A Tribute to Bean the American Kestrel

Written by: Sandra Davey, Mountsberg Raptor Centre Lead

On January 29, 2010, a 10 month old male American Kestrel joined the education team at the Mountsberg Raptor Centre. At the time, nobody had any idea just how truly special this bird would turn out to be. This special bird left our team unexpectedly on July 31, 2015 after contracting an infection that he could not recover from. Bean the American Kestrel was a well-known and much loved Mountsberg educator during his five and a half years with us.

Despite being captive-bred, Bean had never been handled or trained prior to his arrival at the Raptor Centre. During his early days of training, the Raptor Centre staff started to get an inkling of what an amazing bird Bean was. On only his second day with us he was eating food off of our gloves, by day 3 he stepped up for food, and after only one week he appeared briefly in his very first public presentation. Other birds can take months of training to be ready to make their first public appearance!

While Raptor Centre staff strive to ensure the comfort of all of our education birds during their daily lives and public appearances, Bean seemed to thrive on interacting with staff, volunteers and the public. We would often joke that Bean never read the manual that says that raptors aren’t social! Anyone who ever had the pleasure of meeting Bean during a behind-the-scenes tour had the experience of watching him hop excitedly to the front of his enclosure to greet them. It truly seemed like he wanted to come say hello! In fact, we had to devise a special perch for the front window of Bean’s enclosure so that he could sit in the window and watch us come and go. Without this special perch, he would hang onto the front window when we walked by, causing him to mess up his tail feathers.

Bean was always happy to engage with people and took part in all of our various programs. He helped teach school programs, travelled offsite, was a genuine model during our photography sessions, and was willing to hop onto the glove of anyone he met, including hundreds of children who took part in our Raptor Camp program. He was often the bird that helped us train our Raptor Centre volunteers how to handle a bird. Bean helped to inspire a love of and respect for raptors in literally thousands of people. As one park visitor expressed on our Facebook page after Bean’s passing, “I didn’t even know what an American Kestrel was until I met and fell in love with Bean.” Talk about a tremendous impact from a tiny little bird!

On behalf of the Raptor Centre staff and the thousands of people who met Bean over the years, I want to say a very big heart-felt thank you to Bean for sharing his life with us. While we love all of our feathered educators, Bean held a special place in our hearts and his loss will be felt for a long time to come. My thanks go out as well to everyone who took the time to comment on our Facebook page about their interactions with Bean over the years. The Raptor Centre team loved hearing how special Bean was to all of you as well.

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Star Gazing on the Escarpment

Host a stargazing party tonight!

Written by: Erin Worgan

Stargazing is a natural activity that has been slowly lost from our daily lives, especially in large cities where the stars are slowly being lost from view. It seems we as a society are beginning to look down at our screens rather than up at the wild blue yonder overhead. A reconnection with the beauty of our night sky is a wonderful and humbling experience as you take in the vast beauty that is always above us but rarely observed. Stargazing is ideal at the Conservation Halton parks. Being located along the Escarpment in conservation areas the amount of light pollution from the bustling cities is muted and the elevation offered in areas, such as Rattlesnake Point, can really allow for a better view of the stars.

The Niagara Escarpment remains one of the few places in Southern Ontario where the night sky can still be viewed in all its glory. There are countless references available to you to enrich your experience, and guide you in your galactic gazing! There are various sources of constellation maps that are dependent on your location, season, time zone, etc. There are tons of free apps you can download for more informed star viewing. The most popular ones are Starwalk, Aurora Forecast, and Sputnik. These applications can help point out to you the exact location of constellations, locate the core of the Milky Way and you can even find your star-sign in the stars!

Have you ever wanted to photograph the night sky? Photographing the stars in the night sky is called Astrophotography and it involves a little more skill and knowledge than average point and shoot picture taking. With a little bit of understanding photographing the stars can be a fairly simple process once you get to know your camera. There are a few tricks photographers use. Generally the key is to have your aperture (the hole in the lens that lets in light) open wider and the shutter speed at longer increments to gain a longer exposure. However this extended time frame for taking the picture makes the image susceptible to blurriness and movement so a tripod is often required for this kind of shot. You will need a wide aperture or fish eye lens (optional), tripod, a DSLR Camera is preferred but any camera that has manual settings so you can change your ISO and shutter speed will work. The right combination of settings across your ISO, Shutter speed, and aperture will require some practice shots and playing around. However, an aperture setting of f/2.8 seems to be ideal for astrophotography most often. You can try to create star trails with longer exposure/shutter speed settings, where the longer the picture is open for (greater than 45 seconds) you will begin to see the movement of the stars across the sky as the earth rotates. For more helpful photography tips check out this link.

So why not have a star party? Read our blog post on how to spot constellations in the sky. Get together with friends to camp out and attempt some astrophotography! Camping is available at Rattlesnake and Kelso Park, or for day pass holders all the Conservation Halton parks are open until 9pm during summer hours. Each year in the fall, the Mountsberg Conservation Area hosts an annual “Explore the Night Sky” event, which includes a fun and educational presentation from a planetary expert as well as hands on experience with telescopes! So keep an eye out for information on how to get involved in this cosmic occasion.

A look back at the August 4, 2014 Burlington flood

By Cory Harris and Norm Miller

One year ago, on a sunny, holiday Monday (for most of Southern Ontario), Burlington was hit by a storm which dropped large amounts of rain in a short period of time. This storm delivered up to 192 mm of rain in total according to one rain gauge on Palmer Avenue (near Walker’s Line), while just minutes away in the Tyandaga area (near Brant Street and Dundas Street), rain gauges recorded 48 to 54 mm of rain.

Affected Areas of Burlington from the August 4th, 2014 Flood

The August 4, 2014 storm rolled through in two waves, the first just before 2 p.m. with the rain lasting for only a few minutes, and the second saw rain fall in varying amounts between 3 and 7 p.m. The storm extended from roughly Mountsberg Road in the north to Lake Ontario in the south, Burloak Drive in the east, and Brant Street in the west. The elliptically shaped area had a length of approximately 25 km and a width of approximately 9 km, with the storm area being approximately 200 km². The watercourses most impacted were Tuck Creek, Shoreacres Creek, and Appleby Creek.

Due to the intensity, the storm generated significant runoff in a short period of time (flash flood) which flooded homes, businesses, parks, overtopped watercourse crossings, closed roads, and flooded motor vehicles.

                         Itabashi Bridge

The August 4, 2014 storm was a severe weather event and is typical of the storms we are beginning to see more of recently. These storms can pop up quickly and are shorter in duration and more intense in terms of rainfall. They can also be highly localized as evidenced by our rain gauge data.

North Service Road, QEW, August 4th, 2014, Burlington

As part of our flood forecasting and warning service, Conservation Halton issued flood warning messages, monitored weather and river conditions, and issued updates as necessary to the City of Burlington, emergency services and the media. These organizations then take the necessary action to protect the public, for example closing roads which are flooding or alerting people in their homes.

The following day (Tuesday, August 5), after the storm had ended, Conservation Halton staff began conducting field investigations in areas of the City of Burlington affected by riverine (creek-based) flooding to document damages and the extent of flooding. The investigation took staff the better part of a week as they examined debris patterns, high water marks and spoke to residents in areas near creeks and streams.

It is very important to understand how the watershed responds during a severe storm event in order to guide future development and improve flood plain management. Conservation Halton staff put together a detailed report, in consultation with Halton Region and the City of Burlington, which was presented to the Conservation Halton Board of Directors in April and released to the public on May 1st. The complete report can be found on the Conservation Halton website at www.conservationhalton.ca/burlingtonflood.

The most important finding, with further details available in the Flood Report, is that the areas in the City of Burlington where Provincial and Conservation Halton flood plain planning policies were applied during development, were the least affected during the August 4, 2014 Storm event. These areas (typically developed after the mid 1970’s) experienced the least amount of erosion and flood damage in comparison to areas of the City of Burlington that were developed before these policies were put into place. Proper planning, which involves not putting people and property in potential harm’s way, is Conservation Halton mandate, which we have been providing to the community for the past 40 years. Conservation Halton staff work hard to address natural hazards through the application of science-based regulation and planning policies.

Conservation Halton’s Burlington Flood Report also contains four recommendations based on the experience from the flood. These recommendations identify the need for better protection measures for Burlington from the effects of future storms, and also identify the need to improved monitoring and the sharing of information.

It is also important to draw a distinction between urban versus riverine flooding. Urban flooding can be defined as nuisance flooding of streets, underpasses, basements and other low-lying urban areas usually due to poor drainage or limited drainage capacity of urban systems (i.e. stormwater). Riverine (creek-based) flooding is flooding that occurs when surface runoff causes a river to swell causing the water to breach the river’s banks. The water then overflows into the river’s flood plain area(s).Conservation Halton is responsible for riverine flooding which is where our flood plain mapping and regulations come in to play. These maps help determine where development can occur and keep people out of harm’s way.

Conservation Halton and Natural Hazards

Natural events that can pose a threat to humans, their property, or the environment are given the term ‘natural hazards’. Natural hazards are often equated with extreme rainfall or snowmelt, fog events, snow/ice storms, forest fires, tornadoes, and earthquakes but the term can also include flooding and erosion associated with creek and river systems.

Conservation Halton has two primary roles when it comes to flooding. The first is flood protection through a water control and flood warning program. Water control is in the form of dams (Hilton Falls, Kelso, Mountsberg and Scotch Block) and flood control channels (Milton, Morrison-Wedgewood and Hager-Rambo) which effectively hold back and divert water from flood prone areas during storms. Flood duty staff monitor weather forecasts from Environment Canada, local weather conditions, and water levels. When flooding is possible or about to occur, Conservation Halton issues flood warning messages to municipal emergency management officials and the media. The municipal officials would then take action to warn local residents. Flood warning messages fall under three categories.

The second role Conservation Halton plays is natural hazard management as part of the land use planning process. This service supports development decisions which safeguard human life and property while protecting the natural features of our watershed. Conservation Halton’s Watershed Management Services Division review development proposals to determine how the proposed works may impact upon, and/or be impacted by, natural hazards. Conservation Halton has the regulatory responsibility to ensure that development is not permitted in areas of natural hazards in order to prevent the loss of life and property. Key in this is preventing home construction and other development projects within ravines, flood plains, shorelines, wetlands, etc.

Conservation Halton’s Regulations, which guide development in and around creeks and watercourses, are intended to keep people and property from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion, and protect against creek or riverine flooding. They are intended to safeguard against the effects of a Regional Storm, such as Hurricane Hazel, which struck Southern Ontario on October 15, 1954.A Regional Storm is the standard to which Conservation Halton regulates. Hurricane Hazel pounded the Toronto region with winds that reached 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) and 285 millimetres (11.23 inches) of rain in 48 hours, killing 81 people in the process. The damage impacts of Hurricane Hazel cost taxpayers more than $1 Billion in today’s dollars. See www.hurricanehazel.ca for more information.

The work that Conservation Halton does keeps people and property safe from natural hazards such as flooding and erosion and also provides a significant benefit to taxpayers by preventing loss of life and damage to property. The Conservation Authority model is unique to the Province of Ontario and is one of the only natural hazards management models that emphasize prevention and sound planning as the key elements in encouraging development that is in synergy with the natural environment when it comes to natural hazards.

The Games of Kanata

by artist Rene Meshake, from the Running with the Deer exhibit

In 1907, Tom Longboat (Cogwagee) ran uphill, in the snow, passing numerous competitors, and even a train to set a new record at the Boston Marathon.    Cogwagee, an Onondaga from Six Nations, began his running career as a child, playing with his siblings, and later running to escape a residential school.   Cogwagee won numerous races around the world and participated in the London Olympics.   He served in the Canadian military and competed as a professional runner. Cogwagee has been recognized as one of the top Canadian heroes of all time, and as a role model for aspiring Aboriginal athletes.

What does it mean to be an Aboriginal athlete in Canada?  Cogwagee encountered many obstacles throughout his racing career; obstacles, which unfortunately continue to greet many Aboriginal athletes today.    Numerous Aboriginal athletes have represented Canada at the Olympics and beyond, yet racism and lack of inclusion are among the barriers that Canadian Aboriginal athletes may face.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action detail several recommendations regarding sport, including:

“We call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being, reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport, and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples” (89) 

and

“We call upon all levels of government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, sports halls of fame, and other relevant organizations, to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history.” (87) 

It is our hope at Crawford Lake, that through our new Games of Kanata exhibit we can support the reconciliation process.  This exhibit recognizes and celebrates the immeasurable contribution of Canadian Aboriginal people to sport in our nation.   Rene Meshake’s “Running with the Deer”, poetry and images will inform and inspire you, as will the stories of our 3 amazing athletes.

The Games of Kanata exhibit also includes archery, lacrosse presentations and special guest lectures.  Please visit the Conservation Halton events calendar for more information.

With great thanks to:  Rene Meshake, Mary Spencer, Darren Zack, Richard Peter, Wheelchair Basketball Canada and the Government of Canada Community Celebration Fund. Crawford Lake gratefully acknowledges the Government of Canada and the Community Celebration Fund for their support of this project.

Traditional Healthy Eating at Crawford Lake: The Three Sisters Soup

Pre-contact Healthy Living

In pre-contact times, many First Nations enjoyed active lifestyles, along with traditional healthy diets. They consumed a variety of nutritious foods that they cultivated themselves. The Iroquoian people, who would’ve resided in the Crawford Lake area, would have eaten crops, and also collected food in the wild, and also hunted game, including: deer, fish, nuts, and fruits. The Iroquoian people sweetened their food with natural sugars like maple sugar. Surprisingly, maple sugar is full of nutrients like manganese, riboflavin, and zinc.

For Iroquoian people, the main food crops included beans, squash, and corn. In fact, ancient corn pollen at the bottom of Crawford Lake led scientists and researchers to the discovery that pre-contact First Nations groups did once live in this area.

The Three Sisters

Beans, squash, and corn are known as the Three Sisters, or the three sustainers of life. They thrive when grown together. Bean plants fix nitrogen in the soil and stabilize the roots of the corn stalks. The corn stalks support the bean vines, lifting the vines to the sun. The large leaves of the squash plants provide shade for the roots, and control the spread of weeds. Squash also discourage pests from eating away at the roots of all three plants. The pre-contact groups used companion, eco-friendly, planting techniques long before companion planting even had a name to the concept!

Lastly, the Three Sisters are nutritional complements. Beans are high in protein; corn provides carbohydrates; and, squash contains vitamins and minerals like vitamins A and C, magnesium, and potassium. You can visit the Three Sisters Garden, part of the Games of Kanata program, at Crawford Lake.

Here is a healthy living recipe for Three Sisters Soup you can cook at home:

Three Sisters Soup

Ingredients:

5 cups of water

2 cups of corn

2 cups of beans

2 cups of cubed squash

2 tablespoons of flours (traditionnaly cattail root flour but others can be used)

Directions:

Combine corn, beans, squash, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is soft. Add flour and any other seasonings you might like. Increase the heat to medium, and simmer for five minutes until the soup has thickened. Serve. Feel free to add your favourite vegetables and seasonings!

Crawford lake gratefully acknowledges the Government of Canada and the Community Celebration Fund for their support of this project.

Giant Hogweed at its peak … but don’t worry, it will die soon

Written by: Norm Miller, Communications Advisor

Giant Hogweed is an invasive species which has become very well-known for its height and potential health effects on humans. This is generally the time Giant Hogweed is at its peak for growth reaching heights of up to 4 metres, (14 feet), before going to seed and dying for the season, until reappearing the following spring.

Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) has two major negative impacts:

1. Due to its invasive nature, it poses a threat to biodiversity.
2. It is a public health hazard. It produces a noxious sap that sensitizes the skin to ultraviolet light. This is known as photosensitivity, which can result in severe and painful burning and blistering. It is important to avoid any skin contact with this plant. If you are exposed to the sap then protect the area from the sun for at least 48 hours.

With Giant Hogweed at its peak for growth right now, Conservation Halton receives a significant number of calls and e-mails. People want to know what should they do about the plant, or what will Conservation Halton do about it.

If you see Giant Hogweed (or a plant you think may be Giant Hogweed), Conservation Halton would like you to report the sighting. You can report your sightings on the EDDS Maps Ontario website (Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System) which is a web-based mapping system for documenting invasive species distribution. Conservation Halton is happy to identify photos of plants you may think is Giant Hogweed, please e-mail your photos to Brenda Van Ryswyk, brendav@hrca.on.ca.

Conservation Halton does track invasive species like Giant Hogweed as well as doing other long term environmental monitoring in our watershed. This provides current information on species diversity and abundance, which is used to assess changes in species diversity and abundance (biodiversity) over time.

Landowners are responsible for the removal of Giant Hogweed on their property. This time of year is far from the preferred time of year to attempt control. In fact it is the time when the risks are the highest, due to the large size of Giant Hogweed plants, and it is the least effective because it may already be producing seed. The plant that has flowered will soon go to seed and die. The plants that go to seed this year will not re-grow next year but there will be younger plants, as well as the seeds, to worry about.

The best thing to do at this time of year is likely to cut and bag the seeds to prevent their spread and mark on your calendar to return to that spot in April and May to treat any plants coming up at that time an prevent them from reaching the flowering stage.

The most effective time to try and control Giant Hogweed is when the plants are just starting to grow in the spring (April-May), and removal can prevent it from producing seeds. If you see Giant Hogweed now, you’re best to make note of the location, bag and remove the seeds if possible, and watch for the first signs of growth in the spring and take removal actions then.

Conservation Halton has a page on its website with more information about Giant Hogweed, including how to spot it, some common lookalikes, and how to remove it at www.conservationhalton.ca/giant-hogweed.

About Giant Hogweed

Giant Hogweed usually grows from 2.5 to 4 metres (8 to 14 feet) high with leaves up to 1 metre (3 feet) in breadth. It has a thick, 5 to 10 centimetres (2 to 4 inches) hollow stem. Its stem and the undersides of its leaves are covered in coarse hairs. You can click here to see Conservation Halton’s factsheet on Giant Hogweed.

Giant Hogweed has several lookalikes, including a smaller, harmless plant which has a similar (but greatly smaller) white flower called Queen Anne’s Lace. If you are unsure whether you have Giant Hogweed, feel free to seek confirmation from an expert. At Conservation Halton, you can contact Brenda Van Ryswyk, by phone 905-336-1158, ext. 2282 or email brendav@hrca.on.ca.

For general inquiries, questions on invasive species or to report a sighting anywhere in the province, you can use the Invasive Species Hotline: 1-800-563-7711 or the EDDMaps, https://www.eddmaps.org/ontario/. For more information on Giant Hogweed, some tips on its control, and other invasive species, please visit Conservation Halton’s website, http://www.conservationhalton.ca/invasive-species-and-biodiversity.

5 Great Benefits of Camping

Written by: Craig Machan, Area Manager for Hilton Falls, Rattlesnake Point, Mount Nemo

Ontario is a great place to enjoy nature and there is no better way of truly soaking it in, than camping.  Ontario’s Conservation Areas offer amazing opportunities to take your family out to enjoy a night in nature with over 8400 camp sites.  At Conservation Halton, Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area has camp sites to take your family or group of friends to get a taste of the outdoors while staying close to home. Enjoy camping at Rattlesnake Point with your family and friends. Get a taste of the outdoors while staying close to home!

I loved camping when I was a kid, and now I share this passion with my wife and daughters.

Why do we camp?

1. Just to get away.  It doesn’t matter if you travel 3 hours or 15 minutes, you’ll feel a world away from home.  When my family and I are set up, and settled in, I feel peacefulness and relaxation come over me. You’ll find you sleep better, and even your thinking clears.
2. Electronics? What electronics?  Like a lot of people, we use tablets and smartphones for personal use and professional use.  The kids enjoy playing their favourite video games. When we are camping, those devices are soon forgotten.   Instead of crafting buildings with pixelated blocks, my daughters are out and building real structures with sticks and stones for their dolls and trucks. For me, the cell phone is put away and the only buzzing and chirping are the insects and birds.
3. The memories.  I will never forget the excitement my daughters had catching their first fish!  The look on each of their faces was truly memorable.  Or the time we sat beside Lake Huron and watched the most amazing sunset we had ever seen!  Sometimes it is only the memories of camping that get us through the long, harsh winters we experience living in our area.
4. It’s cheap.  Like many young families, there is always something that needs the attention of our hard earned money.  Whether it is clothes for my ever growing girls, or money for the next field trip at school, money always seems to fly out the door.  Camping is a great cost effective way to head out on the vacation we so deserve.  For around $50 per night, you can spend a night away.  Good luck trying to do anything with your family for that price!
5. It brings us together.  Yeah sure, we eat all our meals at the dinner table, we play board games, and we spend time together at home.  But nothing beats the conversations around the camp fire with a S’more (or in my case, a roasted hot dog) in our hands. Or the teamwork of trying to find a geocache. The laughs and smiles seem endless.

A local family camping in Halton Parks

As you can see, camping is a wonderful experience to share with your friends and family. I think it should be our national past time.  If you haven’t been in a while, go! It will be a trip you never forget! Find out more information about camping at Conservation Halton here!

Ways of the Woods: Where Dirt Don’t Hurt

Dirt Don’t Hurt at Ways of the Woods!

 

Written by: Erin Worgan

 

Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? Scabby knees, sticky fingers, staying out until the streetlights came on and never wanting to head inside? A lot of kids these days are spending less and less time outdoors and more of their time in front of the computer screen or a video game. There is a need for kids to unplug, get outside and out of that squeaky clean bubble. It’s important to rediscover what it means to get back to nature, like wading into the cold water, squishing your toes into the mud or walking barefoot across the grass, tossing a Frisbee into the air, holding a slimy salamander, or feeling the dew drops inside a cave on a crisp morning. When multiple senses are stimulated the brain registers experiences to a greater degree and is better able to process and remember what is learned.

The “Hygiene Hypothesis”, as reported in Time Magazine, is the understanding that children who spend most of their time in sterile environments never build up the necessary immunities to common allergens. Therefore kids who are exposed to allergens and bacteria are more likely to grow up allergy and asthma free. So letting kids be kids, and playing in the dirt could save them from a lifetime of respiratory illness and allergies. Well, at Ways of the Woods one of the camper mottos is that “Dirt Doesn’t Hurt”, and campers will have no problem getting messy. From grass stains to puddles to tie-dye; the potential for grubbiness is endless! We like to remind parents that cleaning up is often pretty quick and painless, and the amount of dirt they’re sporting is often a direct reflection of how much fun has been had.

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Helping these kids to be active and rediscover an appreciation for the outdoors and the nature around them, while having fun and meeting new friends is what camp is all about! Ways of the Woods Camps offer the unique experience of being able to visit some of Halton’s most beautiful and ecological parks. WOW Campers will be spend their days outside in the fresh air. They are physically active, and make lifelong memories with new friends.  There is a wide range of activities available at each park including archery, boating, caving, biking and a brand new Low-Ropes Course. Kelso Park is where the majority of the camper’s time is spent, as it offers the majority of these activities.

A typical day for the Ways of the Woods campers involves a non-stop action adventure, and lots of opportunities to get good and grubby. Campers are taken caving at Mount Nemo during the week! Caving is definitely one of the favourite activities of a traditional camp week, and Mount Nemo is one of the most prevalent caving regions in Southern Ontario. There is a large volume of crevice caves and a few caves large enough to be lowered into and explore. After a nice lengthy hike along the trails the group is guided towards these mysterious caverns. These caves are every kids dream come true with the chance to safely climb and explore whatever their curious heart desires! Once again this is an activity that will get your child good and grimy (though it is almost guaranteed they won’t even notice) so appropriate clothing is essential. Crawling and climbing to examine the earth’s secrets makes for a fun morning.

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Some might see these activities as  dangerous for their child, but all of these programs and activities are entirely supervised and safe. The theory of “Risky Play” and its relation to “emotion regulation” is the notion that one of the major functions of play involves moderate risk. Risky play teaches young children how to regulate fear and anger in a healthy way: a key part of their emotional development. When a child is deprived of age-adequate risky play and experiences, the deprivation negatively affects their development in terms of appropriate emotional responses to their environment and social interaction. The activities at Ways of the Woods are all entirely safe and supervised, but still offer a sense of adventure and minor risks.

The staff and kids at Ways of the Woods are united in their love for camp and the great outdoors and Ways of the Woods is where it all comes together in a wild and wonderful experience. The WOW counselors are positive and energetic with a million and one fun ideas for their camp groups to see or do at the Conservation Parks. They’ve always got a new game or song to get the campers enthused between adventures. Even the campers who may be shy at first quickly open up through the ice breaker games and activities, story telling, laughing, singing, sharing and constant outdoor fun! When I asked a couple of junior campers to describe WOW camp in one word I got some pretty enthusiastic feedback. I heard words like terrific, awesome, crazy, and fun, with one little guy screaming “its rad!”

The fact of the matter is that getting messy and being free to learn, have fun and make mistakes is what being a kid is all about. At Ways of the Woods they celebrate being a kid by going on an adventure every day and allowing your child to grow by trying something new. At the end of the day a messy kid is quite often a happy kid, so I’d invite you to go ahead and get dirty!

You can sign up for a Ways of the Woods camp session online at https://secure.conservationhalton.net/wowreg/ or visit the Kelso/Glen Eden Visitor Centre to register in person. If you have any questions please call (905) 878-5011 extension 256. The Ways of the Woods are waiting for you!

A Geocaching Adventure with Conservation Halton: Thanks For the Cache (TFTC)

Written by: Erin Worgan, Marketing Intern

Before reading please note: this blog post may contain spoilers on cache locations and appearances.

I am a beginner novice cacher, but after this experience, it’s become a fun weekly outing for me. Some of the best caches are placed right here in conservation areas– including over fifteen caches placed by Conservation Halton staff alone! Geocaching is a great outdoor activity. Take in some of the beautiful scenery, and view the biodiversity in Halton Parks.

Recently, I hunted for the seventeen geocaches the ConsHaltonCache account has placed across all seven of the featured parks in one day. It is no easy feat.  I began my journey at the Conservation Halton Burlington Office. It was a quick find and was a great start to a long, strenuous, but adventurous day. A lesson I learned very quickly on my journey was to pack the bug juice and to put it on before venturing onto the trails. Putting it on after finding the first cache was already too little too late.

An Official Geocache in Halton Parks

I mapped out my route through all of the parks so my closest cache from the headquarters starting point was one hidden at Mount Nemo, the first of the “Fall Into Nature” series. From Mount Nemo, to the Moccasin Trail, to Rattlesnake Point, I found treasures all over the parks.

I’m not going to lie, a few caches had me “stumped” (hint hint), while others were pretty quick finds, but all in all, it was a fun hunt through Halton Parks. Ultimately I only found ten of the seventeen caches, because I soon realized that I wanted to slow down and absorb the natural spaces I searched through. The scenery is the best part!

Rattlesnake Point and Mount Nemo are two of Conservation Halton’s prime locations for taking in a beautiful view, as both parks have designated lookout points. Mount Nemo in particular has more accessible trails with route options for all hiking abilities and offers an unparalleled view of Milton from the edge of the escarpment.

The Conservation Halton staff are serious about the placement of a foreign container the environment. Staff protect the watershed, and minimize any potential impacts. I practiced good stewardship and researched on what I could do to protect the environment, and still plant a geocache.

I filled out the Conservation Halton Placement Approval Application forms, and emailed the forms to geocache@hrca.on.ca. Staff are quick to respond (within 48 hours). After a couple slight relocations, since there is a rule about space between geocaches, both of my locations were eventually approved.

The container I chose is a stainless steel container. It is free of BPA, EA (estrogenic activity) and phthalate, which are hormone disruptors detrimental to the health of mammals.

Just so you know the Geocaching community has a program called CITO which stands for “Cache In Trash Out”, meaning that when geocaching you bring along a garbage bag and whenever you stumble upon any litter in the sites you are searching in you simply pick it up and take it with you to properly dispose of it. This is a wonderful environmental initiative that I think any nature lover can certainly get behind, not just on a geocaching adventure, but whenever you are in the parks!

After this foray into the global scavenger hunting adventure, I wanted to hide my own caches for future geocachers to discover. In each of the caches I placed a little owl figurine inside so whoever finds it first be sure to “trade in or trade up” for these little guys.

If you find Erin’s geocache, please take a picture, and share it with us!

I wanted each of the names for the geocaches to be anagrams of the parks that they are hidden at. This is a common practice among geocachers but it took me a while to come up with two that actually made sense. This is your first clue! Solve the anagrams to figure out the two parks I hid a cache!

Visit our website for more information on geocaching and send a friend request to the ConsHaltonCache account . If any readers have found either of these newly placed geocaches, comment below! You can tag us in a photo of your adventure on Instagram or tweet us @CH_Comm! Good luck to all geocachers on any future journeys and TFTC* Conservation Halton.

*Thanks for the cache!

An Alternative Approach for Controlling Invasive Species: The Way to Goat

Photo by Tom Omorean

Written by: Kestrel Wraggett, Stewardship Technician, Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System

On June 23^rd, 2015 the first Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System Watershed Stewardship Award was presented to Wayne Terryberry and Dr. Manon Tougas for stewardship efforts to control invasive species on their property using domestic goats.

Wayne and Manon were recognized for implementing this innovative approach to invasive species control in Dundas. When they discovered dense populations of Japanese Knotweed and European Buckthorn on their new property, they purchased four goats instead of spraying with herbicides. The grazing goats suppressed the populations of both species within a short period of time.

Goats are an effective solution because they defoliate the plants (eat the leaves and seeds), and then the seeds are destroyed in their digestive tracts. This allows their droppings to fertilize the ground as they graze, thus preventing the spread of unwanted seed. Wayne and Manon’s four goats soon turned into fifteen goats and are now valued members of their family.

An invasive species is a non-native species that grows and spreads quickly when introduced into a new environment due to a lack of predators and environmental constraints. Invasive species tend to displace native species resulting in negative impacts to the entire ecosystem. Tackling the ever-increasing amounts of invasive species is a concern throughout the entire Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System.

Both European Buckthorn and Japanese Knotweed were introduced to North America from Eurasia in the 1800s as ornamental plants. Once either of these species is established, they aggressively colonize an area and are difficult to control and eradicate.

The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System is a partnership of ten local government and non-profit agencies to protect, connect and restore natural lands and open space between the Niagara Escarpment, Cootes Paradise and Hamilton Harbour at the western end of Lake Ontario. The Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System partners are excited to be recognizing the positive impacts that landowners and community members can have in this unique, biologically rich ecosystem.

For more details on this award or advice on how to manage invasive species on your property, please contact:

Kestrel Wraggett, Stewardship Technician, Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System

kwraggett@hrca.on.ca

905-336-1158 ext. 2285