Nature Northwest 1 November 2010

ISSN 0836-4702 VOLUME 64

ISSUE 4

President’s Message

THE PRESIDENT LOOKS AHEAD:

Your Club is carefully moving ahead with plans to

take us into the future. We are in the process of

updating and improving our website, so that it better

reflects the activities of the Club. This will go hand-

in-hand with improvements to our logo and

advertising. Plans are in progress to update our Club

By-laws.

Those of us who attended the October meeting took

part in offering input to our planning process. As we

have previously noted, your Directors want to know

that we are meeting the demands and preferences of

our members. We are cognizant of the fact that

there are limits to our volunteer resources and our

money supply.

Director Emily Kerton has begun a Juniors Program

which appears successful. Should you have or know

of youngsters who would enjoy a couple of hours of

outdoor activity, we suggest that you leave us a

message on our telephone- 474-6007, and we can

provide details of upcoming activities.

We would like to fill a couple of small jobs at our

meetings. Our sales table is in limbo until we can

find one or two people to look after this task. We

would also hope to find a volunteer who can make

tea and coffee with a tray of cookies.

Plans are underway to hold our popular Annual

Dinner next February 27th. The venue will be the

Current River Community Centre. Further details

will be forthcoming soon. We could use a couple of

volunteers to assist in the planning and execution of

this very popular event.

Lastly, and most importantly, our Club is well on its

way to becoming the authoritative voice for

conservation in Northwestern Ontario. With all

members’ input, our future is looking good!

- Art Gunnell

Nature Northwest 2 November 2010

Contributors:

Neil Post Ray Gionet

Jean Hall-Armstrong Bill Greaves

Barb Yurkoski Emily Kerton

Patrick Whittingham Joey Welch

Art Gunnell Al Harris

Rachel Bryan

John Woodcock

Myra McCormick

In This Issue:

President’s Message ................................................................. 1

Editorial Policy ......................................................................... 2 Upcoming General Meetings .................................................... 3

Nature Quiz – Who Am I? ........................................................ 4 Upcoming Events ..................................................................... 4

Ontario Land Trust Alliance Gathering in Peterborough ........... 5 Waterfowl Viewing Day ........................................................... 6

Lost and Found ......................................................................... 6 Updates from the Northern Regional Ontario Nature Meeting... 7

Nature Quiz Answers (from page 4) ......................................... 8 White-headed American Robin Spotted in Schreiber, ON ......... 9

Junior Naturalists .................................................................... 10 Field Trip to Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota ..................... 11

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area ................. 12 Thank You Thunder Bay Field Naturalists For Connecting Youth

With Nature! .......................................................................... 14 Thunder Bay Field Naturalists --- Information for 2010 .......... 15

From the Editor’s Desk…

G’Day Naturalists!

I am very excited to be starting as the Editor of Nature

Northwest. Although I am still relatively new to Northwestern

Ontario and the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists, I bring to the

organization ten years of experience as a naturalist and

conservation biologist and I am extremely excited to be a part of

this celebrated newsletter.

I encourage any comments, suggestions, content or ideas from

our membership to use in upcoming newsletters. In fact, I am

hoping to find a couple interested members that hold ideas for a

quarterly or biannual column within the newsletter. Another

feature that I hope to provide is content from other naturalists

groups throughout the Northwest. This will benefit our

readership by providing news and thoughts from outside our area

while uniting northwestern naturalists.

Our Newsletter Committee also has other plans and ideas that

will be administered throughout 2011. I hope you enjoy this

issue and I look forward to producing future newsletters.

- Bill Greaves

Editorial Policy

Nature Northwest is a quarterly

publication of the Thunder Bay Field

Naturalists. Each volume (ISSN 0836-

4702) consists of four issues published

in February, May, August and

November. A subscription to Nature

Northwest is a benefit of membership.

Articles, notes, records, illustrations

and photographs of local and regional

natural history are welcome. Material

accepted is subject to editing and

revision. Nature Northwest is intended

to be informative and thought

provoking. Views expressed are not

necessarily those of the Thunder Bay

Field Naturalists or the Editor.

Send events, stories, trip reviews,

articles, pictures and observations.

Your ideas and suggestions are

welcome. Address all submissions to:

wfgreaves@gmail.com

Deadline for submissions is the first

day of the month in which the issue

will be produced.

February issue…….……...February 1st

May issue………….…...……..May 1st

August issue……….…...….August 1st

November issue….…..…November 1st

Nature Northwest 3 November 2010

Upcoming General Meetings

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists meet on the fourth Monday of September, October, November, January,

March and April at Lunan Hall, St. Paul's United Church, 349 Waverley Street, Thunder Bay.

Meetings begin promptly at 8:00 pm

November 22, 2010 - Glen Hooper - “A Solo Paddling Journey through Canada’s Central Arctic

Barrenlands on Contwoyto Lake and The Burnside River: A Natural and Cultural History”. Glen will share

his passion for canoeing and Canada’s far north as he takes us on a photo journey to an incredible tundra

river few of us will ever see.

January 24, 2011 - Members' Night – Bring your 10 best slides to share. These could be photos of plants,

animals, vacations or field trips. Put them onto a CD or memory stick for loading onto the computer at the

meeting. Please arrive by 7:40 to load your photos.

Club reports to follow photos.

February 27, 2011 - Annual Dinner – Current River Community Centre – Rowing Across the Atlantic.

Speaker: author Charles Wilkins

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists will be the first to hear about Charlie's adventure of rowing from a little

fishing village south of Agadir on the west coast of Morocco across the Atlantic Ocean to Barbados. The

team’s departure is set for January 1, 2011. The return date is anticipated to be in early February. You can

follow his blog at: http://literarythunderbay.blogspot.com/2010/10/rowing-row-letter-from-charlie-

wilkins.html and read about Charles at http://www.writersunion.ca/ww_profile.asp?mem=1028&L=W

March 28, 2011 – Bill Greaves – “The Reptiles and Amphibians of Ontario and Their Adaptations for a

Northern Climate.” Have you ever wondered why southern Ontario has more herpetofauna? With up-close-

and-personal photographs from Bill’s work, he will discuss the herpetofauna of Ontario with emphasis on

Ontario’s turtle species and their amazing adaptations that enable them to survive in our Northern Ontario

climate.

April 25, 2011 – Ryan LeBlanc – “Undiscovered Jewels.” Fifty-eight orchid species are native to the Lake

Superior basin. In North America this is second only to Florida. Many of these exquisite orchids can be

found in the Thunder Bay District. Oddly enough very few local residents know these beautiful flowers

thrive in our area. With beautiful photographs and expertise gained from countless hours in the field, Ryan

will shed some light on the undiscovered jewels of the boreal forest.

Nature Northwest 4 November 2010

Nature Quiz – Who Am I? Answers on Page 8

1. The photograph of this mammal was taken by Patrick Whittingham on Sunday, September 26th

,

2010 at the North boundary of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in Thunder Bay, ON.

2. This bird was photographed by Celia Bodnar, sister of Newsletter Committee representative Brian

McLaren, while it was diurnally dining in Ottawa, ON.

Upcoming Events

Monday, December 13th

, 2010 6:30PM – Star Gazing

Meet at Arthur Street Marketplace (Thunder Bay Mall) at the south end of the parking lot in front of

the Athletic Club. Car pooling is recommended for the trip to Randy McAlister`s observatory. The

conditions for viewing the winter sky should be ideal! Dress warmly! The observatory is not heated

and we will be at rest for the most part. The “rain date” (i.e. if it is cloudy) will be Tuesday, December

14th, same time, same place. Call Myra McCormick at 628-6432 if you plan to attend RSVP please,

Randy needs a head count in order to book the event.

Sunday, December 26th

, 2010 - Christmas Bird Count

This is a good opportunity to get out of doors and get some fresh air after the Christmas festivities.

Teams are assigned areas within a specified circle. After a busy day counting birds – numbers as well

as species - there will be a potluck supper and a round-up of the observations at Al and Cathy Harris’

house. Contact Nick Escott in mid-December for details 345-7122.

1 2

Nature Northwest 5 November 2010

Ontario Land Trust Alliance Gathering in Peterborough

In October I attended the Ontario Land Trust Alliance

(OLTA) Gathering in Peterborough, on behalf of

TBFN’s Nature Reserves Committee.

OLTA is an umbrella organization which supports the

work of 35 community-based land trusts across

Ontario. Highlights of their conference included a

speech by Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources,

Linda Jeffrey, and a tour of the Canadian Canoe

Museum. This visit was of special interest, as the

museum’s logo of a canoe with paddlers is a replica of

one of the pictographs at TBFN’s Painted Rock

reserve.

TBFN was also represented at the conference by

Stephen Thuerig, a Lakehead University student who is

helping us develop a plan for forest regeneration at

Pine Bay. Stephen prepared an entry for OLTA’s poster contest which described this project.

A variety of workshops were offered, and I attended several useful ones. "Forest Management" offered ideas

and resources to help with the forest project. A "Media Relations" session provided ideas for better

communicating what we do, and reviewed the pros and cons of using social media like Facebook and

Twitter. "Secured Conservation Lands" gave a preview of a new user-friendly Internet Explorer interface

that should enable us to make use of this database, to which we have contributed data about our reserves.

"The Mining Act and Land Trusts" brought participants up to date on the progress of changes to the Mining

Act, which we hope will give our reserves protection from claim-staking. In a session on "Cultural

Landscapes", the speaker referred to symbolic

landscapes that inspire communities, and his first

example was the north shore of Lake Superior, a

powerful symbol of Ontario’s natural heritage.

OLTA staff presented a slide show with pictures of

the conservation lands of trusts across the province,

including TBFN’s Pine Bay and Schreiber Point. I

met delegates from Rainy River, and across Southern

and Eastern Ontario, learned about our similarities,

discussed our different experiences and returned with

renewed energy to assist in the work of our reserves

in the most beautiful part of a beautiful province.

- Barb Yurkoski

Beaver lodge at Pine Bay Nature Reserve

Photograph taken by Barb Yurkoski

Cliff at Painted Rock Nature Reserve

Photograph taken by Barb Yurkoski

Nature Northwest 6 November 2010

Waterfowl Viewing Day

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists assisted as a

co-host for the Lakehead Region Conservation

Authority’s 2010 Fall Waterfowl Viewing Day.

The event was held on Saturday, October 16th at

Mission Island Marsh Conservation Area. Over

40 people attended the event, including whole

families. Field Naturalists members Geoff

Gooding and Lynda Sisco were given a special

thank you from LRCA for helping the event be

such a success. The excellent weather on that day

provided observers with the opportunities to spot

22 different species of bird, including a Pectoral

Sandpiper which had not previously been

documented during the Waterfowl Viewing Day.

Another rarity was a Gray Jay, the first recorded

since 2006. Other bird species spotted included:

American Black Duck, American Crow,

American Tree Sparrow, Bald Eagle, Black-

bellied Plover, Black-capped Chickadee, Canada

Goose, Common Goldeneye, Downy

Woodpecker, European Starling, Hairy

Woodpecker, Herring Gull, Hooded Merganser,

Lapland Longspur, Lesser Scaup, Mallard,

Northern Pintail, Redhead, Ring-billed Gull, and

Song Sparrow.

-By Bill Greaves

Lost and Found

The Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (Myiodynastes

luteiventris) is a large Tyrant Flycatcher that

is a native of Mexico, Central America and

the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona. It is a

short distance migrant that overwinters in the

eastern Andean foothills of Columbia,

Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. These

birds prefer sycamore forests in deep canyons

at elevations of 1000-2000 meters (5000 to

7000 feet).

Imagine the reaction of the volunteers when

this Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, Canada's

fourth known occurrence, was banded at the

Thunder Cape Bird Observatory on

September 30th, 2010.

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Photograph taken at TCBO

Black-bellied Plover at Mission Marsh

Photograph taken by Bill Greaves

Nature Northwest 7 November 2010

Updates from the Northern Regional Ontario Nature Meeting

The meeting was held at Welcome Lodge on Lake

Nipissing from October 15-17 2010, kindly hosted

by Angela Martin, the Regional director for the

Northeastern Region of Ontario Nature. The

meetings took place at the Martin`s new home

with a wonderful view of the lake. Most of the

participants were accommodated in the cabins

belonging to the Martin`s lodge.

Angela represented the Nipissing Naturalists.

Other people attended from Elliot Lake – both

from the Penokean Hills Naturalists and from the

Friends of Algoma East, Friends of Mashkinonje

(near Northwest Nipissing) were also in

attendance, as were the Sault Sainte Marie

Naturalists and the Manitoulin Naturalists.

Barbara Mackenzie–Wynia, the Regional

Coordinator, had organized an interesting

programme. The two speakers on the Saturday

night both spoke on their research, one on

breeding small Canada Geese, the other on

documenting the species across the area where the

Ring of Fire mines will be located. This vast area

includes Hudson Bay Lowlands as well as boreal

forest where very little research has been done on

the landscape. The second research programme

was heavily dependent on expert volunteering as

the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has

very little money for salaries and has recently had

their budget cut further.

Saturday morning was spent hearing club reports

of their activities. After lunch we hiked in

Mashkinonje Provincial Park. The Friends are

planning to make the first part of the trail - the

boardwalk and a short trail to a lookout over the

wetland – “barrier free” (i.e wheel chair, walker

and baby carriage accessible). It will be the first

provincial park in Ontario to do this. It was a

beautiful day in a fascinating area with swamp,

bog, marsh and fen with curved rock ridges.

Sunday morning began with an update from

Barbara about the activities of Ontario Nature

beginning with the acquisition of 570 acres at the

Malcolm Bluff Shores on the Bruce Peninsula,

North of Wiarton. In cooperation with the Bruce

Trail Conservancy, two more parcels of land will

be purchased in 2011 and 2012 for a total of 1045

acres.

The Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas is

requesting ANY sightings, ANY species, ANY

year, and please do not be intimidated by the

report forms! For more information go to -

www.ontarionature.org/atlas or email -

joe@ontarionature.org or phone – 416-444-8419

X243.

Work with First Nations Tribal Councils with

regard to the requirement of the Far North Act to

develop management plans is being conducted by

Peter Rosenbluth out of the Ontario Nature

Thunder Bay Office. Ontario Nature is in

partnership with Nature Canada and Nature

Quebec to work with First Nations on Important

Bird Areas (IBA) around James Bay, as at present

time these areas have no protection or

management plans.

The Provincial Policy Statement has been

reviewed. The answer from Ontario Nature

working with numerous partners (e.g. Ecojustice)

is that it is the green way forward and wants a

policy every 5 years. Ontario Nature is also

working on a project concerning aggregate

extraction in Uxbridge. The results from this will

have province wide significance with regard to

how aggregate extraction is managed in the

future.

Ontario Nature has produced a policy for wind

farms as the organization supports green energy

but believes they should not be built on sites in

migratory corridors or IBA. Before sites are

approved, it is recommended that multiyear

preconstruction monitoring should be conducted.

Nature Northwest 8 November 2010

A Biodiversity Chapter has been developed by

Ontario Nature. This can be viewed on the

website –

www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaigns/biodive

rsity2020vision.php. They hope to gain a

minimum of 30 000 signatures (all members of

Ontario Nature affiliated clubs) but hope that we

will spread the word and the total will be 100 000

signatures.

The Nature Networks Coordinator, Lisa

Richardson, is requesting 50 word reports with

photographs from the clubs, send to

naturenetwork@ontarionature.org. The idea is

that if a report captures your interest you can then

go to that club’s website for details.

The rest of Sunday morning was spent discussing

possible resolutions for the Ontario Nature AGM

at Sandaraska but the new rules for submitting

resolutions did not give sufficient time to research

and write a resolution and so the decision of

which topic to choose will be taken at the spring

Regional Meeting and then worked on over the

summer to be ready to present to the Ontario

Resolutions Committee after the fall Regional

Meeting.

The meeting then adjourned with thanks to

Barbara and Angela for their hospitality and

organization.

- Myra McCormick

Nature Quiz Answers (from page 4)

1) This Silver Fox is a colour variant of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). Other Red Fox variations include

the Cross Fox and Black Fox. The Silver Fox is very similar to a Black Fox, but has more white

guard hairs. In wild populations, all varieties freely breed together. When Silver Fox variants mate

together, the litter produced is comprised of only Silver Fox variants. The Cross Fox is produced

from the breeding of a Red and Silver Fox. It is possible for some litters to contain more than one

colour variety. Silver Fox were once highly regarded for their fur. It is believed the Silver Fox

variant comprises about 8% of Canada's Red Fox population.

2) This owl, photographed hunting in the snow, is either a Boreal Owl or Northern Saw-whet Owl. The

two are most easily distinguished by their facial markings and overall size. The larger Boreal Owl

has a broken black facial disc and heavy black markings around the eyes and bill giving it a fierce

appearance. The smaller Northern Saw-whet Owl has a pale buffy facial disc and less black on the

face, giving it a softer, cuter appearance. However, this photo does not give us the benefit of facial

markings, nor does it give us anything to use for a size comparison, making this a very difficult

identification to make! We can compare the size of the body to the size of the head, tail and wings

of the bird. In this case the relatively long tail and wings and relatively large head suggest that this

is a Boreal Owl. Fortunately, we also have the benefit of knowing the photographer, who assures us

that this Boreal Owl later perched nearby, revealing its black facial markings.

Second Open House for Trowbridge Falls and Centennial Park Stewardship

KBM Forestry Consultants are looking for public input into the Trowbridge Falls and Centennial Park

Stewardship Plan. Members of the community are encouraged to attend the public information session to

learn more about the Stewardship Plan and to discuss ways to ensure the long-term health of the park.

The second open house will be held at the Oliver Road Community Centre (563 Oliver Road) on

Wednesday, December 1st from 4:00-8:00 PM with the purpose to present and discuss with the public

draft objectives and strategies of the Stewardship Plan.

Nature Northwest 9 November 2010

White-headed American Robin Spotted in Schreiber, ON

No, this Robin was not accidentally painted white,

it just lacks the ability to produce pigmentation in

all of its plumage, a genetic mutation known as

leucism.

Leucism has been documented in many bird

species, including Common Grackles, Red-

winged Blackbirds, and American Crows. The

mutation affects approximately one in every

thousand birds. This

abnormality probably

begins early on in

development when the

gene that controls skin-

pigment cells called

melanocytes, turns on in

some cases and not in

others. The result is that

in some of its plumage

the individual cannot

produce melanin, a

compound that produces

pigmentation.

This American Robin

is still able to produce

pigmentation in some portions of its plumage.

The characteristic red breast is still noticeable as

well as the dark pigmentation along the back.

Some birds with leucism may just appear to have

lighter or bleached plumage, others may have lost

the ability to produce any discernable colouration.

Birds like this Robin, with a patchy colour pattern

are often referred to as pied or piebald birds,

whereas a bird with fully white plumage would be

referred to as a leucistic bird.

Leucism may appear to be the same as albinism,

but leucism and albinism are two different genetic

mutations. Leucism only affects the pigmentation

in the feathers of a bird and often only affects the

darker pigmentations while still allowing the bird

to produce the brighter colours in their plumages.

In contrast, albinism affects all pigments, and

birds with this mutation lack

colouration in their feathers,

have pale pink or red eyes,

legs and feet, and a pale bill.

Leucistic birds usually keep

normal colourations other

than in their plumage.

Although not directly

harmful to the bird, it is an

abnormality and pied or

leucistic birds may lose the

camouflage that normal

plumage provides, making

them more vulnerable to

predators such as cats and

hawks. Also, because

plumage is important for courtship, leucistic birds

may have difficulty attracting mates. Melanin is a

major structural component of feathers, and in

extreme cases, leucistic birds may have weaker

feathers, affecting their ability to fly and flee

predators, as well as keep warm during the winter.

- Bill Greaves

American Robin with Leucism

Photograph by Ray Gionet

Turtle River-White Otter Lake Provincial Park Management Planning Process Opportunity

Turtle River-White Otter Lake Provincial Park total 49 294 hectares and is a non-operating park located

in the Northwest. The Preliminary Park Management Plan (PPMP) is being released to reflect changes in

land use planning, policy for permitted uses, necessary operations policy changes and to re-engage local

stakeholders. The PPMP is available at www.ontarioparks.com/english/invit.html. You are invited to

provide comments that you feel should be considered in the development of the recommended park

management plan from November 1, 2010 to December 16, 2010 at www.ebr.gov.on.ca.

Nature Northwest 10 November 2010

Junior Naturalists By Emily Kerton

The Junior Naturalists program has been a success! Our first session was on September 30th and our last

session was on November 4th – 5 weeks of programs have come and gone already! The Junior Naturalists

have spent time at Centennial Park, Mission Island Marsh and the Kingfisher Lake Outdoor Education

Centre, learning about nature and all it has to offer. We have seen lots of new members bringing their

families to get out and enjoy the outdoors!

The Junior Naturalists enjoyed a sunny day at Centennial Park, learning

about how animals are preparing for winter and making bird feeders

from pine cones!

Did you know....? When people think of hibernating animals, they usually think of bears.

Bears can go up to 100 days without eating, drinking, peeing or pooping!

That’s more than 3 months! But bears are not true hibernators because their

body temperature doesn’t really drop and they wake up pretty easily. Bears

may wake up off and on during the winter, but when they are asleep, they

are really asleep! They sleep so deeply that mother bears will have babies

while they are sleeping in the winter.

Bears spend most of the summer and early fall eating as much as possible.

They can gain as much as 30 pounds a week during the summer. All of the

weight they gain keeps them warm all winter. That’s why their

temperatures don’t drop very much, even when it’s really cold.

Bears choose dens that are just barely big enough for them to

move in. They usually make dens in burrows, caves, hollowed-

out trees and rock crevices. The entrances to these dens are

small – just big enough for the bear to really squish itself inside.

It would be like living inside a refrigerator box!

Nature Northwest 11 November 2010

Field Trip to Hawk Ridge in Duluth, Minnesota

This past September the Fish and Wildlife

Fundamentals class at Lakehead University

traveled to Duluth Minnesota to experience the

epicentre of fall migration for birds of prey.

Duluth is home to Hawk Ridge, a large bluff

overlooking Lake Superior just beyond the

downtown core. Hawk Ridge is a perfect place for

experts and novice birders alike. Almost as

impressive as the number of raptors – more than

93,000 each fall – is the number of people coming

out to the Hawk Ridge weekend. Typically more

than 2,000 take in this annual event. There are

information sessions about bird identification at

the top of the bluff, as well as plenty of space to

set up your spotting scope and discover your own

hawks, falcons and eagles soaring above the ridge

and beyond. Hawk Ridge allows students to

immerse themselves in the culture and passion of

birding. It was my second trip to Hawk Ridge, and

I have asked myself why did I miss it the year

before? I learned again this past September that

the Hawk Ridge atmosphere fosters appreciation

in a new way for newcomers to birding. During

our three hours at Hawk Ridge, students observed

dozens of Cooper’s Hawks, Broad-winged

Hawks, Peregrine Falcons, Bald Eagles, Osprey

and American Kestrels. The culmination of the

afternoon occurred as the thermals settled above

Lake Superior and birds of prey began to fall out

of the sky to roost in trees in the city overnight.

This sudden event allowed us to see a kettle of

over 60 Broad-winged Hawks dropping out of

currents above Hawk Ridge and Lake Superior. If

you ever have the chance, take in the birds and the

nice people at Hawk Ridge.

- Joey Welch Raptor watching at Hawk Ridge, Duluth, MN

Photograph by Joey Welch

American Kestrel at Hawk Ridge

Photograph by Joey Welch

Wednesday, November 24, 2010 – TBDSC Annual General Meeting & Open House

The Thunder Bay District Stewardship Council (TBDSC) is hosting their annual general meeting and

open house from 7-9 PM at the Oliver Road Community Centre. The Stewardship Council’s role is: “to

foster and promote the establishment of healthy, productive and self‐sustaining ecosystems through

partnerships, community participation and education.” Come out and see our natural resources

enhancement and education projects from 2010 and what we have planned for the future!

For more info: (807) 475‐1481 or visit: www.ontariostewardship.org/councils/thunderbay

Nature Northwest 12 November 2010

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area

On October 4, senior personnel from Parks

Canada and various provincial parks began a

weeklong workshop on developing management

skills. The Canadian Parks Council

System Leadership Course is offered annually at

different locations in Canada. The course

incorporates online preparation, which started in

August with six days of intense face-to-face

interaction, and follow-up collaborative work

using teleconferences. Personnel completing the

course came from coast-to-coast, and most will

complete their certificate requirements in

November.

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park facilities served as

the venue for managers this year, primarily

because the Lake Superior National Marine

Conservation Area (NMCA) was the case used for

study.

Case studies are chosen for their complexity in

balancing diverse views on protected area

management, a way of choosing a subject to focus

senior personnel on difficult aspects of parks

leadership. Needless to say, the Lake Superior

NMCA is complex. While Willard Carmean has

carried the task of integrating the interests and

knowledge of the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists

into both the proposal development for the

NMCA and the developing interim management

plan, I was asked to participate in the Leadership

Course during a panel discussion representing

some of the diverse stakeholder interests. It was a

pleasure for me to meet once again one-time Field

Naturalist Gail Jackson at this meeting in October,

because Gail held the torch for creating the

NMCA within Parks Canada during its proposal

years.

For those readers who haven't thought about the

complexity of the Lake Superior NMCA yet,

consider these facts. The latest draft of the interim

management plan indicates that there are ten

existing Ontario Provincial Parks surrounded by

or adjacent to the NMCA:

Ruby Lake Puff Island

Rainbow Falls Shesheeb Bay

Edward Island Gravel River

Porphyry Island

Slate Islands

Schreiber Channel

Sleeping Giant

There are five Ontario conservation reserves

surrounded by or adjacent to the NMCA:

Black Bay Bog Lake Superior North Shore

Gravel River Lake Superior Archipelago

Kama Cliffs

Paradise Island Shoreline in NMCA

Photograph by Neil Post

Nature Northwest 13 November 2010

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists manage four

nearby nature reserves:

Paradise Island Nipigon River Mouth

Everard Fen (Black

Bay Peninsula)

Schreiber Point

In addition, the Lakehead Regional Conservation

Authority manages the Hurkett Cove

Conservation Area and the Nature Conservancy of

Canada manages Wilson’s Island. Trout

Unlimited has proposed another conservation

reserve on land bordering Gapen’s Pool (Nipigon

Bay).

So although the Lake Superior NMCA remains its

own administrative entity, the area is physically

and administratively linked with various other

governments and organizations with similar and

different goals. Future management will be based

in part on capitalizing on mutual opportunities

with these groups and on recognizing mutual

administrative partnering goals.

Next in the order of complexity are the links to

municipal and First Nations governments and

other stakeholders, often with interests that

conflict with conservation. Communities along

Lake Superior are struggling with the transition

from traditional, primary-resource industries to

new economies and new hopes, founded in part on

ecotourism. Tourism can have its own negative

influences on protected areas, so working out the

“no-go” zones is still a big challenge for managers

of the Lake Superior NMCA. So far, only Gapen's

pool, a brook trout spawning area, and the

Gunilda shipwreck, a cultural feature made

famous by diver Jacques Cousteau, are the two

protected areas within the NMCA. Other areas in

need of protection, like fragile plant communities

along some of the islands in the NMCA area, or

habitat used by other native fishes for spawning,

may be deteriorating before people in the region

even become aware of how their activities can

affect the fragile Lake Superior ecosystem.

During the panel discussion in the Leadership

Course, I chose to mention the interests

represented by the IUCN, the International Union

for Conservation of Nature, in having Canada

build its responsibility for protecting marine and

freshwater areas. To most of the local interests,

these words were meaningless in terms of

working out the details of the NMCA. What a

surprise for me to hear Gail say that, for the time

being only Parks Canada needs to be concerned

about these obligations. Overall there will be

much learning ahead about the need to protect the

Lake Superior coast, not just for Parks personnel,

but also for residents and other stakeholders of the

area.

- Brian McLaren

Paradise Island Nature Reserve in NMCA

Photograph by Neil Post

Board of Directors Acknowledgement

The TBFN Board of Directors would like to thank Pat Skula for her years of service to the board. Pat

has served as newsletter editor and vice president of the club in recent years. She's been a passionate

contributor to the board and we wish her well in her future endeavours.

Nature Northwest 14 November 2010

Thank You Thunder Bay Field Naturalists For Connecting

Youth With Nature!

During the weekend of November 5-7, 2010, a lucky group of young naturalists had the

chance to attend a youth leadership weekend at the Toronto Zoo. Ontario Nature paid a

portion of the cost to send four youth and two adult chaperones, while the Thunder Bay

Field Naturalists paid the rest! Ontario Nature hosted this weekend to establish a program

called “Nature Guardians,” which is going to consist of over twenty youth (pictured above).

This council of youth will help to bring

awareness to environmental issues that face their

generation today across the province. During

the weekend’s activities, the four youth from

Thunder Bay spent time learning about how to

be effective leaders and communicators. They

attended multiple workshops about how to

fundraise, conservation photography and the

importance of adult/youth partnerships.

(Pictured at right – Kailynn Wilson, Lupine Habib,

Kirstin Hicks, and Kaitlin Hicks – the 4 representatives

from the north!)

Nature Northwest 15 November 2010

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists --- Information for 2010

The Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study of natural

history, the wise use of resources, the preservation of natural areas, and teaching the public to

understand and protect nature.

Directors:

President ........................................ Art Gunnell ..................... 767-1587 Vice President ................................ Vacant

Treasurer ....................................... Mary Davies .................... 622-4071

Secretary ........................................ Susan Bryan .................... 345-6446

Newsletter Editor ........................... William Greaves .............. 983-3661

ON Rep & Field Trips .................... Myra McCormick ............ 628-6432

Programs & Youth ......................... Jean Hall-Armstrong

Publicity ........................................ Ryan LeBlanc .................. 768-7973

Membership Chair & Junior Nats ... Emily Kerton ................... 472-0772

Nature Reserves ............................. Susan Bryan .................... 345-6446

Director at Large ............................ Rob Foster ....................... 346-4950

Director at Large ............................ Adam Moir...................... 345-8111

Projects:

Thunder Cape Bird Observatory ..... Art Gunnell ..................... 767-1587

TCBO Cell Phone ............................................... 1-807-251-3673

Peregrine Falcon ............................ Brian Ratcliff .................. 768-8408

Bluebird Recovery ......................... Jean Lister ....................... 344-3815

Bird Records .................................. Nick Escott...................... 345-7122

Webmaster ..................................... Aarre Ertolahti................. 767-5985

Annual Membership Fees:

Family ......................................................... $30 Student ......................................................... $20

Corresponding .............................................. $16

Single ........................................................... $25

Senior (65+) ................................................. $20

Life Member ............................................... $350

Mailing Address/Phone:

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists

P.O. Box 10037

Thunder Bay, ON P7B6T6

Cell Phone: 807-474-6007

Website:

www.tbfn.net

Meeting Dates:

4th Monday of September, October, November,

January, March, and April

Annual Dinner meeting is held 4th Sunday of

February

Membership Application Form

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

Phone: (home) _____________________________ (work/cell) ___________________________________

Newsletter format (circle one): Print / Digital / Both Email Address: _____________________________

F Family ......... $30 F Single .......... $25 F Senior (65+) ............ $20 F Student ............. $20

F Life ........ $350 F Corresponding (non-voting) ............... $16 F Thunder Cape Bird Observatory .............$10

F Donation of $ to Tax receipt issued for donation

Your TBFN and TCBO memberships expire on December 31st. To ensure a May Newsletter, please register by

February using this form, or printing the form from the TBFN website (www.tbfn.net) and mailing it to:

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists

P.O. Box 10037

Thunder Bay, ON P7B6T6

All membership information is considered to be confidential, and as such the club will not sell or distribute such

information.

Nature Northwest 16 November 2010

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) at Mission Marsh. Photograph by Bill Greaves

Thunder Bay Field Naturalists Publication Agreement No. 41362520

P.O. Box 10037

Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B6T6