With the return of the monarch butterfly, begins the start of the monarch monitoring season for the Couchiching Conservancy community science program. Monarchs are Endangered in Canada1 , and face various threats across their range including habitat loss, pollution (herbicides and insecticides), extreme weather, and disease 2. Our monarch monitoring …
Ontario’s Ash Species, Threats, and Ecology
Introduction Ash trees (Fraxinus sp.) are a foundational tree species around Lake Couchiching and throughout the entire Great Lakes Region. They are observed in large numbers in a wide variety of ecosystems, including moist forests, meadows, alvars, floodplains and swamps. In aquatic ecosystems, the fallen leaves of many ash species …
Field Notes – Reptile Surveys
My first expedition with The Couchiching Conservancy is one I will remember for a long time. I joined Conservation Biologist, Toby Rowland, Youth Stewardship Coordinator, Alysha Henry, and community science volunteers Morah Fenning and Paul Robinson for reptile surveys. Our goal was to observe as many species as possible while …
Field Notes – Using Data Loggers for Species Monitoring
In the expansive landscapes of our region, nature whispers its secrets…but who is there to hear their calls? A key aspect of monitoring for species at risk are inventories. Some are conducted by staff, and there is also on-going monitoring by trained Community Science volunteers. But what about the times …
Rare 400-acre opportunity + a rare sighting
It was June 5, 2022 and I was testing my car along Alvar Road, listening for birds that I could add to my square for the Breeding Bird Atlas project. A distance along the road, I heard a Hermit Thrush singing very near the road. The Hermit Thrush song may …
The Church Woods Nature Reserve: Protecting urban wild spaces
Walking through The Church Woods Nature Reserve on a spring day is a sublime experience. Spring ephemerals such as Blue Cohosh, Trout Lily, White Trillium, and Red Trillium colour the forest understory beautifully. If you look closely though, you’ll notice a few things are amiss, thick patches of invasive garlic …
My First Carden Challenge
I remember my first Carden Challenge; how could I forget? It was the first time I woke up pre-dawn for something that wasn’t an international flight. Although, that something did have wings. I’d opted to participate in the Conservancy’s largest fundraiser of the year, a 24-hour birding and biodiversity marathon …
The Community Science Team is looking for a gadget donation!
Thank you for your quick action! We now have the required gadgets to expand our Bat Monitoring Program Community science team Do you have an old iPad, or iPhone, you no longer need? If you’re looking for a good home for it we can provide one! We’re in search of …
Notes from the Field: Fall 2021
While most of our Community Science monitoring activities have finished until next spring, the work of Land Stewards and Maintenance teams never stops. This fall, Val Holt and Laurie Stanford picked up the mantle of stewarding Church Woods for the very active group of volunteers living around this popular nature …
Remembering the Anthropocene
Remembrance Day holds a great deal of gravity for me. I know the stories of my grandfathers, great grandfathers and great-great uncles. I know which of my great grandmothers worked in munitions factories, I have held my grandmother’s ration card, and seen pictures of Nan the day the war ended. …
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