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Waterloo Region Nature The Heron– Winter 2019 Page 1
waterlooregionnature.ca
THIS ISSUE
Cover: Grand River Region Envirothon
2: Contacts
3: President’s Corner
4-6: Outings
7: Envirothon con’t; Membership Report
8: WRN Kids
9: WRN Teens
10-11: WRN Photo Gallery
12-13: Ontario Nature Report
14-15: Next Meetings
UPCOMING SPEAKER
Join us November 25th for a presentation by Kyle Blaney on Life Lessons of a Canadian Explorer
See waterlooregionnature.ca for details, and pg. 14&15 for information on more upcoming speakers!
OUTINGS, OUTINGS, OUTINGS
Read inside for more information on upcoming outings, and check your email for further updates, cancellation information, and new outings added.
Grand River Region Envirothon By Bev Raimbault, University of Waterloo
T he Envirothon is a high school competition which allows
students with an interest in the environment to study,
practice and then test their knowledge in a fun one-day
competition. It exposes students to possible careers in the
environmental field and puts them in contact with
professionals in various fields of expertise. Forests Ontario
oversees the Ontario Envirothon which is part of the
larger North American Envirothon. Each year, more than
150 high schools across Ontario participate in regional
competitions. The Grand River region Envirothon is hosted
by the University of Waterloo Ecology Lab in partnership
with the City of Kitchener.
Envirothon teams are made up of 5 highschool students.
They spend the year studying manuals provided by Forests
Ontario focusing on 4 subject areas: wildlife, soils, aquatics
and forestry. In addition, they learn about a current issue
which changes each year. Some schools give students the
opportunity to participate in the Envirothon as part of their
environmental classes.
As part of the Grand River Region Envirothon students
participate in an outdoor training day focusing on the hands-
on aspects of the four subject areas. A one-day regional
competition is held at the University of Waterloo. The high
school teams rotate through 5 testing stations. Four of these
stations test the students on the 4 subject areas (wildlife,
soils, aquatics and forestry). For the fifth station, the teams
have one hour to create an 8-minute presentation on the
current issue which they give before a panel of judges. In
2019, the current issue was Agroecology. The winners from
the Grand River region move on to compete at the
provincial level.
The winners of the 2019 Grand River Envirothon were from Waterloo Collegiate Institute.
Photo provided by: Bev Raimbault Continued on page 7...
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WRN Directors
President Jenna Quinn 519-362-7921 [email protected]
Vice President David Gascoigne 519-725-0866 [email protected]
Past President Joshua Shea 519-208-8442 [email protected]
Conservation Director Anita Smith 519-500-2676 [email protected]
Treasurer Paul Bigelow 519-888-7516 [email protected]
Membership Director Zack Stevens 226-929-9393 [email protected]
Secretary Erin Bannon 519-616-0519 [email protected]
Outings Director Graham Macdonald 519-634-5633 [email protected]
Program Director Snehaa Suryanarayanan 416-816-0036 [email protected]
Publicity Director Jason Earle 519-505-3797 [email protected]
Director at Large Julian Patteson 647-551-4336 [email protected]
All WRN Club
meetings are held
in the Reception
Hall of the
Waterloo Knox
Presbyterian
Church
50 Erb St. West
Regular Meetings begin at 7:30pm.
Doors open at 7pm.
All parking is
FREE
All parking access
is off Dupont
Street.
Heron Editor
Jenna Quinn
519-362-7921
editor@
waterlooregion
nature.ca
Submission
Deadlines:
Spring Issue
February 15th
Fall Issue
July 15th
Winter Issue
October 15th
Positions of Responsibility
Web Site Manager Paul Bigelow 519-888-7516 [email protected]
Mailing Team Rick and Jan Hook 519-742-7419 [email protected]
Archivist Mary Ann Vanden Elzen 519-741-8272 [email protected]
Noteworthy Bird Sightings Jim Burrell [email protected]
Ontario Nature Representative http://ontarionature.org/index.php Fraser Gibson 519-576-9287 [email protected]
Facebook Page Administrator Cathi Stewart [email protected]
WRN Kids Coordinator Giselle Carter 518-584-2205 [email protected]
WRN Teens Coordinator Marg Paré 519-585-2377 [email protected]
F. H. Montgomery Wildlife Sanctuary Marg Macdonald 519-634-5633 [email protected]
Kitchener’s Natural Areas Program (KNAP) Josh Shea 519-741-3400 ext.3349 Fraser Gibson 519-576-9287 [email protected]
Other Inquiries
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Anthropomorphised and Afraid
Twelve years ago, I was bit by an American Red
Squirrel while small mammal trapping at Killarney
during a field course. It hurt. It really hurt. Squirrels
have a cute and cuddly identity as squeaky, bushy-
tailed rodents, but they are of course wild animals
that will do what they need to for survival. Escape a
predator with a deliberate chomp, use their ever-
growing incisors to break open a stored nut, even
infanticide, killing infants of their own species, is a
documented practice. Still, I’ve never met anyone
afraid of a squirrel.
Snakes on the other hand, we’ve all met people
afraid of snakes. I’ve been bitten by snakes dozens
of times and it just does not compare to the pain of
that one squirrel bite. So, where does the fear come
from?
Several studies have suggested that an innate fear
of snakes in humans dates back to a time when
deadly reptiles dominated the environment and
mammals needed to be perceptive in identifying
these threatening species. Psychology studies have
found people more readily identify images of snakes
than when asked to identify innocuous images like
flowers. Research shows human babies often
respond with large pupils when shown pictures of
snakes, and even captive-raised primates that have
never been exposed to snakes were quick to detect
pictures of snakes over other non-threatening
pictures. Authors suggest this indicates an
evolutionary readiness to be afraid of snakes, the
result of millions of years of coevolution between
early human ancestors and snakes.
While these studies point toward an instinctual
awareness of snakes, for that to develop to an actual
fear it needs to be reinforced with learned
behaviours. The abovementioned study with babies
found that although the children showed some
readiness to learn fear of snakes, they did not cry or
yell out in fear, rather were intensively focused. As
kids grow, their own personal experiences with
snakes as well as their parent’s reaction to snakes
and the way the larger public perceives them may
reinforce an evolutionary readiness to be afraid.
Primate studies have found similar results. While
primates can readily identify pictures of snakes faster
than other objects, they were unafraid of toy snakes
until shown videos of other primates acting visibly
frightened of plastic snakes. The same fear response
could not be duplicated with toy flowers or bunnies,
even after edited videos were watched.
It seems maybe our brains are wired and ready to
learn fear of snakes based on a long evolutionary
history of real threats to our mammalian ancestors,
and the lived reaction to snakes in our world
reinforces that. Most snake characters from literature
or popular culture are associated with evil or the
villains of the story: Voldemort’s snake Nagini in
Harry Potter, the python Kaa in The Jungle Book,
Sir Hiss in Robin Hood. Even in the book of Genesis
it is a snake who is the cunning trickster that tempts
Eve.
The sad reality is that even here in Ontario, a fear of
snakes has led to direct persecution of these
animals. Seventeen species of snakes inhabit
Ontario, only one of which is a venomous species,
and there has not been a reported death associated
with its bite since the 1960s. Plain and simple,
snakes just do not deserve all the negative attention
they receive. We can all try to quell fear of snakes,
especially to the younger generation, by being aware
of our own biases and reactions and trying to amplify
positive human-snake experiences. Even if we are
fighting against complex evolutionary and learned
responses and an “evil” cultural perception. My
advice to you, keep your eyes out for the squirrels.
-Jenna
*Interested in further reading? See page 7 for references
to the studies mentioned above.
President’s Corner
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The following outings are confirmed for Winter 2019-2020. In the event of change or cancellation, WRN
members will be notified by email. Outings are free unless otherwise noted. WRN thanks the various
property owners for so generously sharing nature on their land.
HAVE AN OUTING
SUGGESTION?
Contact
Next outing deadline is Feb 15, however
ideas are welcome at any time!
Christmas Bird Counts 2019 ———————————————————————————
They need field observers/recorders and feeder watchers.
If you would like to participate in any of these counts, please
contact the Coordinator.
2019 Dates Location Coordinator
December 14 Kitchener Area
Ethan Gosnell
519-570-1256
December 15 Cambridge Area Levi Moore [email protected] 519-501-4031
December 28 Linwood Area
Ken Burrell
519-498-0605
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Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) ——————————–—–————–———
February 14-17, 2020.
gbbs.birdcount.org
Mill Race Trail, St. Jacobs ———–—–———–—————-—–————–———–———— When: Wednesday, January 8, 2020 from 9:00am for approximately 2 hours.
Where: Meet at the Three Bridges Road end of the Mill Race Trail, near the bridge over the Conestogo River
Who: David Gascoigne 519-725-0866 [email protected]
A pleasant, easy stroll along the Mill Race Trail to view winter residents
and hand feed Black-capped Chickadees and White-breasted
Nuthatches. Expected species also include Red-bellied, Downy and
Hairy Woodpeckers, Cedar Waxwings are always possible, Common
and Hooded Mergansers are sometimes seen on the river. Over the
years many species of sparrow have over-wintered here, including Song,
White-throated and Chipping. Dark-eyed Juncos will be present, as will
American Tree Sparrows. Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays provide colour.
There is an excellent coffee shop in St. Jacobs where we can all have a coffee/tea/hot
chocolate to refresh ourselves before walking back along the trail.
The total distance is about 3 kilometres.
Signs of Animal Life in Winter —–————————–————————————————
When: Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 9:30am for approximately 2 hours.
Where: Meet at the gates to Laurel Creek Nature Centre, 525 Beaver Creek Rd, Waterloo
Who: Fraser Gibson 226-576-9287 [email protected] Come for a stroll around the Laurel Creek Nature Centre property while we search for signs
of animal activity including tracks, scat, nests, etc. This 47 ha (120-acre) property includes
mature woods, a swamp, stream, pond and open fields. We’ll hope for an overnight dusting
of fresh snow to add sparkle to our walk. Dress warmly and bring binoculars. No washrooms
available. Foot paths are part of an established trail system. Terrain is basically level, but
winter conditions can make trails bumpy and slippery.
Please RSVP to Fraser by email. Nominations are now open for the WRN
Conservation Award and the Honorary
Lifetime Membership Award!
Consider nominating someone today!
Due before December 15th.
Please contact Jenna for more details.
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North Shore of Lake Ontario ————————————————————————————
When: Saturday, March 28, 2020; full day event beginning at 8:00am.
Where: Meet at the commuter parking lot on Highway 6 just south of Highway 401.
Who: David Gascoigne 519-725-0866 (H) 226-747-7299 (C) [email protected]
First stop at the DesJardins Canal in
Dundas, expect waterfowl, Hooded
Merganser, Double-crested Cormorant,
American Tree Sparrow, Downy and
Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Second stop is
LaSalle Park in Burlington for the large
concentration of Trumpeter Swans plus
gulls and numbers of waterfowl. The
boardwalk may yield Carolina Wren,
Northern Mockingbird, woodpeckers, sparrows and the chance to hand feed Black-capped
Chickadees. Next stop will be at Sioux Lookout Park, for the chance to see Long-tailed Ducks at
close range, and “flying” underwater. Large rafts of Common Goldeneye and all three scoters
are possible, plus Red-breasted and Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, and Mute Swans. Other
stops at Paletta Park, Bronte Harbour, Lakeshore Promenade depend on recent reports. Plenty
of washroom stops and a lunch stop. Pack a lunch and snacks if you need them. Dress for the
weather; bring binoculars, scope, field guide and enthusiasm.
For report of last year's outing check my blog at www.travelswithbirds.blogspot.com.
Lynn Conway’s Cozy Nature Book Club ——————————————————————
When: Monday, November 4, 2019 1:00-3:00pm Monday, December 2, 2019 on the first Monday of the month Monday, January 6, 20 20 (see left for specific dates) Monday, February 3, 2020 *Note the new time* Monday, March 2, 2020
Where: Mill-Courtland Community Centre, 216 Mill St, Kitchener. (Please note: Mill-Courtland CC is nut free). On bus route. Parking behind building as well as in front. Enter by front door (as other doors are usually locked). No stairs.
Who: Lynn Conway 519-886-0812 (H) 519-501-2553 (C– text only please) [email protected]
We meet monthly during late fall and winter to drink tea and tell each other about something nature
related that we have read. The something could be a book, a magazine, article or poem that is fiction
or non-fiction. We can decide at the meeting if we want to pick topics for future nature book club
meets. All are welcome.
Please RSVP to Lynn if attending.
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Have your renewed your Waterloo Region Nature membership yet for the 2019–2020 year?
If you have already renewed your 2019–2020 membership, thank you for supporting Waterloo
Region Nature with your membership!
Membership Director’s Report
Grand River Region Envirothon continued from page 1
It is amazing to interact with high school students
who are eager to learn during the training days in
April in spite of cold, rainy or even snowy weather.
This is followed up by a display of energy and
knowledge during the competition. According to
some teachers, students interested in the
environment tend to be a minority at high schools.
The Envirothon offers them the opportunity to test
their knowledge as well as meet other like-minded
students from other schools. You can feel
excitement as 75 students gather at the beginning of
the day. Judges are impressed by the ideas and
creativity that they observe during the presentations.
The winning team then has the challenge of
competing against winners of other regional
competitions across Ontario.
It is a pleasure to be able to offer students a gift for
all their hard work. Waterloo Nature provided the
funds to purchase nature booklets for each student
who participated and to the members of the winning
team, an excellent book ‘Woodlot Biodiversity’.
Thank you for your generosity!
Tim Alamenciak
Sarah Colter
Sharon Dillon-Martin
Miriam Elsworthy
Tyler Hampton
Jacob Hueglin
Tara Hurley
Ian Martin
Louise McCaul
Megan McIlroy
Julian & Louise Patteson
Bill & Liz Prociw
Geri Quin
Laura Redman-Henning
Snehaa Suryanarayanan
Andrew & Lorraine
Wesolowski
Joel Ziegler
Welcome, New Members*
References from President’s Corner (pg. 1):
Cook, M. and Mineka, S. 1990. Selective Associations in the Observational Conditioning of Fear in Rhesus Monkeys. Journal
of Experimental Psychology 16(4):372-389.
DeLoache, J.S., & LoBue, V. 2009. The narrow fellow in the grass: Human infants associate snakes and fear. Developmental Science. 12(1), 201-207.
Hoehl, S., Hellmer, K., Johansson, M., and Gredebäck, G. 2017. Itsy Bitsy Spider…:Infants React with Increased Arousal to Spiders and Snakes. Frontiers in
Psychology, 8:1710.
Kawai, N., & Koda, H. 2016. Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) quickly detect snakes but not spiders: Evolutionary origins of fear-relevant animals. Journal
of Comparative Psychology, 130(3), 299–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/com0000032
LoBue, V. and DeLoache, J.S. 2008. Detecting the Snake in the Grass: Attention to Fear-Relevant Stimuli by Adults and Young Children. Psychological Sci-
ence, 19(3):284-289
Masataka N, Hayakawa S, Kawai, N. 2010. Human Young Children as well as Adults Demonstrate ‘Superior’ Rapid Snake Detection When Typical Striking
Posture Is Displayed by the Snake. PLoS ONE 5(11): e15122.
Öhman, A., Flykt, A., Esteves, F. 2001. Emotion Drives Attention: Detecting the Snake in the Grass. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 130(3):466-
478.
*February 15-October 15, 2019
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Nature Kids! By Giselle Carter
In September, our Nature Kids program started out at Laurel Creek with a pond study. We had a great
naturalist who challenged us to look for invertebrates and to identify them. We had a great time on that
drizzling Saturday morning learning together and exploring pond life.
In October, we met at Huron Natural Area and had a photography workshop. Our instructor from Focus on
Nature taught us about the elements of design and photo composition. Then we had an opportunity to go
outside and take photos. We had a perfect day for it - beautiful fall colors, a little frost left, and lots of
sun! Parents and children alike enjoyed taking unique photos of nature. We look forward to meeting at rare
Charitable Research Reserve in November to learn about living
sustainably, and at Dickson Wilderness Area in January to do some winter tracking. I'm looking for
volunteers who know a bit about tracking to come and help us for that event. Please contact me if you are
able to come help on Saturday Jan. 25 from 10-12.
Questions? Contact Giselle at [email protected]
Enjoy this selection of photos taken by the children at
our October 19th photography event!
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Waterloo Region Nature Teens By Marg Paré
The Teens and volunteers with WRN Teens are excited to have launched our second year! Our hard-working young people keep very busy learning about nature, helping the environment, and earning volunteer hours. Our first two monthly work projects this fall were stream restoration work at rare Charitable Research Reserve and invasive buckthorn removal at Laurel Creek Nature Centre. As well as those monthly jobs, we took on a weekly project for September and October. We monitored the salamander population at SpruceHaven Farm. We learned a lot about scientific procedure, recording data, and the factors that affect species living in a habitat -- and we saw lots of cool Eastern Red-backed Salamanders! *Thank you to all who are helping make Teens happen! Special thanks this time to Linda Dutka for coordinating the weekly salamander project. She put in many hours, a lot of them in the mud! *Thanks to the other Teens volunteers, Zack Stevens, Josh Shea, and Anita Smith. *Thanks to our recent community partners: Dave Westfall, Sandy Hill and Jamie Hill of SpruceHaven Farm; the staff at rare Charitable Research Reserve, especially Sarah Marshall and Tom Woodcock; and GRCA staff at Laurel Creek Nature Centre, especially Sarah Fleischhauer. *Thanks to our faithful parent drivers and to our amazing Teens who are keen to spend Saturdays being green and getting dirty! For more info on WRN Teens, to register, or to see our past projects: waterlooregionnature.ca/teens To become an adult volunteer with Teens on occasional Saturday afternoons: [email protected]
Photos: Linda Dutka (above) and Marg Paré (right)
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WRN Photo Gallery
Volunteer Recognition Night at the October WRN
Meeting. Photos: P. Bigelow.
Volunteer pin recipients (above): Nina Ingrey,
Heather Bagg (front); Cathy Hale, Genie Berger,
Steph Shaw, Sandy Ponic, Jon Walgate (middle);
George Greer, Jason Earle, Robert McNair, John
Pries, Fred Shantz, Walter Zimmerman, Zack
Stevens (back).
Ten year pin recipients (left): Roger Suffling,
Elaine LaRonde, Dale Ingrey.
Members not present to receive their pins can
pick them up at the November meeting or
December Holiday party.
Thanks to all volunteers past and present who
give their time in many different ways in support
of Waterloo Region Nature.
Columbia Lake Birding Outing Photos: P. Bigelow
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Do you have nature or event photos to share? Send them to [email protected]
Montgomery work day, October 25th
Photos: P. Bigelow
WRN Photo Gallery
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September 2019, Wrongly Accused: Ontario’s Wolves and Coyotes in the Crosshairs Without a shred of supporting scientific evidence, the Government of Ontario is proposing to open
up hunting of wolves and coyotes across the north. Under the guise of moose conservation, it is
proposing to allow anyone with a small game hunting license in northern Ontario to kill up to two
wolves and an unlimited number of coyotes per year.
Here are seven good reasons why this proposal should not go forward:
1. The proposal lacks any scientific justification or evidence.
2. Eastern coyotes do not consume moose in significant numbers.
3. Though wolves are the main predators of moose, according to the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Forestry (MNRF), they generally “prey mostly on young moose and older
moose past their prime.”
4. Studies show that hunting is not a long-term solution. According to MNRF, “the number of
moose killed per wolf pack will not significantly decrease as the pack size is reduced.”
5. Killing many coyotes and wolves, keystone
predators, could have negative ecosystem-
wide impacts.
6. The government’s plan is to eliminate
requirements for tags and reporting for both
wolves and coyotes hunted in northern
Ontario. As a result, any ability to scientifically
assess the impacts of the policy and manage
accordingly is seriously undermined.
7. There are many uncertainties around the
causes of recent moose declines, but one
thing is clear, changes to hunting rules and
practices are having an impact. Since the
1980s, the length of the hunting season, road
access, the use of all-terrain vehicles, wireless
communication, calf harvesting and party
hunting have all increased. During that time,
the success rate of hunters has jumped
significantly.
Unfortunately, by the time you read this in the
Heron, your opportunity to respond to this
government proposal will have passed. Thank you
to all who took action helping wolves and coyotes
against false accusations and persecution.
Ontario Nature Report By Fraser Gibson
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Make Provincial Wildlife Areas count As a party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Canada has an
international obligation to protect at least 17 percent of its lands and inland waters by 2020.
To count towards the 17 percent target a protected area must:
- Have a clear conservation purpose
- Be protected for the long-term
- Prioritize conservation over other objectives
In Ontario, we’re falling far short of that goal, with only about 11 percent currently protected.
We are doing especially poorly south of the Shield, one of the most biodiverse regions in the
country, where only about three percent is adequately protected. One problem facing this region
is that most of southern Ontario is in private hands, which makes it difficult to ensure that these
biodiverse lands and waters are adequately protected.
We have a golden opportunity in southern Ontario that cannot be ignored. That opportunity lies
within crown lands and our Provincial Wildlife Areas.
Provincial Wildlife Areas (PWAs) are Crown land sites managed specifically for wildlife and
outdoor recreation, particularly for hunting and wildlife viewing. PWAs do not currently count
towards the 17 percent target as they are not permanently protected.
There are at least 18 PWAs in southern Ontario, from Aylmer to Cornwall, totalling over 18,000
hectares. Not surprisingly, these PWAs have emerged as priority candidates for protection but
PWAs don’t meet the standard for protection required.
With support from local First Nations, some PWAs could be eligible to become Indigenous
Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). The Ontario government could also regulate some
PWAs as conservation reserves, which are permanently protected. Given the scarcity of
undeveloped land available for southern Ontario, elevating PWAs to IPCAs or conservation
reserves would be a significant step towards reaching our 17 percent target.
Provincial Policy Statement Review on the Horizon The Ontario Government is proposing changes to the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), the
principal land use planning policy for Ontario. Of serious concern is the proposal to open the
door to aggregates extraction in almost all significant natural features otherwise protected under
the PPS. Many other worrisome changes, in line with the government’s ‘open for business’
mantra, are also being contemplated. Ontario Nature will be reaching out to the Nature Network
for help in opposing these changes.
In October 2019, Waterloo Region Nature both prepared comments for submission through the
Environmental Registry of Ontario and endorsed a joint statement prepared and submitted by
Ontario Nature on this Provincial Policy Statement review.
You can read more about this at ontarionature.org/pits-and-quarries/.
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Upcoming Speakers and Meeting Programs
Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30pm. Meetings are free and visitors are always welcome. Meeting Location: Reception Hall, Waterloo Knox Presbyterian Church, 50 Erb Street West, Waterloo
Read full presenter biographies at waterlooregionnature.ca/meetings
Life Lessons of a Canadian Explorer Kyle Blaney
The Presentation: In this inspirational presentation,
Kyle Blaney shares his favourite nature photos and the
life lessons he learned pursuing their capture. One
life-changing day seven years ago Kyle watched a
Kermode bear hunt for salmon and sat in stunned
silence as a humpback whale repeatedly breached.
He decided that day to leave his comfortable software
career and explore Canada’s vast and magnificent
wilderness instead. He is perpetually trying to
duplicate that day but doesn't ever expect to succeed.
The Presenter: Kyle Blaney (www.kyleblaney.com) is an avid birdwatcher and nature photographer who
explores Canada on his own time and as an Outreach Lead for the Shad enrichment program
(www.shad.ca). Six years ago, he left a comfortable software career to pursue wilderness exploration and
youth engagement. Kyle is a strong believer in citizen science, having contributed 4200 images to
iNaturalist and 3800 to eBird. His images have also been published in Canadian Geographic and birding
magazines in Canada and the United States. He can be followed on Instagram at @kblaney.
NOVEMBER November 25, 2019
DECEMBER December 9, 2019
• Join us for Waterloo Region Nature’s Annual Holiday Party! Come out for a great evening
with friends, music, decorations, and delicious food. This event is always a great time
thanks to many creative and dedicated volunteers.
• Potluck: please bring an appetizer or desserts to share!
• Fair trade, bird-friendly, shade grown coffee will be provided, as well as hot mulled local
apple cider.
Annual Holiday Party
*Special Time*
7pm-9:30pm
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JANUARY January 27, 2020
Butterfly Adventures Thelma Beaubien
The Presentation: Thelma Beaubien will share
with you over 10 years of butterfly gardening and
the records of her success. Then through images
and videos she will take you on a journey to the
Monarch sanctuaries in Mexico where one
sanctuary alone hosted an estimated 50 million
Monarchs. Thelma will then conclude with her
summer travels throughout Essex County adding a
variety of butterfly species to her life list.
Together we will enjoy a butterfly journey!
The Presenter: Thelma Beaubien resides in the Region of Waterloo. She has been an avid gardener for
over 40 years. Her photography and audio-visual shows have received numerous national awards. She
currently keeps active in local photography and horticultural clubs, the Toronto Entomologists’ Association
(TEA) and butterfly monitoring. Thelma is a member of Waterloo Region Nature (WRN) and was presented
with a 2016 Conservation Award for her conservation efforts. Having nature at her doorstep provides an
opportunity to share with others her first-hand experience.
FEBRUARY February 24, 2020
Watch the Waterloo Region Nature website and
your email for updates and more information
about February’s speaker.
SUBMISSIONS WELCOME!
If you have any articles, photographs, artwork,
reviews, outing recaps, etc. you would like to see in our newsletter, please submit them to
Membership Annual Fees
Family/Couple $40
Senior Couple $35
Adult Individual $35
Senior (60+) $30
Student (19+) $25
Free Membership for youth (<18)
Club year runs from Sept. to August; New member-ships 1/2 price after Jan. 31st
Cheques made payable to:
Waterloo Region Nature
Bring payment to the next meeting or mail to:
Waterloo Region Nature 317 Highland Rd E. Kitchener, N2M 3W6
Membership details at:
https://waterlooregionnature.ca/membership/
WRN is a registered charitable organization. Membership fees and all
donations are tax deductible.
Advertising Rates for The Heron:
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Full Page $200 $520
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Objectives of WRN
TO acquire and disseminate knowledge of natural history.
TO protect and preserve wildlife.
TO purchase and hold appropriate parcels of land for the advancement of conservation.
TO support public interest in nature and its preservation by supporting the enactment of wise legislation and by other means as falls within the scope of the Corporation.
General Information
Meetings are held on the fourth Monday of the month, September to May with the exception of December. Our meetings are free and visitors are always welcome.
Outings are scheduled almost every month.
“The Heron” is the official publication of WRN. Information is written and submitted by volunteer members of the club. Articles reflect the views of the authors and are not necessarily the views endorsed by the WRN club.
The Heron is published three times per year. Please see page 2 for details.
Print copies of the newsletter are available at meetings free of charge to members.
Newsletters available on
our web site at:
https://waterlooregionnature.ca/newsletter/
Waterloo Region Nature is a member of Ontario
Nature.
www.ontarionature.org/
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
Waterloo Region Nature Canada Post Publication
317 Highland Road East Mail Sales Agreement
Kitchener, ON N2M 3W6 No. 40037542
www.waterlooregionnature.ca
