During the warm spell November 10th, Joelle and Aiesha did a night time visit to Adams Nature Reserve to see if any salamanders were out and about. Sure enough, they found one lonely Eastern Red-backed salamander under the first board they checked! Normally salamander monitoring ends before the first frost …
Notes from the Field – Spring 2020
Windstorms and power outages are the perfect excuse to make impromptu monitoring visits. There could be downed trees blocking trails, and you also never know what creatures are around. Each visit to a Conservancy nature reserve holds a surprise, and on this day it was a dozen Hooded Merganser …
Notes from the Field – Winter 2019 – 2020
The Orillia Naturalists’ Club steward Carthew Bay Nature Reserve and visited March 11th for their winter monitoring visit. Their report that everything was in good shape is a great relief to staff. Now more than ever we need your eyes and ears to help us care for Nature Reserves. …
Fall 2019 Notes from the Field
Alvar Runoff: The recent rain and snowmelt have created a lot of water on the alvar at Bluebird Ranch. Although it may appear to be “just sitting there”, it is actually following an eons old route of seeping across the grassland areas and joining a seasonal stream that feeds westward …
Notes From the Field – Summer 2019
During a recent Salamander Monitoring visit to Church Woods with Kim Trudeau & family, they encountered two Eastern Red-backed Salamanders. This terrestrial species of salamander can live for up to 25 years and requires a damp environment to survive. This is because they need to breathe through their skin as they …
Notes from the Field – Summer 2019
Photo: Kim Trudeau
Participants raise $22,000+ for Carden Challenge
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 …
Notes From The Field – Spring 2019
Kim Trudeau and family discovered the Couchiching Conservancy through time spent at Church Woods. This winter and spring Kim took our Species at Risk, Invasive Species, and Vernal Pool workshops. Now she and her family are putting her new knowledge to work monitoring the Vernal Pools and salamanders of Church Woods. …
Nature Reserve Named After Founding President
Read Mark Bisset’s tribute to Ron Reid in the September 2018 edition of The Villager Conservancy’s largest nature reserve dedicated to Washago residentThe Villager – September 2018By Mark Bisset You can tell a lot about a person by the lines on their face. Over time, habits of thought tend to …
A River Runs Through It: 730 Acres Protected
Thanks to the 105 members of the Couchiching Conservancy extended family who were able to attended the Ron Reid Nature Reserve Property Dedication. We know there are more who wanted to come but were not able, and we felt you there in spirit. Whether as a volunteer or as a donor, …