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The Egret - Volume 38 - Issue 2 - June 2022 |
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As warmer weather makes its way; friends in nature make the day. |
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Welcome to Windsor: Natural history observations from a recent immigrant
By Howard Williams
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For grandparenting reasons, Carole Donaldson and I moved to Windsor in October of last year and we have often been greeted by 'Welcome to Windsor'. We specifically settled close to Jackson Park, mainly for dog walking, but imagine our delight when we experienced all the other aspects of that park: the many over-wintering birds followed by the spring-flowering trees and migrant birds (photo of crested flycatcher) |
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Little River Cleanup Event
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It has been 2 ½ years since volunteers participated in a Little River Cleanup Event. On Saturday, 9 April, the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and the Essex Region Conservation Authority invited Essex County Nature to join community volunteers to clean up a well-known section of Little River. The segment needing a “Spring Cleaning” flows adjacent to the Canadian Tire Store on Tecumseh Road East. The City of Windsor created Teedie Park along the riverbanks and adjacent open areas in this area. As well, the Ganatchio Trail has been extended from the river to the Forest Glade neighbourhood. Today’s cleanup involved both banks of Little River. This cleanup was part of the Detroit River Binational Cleanup Event. |
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Earth Day in Essex County!
By Jennifer Nantais
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This year marked the return to an in-person Earth Day celebration in the city of Windsor. Residents were once again able to visit Malden Park to learn about environmental initiatives being taken with their city, and all of the ways that they can help invest in our planet. Vendors were on site to share their eco-minded business and promote sustainability, and attendees were able to enjoy such activities as planting a vegetable or native flower, testing their recycling skills, creating inspiring art pieces and more.
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A Brief History of the ECFNC's 'Bluebird Committee'
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In the Spring of 1989, I found a nesting pair of Eastern Bluebirds near Harrow, Ont. This surprised me, because I knew they were extirpated in many areas. I spoke with some members of our club, & I learned that Essex County did have a very small population of Bluebirds, mostly in the Southern half of the County.
I learned that other Nature Clubs (both in Canada & the United States) had set up Bluebird Committees, which managed birdhouse trails in their areas. In the mid-1980s, I had set up 3 trails, so I was familiar with Bluebird trail monitoring. I wondered if our Club would be interested in having a Bluebird Committee.
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Photo: A pair of Eastern Bluebirds; male (left) and female (right) (Graham Brown)
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Update from the ECFNC Phrag Committee
By Heather Inksetter |
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There is news to report from your Phrag Fighters!
Firstly, we were successful in receiving a small grant from the Invasive Species Centre. The money will be used to buy some basic equipment for the manual suppression of phragmites in spots around Windsor and Essex County.
Secondly, committee members were on site at the Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimists’ Club in Amherstburg on March 20th. Camp directors asked us to have a look at the phrag growth in and around their pond. This project looks as if it is something we will be able to tackle: the pond is not too large and the phragmites may be successfully removed using equipment such as cane cutters and spades. Our thanks to Cathy Robertson, Kathi Poupard and Ed Debevc for showing us around and extending an opportunity for us to begin our field work.
Committee members also met online with staff from Point Pelee National Park. We have been invited to volunteer as part of their annual phrag removal efforts this summer. Park personnel are willing to provide basic training as well as waders and other equipment for our use on the property. It is gratifying for us to see these collaborative efforts coming together, both through the Optimists and the national park.
We will need more Phrag Fighters this summer! If you would like to volunteer, please get in touch via email with Heather Inksetter. The address is: heathercohen962@gmail.com The work will involve walking in wet and muddy conditions and will require some bending, stretching and cutting as well as working in water. Actual removal of phragmites generally begins in July, after birds have finished nesting. See EVENTS below for more info.
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Junior Egrets June fieldtrip
By Jennifer Nantais
The Jr. Egrets club set out to find and learn about local birds during their first walk of the season at Ojibway Park. They were able to record several bird species, along with many other exciting findings including fish, turtles, frogs, insects, and some of the early blooming spring flowers.
Kids and their families were able to take their new club backpacks out and borrow a pair of binoculars to search near and far, and together they enjoyed another wonderful exploration of the nature all around us.
Be sure to join the Jr. Egrets at their next outing, where they will go exploring for snakes and turtles at Breyerswood on June 25th at 10am.
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2022 Lynda Corkum Bursary Recipient and Other Club Donations
By Chris Hart
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The ECFNC is a community based club promoting the excellence and the enjoyment of our local environment. As such, we often give back to those organizations whom align with these beliefs. One such contribution is the Lynda Corkum Essex County Nature Bursary, which is awarded to a Biology graduate student at the University of Windsor. This is a $1000 donation made possible from funds acquired selling the Fish Book. We are pleased to announce that this year's recipient is Sarah Dobney. .
Other recent donations by the Club include:
Jan/21 Jack Miner's Foundation $1000.00 (towards Wall replacement)
July/21 Windsor Essex Community Foundation $300.00 (donation to Managed Fund started by LREG)
April/22 Town of Amherstburg $2000.00 (Tree Planting - 'Thank you' letter attached)
May/22 Weston Park/Little Reg Committee $1000.00 (40th Anniversary Tree Planting)
Heritage Committee
Aug/21-Ontario Nature-$5000.00 (Synenham Nature Reserve)
For more information on these contributions, and/or how to make a donations to the Club, please contact a member of the Board of Directors.
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In Praise of Pop-ups
By Howard Williams
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The Essex County Field Naturalists' Club (ECFNC) organises semi-regular pop-ups throughout the year that are informal gatherings at places of natural historical interest. The rationale behind pop-ups is to introduce members and others to a specific site, to encourage observation of the natural history and to facilitate social intercourse and networking. Furthermore, thanks to Carl Maiolani, who amongst other things has a gift of generally providing good weather.
Also linked is Carl's thorough recap of all recent pop-ups. A great read!
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World Migratory Bird Day
By Jennifer Nantais
In North American, World Migratory Bird Day is held on the second Saturday of May. This annual campaign highlights the need to protect and conserve migratory birds and their habitat, and to raise awareness of the threats faced by migratory birds, their ecological importance, and the need for international cooperation to conserve them.
This year Windsor proclaimed it’s first ever World Migratory Bird Day on May 14, 2022. Bird organizations held celebrations to honour the day, and the bird species that migrate to, and through Essex County.
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We have Volunteer Opportunities!
Communications Coordinator
Manages internal and external communications, and promotes club activities, volunteer opportunities and community impact. Receives content from other members and prepares monthly Member Update emails using Benchmark. Posts events on the Essex County Nature website events calendar and the club’s social media platforms. Increases the club’s online presence and public awareness of the club’s activities, and converts online followers to members, as the opportunities arise. Ensures photo and/or video recording of club events that can be shared online and/or print.
Must be a club member and can be a member of the board. Should be familiar with laws related to publishing content online.
Speaker Series Coordinator
Responsible for organizing speakers for monthly club meetings well in advance. This includes collecting biographical information and a photo or two of the speaker or topic. Makes sure the information about speakers is available to the communications coordinator in a timely fashion.
Must be a member of the club and can be a member of the board. Some experience in volunteer management and/or organizing events would be assets.
Please contact a Board Member for more information
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UPCOMING EVENTS
For full details and the latest updates, visit www.essexcountynature.com/events
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Unfortunately many of the great local events and activites have been cancelled or postponed due to social distancing guidelines.The ECFNC is working deligently to work within these evolving restrictions. Please stay tuned for more information as things progress. |
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ECFNC March
Virtual Members' Meeting
Point Pelee Birding by Boat
Wednesday, June. 8th, at 7:30 p.m. on Zoom
Join local birder and Essex County Field Naturalist, Kory Renaud, as he takes you on a virtual journey birding in Point Pelee’s marsh, by boat. Learn the best times of year to bird by boat and the surprising species you may encounter during a paddle through the marsh.
Stay tuned for the Zoom link.
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Pride Month Birding Walk
Saturday, June 18 at 8:30am, at Ojibway Park Complex
Join the Essex County Field Naturalists' Club and OFO for a Pride Month Birding Walk at the Ojibway Park Complex in Windsor. This walk is a celebration of the LGBTQ2S+ community but all are welcome.
We encourage newer or first-time birders to come along and help create a respectful, welcoming, and accessible environment, our first priority as we enjoy observing the breeding birds of Ojibway.
The walk will start in the trails of Ojibway Park. From there we will cross the street and walk the Titcombe path between the Tallgrass Heritage Prairie Heritage Park and the Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve and surrounding trails. Optional additional birding in either Spring Garden or Black Oak Heritage Park in the afternoon. Bring a lunch or snack if you plan to join for the afternoon.
Please visit https://ofo25.wildapricot.org/event-4807999 for more information and to register for the event.
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Jr Egrets Reptile Walk
Saturday, June 24th, at 10am at Bryerswood
The next stop on this season's Jr Egret advetnure list is Bryerswood Youth Camp Optimists’ Club in Amherstburg. There will be a scavenger hunt and a guided hike by Wildlife Preservation Canada.
Bring the kids out for a fun morning of exploring and learning, and hopefully seeing some snake and turtles! A few Club kits (including backpacks) are still available, so come on out. Contact a Board member for more info.
Future Jr Egret Events:
July - Aquatic Insects with the Healthy Headwaters Lab
August - Bees, Butterflies and Flowers with the Jr Egrets Committee
September - Planets and Stars with Windsor's Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Stay tuned for more info and updates. |
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Calling all Phragmites Fighters!
Staff at Point Pelee National Park are offering our Club members some training plus two days of volunteer work removing invasive phragmites from Park property.
This is an exceptionally good opportunity to find out how to combat phrag AND all the equipment you need will be provided. Please come and help if you can. Fill out and submit the volunteer package below.
We know that summer weekends are precious. We appreciate your help very much. The dates are included in the Volunteer Package but here they are again:
Saturday, June 25 - approx. 3 hours beginning at 9 a.m. (training)
Saturday, July 23 - up to 5 hours beginning at 7 a.m. (phrag removal)
Saturday, September 17 - up to 5 hours beginning at 8 a.m. (phrag removal)
Any queries, contact Heather Cohen heathercohen962@gmail.com
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The Pelee Buzz is your island passport to nature.
If you are interested in exploring and enjoying the biodiversity of Pelee Island, this Events Program is your ticket. Visit peleebuzz.ca for a list of specific events led by a local naturalist, and for maps and descriptions of self-guided walks. |
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Vital Signs is an annual community check-up conducted by Community Foundations from across Canada that measures the vitality of our cities, identifies significant rents, and assigns grades in areas critical to our quality of life.
We invite you to be a Vital Signs Grader! This is your chance to let us know what’s important to you when it comes to evaluating Windsor-Essex County as a place to live, learn, work, play, and grow.
Go to www.wecf.ca and tell us how you would grade Windsor-Essex when it comes to The quality of the Environment in Windsor-Essex.
Those who complete the survey in full have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win $100! |
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Join or Renew your Membership for 2022!!
Thank you to those who have paid for 2022 memberships! For those looking to join the club, or renew memberships, just tap the button below to pay online. (You don't need a PayPal account. Just tap "enter as a guest' and then "continue to payment" if you want to use a credit card.)
Annual membership fees are $10 for students, $20 for other individuals and $25 for families. If you have questions or can't remember when you last paid for your membership, contact membership secretary Howard Williams.
We cannot accept cash payments for memberships at this time. Please send cheques* by mail to:
Cathy Lapain, treasurer
Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club
c/o Ojibway Nature Centre
5200 Matchette Rd.
Windsor, ON, N9C 4E8
(*Cheques should be made out to the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club. Please indicate on the cheque if it is a membership fee or a donation.)
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Future ECFNC Monthly Members' Meetings
2nd Wednesday of the Month, 7:30pm
Due to current circumstances, information on future members' meetings will be provided closer to the date. If social distancing restrictions are still in place, a virtual presentation will be made available. Please stay tuned for updates. |
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Visit www.essexcountynature.com/junior-egrets to join the excitement.
The Junior Egrets' page is being updated regularly, so check back often. |
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Request for Photos!
Have you seen anything neat in nature lately? Did you happen to catch it on camera? If so, consider submitting it to egret@essexcountynature.com and we could include it in future articles or posts. Be sure to include your name and all relevant information about the photo (who/where/what/when). |
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Stay tuned for more!
Any future events will be announced during monthly meetings and listed in our calendar.
Look out for email updates about any events within Covid19 guidelines.
Check out our Facebook page and subscribe to our YouTube channel for fun content updates!
Visit our website to view historical issues of The Egret (1984-present).
A new year is upon us, so don't forget about renewing your membership dues.
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STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE ESSEX COUNTY FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB! |
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About Us
Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club is a non-profit, open-to-the-public volunteer organization that focuses on promoting the conservation and restoration of the diverse natural heritage of Essex County and the surrounding region. We also strive to provide educational opportunities for the people of Essex County to become acquainted with and better understand the natural environment. |
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Contact Us
Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club
c/o Ojibway Nature Centre
5200 Matchette Rd.
Windsor On,
N9C 4E8
Except for our annual dinner in November, monthly meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 pm at Ojibway Nature Center, 5200 Matchette Road, Windsor. All are welcome! We also have monthly outings posted in the ‘Events’ section of this newsletter as well as on our website.
NOTICE - ALL Club in-person meetings and events are cancelled until further notice |
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Dave Kraus ( 519-257-8674)
JoAnn Grondin ( 519-734-0056)
Chris Hart (c.hart14@yahoo.ca)
Aileen Petrozzi (petrozzi2@gmail.com)
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CHAIRPERSONS/LIAISONS
Ontario Nature Liaison: Karen Alexander
ERCA Liaison: Gina Pannunzio
Bluebird Committee: Don Bissonnette
Ojibway Liaison: Jennifer Nantais, Jessica Middleton
Citizens Environment Alliance Liaison: Phil Roberts
Canada South Land Trust Liaison: Dave Kraus
Detroit River Canadian Cleanup Liaison: Gina Pannunzio
Climate Change: Jennifer Nantais
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COMMITTEES
Egret Editorial: Chris Hart
Junior Naturalists: Kory Renaud, Andy Paul, Jeremy Bensette, Sarah Renaud, Jessica Middleton
Heritage: JoAnn Grondin (coordinator), Dave Kraus, Betty Learmouth, Gerry Waldron, Shirley Grondin, Cathy Lapain, Tim Shortridge, Aileen Petrozzi, Ellen van Wageningen
Little River Enhancement Group: Ian Naisbitt (chair)
Fish Book: Dave Kraus
Website & Social Media: Kory Renaud
Membership: Jeremy Hatt (chair), Carl Maiolani, Aileen Petrozzi, Howard Williams
Grant Committee: Karen Alexander, Jessica Middleton, Chris Hart
Phragmites Committee: Karen Alexander, Heather Cohen, Aileen Petrozzi, Howard Williams,Rose Simard, Joan Murphy-Walker
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ECFNC MEMBERSHIP
Your annual membership fees help to support the local efforts of the club. To learn more about becoming a member, please contact our membership secretary, Ellen van Wageningen.
- Receive the quarterly newsletter The Egret via email
- Enjoy guest speakers at the monthly meetings
- Explore our natural heritage with a guide
- Help restore and protect Essex County’s natural heritage
Online Payment Option
Join or renew your membership online at www.essexcountynature.com/membership
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