Winter Events at Mountsberg
January 02nd 2012Looking for things to do this winter? Mountsberg Raptor Centre near Campbellville suggests these events & activities:
The Mountsberg Raptor Centre is thrilled to host the Royal Ontario Museum’s spectacular Northern Owls exhibit from January 1 through to February 23, 2012. This educational and beautiful display will teach park visitors all about Ontario’s diverse owl species, some of which are live residents of our educational centre for non-releasable birds of prey.
The Northern Owls Exhibit will be open at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre for self-guided exploration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. It will also be a featured part of the popular evening Owl Prowl programs which are available for both families (January 14 and 28) and nature-minded adults (January 13 and 27).
During special weekends in January and February, Raptor Centre staff will be available from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. to guide park visitors through the exhibit at no extra charge, and allow them an up-close and ‘nose-to-beak’ visit with one of Mountsberg’s live owl residents. Don’t miss this fascinating and educational family experience, free with gate admission on the following weekends: January 7 and 8, January 21 and 22, February 4 and 5, February 11 and 12 as well as February 18 and 19. Conservation Halton Annual Passholders only need to show their pass for park admission.
Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides at Mountsberg
You can enjoy a wagon or sleigh ride through the fields and forests of Mountsberg on a crisp, clear, cold and sunny winter day on weekends and Family Day (February 20) until February 20, 2012. Wagon rides will depart on those days at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Wagon ride tickets are Adults $3, Children $2 and can be purchased at the Discovery Centre.
About Mountsberg Conservation Area
Mountsberg Conservation Area is located on Milburough Line, 5 km west of Campbellville, ON, between Highway 6 South and the Guelph Line. For more information on this event and all the other happenings at Conservation Halton Parks visit www.conservationhalton.ca and click on the Events Calendar.
Mountsberg Helps with Shrike Recovery Project
November 21st 2011
Eastern Loggerhead Shrike at Mountsberg Conservation Area. Photo courtesy Conservation Halton.
Mike & I recently had special access to an important new initiative by Conservation Halton. We were allowed inside the newly built breeding facility for Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes, at Mountsberg Conservation Area, for Mike to take photographs. Except for the one above, these photos are all by (and copyright of) Mike Davis.
The Eastern Loggerhead Shrike is an endangered species of bird, and with only 21 wild pairs seen by last year, it is on the edge of extinction. As part of a large Shrike recovery program, this facility is sheltering paired Shrikes in order to breed and release hatchlings into the wild.
Amy Fennell entering Mountsberg's Shrike facility, which has indoor/outdoor pens.
This is the good news. The bad news for the public is that visitors won’t be able to get close to see these birds in the facility. The breeding program is so critical and so new, that nothing and no one should disturb or frighten the Shrikes from their important job of surviving and restoring their species.
So let us give you a behind-the-scenes look at the facility. First, some details: “Eastern Loggerhead Shrikes are a predatory, robin-sized songbird that prefers short grasslands or grazed pastures,” notes Conservation Halton. “They hunt small animals, such as rodents, insects, other small birds, and amphibians.” Shrikes have strong hooked beaks that can quickly kill prey, but they don’t have strong legs or talons to hold onto it while feeding. They developed a technique of impaling their dead prey on a thorn to hold it while they tear it apart, or store it for later. This unique behaviour has caused them to be known as the “butcher bird.” At Mountsberg, the Shrikes’ diet consists of dead mice, live crickets and two kinds of live worms.
Shrikes' dinner: from left, mealworms, superworms and dead mice.
Live crickets are another delicacy for Shrikes.
Live superworms destined for Shrike food.
Live mealworms are a Shrike favourite.
Inside the Mountsberg facility, one Shrike has become used to its feeders, especially Amy Fennell, and has been named Jack the Ripper. Jack moves about very quickly, and lighting was a problem, so Mike didn’t get a great shot. Here’s one of his that shows Jack’s hooked beak, if you can see it.
Jack inside his breeding pen. He has a sharp curve at the end of his beak.
Mike noticed something unusual at the inside top of Jack’s pen. When he asked Amy, she said she hadn’t seen them before, and they were pellets, or waste material that birds regurgitate. She was very interested to see them and said they were another good sign of Jack’s acceptance of his new surroundings.
Jack's pellets, inside at the top of the pen. Is he trying to keep his home clean by leaving them where staff can get them?
For more information on the Shrike recovery program, see Wildlife Preservation Canada and Conservation Halton Foundation (Click on “Shrike Recovery Project” on the left menu.). Canadian Wildlife Service is also involved, but their website is being reorganized and I couldn’t find a useful link.
Do you have anything to add about this project?
Important addition: here’s a great video of Amy giving a tour of the new facility. So interesting, it’s almost like being there!
Fall into Nature at Conservation Halton
October 11th 2011Here’s what’s happening at Conservation Halton this weekend:
Conservation Halton’s Fall into Nature offers activities at six different Halton Parks. The festival celebrates the spectacular landscapes and fall colours of the Niagara Escarpment.
Fall into Nature is on the weekend of October 15 and 16, at Mountsberg, Crawford Lake, Kelso, Rattlesnake Point, Hilton Falls and Mount Nemo Conservation Areas.
See what our parks have to offer:
Fall into Nature is a wonderful opportunity to see all of the parks in their fall splendour. A detailed schedule of events is available online at www.fallintonature.ca. Visitors will enjoy a variety of unique outdoor experiences including:
*Chairlift rides to the top of the escarpment with spectacular views
*Self-guided and interpreter led tours through our many trails and landscapes
*Tractor-drawn wagon rides through the parks
*Educational and interactive programs (visit an Iroquoian Village, learn about the science of nature)
*Live performances (music, First Nations dancers)
*Demonstrations (Bird of Prey shows, reptile shows, mountain biking)*Various other activities (children’s activities, BBQs, family campfires, and more)
On Saturday, October 15, Conservation Halton will hold its inaugural Forest Festival at Rattlesnake Point. Come out and celebrate the International Year of Forests and learn about the importance of trees and forests in our region. Enjoy interactive displays on the use of forest products, logging demonstrations and more fun activities.
During Fall into Nature visitors will also be able to enjoy the regular activities and programs available at Conservation Halton parks. Be sure to check out the amazing Birds of Prey demonstrations at Mountsberg or travel back in time to the Iroquoian Village at Crawford Lake.
Conservation Halton parks have some of the best places in our area to enjoy the amazing fall colours, the vistas from Mount Nemo and Rattlesnake Point are particularly incredible.
Park visitors who purchase a one-day park entry during the festival will receive a Fall into Nature passport valid for one full day’s admission to all six parks. Show your passport on subsequent days and receive a discount on your entry.
Take a ride on the Fall Bus Tour and lunch is on us! You can sit back and enjoy the ride as we take you on a guided tour of Fall into Nature on October 15 and 16. The tour will take you to three distinctive parks, Kelso, Crawford Lake and Mountsberg where you will learn about the areas natural and cultural history, while enjoying a variety of special events.
Your full-day bus tour includes:
*Chairlift ride at Kelso to enjoy autumn views along the escarpment, with a guided walk to learn about the landscape from spectacular vantage points
*BBQ lunch
*Stop at Crawford Lake for a feature presentation with Iroquoian Dancers and an opportunity to tour the village
*Birds of Prey Demonstration and Wildlife Walkway at Mountsberg
The Fall Bus Tour is $30.00 per person (including taxes) and will be from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., departing from Kelso. Book online through the Fall into Nature website (www.fallintonature.ca) or call 905-854-2276.
The fall colours in Halton Region are accentuated with our region’s many country roads, rolling terrain, and of course the Niagara Escarpment. As you travel through Escarpment Country during Fall into Nature, there are many other great attractions in our area, such as shops, local artisans, and numerous farms with fresh produce.
You can find everything you need to know at www.fallintonature.ca or www.conservationhalton.ca. Residents and visitors alike are invited to join us in celebrating autumn at this fun filled festival, great for people of all ages!
Fall into Nature is made possible in part through the generous support of the Government of Ontario Celebrate Ontario Program. Conservation Halton launched its first Fall into Nature festival in 2009 and over 28,000 people attended, last year over 45,000 people attended.
Birds of a Feather Peek In at Feathered Friends
May 13th 2011
Geese on their way to the Centre for Conservation exhibit
Goose peeping in at birds exhibit
A great message we received from our friends at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area:
“Even the birds are flocking to the “Our Feathered Friends” travelling exhibit from the Canadian Museum of Nature. Here are images of the Canada Geese who showed up at the Centre for Conservation at Ball’s Falls – they must have heard about Migratory Bird Day May 14 and wondered what all the activity is about! They were on the roof looking through the skylight into the atrium where the bird puppets and activity centre is located as part of the exhibit. We can really say our site has something for everyone – including our resident birds.”
The special exhibit will be available at the Centre for Conservation until Sept. 5.
Special Spring Issue of Escarpment Views
March 04th 2011
The Spring issue is our garden special, because from now to June, gardeners are getting keen to get back outside, carving a bit of paradise. We feature a large rural garden that is the work of just one woman. If she can achieve these results while running a full-time business, we should be able to reach our own garden goals.
This issue also takes you near Owen Sound to look at the range of beautiful ferns that thrive along the whole Escarpment. As you can expect, we have several photos of various kinds.
And we feature the old pioneer methods of making maple syrup, and some of the wonderful festivals where we can celebrate this sweet, delicious season.
There’s much more to enjoy in this issue, but I have to make special mention of Seana McKenna’s column on performing Richard III at Stratford this year. Tickets are already selling for this history-making production, and Escarpment Views is tremendously fortunate to publish her reflections on approaching this career-defining performance. I personally know of a few people in the U.S. who are planning to travel to Ontario in order to catch Seana tackle this killer of a role. Grab a copy of Escarpment Views to learn what the excitement is about!
The Spring issue is available now for free at most of our supportive advertisers. If you get a copy from one of them, please tell them you’re happy they provide the magazine. If you want a copy but our advertisers are not convenient, you buy a copy now. We have PayPal to make it easy.
Spring Escarpment Views is Getting Out!
February 22nd 2011 The Spring issue of Escarpment Views is starting to get out there in the community. First, our subscribers across Canada and in the U.S. should be getting their copies for a first crack at the contents. The Bookshelf in Guelph has copies for sale. Our magazine tends to be on the bottom rack of the unit next to the cashier. Ask for it if you can’t see it! Next, our advertisers will be getting copies to give out. You can check with our usual advertisers until we’re able to post the new ones that have copies. We’re on the road this week delivering copies from NOTL to Owen Sound. Places further north will get their copies by Canada Post.
We’ve already heard some comments from people about this issue. One guy just said “Nature porn!” A writer/photographer said he likes the profusion of green through this issue, very welcome in the white cold of February. Hold on, because the season of spring really is coming! Notice how warm the sun is, when the wind isn’t blowing. My father reported that his snowdrops beside his house are in bloom.
Over to you. What signs of spring are you seeing?
Dark Skies, Bright Minds: discover the infinite possibilities…
February 12th 2011Here’s some information provided by Arlene Kennedy of Tobermory, about the Dark Skies initiative on the Bruce Peninsula. I find it fascinating. Check this out…
By Arlene Kennedy
Consider what civilization means for our Dark Skies today. This Spring we have a rare opportunity to learn of the discoveries and share the special personal experiences of some of the most passionate, knowledgeable, informed and fascinating speakers of our day.
Dark Skies is the central theme of the third innovative Sources of Knowledge Forum, April 29 and 30, 2011 at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre in Tobermory, Ontario, a chance to explore exciting Dark Skies research and ideas first-hand with 30 minute presentations and 8 workshops by a wide range of a dozen experts, as well as an art exhibition of night photography on view from April 29 to May 8.
Are you a star gazer? They seem so close, you could almost touch them. Unimpeded by light and air pollution, there are at least ten Dark Skies designated sites in Canada. No-one makes light of the value of this rare designation on the North Bruce Peninsula.
Who doesn’t love a sunset? Glorious colour infuses the sky with an ethereal glow that tugs at our senses and our hearts. But what if the sky glow doesn’t go away? We hear of ‘the land of the midnight sun’ where the sun never really sets, but what happens in most cities, in what most of us think of as the dead of night, is everlasting night sky glow. Reflected light, likely captured by air pollution, bounces off highly lit areas into the night sky, blocking out most of the stars and planets. It seem like the stars have become dimmer. The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada says a dark sky preserve is a site with “very dark skies and virtually no sky glow on the horizon”.
Too much outdoor lighting in most areas is excessive and poorly designed. It is costly and wastes electricity. It’s not even safe or secure because it blinds us and animals, (like the deer in the glare of headlights), making it all but impossible to see beyond the bright pool of light into the inky black surrounding it – good for actually hiding, rather than revealing.
A good night’s sleep is priceless, but some bedrooms never get fully dark. City street lights interrupt our natural sleep rhythms, leading to health problems. Night light disrupts natural habitats including those of insects, (have you ever watched a naked light bulb swarming with bugs, a heap of bug bodies on the ground below it?), life in the Great Lakes, reptiles, amphibians, bats and migratory birds that are hopefully safeguarded through the Fatal Light Awareness Program. It is clear why biological researchers are attracted to this unique biosphere.
Astronomers often travel to other exotic places such as Arizona, Peru or Australia for conditions like those in North Bruce where on a clear night, you can see forever. Eco-tourism and edu-tourism and dark skies reflect the Bruce Peninsula’s resurgent interest as a sustainable community, as a conservation-minded, innovative and educated community with an attractive lifestyle that attracts more residents and visitors every year.
Human eyesight has evolved to see at night as well as in the day. Night time changes the usual way we experience the outdoor world, especially in our parks. Try taking a flashlight to put on as soon as you get to the park and allow your eyes to become accustomed to the darkness. When you get to the trail or to the area that you want to view the sky, turn off the flashlight. Stand still with your eyes closed then open them. Our eyes are seeing the moon and stars just as our ancient ancestors did. Everything is transformed like an old black and white movie. Some of the stars and planets we see have sent us that light generated uncounted light-years away in the past, light that only now has reached us here on earth. Night skies are a kind of time machine, inspiring tales, reflection, scientific discoveries, music, horoscopes, poetry, art, myths and perhaps even structures like Stonehenge or pyramids. Culture and the ecology of the night also have a unique Aboriginal perspective. See the light and join us at the Dark Skies Forum. Limited registration is now available at www.sourcesofknowledge.ca .
Prowling for Owls at Mountsberg
January 11th 2011
Chomper the Great Horned Owl photographed by Mike Davis
Mountsberg Conservation Area’s popular winter Owl Prowl program is returning this winter. Participants will be provided with lots of information on our native Ontario owls during a winter night hike to search for wild local owls.
There are four Owl Prowl nights scheduled: January 14 and 28 are advanced Prowls for Adults, while January 15 and 29 are all-ages Family Nights. Both evenings feature visits with the Mountsberg Raptor Centre’s resident birds of prey to give guests a memorable ‘nose to beak’ experience. The Family Nights also include a puppet show and a special story time, while the advanced Prowl gives nature-minded adults a chance to learn the fine details of owl behaviour, anatomy, and natural history.
Admission for the Owl Prowl programs is by advance registration only, online. Call Mountsberg at 905 854 2276 for more information. The Adult Owl Prowl fees are $15 for Adults and $10 for Seniors ages 65 and older.
The all-ages Family Night Owl Prowl fees are Adults $15 and Children ages 5 to 14 years, $10, while those four years and under are free. The fees do not include HST.
The Mountsberg Raptor Centre is currently home to 14 different species of native birds of prey. Many of the resident birds of prey have permanent injuries that have left them incapable of surviving on their own in the wild. In many cases, these injuries were caused by human activity. With the help of these feathered ambassadors, the Mountsberg Raptor Centre teaches the community about the native birds of prey that share our environment and how to reduce the negative impact we can have on them.
Hamilton/Halton Watershed Funding for Planting
September 20th 2010News from the Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program: Are you planning to plant native trees, shrubs or plants this coming spring? You may be eligible to access funding for your planting.
If your project site falls within Hamilton or Halton Conservation Authorities’ watersheds, AND your project site requires a minimum of 50 trees or shrubs or herbaceous plants, you may be eligible to access funding to assist in the cost of trees, and/or planting.
Interested landowners should contact the program as soon as possible because stock orders for this coming spring will be finalized this fall, and stock availability is limited. Landowners should contact Cherish Elwell, Watershed Stewardship Technician, Hamilton-Halton Watershed Stewardship Program, or call 905-525-2181, extension 181.
Using Up Nature
August 10th 2010The following is an opinion piece by Arlene Kennedy of Tobermory. We’re pleased to post it in full here.
True confession…I am beginning to suspect that I am a megalomaniac. I like big ideas, overarching theories and the “big picture,” both figuratively and literally, since as an art collector I own several rather large paintings, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now.
A friend just lent me A Short History of Progress by Ronald Wright, a 2004 Massey Lecturer. Talk about “big picture” – this vast sweep at the tenure of mankind on the planet is a gallop through where we’ve been, how we got here and where we might be heading. It’s not pretty.
Today’s preoccupation with the debt crisis and how many of us appear to be living beyond our means truly pales in contrast with the debt humanity is taking on with our use and abuse of the earth. The author believes that “If civilization is to survive, it must live on the interest, not the capital, of nature.” We are using nature up at a rate far faster than it can regenerate itself.
So I’m thinking about my home here in the Bruce Peninsula in terms of a sustainable community. So are a lot of other people, as evidenced by last fall’s creation of The Meeting Place, the regular occurrence of Transition Communities get-togethers, the educational initiatives at the Lion’s Head school, the numerous grass-roots organizations including the Bruce Peninsula Bird Observatory and lately, some relatively independent efforts to generate local “clean” energy. Solar power is a focus that seems to be in favour over giant turbine wind farm power.
What can I do to contribute to securing in the future a quality of life and standard of living I am now privileged to enjoy? How do we conserve and preserve the balance between development and preservation of this unique gem of a Biosphere?
I am hoping that the knowledge generated by residents and researchers in this area will be part of the solution. Which brings me to another initiative worthy of attention and support: the Sources of Knowledge Forum presented at the Parks Canada Visitor Centre this May. Researchers presented brief sessions on their impressive work carried on in this region.
Applied research is the latest buzz that attracts government funding, and although I admire the utilitarian bent of this trend, there is also room in my view for less directed research out of which may grow future but as yet unforeseen applications.
There is some interest in the community to attract an outreach “campus” of sorts, perhaps affiliated with a university or other institute of higher learning that already has access to external funding and has the infrastructure to establish and support a “Bruce Peninsula Research Centre.” A wealth of learning occurs here now. How might it best be maximised?
There’s no place like it in the world. There are instructive parallels and contrasting locals, but we are a one-and-only. So is the earth. How do we avoid bankrupting nature and watching humanity become extinct in the process?
That’s the “big picture.”
Do you have more information about some of the initiatives and ideas that Arlene mentions? Is anything like this going on in your community? Feel free to add a comment. Or write your own opinion piece and send it to us. We may be able to print it in the magazine or post it here as a blog comment. We’re happy to be a forum for discussion!
