NorthWinds Environmental Services
195 Park Ave P7B 1B9 Thunder Bay, ON, Canada

Leafer: a person who visits wooded areas in autumn to view the changing colors of the foliage. #fall #fallcolors

Leafer: a person who visits wooded areas in autumn to view the changing colors of the foliage. #fall #fallcolors

For the lab component of a course called Limnology of Natural and Polluted Waters, our Environmental Project Assistant Alex is conducting a leaf-pack study. Mesh bags of leaves are placed into a stream, then checked after 3-4 weeks for macroinvertebrates to access the water quality and general ecological health of the stream and stream area. Alex has placed 2 in a place called Preservation park in Guelph. (can you spot them in the photo?) For more information; check out: https://leafpacknetwork.org/

Our Principal Terry competed in the Fall Epic 8 hour relay race at Hardwood Ski and Bike in Orillia last week The facts: Total time: 7 hr 53 mins Moving time: 6hrs 42 mins... Laps: 8 Total distance: 67.56 km Elevation gained: 1,125m Quickest lap: 47mins 48 seconds Falls: 15 Serious Falls: 2 Energy bars consumed: 6 Energy gels consumed: 12 Litres of water consumed: 8.5 Calories burned: 2676 Broken components: one hand grip, rear suspension bolt, ego Final Placing: 39th Terry's before and after photos sum it up quite nicely (was it the fall epic or epic fall event... )

We wear our Orange Shirts today in support of the Every Child Matters movement. Today we remember and acknowledge this dark part of our history, the children lost to, as well as the survivors and families of, the Residential Schools in Canada. #everychildmatters

Check out these trail camera photos from a project designed to capture mammal demographics for a Terrestrial Baseline study in support of an Environmental Assessment. For all those in the bush enjoying the fall colours; make sure to sport some high-vis to stay safe!

Another great post from Thunder Bay Field Naturalists! Check out their Facebook page for loads of information and amazing photos about local birds, plants, and animals!

Did you know September 20-26, 2020 is National Forest Week!? There are all kinds of interesting virtual events being held to celebrate. Check out https://www.cif-ifc.org/upcoming-events/ for more information!

NorthWinds Environmental Services had a great time learning about new GIS tech and trends at ESRI’s Online User Conference last week. We streamed the Plenary sessions, attended the Road Ahead tech workshops, and enjoyed the SIG events. Nice job on your first online conference ESRI!

Bank Swallows are listed as Threatened in Ontario. They are almost always found near water as colonies will dig out tunnels to nest on steep sandy banks along rivers and lakes. They may look for man-made banks when natural banks are not available. Aggregate pits often provide potential nesting habitat, so we’re careful to survey these habitats throughout resource management operations. Www.JamesBarber.smugmug.com

NorthWinds Staff wants to wish everyone a Happy Canada Day! We are all so grateful to live in a country with wide open spaces to explore and breathtaking natural beauty around every corner.

Canada Warblers are listed as Special Concern in Ontario. We have no problem waking up before dawn to get out there and survey shrubs and lower tree branches in mixed woodlands to make sure our Country’s namesake warbler stays protected. Photo credit: Www.JamesBarber.smugmug.com

Based on its name, you might assume the Nashville Warbler hangs out with all those country singers down south. Tricked ya! The Nashville Warbler does not breed near Nashville, Tennessee often, but it was first observed there in 1811 by Alexander Wilson, who named the species. Nashville Warblers are one of the few warblers that have benefited from timber harvesting and agriculture as it seeks out young forests. It nests on the ground and feeds almost exclusively on insects. T...he small rusty-red patch of feathers on the crown is most visible during the breeding season. Fun fact: The Nashville Warbler sometimes uses porcupine quills as nest material. Ouch! Photo Credit: www.JamesBarber.smugmug.com

Male and female Black-throated Blue Warblers look so different that they were originally described as two different species. This handsome warbler species is one of the few warblers that is primarily blue rather than typical yellow. Males are midnight blue above and white below. Females are plain grayish olive overall, although some individuals have blue tints on the wings and tail. It doesn't spend much time in the treetops, so looking for this bird won't give you a case of warbler neck; look for them in the shrubby understory and lower canopy in larger tracts of forest during the breeding season. Photo Credit: www.JamesBarber.smugmug.com