Nature Canada renews funding for Long Point Naturehood programs

The Long Point Biosphere Foundation was delighted to sign an agreement with Nature Canada this summer (August 2023) to sustain the Naturehood program in our area for another year.

Naturehood is actually a suite of programs that connect young people from all walks of life to the natural heritage of Norfolk County.  The programs give young people and their families an opportunity to learn about the importance of natural wildlife areas in the Long Point Biosphere.

“Many of us know about the major natural sites like Backus Woods, the Big Creek Wildlife area, and Long Point in our region,” says program manager Cynthia Brink. “They are very important, but Naturehood also introduces young people to the vital role played by small ponds, woodlots, and lesser-known elements of our natural surroundings.”

The programs also include field trips to the Long Point Bird Observatory where students witness bird banding at one of the most exciting and renowned places for bird studies on the continent.

Nature Canada’s contribution of $18K to our region’s Naturehood programs calls for matching funds and in-kind support, and we always welcome help in meeting this challenge. For more info contact communications@longpointbiosphere.com

 Over 50 Area Schools join Project Feederwatch

Do you like to build Bird Feeders?

Long Point Biosphere Foundation, in collaboration with Birds Canada, has opened the door for students from fifty-three (53) area elementary schools to participate in Project Feederwatch, an international collaboration to inventory bird populations.

The Biosphere’s financial donation will help Birds Canada and its partner Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology cover the cost of materials and other support for students who take part in the project, counting and reporting birds near their homes.  FeederWatch asks that students and other participants regularly record the birds they observe from a specific vantage point and at a specific count site over the winter (from November 1 to April 29).  Bird counts are then recorded and reported online to Project
Feederwatch.  Everyone is welcome to join.

“You don’t need to be an expert birder,” says Birds Canada. “And you don’t need to make a huge time commitment – Even if you count birds only once during the season, that is a helpful snapshot of the birds in your location.”

Count sites should have food and water that attracts and supports the birds in a sustained way.  So, it’s great when students can be equipped with bird feeders whether they are donated, or students learn to build their own.  If you think you can help in this regard, please let us know at education@longpointbiopsphere.com

Parliamentary Secretary visits Long Point, celebrates nearly $5 M investment in Region

On August 22, 2023, Julie Dabrusin, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), visited Norfolk County meeting with representatives of the Long Point Biosphere Region, Birds Canada, and the Canadian Wildlife Service.  She toured Long Point to see the impact of the Government of Canada’s investment of some $4.8 million in preserving biodiversity in our very special place.

“I was reminded today, that as Canadians, we are so lucky to be surrounded by so much natural beauty,” Ms. Dabrusin said. “Great things can happen when partners come together to support the environment, and this is especially true in Long Point.”

The Parliamentary Secretary heard presentations on road ecology, took part in birding, learned of our support of the Moccasin Identifier project, saw the special Biosphere mural at Long Point Eco-Adventures, and, with obvious glee, helped in the release of turtle hatchlings into the Long Point Bay marshes.

“It was a great opportunity to not only brief the Parliamentary Secretary on the current state of the Biosphere, but to also explore opportunities for expanding our robust partnership with ECCC and through the Priority Place initiative,” said Long Point Biosphere Chair Tom Via.  “A BIG thank you goes out to Birds Canada and Long Point Biosphere team members Sarah Emons, Cynthia Brink, Kari Gunson, and Andrew Couturier for their outstanding efforts in showcasing conservation work in our region.”

For more information on Ms. Dabusin’s visit and government support for the Biosphere and our partners in the region click here

Fall Conference – Support from S.M. Blair Foundation

Students, Sustainability, Conservation Careers
to feature at Biosphere’s 2023 Conference – November 3rd

This year’s Long Point Biosphere Research and Conservation Conference, the 11th annual gathering,  will include a new dimension aimed at encouraging local students to consider post-secondary education and careers in sustainability, environmental research, and the preservation of biodiversity.

“Once again, we’re looking forward to informative presentations on research important to Norfolk County and our region,” says conference organizer Cynthia Brink, noting the strong response to the call for papers. “But this year we’re also introducing a parallel program of exhibits on related careers and education opportunities at colleges and universities.”

Bus transportation for Norfolk area high school students wanting to attend the event will be arranged thanks, in part, to generous financial support from the S. M. Blair Family Foundation.  The Blair Foundation encourages education, training, and research careers. Its donation of over $5K to the Biosphere will also facilitate student participation in full-day outdoor activities throughout the year.

The Conference will take place Friday 3 November 2023 from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm at the Port Dover Community Centre, 801 Saint George Street, Port Dover.  Sponsorship opportunities and Tickets are still available ($45/$30 for students, lunch included).  Check the  Long Point Biosphere website for registration or contact conference@longpointbiosphere.com.

Summer 2023 Biosphere Beacon newsletter

The New – Summer 2023 – edition of the Biosphere Beacon – the official newsletter of the Long Point Biosphere Region – is out!
This issue showcases some of the amazing work underway to protect and promote our region. From conservation efforts to sustainable tourism, we’ve got it all covered.
Check out THIS LINK to read the full newsletter and learn how you can get involved in creating a more sustainable future for our planet.

Newsletter Highlights

  • Spooky Hollow helps meet national biodiversity goals
  • Join us on Wandering Wednesdays
  • We’re participating in the Birds Canada Birdathon, and we need your help!
  • How many of Norfolk County’s 22 Amazing Places have you visited?
  • We’re helping connect students to nature
  • Announcing a documentary about the Biosphere – we’ll have an extravaganza and fundraiser featuring a special showing, stay tuned!
  • Artists from indigenous and international backgrounds collaborate
  • Protecting turtles, snakes and more from the dangers of crossing the road

Mural celebrates Biosphere and Reconciliation

Future visitors to Long Point Eco-Adventures will be greeted by a unique, inspiring, and expressive art installation called the Moccasin Identifier project that is in keeping with our treaty responsibilities around truth and reconciliation and the international effort to build healing relationships between peoples and the land.

It  also embodies the Biosphere’s mission “to enhance ecosystem and community well-being”.

The 8 foot by 24 foot (approx. 2.4 by 7.3 metres) mural, integrates a variety of images around a concept created by two international artists and a First Nations artist to create an expressive piece that provokes conversation about Treaty and the fact that we are all treaty people. This piece is a mutli-faceted collaboration that includes government support, national organizations, local groups, individuals, students, Indigenous partners, and the two artists, Azurite De Luca and Benjamin Swatez,  who have been celebrated for their works in troubled regions around the world.  Working with UNICEF, Save the Children, Rotary International and other agencies, the two have created murals that promote peace and recognize the hardships people have faced in war-torn regions.

This past month (May 2023) Deluca and Swatez collaborated and First Nations artist Bezaliel Hill along with students from Mrs. Laura McKenzie’s class at our home school Valley Heights Secondary School and 30 other people completed the new mural, which will eventually be displayed on the Long Point Eco-Adventures Observatory building.  They also visited the region in March where they shared their knowledge and experiences from their travels in the Congo, Poland, and ground zero in the Ukraine with other local secondary school students.  Carolyn King, former Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations and a recipient of the Order of Canada  and her team from Moccasin Identifier project also spent time with students from the Delhi, Simcoe Composite, Valley Heights, and Waterford high schools discussing Treaty and what it means to be Treaty people.  The students contributed indirectly to the mural through art produced during the workshops held under Moccasin Identifier, an initiative to raise awareness of indigenous culture, Treaty rights, and ancestral presence in Treaty #3 on the lands across Ontario.  The workshops and the mural production were organized by Project Manager Cynthia Brink for the Long Point Biosphere Region with financial support from Nature Canada and the federal department of Environment and Climate Change Canada.  This Mural is the first of four  expected to grace the Norfolk County landscape.

Summer 2023 – Visit Norfolk’s Amazing Places

This year the Long Point World Biosphere Region (LPBR) is celebrating a total of twenty-two (22) Norfolk County sites as Amazing Places and models for sustainable tourism. 

With support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Government of Ontario, three new  Amazing Places were identified in 2022 through a  project involving stakeholder consultations, local meetings and other initiatives. The project also grouped the local Amazing Places under themed itineraries as one-day packages for families, couples, and all residents and visitors to learn, explore, and have fun.

The list of locations are highlighted under Amazing Places – and check out the suggested GoAmazing itineraries.

Keeping an eye on the sky

Paying attention to birds can help us recognize environmental changes

Whether we think about it or not, birds are an important part of our lives. They are as important to us as they are to the many ecosystems which they play integral roles in sustaining. They bring nature to people, wherever we are. Whether we live in a rural or urban community, hearing birdsong or catching a glimpse of a bird in flight can bring us moments of wonder and connect us to the natural world outside our windows.

“Waking up in the morning and walking out your door and hearing birds singing is always something that lifts people’s spirits. It makes you feel better. Along with giving people a lot of enjoyment, studies have shown that it can improve health and wellbeing tremendously,” says Andrew Couturier, Senior Director of Landscape Science and Conservation at Birds Canada, a partner in BirdLife International.

“They’re very beneficial for our human systems, and also for our natural systems,” he explains. “Birds are essential for pollination, spreading of seeds, rejuvenating forests, pollinating crops, and controlling pests. They’re an indicator species for biodiversity because they’re very visible and tangible. You can see and hear them so they’re easier and less expensive to study than other organisms, and they can act as a broadscale indicator of what’s going on in an ecosystem.”

A barn swallow, a threatened songbird in Ontario. Credit: Leanne Gauthier‑Helmer.

Andrew’s interest in birds goes back to a summer job at Point Pelee National Park as a nature interpreter during his undergrad: “that’s how I got introduced to the whole birding world, I learned all my birds there. It was quite an experience, being thrown into the fire right during spring migration.”

The experience seems to have stuck with him, as he has spent most of his career up to this point working at Birds Canada, a non-profit, charitable organization whose mission is to conserve wild birds through sound science, on-the-ground actions, innovative partnerships, public engagement, and science-based advocacy.

Having joined this organization when there were only 12 employees, he’s seen it grow to over 60, an impressive feat for any conservation organization. His involvement and leadership in bird conservation on wide-ranging projects of provincial, national, and international scope have been significant, and in 2018 he was elected to the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.

A major project that Andrew is contributing to is the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas. The data collected in this enormous project provides important insight into the status, distribution and abundance of the whole province’s breeding birds, making it a useful tool for conservation.

This is the third iteration of this Atlas, which is undertaken every 20 years. The first round was completed in the early ‘80s and the second in the early 2000’s. With the soon-to-be many rounds of data collection, Andrew explains that this project provides the opportunity to reveal changes in populations and breeding over a 40-year period: “It will be interesting to see if we notice any changes and if we could attribute the changes to climate change.”

While birds extend their ranges at times for a variety of reasons, including temperature fluctuations and loss or gain of habitat, these factors can be exacerbated by climate change and pressures from increased human development.

Climate change caused by increased amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have been shown to cause higher temperatures and extreme weather events such as drought, which can impact bird behaviour and nesting success. With a shifting climate, there is also increased opportunities for the spreading of invasive species and diseases moving into areas where they wouldn’t previously exist. These changes may be subtle, but as Andrew notes, some birds can be sensitive to these factors.

Andrew explains that climate change could also be having a negative effect on the timing of migration and some bird’s food sources: “aerial insectivores, which are birds such as swallows and swifts that feed on insects while flying, are declining throughout their range, so we’re trying to understand why that would be. One hypothesis is that there is a possible mistiming of when insects first come out in the spring and when birds are arriving. It could be that the birds are arriving earlier or later when the insects are already out or they’re not at their peak, so they’re not getting the benefit of that food source or rearing their young, and so on.”

Many migratory bird species, such as Tundra Swans (on the ground) and ducks (flying), rely on locations like Long Point for food and rest during their migrations. Credit: Andrew Couturier

With scientists agreeing that the effects of climate change will only increase over time, large numbers of birds could be put at risk for population decline, eradication from certain areas, and even extinction. While the effects of climate change on the populations of many bird and other species can be frightening to think about, projects such as the Breeding Bird Atlas are an important step in understanding what is happening and what can be done to conserve these important species into the future.
Two other projects Andrew is involved in are important conservation tools: Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).

The IBA program is an internationally recognized designation that has been around since the late ‘90s to identify important areas for threatened birds, large groups of birds, or birds restricted to certain areas by range or habitat. Building on the success of this program and other similar ones, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) introduced the concept of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) in 2016.

The KBA program, which Andrew is helping to lead nationally as they identify important sites for nature across Canada and the globe, expands the picture to consider the biodiversity of sites beyond birds alone to deepen our understanding of their ecological value.
While neither designation carries any legal protection, they’re valuable for identifying areas of high biodiversity value and supporting conservation goals. These projects are impressive in their global scope, but they have local importance as well.

“We happen to have two of these places within the Biosphere boundaries,” Andrew explains. “One is the Long Point Peninsula and Marshes, and the other is the inland Norfolk Forest Complex. They are designated IBAs, and it looks like both sites will qualify as KBAs.”

The wetlands and marshes in the Long Point area are some of the significant ecosystems found here that provide important habitat for many species. Credit: Andrew Couturier.

The reasons for Norfolk County receiving not one, but two possible KBA designations are many, and they largely relate to the important habitat and biodiversity found here.

“This area is considered the crown jewel of the Carolinian forest zone in Canada. It’s got the highest proportion of forest cover anywhere in southwestern Ontario, and it’s where you can find the majority of Ontario’s Species at Risk. It’s just a real gem within an area that’s otherwise pretty heavily developed. If you start going east or west, you can see a stark difference,” Andrew says.

While Norfolk County may stand out in its forested areas, the extensive plant and animal life here is threatened by increasing human development for urban and agricultural purposes, and the repercussions of these pressures such as nutrient runoff from agricultural fields. As habitats are fragmented and reduced to smaller areas farther apart, species populations can face declines. This can lead to a decline in ecosystem health, which impacts ecosystem services such as clean air, clean water, and healthy soil used to grow our food.

While programs undertaken by Birds Canada like the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, IBAs and KBAs are important tools for indicating areas of high biodiversity value for conservation efforts, Andrew notes that increased public awareness and action is needed make conservation goals a reality.

Birds Canada provides a lot of helpful resources, such as this article on the top 6 ways to help birds. They also have numerous citizen science opportunities for interested volunteers to share their energy, skill, and bird sightings. Even small decisions, such as the type of coffee you buy, can add up to a real difference, especially if enough people get on board.

Conservation can begin wherever you are by noticing and engaging the world around you, beginning with stopping to listen to a birdsong: “If people don’t experience nature, then they don’t really understand it and they don’t appreciate it, and therefore they don’t take an interest in conserving it,” Andrew says thoughtfully. “It’s great to see the lightbulb come on when somebody has a bird in their backyard or has planted a garden using native plants that are beneficial for birds and other wildlife. It feels like a real victory, so we try to provide opportunities for people to get involved and make connections with nature so that they will take more of an interest in conserving it in the future.”

Change doesn’t come so much from a central place off somewhere, as Andrew says, it comes from members of the community rolling up their sleeves and making things happen.

Long Point Biosphere Reserve involves local schools in Project FeederWatch

Nearly 1,000  youngsters across Norfolk and Haldimand Counties will become junior citizen scientists this winter by joining Project FeederWatch, a Birds Canada research program to help study winter bird populations.

Thanks to extra funding from Nature Canada, the Long Point Biosphere Reserve (LPBR) is distributing FeederWatch kits to 50 elementary school classes in the Grand Erie District School Board. 

“Nature Canada has been supporting our efforts to connect young people with the natural environment through school groups tours for the past four years,” says Cynthia Brink, the LPBR’s Naturehood Outdoor Educator. “COVID-19 restrictions prevented tours last year so we’re grateful for this additional funding to get young people involved in Project FeederWatch.”

The kit includes a window feeder, bird seed, a bird identification poster and other supporting materials and a one-year membership with Birds Canada.  The LPBR was able to supplement the kits with a Junior Nature Journal from Nature Canada for recording observations and a sketch journal provided free of charge by the Bateman Foundation’s Sketch Across Canada project.

Working with their classroom teachers, students will learn to record and sketch their observations in the journal provided. In addition to recording the species of birds that visit the feeder and backyard, the students will make notes on the weather, season, behaviour, colour and songs of the different bird species.   This information will contribute to Birds Canada’s winter bird research.

The students may also try to sketch the birds they observe using drawing lessons provided on the Bateman Foundation’s website. https://batemanfoundation.org/digital-resources/

Karen Hammond of the Doerksen Country Store in Port Rowan was able to get a discount that allowed the LPBR to purchase and distribute 27 more bird feeders to youngsters in the Grand Erie Virtual Academy as well as another 58 for students of the Lloyd S. King Elementary School on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation whose school remains closed due to COVID 19 protocols.

“Watching and learning about the birds visiting their backyards can provide a meaningful connection to nature especially now with the extra screen time young people are having to do with their school work at home,” says Brink. “ Birds connect our world, for some this generates natural curiosity to discover more about the natural world around them”.

Birds Canada organizes several similar programs such as the Schoolyard Bird Blitz, the Christmas Bird County for Kings and the Great Backyard Bird Count.  For more information on these programs, visit www.birdscanada.org.

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Naturehood is a program of the Long Point Biosphere Reserves funded by Nature Canada. The LPBR promotes research, monitoring, community outreach and education, partnerships, and proje

cts that support the goals of biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable communities in Norfolk County. We exchange information and work collaboratively with the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association, as well as other biosphere reserves in Canada and around the world.

For more information, please contact Cynthia Brink at education@longpointbiosphere.com or (226) 567-0465

Popular Children’s Book about Saving Turtles translated into Ojibwe

Port Rowan, ON. Dec. 9, 2020 – An Ojibwe translation of a popular childrens’ book about a young boy helping turtles safely cross a busy road has been published by the Long Point Biosphere Reserve (LPBR).  The translation was a collaboration with the Ojibwe-speaking Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, whose Treaty Lands and traditional territory include the LPBR.

Entitled “Kaa Wiika Boontaake” (“Never Give Up”), the colorful book tells the story of little Johnny’s determination to protect his friend “Snapper” and other turtles from heavy traffic.  Written and illustrated by Long Point cottager Jan Everett, the story is based on her husband John’s efforts to save turtles along the Long Point Causeway, the unofficial gateway to the LPBR.

“Recognizing the significance of the turtle in Indigenous culture, we approached the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) to help us translate the book into Anishinaabemowin, the common language of the Ojibwe, Odawa and Pottawatomi peoples of the Three Fires Confederacy”, said LPBR president Rick Levick. An Ojibwe First Nation, the Mississaugas of the Credit have been allied to this Confederacy for more than 200 years.

The translation was done by James “Mawla” Shawana (Odawa/Pottawatomi from Wiikwemkoong First Nation), a language teacher at the Lloyd S. King Elementary School in the MCFN community near Hagersville, Ontario for the past 12 years.

“The Mississaugas of the Credit would like to thank the Long Point Biosphere Reserve for reaching out to our First Nation”, said Chief R. Stacey Laforme. “Our shared collaboration will allow students at the elementary school in our community to enjoy a special experience — reading this popular children’s book in Anishinaabemowin.”

Chief Laforme added, “Collaborations such as these are small but important steps on the journey of reconciliation, miigwech (thank you).”

Since 2014, more than 3,500 English and French copies of the book have been sold with the proceeds supporting on-going maintenance of exclusion fencing and wildlife culverts that were installed along the Causeway to reduce road mortality of turtles and snakes including several Species at Risk.

“The story of Johnny and Snapper parallels the 10-year, $2.7 million effort by the Long Point community that reduced reptile deaths on the Causeway by nearly 80 per cent”, said Levick.  Details about this effort and the role of the LPBR are included in English at the end of the book.

Never Give Up was translated in 2019, the International Year of Indigenous Languages but publication was delayed due to the COVID 19 outbreak.

“We are honoured that our book “Never Give Up” can now be enjoyed in Anishinaabemowin. This truly is a book for children of all ages”, said author Jan Everett and husband John.

Plans are underway to launch the book with a virtual reading by author Jan Everett and translator James Shawana’s daughter Nikki to the students of Lloyd S. King Elementary School.

The LPBR will be distributing free copies of Kaa Wiika Boontaake to other Anishinaabe communities across Ontario and offering it for sale at www.longpointbiosphere.com.

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The Long Point Biosphere Reserve promotes research, monitoring, community outreach and education, partnerships, and projects that support the goals of biodiversity, conservation and sustainable communities in Norfolk County. We exchange information and work collaboratively with the Canadian Biosphere Reserves Association, as well as other biosphere reserves in Canada and around the world.

 The Mississaugas of the Credit are an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nation with 2,600 band members, of whom approximately 800 live on the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation near Hagersville, Ontario. For more information please visit www.mncfn.ca.

 

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