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Nature League INCORPORATED AS SENIOR LEAGUE ENDOWMENT SOCIETY OF COLLINGWOOD SPRING ISSUE 2013

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Welcome to SpringSpecialEventEventE

Wednesday April 24thAll Saints Anglican Church32 Elgin Street, CollingwoodSocial 5-7p.m.Renew acquaintancesafter the long winterand kick start the New Spring program.

Double occupancy: $58.76 per person per night.Includes accommodation, breakfast, packed lunch, dinnerand 13% HST. All gratuities extra.

Last year on Flowerpot Island with membersof the Nature League

SpringSocialSocialSSpringAt a previous Spring social, cheers fromLois Cauthers, Carolyn Moerschner, Carole Hilland Wendy Parker

Join us for thispopular AnnualSpring Get-awayfor your choice of 1 or 2 nights stayat Coach HouseInn, Tobermory.

Single occupancy: $88.14 per night.Includes accommodation, breakfast, packed lunch, dinnerand 13% HST. All gratuities extra.

BOOKING STARTS APRIL 3RD, 2013

NATURE LEAGUE MEMBERS ONLYReserve your room at Coach House Inn with Ruth VanceTelephone: 1-519-596-2361Mention Nature League, number of nights & credit card #

PLEASE ALSO REGISTER WITH DAN HENNESSY 705-293-4741( Indicate whether or not you wish to hike ) Members that drive directly to Tobermory: Motel check-in time is after 1:00 pm

Motel Cancellation policy: 12 noon the day prior to arrivalPlease also notify Dan Hennessy of your cancellation

Please join us for snacks and refreshments. We encourage you to bring a friend/guest to hopefully attract new members.

Special EventSpecial EventSpThe truth about batsGuest Speaker Allan KempertAllan is the owner of BatHouseGuyAllan is the owner of BatHouseGuyAllanwhich has been operating for a decade.

Wednesday May 22ndL.E.Shore Library / GalleryBruce Street South, ThornburyCoffee: - 10.00 am Guest Speaker: - 10.30 am

Wed.-June 12thFri.- June 14th

Bat population in Ontario at riskBY N. PEEVER

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Information for this article was obtained through the websites of Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (www.mnr.gov.on.ca) and the Smithsonian Magazine (www. smithsonianmag.com )

A condition known as white-nose syndrome has come to Canada. It got its name because the affected bats have visable rings of white fungus around their faces. The cause of the syndrome is believed to be Geomyces destructans. It is a fungus new to North America that thrives in cool temeratures and grows on the skin of the bat, producing a white, fuzzy appearance on the muzzle, wings and ears. The fungus infects the bats’ delicate wing membranes, eating away at the skin until the wings resemble torn, crumpled tissue paper.This fungus attacks bats while they hibernate for the winter when their immune systems are shut down. As a result, infected bats will emerge more frequently than normal during this pe-riod, exhausting their energy reserves before food becomes available in the spring.It appears to spread from bat to bat, and when the bat colonies leave their caves in the spring, the fungus may persist in the cave sediment, ready to infect the next winter’s bats. Bats make up 20% of all mammal species. With 925 bat species, there are more types of bats than any other mammal, except rodents. They play a valuable role as predators of insects. One brown bat can eat hundreds of mosquitoes in an hour.A colony of 500 bats can eat a million insects nightly. For example, one mil-lion bats, the number already wiped out by white-nose syndrome, couldconsume some 700 tons of insects, yearly, many of them pests. Fewer bats may mean more mosquitoes, aphids and crop failures. A study published in the journal, Science this past spring esti-mates that bats provide more than $3.7 billion in pest-control services to United States agriculture every year.

Nine bat species have been infected by this fungus, including the endangered Indiana and gray bats. A 2010 study in Science, predicted that the little brown bat, once one of the most common bat

Have you noticed that there are fewer bats in our area?Our Georgian Bay cottage bat house was empty this year!

species in North America, may goextinct in the eastern United States within 16 years. This fungus has the potential to devastate Ontario bat populations just as it has done in the northeastern United States.

At this time there is no cure or treat-ment for white-nose syndrome. The only good news is that white-nose syndrome is not thought to be a hu-man health issue. The syndrome has been circulating through caves in the northeastern States for at least six years. Some of these caves have been visited by thousands of people and no illnesses have been reported. Ontario’s Ministry of Natural resourcesis concerned about the potential impact of white-nose syndrome on Ontario’s bat populations. Ontario’s little brown bat hibernates in natural caves and abandoned mines. It is believed that human activity in caves is contributing to the spread of the disease.

Ministry staff is working with research-ers, wildlife rehabilitators and the caving community to promote practices that may reduce the risk of spreading the fungus. This includes recommend-ing that cavers disinfect clothes and equipment after being in a cave and not use the same equipment at different sites. Individuals who spend time in caves in the northeastern United States and Canada are asked not to use the

The Ministry is working with other Canadian and international partners to learn more about the syndrome and its impact on Ontario bats. The Min-istry, as stated on their website, it’s urging the public to stay out of known bat hibernation sites and refrain from entering non-commercial caves and abondoned mines where bats may be present. They are asking Ontarians to refrain from entering affected caves or abandoned mines in the United States or Canada.If you see bats fl ying during the daytimein winter or you see dead bats, please contact the Canadian Cooperative Wild-life Health Centre (1-866-673-4781), the-Natural Resources Information Centre(1-800-667-1940) or your local Ministry of Natural Resources offi ce. Please do not touch bats, dead or alive, as they may carry rabies. Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Re-sources is also looking for citizens’ assistance to help monitor summer bat populations since white-nose syn-drome effects on summer colonies is now evident in the southern regions of Ontario. The Ministry has information and registration packets available to anyone interested in being involved in this important monitoring program.

Please contact: Lesley Hale, Science specialist, MNR at 705 - 755 - 3247 orlesley.hale@ontario.ca.

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Nature Leaguers: * Learning *Doing * SocializingThank you to Program co-ordinator Esmonde Clarke and the many activity leadersand “potluck volunteers” Rosemarie Beldowski, Zaiga Smemanis and helpers. Thank you to Program co-ordinator Esmonde Clarke and the many activity leadersand “potluck volunteers” Rosemarie Beldowski, Zaiga Smemanis and helpers. Thank you to Program co-ordinator Esmonde Clarke and the many activity leaders

Gary and Lois present the India lecture The Taj Majal

Guests Dick White & Paulette with Clare & Lois

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Arrowhead Road “Soup’s On” Twyla-Fay’s Chalet

The Blueberry trails at Wasaga “Lunch”at Mylar & Loreta’s

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The Songbird SuperhighwayBy Leslie Scrivner - Reprinted in part with permission - Torstar Syndication Services: Toronto Star: May 12, 2012

As you lie sleeping tonightAs you lie sleeping tonightA won-drous events will be unfolding inAdrous events will be unfolding inA the darkened sky. Between 5 andA the darkened sky. Between 5 andA A A 10 million birds, mostly songbirds

will fl y over Toronto winging their way to breeding grounds in Canada’s north.

The numbers in this rite of spring sound absurdly high but are supported by weather radar images. On clear nights you can track the passage of birds across Lake Ontario on the Internet and on weather radar websites such as that of the U.S. National and Oceanic Atmo-spheric Administration.

By the time the migration winds down in two weeks, it’s estimated that at least 50 million birds will have passed over T.O.

“We’re on a superhighway because we are on the lake”, says Bridget Stutchbury of York University. Not that you can see the high fl yers even with binoculars. They set off at dusk and fl y through the night several hundred metres in the sky. Many will stop during the day to bulk up for the rest of their journey.

Some have fl own from Central and South America-migrations of as much as 8,000 kms-and will have depleted their re-serves of fat. Some birds can use up those reserves in a single fl ight.

That’s where Toronto comes in. Birds will spend the day in its parks and neigh

bourhoods gorging on insects-those clouds of frantic midges-as well as moth and butterfl y larvae. The warblers hopfrom branch to branch in trees, peeking under leaves looking for bugs. Others, like the eastern kingbird with its longer beak, will snatch insects mid-air.

Their en masse arrival is also worrisome as more birds are likely to smash into windows- not just the glass towers down-town, but also houses and even utility sheds. It’s the second leading cause of bird death after habitat loss.

With songbirds in the air for just a few weeks, we are treated to an avian sym-phony of spring. It’s less Vivaldi and more “zeet-zeet,zoot,zeet-zeet”the song of the black throated green warbler, or the “sweet, sweet, I’m so sweet” of the yellow warbler. Then there is the olive-sided fl ycatcher call: “Quick, three beers.”

One of the fi rst places birds rest after their night fl ight across Lake Ontario is Tommy Thompson Park, where 270 species have been recorded over a typical 6-week migratory season. Travelling by night offers protection from predators, and the air is cooler and less turbulent.

Ralph Toninger at Toronto and Region-Conservation has been listening to birds for decades and identifi es more by their song than by sight. On a cool and foggy

morning, after a night of rain, the birds are staying put and feeding. It makes for fi ne listening not only to the avian new-comers but also to the familiar urbanbirds -cardinals, chickadees, redwing black birds, gold fi nches and house fi nches. He can hear travelers such as bobolinks, Nashville warblers, Cape May warblers, willow fl ycatchers, brown- headed cow birds and chestnut-sided warblers. Terns squark overhead carrying crayfi sh in their beaks; a pair of tree swal-lows, georgeous in dark blue iridescence mate amid a fl urry of feathers.

At the park’s research station, some 2000birds are examined each season to track their numbers, weight and fat reserves.Nigel Shaw, the master bander, puts tiny bands on their legs, measures fat by blowing on the bird’s breast to lift their feathers and expose any yellow stores of fat.

Toninger commented that “birds learn their songs from their parents, even in the egg”

“There are more: cedar waxwings, ruby-crowned kinglets and rose-breasted evening grosbeaks. These birds are truly passing through the city,” Toninger adds. There is not enough forest and not enough food for them to feed their chicks. They will move on to Algonquin Park and points north.

Further north at Sunnybrook Park, Toninger hears the tap of a downy wood-pecker and a short burst from a scarlet tanager, but it stays hidden. “It’s a bonus bird,” he says. “The kind that instills passion.”

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Mark your Calendar

AGM.September 12th 2013

Nature League Spring Program 2013

Walkers meet on Wednesdays atMetro parking lot to car pool,( unless noted otherwise ) Pleasenote car pool times for each event

For car pooling the leader ( or designatedperson ) will meet participants in the North East corner of the Metro parking lot in Collingwood. If the weather conditions are unfavourable the decision on whether or not to continue with the outing will be made by those who show up. If the decision is to can-cel, those showing up may wish to make the best of the situation and adjourn to a local cafe to socialize and enjoy a coffee.Walks start at 10.30 am at Trailhead,unless stated otherwise, and will last approximately 2hrs.Come prepared with lunch, and a beverage, suitable clothing, sturdy footwear and if possible a cell phone. Please no pets

All participants must sign the waiver before the activity. Each leader will have a waiver form with them. Any questions should be directed to the leader of each walk. Please bring a friend to encourage newmemberships.

Need a ride to a walk or meeting: Contact:Collingwood: Clare Capon 705-446-9874Wasaga Beach: Carole Hill 705-429-2869Creemore: Gary Cauthers 705-466-2272

Spring SocialAll Saints Anglican Church32 Elgin St. CollingwoodSocial 5-7 p.m.Come and join us and take a peek at the new Spring Program.

Town TrailsMeet at 10.15 a.m.at the water tower on Hume St. Collingwood. We will walk south on the old rail line to Poplar Sideroad and then loop back to start - approx 1 1/2 hours. Soup’s on at Leny den Bok’s, 302 Minnesota St. 705-445-3344 Hostesses: Leny and Fritzy Nydam 705-445-5941

APR 24TH

MAY 8TH

MAY 11TH

MAY 1ST

MAY 15TH

JUN 19TH

JUN 5TH

MAY 29TH

JUN 12TH-14TH

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Special Tobermory TripWalking on the Bruce PeninsulaNature League members only.See full details on front cover of thenewsletter.

MAY 22ND

Old BaldyCar pool time 9.45 amTrillium Time. South on Osler Bluff Rd., west on Grey Rd. 19, cross Grey Rd. 2, continue on sideroad 9, jog left then right at 10th line, continue on 9 through Duncan to 3rd line. Turn left on 3rd line, then right on sideroad 7Bproceed to corner and park. Easy 3.6 km.walk, great views over Beaver Valley. Leader Marlene Esson705-445-5793

N/L Signage UnveilingCollingwood Trails/see Ad.insert Meet at 10.30 am. Park in lot behind McDonalds, 1st St. & Cedar St. Unveiling ceremony at 11:00 after which Diane MacDonald will lead a walk along the trails ending at the nearby Beaver & Bulldog for anoptional lunch.

Awenda Provincial ParkPenetang - Car pool time 7.15 am.Tim Tully, Natural Heritage Educa-Tim Tully, Natural Heritage Educa-Tim Tullytion Leader will conduct us through this beautiful park on a hunt for some of the many bird species which pass through on their way north. Easy walk. Bring binoculars/camerasFrom Collingwood take Hwy. 26, through Wasaga Beach ( Mosley St.)taking River Rd. west ( Hwy. 92) at McDonald’s. Continue on Hwy 92 to Cty. Rd. 29 north. Continue to end of 29 and turn right onto Conc. 4. Travel to Cty. Rd. 6 and turn left passing through Wyevale & Perkinsfi eld to Lafontaine Rd. ( Esso on corner.) Turn right and continue to Awenda Park Rd. and follow into park offi ce.(About 8:45 am.) Entry fee to park.

Lecture Allen Kempert-BatsL.E Shore Library, Thornbury. 10:00 am coffee 10:30 lecture.See details on front of the Newsletter

Boyne Valley SpringsCar pool time 9:30 am.Take Hwy.124 south through Sing-hampton and Redickville to Dufferin Cty. Rd. 17, turn left, meet at east side of Hwy 124 ( stop light) at 10:152.6 km. loop-hilly, not rocky. Very pleasant walk, views, streams and pleasant walk, views, streams and pleasant walkendangered butternut trees. LeaderJanet Howden 705-444-6104

Garlic Mustard PullPetun Conservation AreaCar pool time 10:00 amSouth on Osler Bluff Rd., west on Grey Rd. 19, turn left on 2nd line to parking at top of hill on left. Meet Dave Featherstone, NVCA to clear area infested with the noxious weed garlic mustard. Bring a garbage bag.Contact: Esmonde Clarke 705-466-3483

Siegerman Side TrailHeathcote. Car pool time 9:45 amTake Hwy.26 west to Cty. Rd. 40( Walters Falls road.) Turn left on 40 and left again on Cty. Rd. 13, drive through Heathcote. The next inter-section is Sideroad 22C. Drive west ( right ) on this road to the next intersection the 3rd line and park on the side of the road. Approx 3.2 km. loop hike, steep hill to start road allowance then gradual decline, one rocky section. Great views, lunch by stream. Leader Sue Mason705-445-2680

Nature League Spring Program 2013

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shop-ping bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.The woman apologized and explained, ”We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”The cashier responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save the environ-ment for future generations.”She was right - our generation didn’t have She was right - our generation didn’t have She was right - our generation didn’t

the green thing in its day.Back then, we returned milk bottles, pop bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refi lled, so they could use the same bottles over and over. Yes they really were recycling. We refi lled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen: and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But, we didn’t have the green thingback in our day.We walked up the stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every shop and offi ce building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But, she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.Back then, we washed the baby’s nap-pies because we didn’t have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220volts: wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me- down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.But that young lady was right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.Back then, we had one TV, or a radio, in the house - not a TV in every room.

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JUN 26TH

And, the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief ( remember them? ), not a screen the size of Yorkshire. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric ma-chines to do it everything for us

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styro-foam or plastic bubble wrap.Back then, we didn’t fi re up an engine Back then, we didn’t fi re up an engine Back thenand burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power.We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But, she’s right. We didnBut, she’s right. We didnBut ’t have the green thing back then.We drank water from a fountain or a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle fl own in from another country.demanding a plastic bottle fl own in from another country.demanding a plastic bottle fl own in

We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be changed by fl ying it thousands of miles around the world.

We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad. But, we didn’t have the green thing back then.Back then, people took the tram or a bus, kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances.

And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2.000 miles out into space in order to fi nd the nearest pizza joint.

But, isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

That Green Thing!

Time for a breakAfter serving for 12yrs as a director of the Nature League Harry Moerschner is step-ping down. Harry will be missed by members of the Board.

Gary Cauthers, who has served withHarry for most of this time, stated that “Harry reached well beyond his job description of Secretary to ensure that Club affairs were in order and that all members enjoyed their time with theN/L. We will miss his contribution but also know that he is only a phone call away”. Best of luck Harry and thank you from fellow directors & members.

May the Butterfl y dance prevail !!See you at Tobermory.

BBQ and nearby walkGary and Lois Cauthers will host a BBQ for members of the Nature League. Please arrive at 11:30 am. for lunch at noon. Sausages and buns only, are provided , bring your own beverage and salad/dessert if you wish. Please call 705-466-2272 if you are vegetarian or need directions. Prior to the BBQ there will be an easy 2 km walk through fi elds and woods. Car pool time 9.30 am Walk starts at 10:15. Directions: south from Collingwood on Hwy. 124 through Duntroon, continue straight where road turns right, drive through Glen Huron, up the hill, turn right at sideroad 12/13, proceed to Conc.10, turn left, then continue 0.6 km to Bruce Trail stile on left and park. Leader: Esmonde Clarke 705-466-3483

Special EventN/L Signage Unveiling for the Collingwood TrailsSaturday May 11thMeet at 10:30 am. in McDonaldsparking lot on 1st StreetUnveiling ceremony 11:00

Hi all Nature League membersSince more and more information will be coming through the internet, please provide us with your e-mail address, unless you have already done so.If you have just acquired a new e-mail address or changed your mailing address, or have a new phone # please notify our treasurer.Migs Baker Telephone: 705 - 445 - 4097

Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Visit our brand new websiteThe Nature League now has its own website.Members who would like to see the newsletter infull glorious colour, or to check our current events log on to: www.natureleague.ca

INCORPORATED AS SENIOR LEAGUE ENDOWMENT SOCIETY OF COLLINGWOODP.O. BOX 572 COLLINGWOOD. ONTARIO L9Y 4E8

VISIT US :- @www. natureleague.ca ( includes events/newsletter in colour )

CONTACT US @enquire@natureleague.ca or club president @ 705-446-9874 ( questions/membership info. )NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Nancy Tully Peever: ntpeever1@rogers.com Gary Cauthers: glcauthers@rogers.com John Capon: carvers.cottage@sympatico.ca

We need your help!Please let us know of any member who is ill at home or inhospital. Contact: Carole Hill: Tel.# 705-429-2869( e-mail carolevhill@sympatico.ca / copy Clare )or Clare Capon: Tel.# 705-446-9874( e-mail clare.capon@gmail.com / copy Carole )

Welcome New MembersMarty Bruce, Christina Snow

Why not become aNature League member!

You can make a difference in your community-and you can enjoy yourself at the same time.

The Nature League fundraises to protect our environment and supports environmentaleducational awards.

It organizes both winter and summeroutdoor activities and runs social eventsthroughout the year.

Why not join us and get involved, contact usat: www. natureleague.ca

Nature LeagueP.O. BOX 572COLLINGWOOD, ONT. L9Y 4E8

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