Nearly 50 local birdwatchers topped off the busy month of May by participating in the 12th annual Carden Challenge, an event that combines skills, tenacity, and friendly competition for a good cause. The combined efforts of eleven participating teams raised over $23,000 in pledges and donations for the Carden Alvar programs of the Couchiching Conservancy.
Songs by the thousand – the Brown Thrasher
Brown thrashers got their name from the thrashing sound they make as they forage for food in dried leaves and other vegetation on the ground. Where the “brown” came from is beyond me, because, in fact, they possess beautiful rufous- or rusty-coloured feathers on their back, wings and long tail.
An Update on the Carden Alvar Nature Festival
An update on the Carden Alvar Nature Festival
Protecting a Species at Risk on the Carden Alvar
The Couchiching Conservancy, along with partners such as Earth Rangers, have been tackling threats which endanger Bobolinks. One of the greatest threats relevant to Carden is loss of critical grassland habitat. As southern Ontario becomes intensely developed, prime Bobolink habitat is at risk. Ecosystems within the Carden Alvar remain as a sanctuary where conservation efforts can be focused in order to preserve this critical bobolink habitat.
Carden Wildflowers: More than just alvar aesthetics
As a Conservation Assistant completing fieldwork at the Carden Alvar Natural Area with the Couchiching Conservancy, I’ve had the opportunity to observe several wildflowers unique to this globally-rare alvar environment. They impact the various species of wildlife that call Carden home, and are worth appreciating.
Continuing to bring key habitat under protection
One of the organization’s key goals is to move beyond isolated islands of green by linking protected areas to create critical masses of natural habitat with connecting corridors.
In other words: bridge building.
For years now, the Conservancy has been at work with various partners on the Carden Alvar to protect this globally-rare ecosystem. The alvar — a limestone plain with shallow soil or no soil at all — lies just east of Lake Dalrymple and it has garnered interest around the world. Protecting it would be a good thing, but if it is isolated with no solid linkages to the northern shield territory, it will be devalued.
The 2015 Carden Challenge
Join us on Friday, May 22 – Saturday, May 23 for the 10th Annual Carden Challenge. The goal is of the Carden Challenge is simple: raise funds to support the stewardship of Carden’s alvar and bird habitats by counting as many bird species as possible during a 24-hour period.
Making a new home for Barn Swallows
Ask any farmer, and they’ll tell you there are not nearly so many Barn Swallows as there used to be. The science backs them up – over the past 20 years, there has been a steep drop in swallow populations across eastern North America. In Ontario, Barn Swallows are now listed as a threatened species.
Notes from the Field Spring/Summer 2014
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.
Alvars — Habitat for the Hardy
Anyone who has driven County Rd. #6 between Kirkfield and Lake Dalrymple can be forgiven for thinking the landscape looks out of the ordinary and even a bit desolate. What they are seeing is in fact quite uncommon. Most of Carden Township contains alvars, a globally-rare habitat featuring flat limestone bedrock, dotted with lightly wooded habitats. Alvars are found in only a few places in the world (Sweden for example) and in Ontario, they can be found in a couple of areas such as Manitoulin Island and Carden Township. To have such an unusual and fascinating landscape so close to Lindsay and Orillia is something we can be proud of.