Free Presentation About Coyotes and the City
December 10th 2009Here is a guest blog by “our man in Hamilton,” Paul Glendenning. He’s an ad consultant for us and is also interested in environmental and green issues and causes, making him well suited to Escarpment Views. We’re happy to have him do some writing for us as well.
Whether you live on a farm, in a small town or bustling urban centre, chances are coyotes have made their presence known. A cunning survivor, this canny creature has managed not only to survive but thrive through adapting to our way of life. Lurking on the edges of civilization, coyotes have quietly crept into the void caused by the loss of other larger predators who have been pushed to more remote corners of the country.
Unfortunately conflicts do occasionally occur and isolated incidents can become huge news stories painting a very malevolent picture of this relatively small predator of rabbits, mice and the occasional deer.
In the hope of reducing conflict through education, the following special presentation is taking place in Hamilton, Ontario.
The Urban Coyote
Learn more about coyotes and their habits as well as other urban wildlife
In this engaging presentation by Lesley Sampson, coyote researcher,
advocate and founder of Coyote Watch Canada
Join the “pack” gathering at the Hamilton Spectator Auditorium
44 Frid St. Hamilton, Ontario
on December 16th at 7 p.m.
Special guest wildlife biologist Bill Leeming
Introduction by Hamilton City Councillor Brian McHattie.
Free Admission.
Non-perishable food donation appreciated for local food banks.
For any questions or directions, please contact rhcoyotes@live.ca.
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Have you had any dealings with, or observations of coyotes, good, bad or indifferent?
Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (and Nature) to Benefit From Gift Offer
December 08th 2009 In time for Christmas gift giving, Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy has added a page to their site to promote the Escarpment Views subscription offer. It includes a photo of last spring’s cover, which features their useful summary and explanation of programs to help Ontario landowners save significant amounts of money. You can read that article in PDF format.
Our offer to help the Conservancy with its work of protecting natural spaces near the Niagara Escarpment is simple. For every new subscription or renewal to Escarpment Views, we will give $5 to the Conservancy if you want to support them. You have to include a note with your cheque for $21, directing us to give them $5. You can subscribe or renew here or just mail us at
Escarpment Views
50 Ann St.
Georgetown ON L7G 2V2.
Robert Barnett, executive director of Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy, points out “Every $5 allows us to acquire the land under 15 trees.” Isn’t that amazing?
Help us to help them protect land, trees and wildlife. Subscribe for yourself or for a friend. Your gift at Christmas can help protect nature forever!
You can read much more info about the work of the Conservancy. What do you think about what they’re doing?
Subscribe and Benefit Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy
December 02nd 2009 We’re pretty pleased to announce a new initiative through our subscriptions. Just in time for seasonal gift giving, we’re inviting people to do a good deed for nature along the Niagara Escarpment.
Here’s the deal: if you take out a subscription, for yourself, friends, family or business associates, we will give $5 from each new subscription to Escarpment Biosphere Conservancy (EBC). This is a great charitable organization that works hard and effectively to protect land and natural areas along the Escarpment. So far, they’ve created nature reserves from Caledon to Manitoulin Island totalling 7,170 acres. The habitat of 57 rare and endangered plant and animal species are now permanently protected. We’re delighted that EBC has agreed to work with us.
You can subscribe through this page. And when you send your cheque, let us know that you want to support EBC. This month, give the gift of protecting nature along with a year of great features about life near the Escarpment.
Any comments on whether this initiative makes sense for us?
Added note: Sue commented that she wondered if this offer is only for new subscriptions, not renewals. I should have made this clear, that renewals SURE ARE eligible. I only meant that subscriptions or renewals from now on can benefit EBC. If you’ve already sent your money, you can’t give this benefit retroactively. That would be an accounting nightmare for Mike. We mean this offer to apply going forward. So if you’re considering renewing, go ahead & specify that you want to benefit EBC!
Riverwood, Mississauga’s Hidden Treasure
August 05th 2009One of the books I’m reviewing for the fall issue is Deer World, essentially a photo album by Dave Taylor. What amazes me about this book is that some of the photos of wild deer were taken in a park called Riverwood, which is 150 acres along the Credit River within the City of Mississauga.
I thought Mississauga was completely developed in the very worst method of urban design, with six-lane highways cutting through suburban housing developments, hostile to pedestrians and bicyclists. To learn that there is a natural park where deer, foxes, martens and other wildlife can thrive, is astonishing.
This hidden treasure is a secret that deserves to be celebrated widely. I have lived near Mississauga all my life and never heard of Riverwood. I am happy to point people to finding out more about it here.
Am I the only person who doesn’t know about Riverwood? What do you know about it?
Erin’s Garden Tour and a Connection to Erin Radio
July 13th 2009Erin Horticultural Society held its garden tour on Saturday, and my sister Barbara, who’s a member of the Society, treated me to a ticket. It took most of the day to visit six gardens located in the village of Erin and the surrounding countryside. There was a good variety of gardens, from formally groomed small spaces to rambling properties with a pond or a river running through. Each owner was attentive and generously guided us around, patiently answering our questions, which must have been asked repeatedly by many.
Our favourite garden was one that looked like an English cottage garden. With hardly any lawn, it was crammed full of colourful blooming plants and had stone and brick walkways winding invitingly through it. It was a garden to explore and was utterly charming, but we both recognized how much work it would take.
Because I’m an animal lover, I was delighted to see a pet crow in one of the gardens. Erin Montgomery is a bird expert and is involved in rehabilitating wild birds, but Russel (Crowe – get it?) cannot fly and so cannot live in the wild. I was able to have him perch on my bare arm and stroke his back.
The real revelation was seeing Erin handle him. She brought him close to her chest and he laid his head against her, positively snuggling up for her petting. Who knew a bird could adore a human so?
I discovered that Erin broadcasts a daily program on Erin Radio, appropriately enough, and now I have an appointment to give her an interview about Escarpment Views! You never know where you’ll meet fascinating people who can contribute to your life.
Which garden tours do you follow, or what’s your favourite garden style?
Damsels & Dragons: Conservation Halton Celebrates Odonata
July 08th 2009This looks like such an interesting event that we’re happy to help spread the word about it. Kids and nature lovers are sure to have a good time. You might even see us there. Here’s the news from Conservation Halton:
Have you ever seen a flying jewel? Skimming across the surface of a pond, drifting through the long grass…everyone has seen them!
Come out to Mountsberg Conservation Area on Saturday July 18, 2009 from 1 to 3 pm, for an introduction to the exciting world of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies), guided by Brenda Van Ryswyk, Conservation Halton’s Natural Heritage Technician and Odonata expert.
These beautiful insects are common all across Ontario, and just like birds, they can easily be identified with merely a pair of binoculars. The event will begin with an introduction to “odonate” ecology and terminology, and then participants will practice their new-found identification skills to try and spot as many different species of these “flying jewels” as they can.
The number of species that we spot will depend on the weather, but if Mother Nature blesses us we could see up to 20 different species of Odonata. Don’t miss your chance to learn more about the Damsels and Dragons of our wetlands!
Pre-registration including payment is required for this event. Please call Mountsberg at (905) 854-2276 to register.
Mountsberg Conservation Area is located at 2259 Millburough Line, just north of Campbellville Road.
Audrey Tournay’s Great Work at Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
April 24th 2009CTV’s W5 aired a segment about Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary a few weeks ago. This is a wonderful organization that rescues and nurtures abandoned and injured wild animals and birds.
I would love to do a huge feature article on their work, but they are in Rosseau, Ontario, well outside the Niagara Escarpment territory that we cover in Escarpment Views.
The best I can do right now is mention them here and urge you to check out their site. If the spirit moves you, you might send them a donation, as I did. I believe that if enough people send even small contributions, it can be a big help.
To my delight, today I received not only a tax receipt, but a letter from founder Audrey Tournay, giving news of what’s happening at the sanctuary these days. “The bear cubs are all waking up – and just as soon as food is available in the wild, we will be taking the cubs, individually, to remote places where they can live relatively safe lives. The fawns will be released – and the raccoons who were either not old enough or well enough to go last fall, or who have come in during the winter. The squirrels will go, and the porcupine…anyway, life is not dull just now!”
This is the nicest acknowledgement I’ve ever received from a charity. It makes me feel, in a small way, that I’m part of the community that’s doing good work for our wildlife. I only wish I could do more.
Spring Excitement Over Eastern Pipistrelle Bat
March 04th 2009Our spring issue has been attracting a bit of attention.
I received this note from Jane Christmas, who is the manager of public and media relations for McMaster University, and also the author of What the Psychic Told the Pilgrim, which I reviewed in Spring 2008: “I just read your Editor’s View, and I loved the way you described a ‘good spring.’ Nicely articulated! And the issue is, as usual, very calming and beautiful.”
We also received this response to our Eastern Pipistrelle bat photo originally published in our Dec. ’08 issue: “I was happy to see Fiona Reid’s species correction in your latest issue. I work for Conservation Halton on rare species monitoring and inventory. As Fiona indicated, there’s little updated information on this species and it’s very exciting to know there’s still a population at Kelso.” Nigel Finney, Natural Heritage Technician.
Nigel wants to add “You can help species at risk by reporting your sightings here.”
Thanks, Jane and Nigel, for your comments. We love hearing from readers. And with the warmer weather, perhaps we can get out more and report any species at risk we discover!