *Please RSVP* Contact Dorthea by phone (705) 326-1620 …
How birds keep cool in summer heat
During one of the very few really hot days we had this summer, a lady asked me how birds keep cool during those conditions.
They have a number of methods of beating the heat.
All You Need is an Hour on the Alvar
It was October 1st, 2016, with one whole hour to spare before heading back to the campground just west of Carden, Ontario. I wondered where I should head out for a hike. Given the vastness of the near-by Carden Alvar landscape in terms of natural and recreational resources, I thought I would make a decision on-the-fly as to where to explore.
Carden Challenge Raises Over $23,000
Nearly 50 local birdwatchers topped off the busy month of May by participating in the 12th annual Carden Challenge, an event that combines skills, tenacity, and friendly competition for a good cause. The combined efforts of eleven participating teams raised over $23,000 in pledges and donations for the Carden Alvar programs of the Couchiching Conservancy.
Protecting Habitat on the Carden Plain
Alvar environments boast ecological communities that are incredibly rare and worth protecting for future generations. Regionally, the globally-significant Carden limestone plain is an area of large, diverse, and relatively un-fragmented habitat including alvars, shrublands, grasslands, forests, and wetlands.
Protecting our lake’s lifelines
Headwaters are like the foundation of a building, and if they are compromised, so is the entire watershed. If the headwater stream stays cold year-round, it is of primary importance because it provides the larger, lower portions of the river with a steady base flow of clean water.
We have a group of volunteers testing these headwaters through a Water Quality Project.
Protecting a Species at Risk on the Carden Alvar
The Couchiching Conservancy, along with partners such as Earth Rangers, have been tackling threats which endanger Bobolinks. One of the greatest threats relevant to Carden is loss of critical grassland habitat. As southern Ontario becomes intensely developed, prime Bobolink habitat is at risk. Ecosystems within the Carden Alvar remain as a sanctuary where conservation efforts can be focused in order to preserve this critical bobolink habitat.
Exploring and learning on the alvar
Each year hundreds of people head to the Carden alvar in droves. They are drawn by the landscape and species, but also by two special events hosted by The Couchiching Conservancy featuring the alvar and taking place in late May and early June – Carden Challenge and Carden Alvar Nature Festival.