Several hundred years ago, lush, green forests covered almost all of southern Ontario. The forests were made up of trees of various species, sizes, and ages with shrubs and woodland flowers underneath. Wildlife abounded in these wooded areas. There were few openings in the forest canopy except where weather systems had downed trees or where native grasslands thrived.
Volunteer Spotlight: Noella Storry
Noella Storry has been a volunteer with The Couchiching Conservancy for over 7 years. During this time, she has filled many different volunteer roles including Property Team Leader (Prospect Marsh Nature Reserve) and Event Ambassador.
Location, location, location: House Wren Nesting Habits
Some of the more popular television programs are those in which a Real Estate agent shows a couple a number of houses from which to select their future home. There are a few such programs, each with their own particular twist, but in every case, the couple selects one house. We have a pair of birds in our yard whose antics remind me of those programs! The birds are House Wrens.
Sequester a little carbon for kicks
As an environmentalist, sometimes I get sick of environmentalists.
It’s not that what they have to say isn’t important; it is. But the steady flow of bad news is a drag. It can leave you feeling depressed and powerless. Whether or not we’re conscious of it, in this age of ecological decline, we’re all suffering.
Helpful blooms: flowering shrubs benefit wildlife
There has been much emphasis lately on plants that benefit wildlife, especially pollinators such as bees. Most people think of native wildflowers for this purpose but there are many helpful, and beautiful, native shrubs that are important to wildlife.
Swallow Houses…If you build it, they will come!
It is a rite of spring for me to build swallow houses– each March getting the urge to build a few from left over’s from wood working projects and from scraps from local contractors who know I would never refuse a scrap of usable wood or asphalt shingles.
Volunteer Spotlight: Alan Smale
Volunteerism is alive and well at The Couchiching Conservancy. We will be doing a ‘spotlight’ on a number of volunteers this year to show off their passion for protecting nature and the types of jobs they do.
Our first Volunteer Spotlight is on 15 year volunteer Alan Smale.
Bird Watching: Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Meadowlarks have declined in numbers recently and are now sadly on the endangered species list in Ontario. Much of the grasslands required for their habitat have disappeared due to development and changing agricultural practices. Fortunately there are still Eastern Meadowlarks in our region and this is the best time of year to spot them.
Intact Foundation funds water research project for Lake Simcoe
A local business has played a key role in launching a water quality research project that could help improve the health of Lake Simcoe. Staff at McLean and Dickey Insurance Brokers helped connect The Couchiching Conservancy and Lakehead University with Intact Foundation and the insurance company has agreed to support a water monitoring project that may help guide future decisions in the struggle to clean up Lake Simcoe.
What will our area look like in 100 years?
Planning for the future is a task that many people, businesses and non-profits do in order to determine potential needs and schedules. But what about planning our landscapes? Where does planning our environmental fit in?