Ontario Master Naturalist Program

Another gull photo.

Former student and fellow master naturalist, Stewart Blackwell, explains what all that buzz is about!

Fall workshops are here!

Check out this great article about the Ontario Master Naturalist Program in the newest issue of Lake Simcoe Living! https://www.lakesimcoeliving.com/issues/2019-autumn/#p=14

https://cottagelife.com//experts-predict-an-excellent-ye/

July 20, 2019 - After breakfast this morning, Linda Rodenburg from Lakehead University, Orillia Campus, came to Red Bay Lodge to assist Bob with our graduation ceremony. We each received a certificate of Completion and a choice of ball cap, buff or toque. We left for our final outing to Neyaashiinigmiing, where we met our leaders for the day, Miptoon (Anthony Chegahno), a community elder and manager of Species at Risk program and Jarmo Jalava Ecologist/Advisor Saugeen Ojibw...ay Nation Environmental Office. We learned about the alvar grassland habitat at Prairie Point and Anishinaabeg history, culture and relationships with nature on the Saugeen (Bruce) Peninsula.The Prairie Point Alvar at Neyaashiinigmiing is the largest alvar grassland on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula (possibly in the world) and is unique in terms of its composition. Large sections are dominated by Northern (or Prairie) Dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis). We saw Flat stemmed spike rush (Eleocharis compressa), False pennyroyal Trichostema brachium), Fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica) and many other Alvar specialty plants. American Painted Lady butterflies were spotted on our walk to the shore. We swam in Sydney Bay and enjoyed our picnic lunch on the rocky ledges. After returning to the parking lot, we summarized our week and said our goodbyes. It was a grand finale to a week of superlatives! Photos: Dale Butterill and Willy Waterton Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 19, 2019 - The day started off with a lecture on Ontario Insects and other Invertebrates by Bob Bowles, after lunch he continued with Dragonflies and Butterflies. Our afternoon outing to Isaac Lake was led by Esme Batten, Nature Conservancy of Canada Coordinator, Conservation and Biology, Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. Student technician, Erik Van Der Kieboom also joined us for the afternoon. Lots of highlights for the afternoon, including damsels, bluets, foxtails, skimmer...s, emerald river jewel wing dragonfly, tiger swallowtails, eyed brown satyr and 44 monarchs in flight, 7 eggs, 5 caterpillars. An amazing grouping of purple fringed orchid in peak bloom was a highlight of the day. After dinner, our guest speaker was Brian Robin, of Grange Hollow Nurseries, a Board Member of the Owen Sound Field Naturalists, presented Moth Wings and Butterflies. He was not only entertaining but his photography was incredible. We had lots of chuckles as he promoted tomato horn worms- just dedicate a few tomato plants to them, since they emerge into magnificent sphinx moths. Afterwards, identification of mosses, lichens, sedges and grasses ended the evening before a class appreciation for Bob was made by the class. - Photos: Willy Waterton, Dale Butterill and Ingrid Remkins

July 18, 2019 - Rise and Shine! Today was our birding day and Beth Anne Currie, 2016 graduate of Ontario Master Naturalists Program led our field trip today. She planned a fun trip leading to several hot spots on the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. Other guests today included Esmee Batten, Nature Conservancy of Canada (more about her tomorrow) and her two summer student technicians, Erik Van Den Kieboom and Naomi Jones. A few highlights were; American woodcock, female merlin, ...8 sandhill cranes and juveniles, red bellied wood pecker, northern waterthrush, belted kingfisher, osprey, great egret, ravens, 4 baby bluebirds and 7 warbler species. Our total was 64 species over the morning. After a picnic lunch at Berford Lake Park, we returned to Red Bay Lodge for a slide show on Ontario Birds delivered by participant Abby Collins and leader, Bob Bowles on Wood Warblers. At five o’clock we welcomed special guest, co-ordinator of the Piping Plover program, Bird Studies Canada, Andrea Gress who filled us in on the current status of the Ontario piping plover populations, and in particular the Sauble Beach nests. We headed out to the beach- first for a delicious dinner of authentic Mexican tacos, a swim in Lake Huron and then an amazing opportunity to see the two remaining piping plover chicks. We had a great look at them as the sun slowly set over the lake. Time for more swimming! An amazing finale to our birding day on the Bruce Saugeen Peninsula! - Photos: Willy Waterton, Ingrid Remkins, and Dale Butterill Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 17, 2019 - Our immersion in Amphibians and Reptiles began with an overview by Bob Bowles. Professor Josh Feltham from the School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Fleming College, led us through detailed and deep understanding, identification and connections for Amphibians and Reptiles. Josh led our afternoon field trip to Cape Chin- it was an adventure! We found garter snakes, leopard and green frogs. As well, many insects, including luna moths, dragonf...lies and butterflies. Mosses, lichens, fungi, mammals (a herd of cattle) and sandhill cranes were all observed. After dinner, Audrey Armstrong presented Monarchs in the Queen’s Bush, an overview about the current status of the population, new science and migration of monarch butterflies. Every day we are seeing 30 to 40 monarchs in flight, eggs and caterpillars in various instars. - Photos: Willy Waterton and Dale Butterill Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 16, 2019 - Our morning highlight was finding a tiny juvenile little brown bat, Myotis - near Red Bay Lodge. The morning outing was following a trap line that Bob and Eugene set up the night before. Out of 12 live traps, two contained deer mice, offering good opportunities to identify their features. ... The Ontario Mammals module was introduced by Bob Bowles, followed by Ontario Master Naturalist Eugene Jankowksi, giving further details on the status of various mammals in Ontario. Willy Waterton gave a brief update on the research and status of Black Bears on the Bruce Peninsula. We toured the Oliphant Fen Boardwalk, enjoying the orchids, pitcher plants and high water levels along Lake Huron. Monarchs nectaring on the swamp milkweed, many dragonflies, damselflies and frogs were also enjoyed by the group. Another group dinner in the Angry Squirrel Bar and Grill followed by sunset watching at Red Bay and later on a porch talk of history and stories of the Bruce by Willy. - Photos: Willy Waterton, Ingrid Remkins, and Dale Butterill Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 15, 2019 - We started off Monday morning with a geology and wetlands quiz. Barbara Palmer of Owen Sound, a former OMN graduate, delivered the Ontario Plants module with a lot of personal interpretation and specific examples, and Bob presented the Lichens, Moses and Liverworts module. ... We ate lunch during a presentation by Tyler Miller, a field ecologist/botanist from the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula, on Sedges, Carex. He told us there are 107 species of sedges found on the peninsula. Tyler led a field trip to a Provincial Park Reserve near Stoke’s Bay. We found many Carex, including provincially and globally rare Carex scirpoidea subsp. convoluta. We also found threatened and rare Hill’s thistle, Cirsium hillii as well as many unique alvar species. Tonight we enjoyed our first group dinner together in the Angry Squirrel Bar and Grill. Photos: Willy Waterton & Dale Butterill Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 14, 2019 - After a wetlands quiz we were immersed in geology of the Saugeen Bruce Peninsula with Tobermory geologist Daryl W. Cowell. He gave us a series of lectures leading up to our afternoon field trip. We hiked to the top of the longitudinal sand dune south of Red Bay for an incredible view of Lake Huron. We stopped at the Sky Lake Eramosa outcrop which is actually the third escarpment of the peninsula. Here, Daryl chipped off petroliferous rock chips for everyone t...o sniff (very oily!). Lastly we stopped at St. Jean Point Nature Reserve, a pavement alvar featuring creeping juniper, mosses, and many colourful wildflowers in bloom. His grand finale was a "tailgate show and tell" with lots of handling of rocks and fossils collected from all over Ontario. Our evening was enriched by a visit from Bill Moses, talking about the history of botanizing on the Bruce including Joe Johnson, author of Vascular Plants of the Bruce Peninsula, representing a life time of Joe's remarkable botanizing on the Bruce. - Photos: Willy Waterton Summary: Audrey Armstrong

July 13, 2019 - Our first day of the first ever Lakehead University Ontario Master Naturalists Summer Camp on Saugeen Bruce Peninsula. Twenty-six very interesting and keen naturalists moved into Red Bay Lodge and cabins for a week of intensive learning, sharing, and exploring. Bob Bowles posed the question, "What are wetlands?" We learned there are 4 different kinds: mashes, swamps, fens, and bogs. ... We walked over to Ontario Nature's Petrel Point Nature Reserve, observing a myriad of fen plants and relishing in the carnival colours of orchids in bloom. - Photos: Willy Waterton & Ingrid Remkins Summary: Audrey Armstrong