Why did the turtle cross the road? To get to the other side, of course!
It’s a variation on an old joke. People often associate turtles with roads. Unfortunately, two pieces of information are missing in this story- the reason turtles go to the other side is to lay eggs, and sadly, they may not make it without getting run over.
Although we do have many different species of birds visit us all winter long, we can always depend on three species to stay around our property year-round: White breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped chickadee and one other favourite, especially in the winter, The Mourning Dove.
The name tamarack comes from an Algonkian word meaning “wood to make snowshoes”, telling us just how important this tree species was to the First Nation community.
On the Carden Alvar, a different form of sumac takes over where the thin soils over limestone bedrock create more difficult growing conditions. Fragrant sumac, as its name suggests, releases a pleasant citrus-like aroma when its young leaves are crushed. This species turns red in the autumn as well, but a somewhat softer, rosier shade than its staghorn cousin.
The Black-capped chickadee, the species found in our area, has been described variously as sociable, industrious, agile, inquisitive, gregarious, trusting and acrobatic, and while they are all true, none of these adjectives fully describe this little bundle of cheerfulness.
Ranchers, private land owners and the Couchiching Conservancy have had a dozen steel gates, and most of a solar well system; stolen from the properties on the Carden Plain. Police are investigating the late August thefts, but more than $5,000 in equipment is probably gone for good.
The story of the Grant family dates back about 100 years. For years, the Grant family acted as stewards for the forest. Through their ownership of the property, there was little impact on the forest and as a result some of the trees are over 200 years old.
One of the most widespread and prettiest species of birds that graces our landscape is the Yellow Warbler! The male is a bright yellow, with reddish stripes on its breast while the female is a much more subtle yellow with a green tinge to the wing and back feathers.
There are four species of trilliums growing in our area; white trilliums, red trillium, which are both widespread, while the painted trillium and nodding trillium are both rare and uncommon.
White trilliums bloom in early spring in forested areas before the trees above them leaf out and block the sunlight. Spring forest flowers take advantage of the time between the thawing of the soil and the unfurling of tree leaves when the forest floor is warm enabling the flowers to grow very rapidly.
More than 150 people joined us at the HawkRidge Golf Club on January 26th to renew memberships, see old friends, and hear about the past year of activities. We got down to business with the highlights of the 2011 AGM, the President’s Remarks and the Treasurer’s Report. This is a big year for the Conservancy, as it is our 20th Anniversary! It is incredible how much has changed over the years.
