Notes From the Field is a special spring and summer feature which will give you a glimpse into the work Conservancy staff and volunteers undertake on our properties, easements, and with private landowners in the Couchiching Region.
Spring partners; flowers and bees
With the snow disappearing, it’s a great time to get out and explore our region’s forests as they get ready for another growing season.
Don’t get complacent about that clean smell in the air
It’s a funny thing to think of a smell when you’re listing the things that make you want to live in a place. But for me, the scent of a place matters.
Bird Watching: The Hairy Woodpecker
I am often asked how to differentiate between a Downy and Hairy Woodpecker, as for many new to Bird watching it seems to be a bit of a challenge. It need not be, even though they do look much alike.
Bill Grant gives a living gift that will endure
Bill Grant left Grant’s Woods, a 52 acre forest in Orillia, Ontario, to The Couchiching Conservancy in memory of his brother Jack. When Bill passed away some months ago, he left another legacy to the Conservancy.
Water Quality: Testing Our Assumptions
For a decade now the Conservancy has been building fences on the properties we manage to keep cattle out of streams, and then creating alternative watering sources for cattle to access. We’ve also been helping other ranchers in the area to do the same.
Seeking a Balance Between Farmers & Bobolinks
Conserving species under threat is always difficult, but especially so when their habitats are on active farmland. When a scientific assessment four years ago concluded that Ontario populations of bobolinks and eastern meadowlarks were plummeting, many farmers worried that regulations to save the birds under the Endangered Species Act might threaten their incomes.
Woodpecker: The signs of spring
This winter seems to have been a long, cold, and snowy one with many of us yearning for signs of spring
Conserving the tradition of volunteering
Each year during the annual general meeting, we recognize volunteers who have made a long-term contribution to the Couchiching Conservancy. These volunteers assist us in a number of ways every year. Some sit on the board of directors or on committees, while others do work in the field.
At the feeder: Red-bellied Woodpecker
In 2012 the Carden Christmas Bird count recorded two individuals during the count. This year Carden had three individuals. Two individuals were recorded during the Orillia count this year. So it seems the species is certainly putting down roots in our area.