tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35658781805457814052024-03-04T23:49:19.391-05:00White's WetlandCommitted to the protection and preservation of wetlands the world over. I blog from
White's Wetland, a beautiful tract of land in the
heart of southwestern Ontario that has been in our family since 1837. It is an officially recognized wetland, sanctuary to a wide variety of plants and animals.
I've created this blog to share nature's beauty with others while disseminating information about the importance of wetlands in the great ecological scheme of things.Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.comBlogger134125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-243014517667286132018-02-02T13:08:00.004-05:002018-02-02T13:08:59.023-05:00Creating a Groundswell of Support for Wetlands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tXfPr3d9re8PqOJD7kCn2_BPfHD_tSs_oyNKE1A6H920MFfJO7oDvXHRY80D_f1mpr1S9vVJt7I53xTJfpeO-6k6w4TJ1HMIlKsvRTJgiZB_5DlsVq5VYF-_DvzkMk6pHzB4bBU/s1600/20090724142815%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF0tXfPr3d9re8PqOJD7kCn2_BPfHD_tSs_oyNKE1A6H920MFfJO7oDvXHRY80D_f1mpr1S9vVJt7I53xTJfpeO-6k6w4TJ1HMIlKsvRTJgiZB_5DlsVq5VYF-_DvzkMk6pHzB4bBU/s400/20090724142815%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Is it possible? Is the value of wetlands finally being
understood? </span></div>
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Has extreme flooding, droughts, wild weather and climate change
fears awakened a new awareness around the world?</div>
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Will governments, municipal planners and land developers listen at long last? <o:p></o:p></div>
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The research is reaching the media and the messages are
clear: wetlands are the most undervalued but most vital of ecosystems. Viewed
by many for far too long as something to be drained, filled in and built on, it
is high time wetlands are respected for the numerous benefits they provide. The
first line of this <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/floods-wetlands-university-waterloo-feltmate-intact-climate-change-insurance-1.4199358?hootPostID=cf1b6b142bc5d46b6508396bdfd2e3ed" target="_blank">CBC</a> article sums it up beautifully: <i>“Canada
needs to stop draining its swamps in order to reduce flooding linked to climate
change, warns a new report.”</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.ramsar.org/about/the-importance-of-wetlands" target="_blank">Ramsar</a> is a great site to visit if you want to learn about the
importance of wetlands, but a few fast and dirty facts can be found right on
this blog, <i>Why are Wetlands Important?</i></div>
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The science needs to be communicated to broader audiences
whenever and wherever possible. The more we humans understand why wetlands matter
to our continued survival on Planet Earth the more chance we have to mitigate
some of the challenges ahead: floods, food security, clean drinking water for the world’s 7.6 billion people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Celebrate World Wetlands Day 2018 by spreading the word: Wetlands Matter - the World Over.</div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-57403474296336588682017-04-04T16:21:00.000-04:002017-04-04T16:21:24.691-04:00Sometimes We Win for Wildlife<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLd42oF2C0VkUYAwcoK3sJmM4USkHRCpoS7ao98y0ub1iM6_m_sdtWHkKRVZsKajkLB8fu0Jf4bYHeYIa0_as15EDNuR4GmAu9Q30Au7MCulvT_zLCDXzC-URyxbP8rnPC8EO8oZE/s1600/20090724142815%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdLd42oF2C0VkUYAwcoK3sJmM4USkHRCpoS7ao98y0ub1iM6_m_sdtWHkKRVZsKajkLB8fu0Jf4bYHeYIa0_as15EDNuR4GmAu9Q30Au7MCulvT_zLCDXzC-URyxbP8rnPC8EO8oZE/s400/20090724142815%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of White's Wetland snapping turtles enjoying a warm pond on a warm day</td></tr>
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The Ontario government has relented at last. Thanks to the science community, the repeated pressure from environmental groups and the thousands - literally thousands - of Ontario citizens who saw the insanity of allowing the turtle hunt to continue and voiced their opinion to have it stopped, the snapping turtle hunt is no more. </div>
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As a provincially designated ESA, home to a small but steadfast population of snapping turtles, White's Wetland applauds this decision. We hope that more enlightened decisions regarding Ontario's threatened, endangered or at-risk wildlife will be coming out of Queen's Park in the months ahead.</div>
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Read Ontario Nature's media release about the end of the snapping turtle hunt here: </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://www.ontarionature.org/media/news_template.php?n_code=990" target="_blank">Ontario Nature: Ontario decision to end hunt of at-risk snapping turtle is a necessary move</a></span></span></div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-30498149780037327982017-02-28T13:58:00.000-05:002017-03-01T08:44:12.314-05:00America’s Endangered Species Act … is also an Endangered Species<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Readers of the prestigious <i>Washington Post</i> woke to an alarming
headline last week announcing the Republican Administration’s intent to gut
and/or dismantle the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). This was not
sensationalist journalism but, sadly, our new reality. In fact, Senate
Republicans held a hearing on February 15, 2017 to effectively begin the
process of weakening the ESA, an Act that was first signed into law in 1973. Chairing
that hearing was Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, who has a history of <a href="http://www.coloradoindependent.com/88709/barrasso-bill-to-streamline-onshore-drilling-deemed-potential-bonanza-for-big-oil" target="_blank">favouring </a>the oil and gas industry over environmental issues. </div>
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The Republicans’ war on wildlife
is nothing new. They have been waging this war for a very long time. They have
always viewed Nature as a direct threat to business, private land ownership and
the profitability of resource exploitation industries such as logging and
mining. Indeed, “since the Republicans took control of the House of
Representatives in 2011, they have made 233 legislative attempts to either
dismantle the Act or target specific endangered species.” (Source: <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/republicans-launch-attempt-to-repeal-endangered-species-act/">IFLScience</a>)
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New this time around, however, is
the fact that the Republicans are now in full control of the conversation.
Politically speaking, that is. The average American, we are told, probably
doesn’t agree with too much tampering to the existing ESA. It has been <a href="http://goodnature.nathab.com/most-of-us-support-the-endangered-species-act-so-why-doesnt-congress/">reported</a>
that the vast majority of Americans (fully 90%) support the Act, this according
to a national poll conducted in 2015. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For more than 40 years America’s ESA
has been successfully protecting species, including its iconic national symbol,
the bald eagle. It has also brought the American alligator, the Stellar sea
lion, the peregrine falcon and many, many other plant and animal species back
from the brink of extinction. Data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
indicates that the ESA has saved 99% of listed species from extinction. In
fact, scientists say that some 227 species would already be extinct without it.
(Source: <a href="http://biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological
Diversity</a>) <o:p></o:p></div>
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What does all this mean for
Canada and Canadian wildlife? <o:p></o:p></div>
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We share this beautiful continent
with our neighbours to the south, so what happens in the USA unfortunately
doesn’t always stay in the USA. Already, biologists have pointed out the sheer
lunacy of building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Wildlife does not know
what a border is and migration routes traverse all three nations on this
continent. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here, around the Great Lakes, we
are particularly jittery about the Republicans’ next steps and any successful
attempt at destroying their ESA. We share the Great Lakes with the United
States, and if biodiversity and the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes
region — its watersheds, wetlands and deciduous forests — are in jeopardy to
the south of us, it is going to most definitely impact the bio stability of the
entire region eventually. Just as frightening would be the concurrent weakening
of America’s EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Increased pollution and
contamination, and an uptake in fossil fuel extraction, coal mining and fracking
combined with a much-weakened ESA are a recipe for ecological and environmental
disaster in the long term. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I don’t believe this is an
exaggeration or alarmist rhetoric. So much of wild North America is under threat
as it is. Many species are teetering on the brink while others are losing
ground – literally – every day. Biodiversity is a fragile and interconnected
web, so the loss of just one species affects all others. Those species that are
on the brink and losing the battle need even more protection, not less. They
will surely falter if protections are pulled. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Then, there is the war that
Republicans feel is their right to wage – their <i>manifest destiny</i> – to eliminate any species (humans included) that
stands in the way of their worldview, their progress, their profits. Native species
in their rifle sights include most notably wolves, coyotes, cougars and bears.
We should not forget to add to any list of beleaguered species under attack the
west’s wild mustangs and wild burros, regularly rounded up by the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM). <o:p></o:p></div>
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The carnage is going to be
gruesome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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North America is one continent.
Our mountain ranges, our prairies, our lakes and our forests do not recognize
borders. Wildlife crosses freely, oblivious to the politics of their survival
or demise. Their only hope is our attention, our awareness and our advocacy.
Hands across the border, we must reach out to our fellow environmentalists in
the U.S. and show our support for their efforts and for their resistance –
organizations such as the wonderful <a href="http://biologicaldiversity.org/">Center
for Biological Diversity</a> or the Canadian/American cooperative, <a href="https://y2y.net/">Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative</a> – to
name but two. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even as we in Ontario face some
battles over Ontario’s ESA in the current climate in which Wynne’s economic woes
threaten to outweigh her government’s obligation to the ESA, we must not ignore
what is happening in the U.S. Other countries may easily mock the Trump
Administration; they can rail and rant and dismiss him as unstable or
incompetent. He is. That’s not in question. But Canada is the only other
country in the world together with Mexico that will directly bear the brunt of
the brutal, short-sighted machinations of the new U.S. Administration. The
health and wellbeing of the entire continent is at stake if the ESA and the EPA
are vitiated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We may stand some distance from the border, but we must, however, stand in opposition to any gutting of America’s
ESA if we care at all about North American wildlife – indeed, if we care at all about the future of life on
earth. It is incumbent upon us to be vigilant and to work harder than ever as
advocates for the voiceless. As my <a href="https://twitter.com/tinygreenthings">Twitter</a>
community of friends and followers would say – it’s time to #resist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To follow information about
Ontario’s ESA visit <a href="https://www.ontarionature.org/">Ontario Nature</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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To follow the USA issue visit the
<a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a>
and check out their <b><a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/earth2trump/index.html">#EARTH2TRUMP</a>
</b>movement.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-41810749427205766242017-02-06T10:57:00.000-05:002017-02-06T10:57:42.153-05:00Spreading the Word about Salthaven ...<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Local Heroes for Wildlife!</span></h3>
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Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Centre is a local treasure, a haven of hope for wildlife in distress. This not-for-profit organization relies on donations in order to do their caring, compassionate work - feeding, housing and rehabilitating sick and injured wildlife. </div>
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I encourage you to visit <a href="http://www.salthaven.org/">www.salthaven.org</a> to learn about their work and how you too can help Canadian wildlife. Please consider a donation...for the love of wildlife!</div>
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I enjoyed writing this awareness-raising article for Salthaven, about a little squirrel who defied death:</div>
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http://www.thelondoner.ca/2017/02/03/salthavens-patient-of-the-week-a-winters-taleVictoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-36426576331938273812017-02-02T15:29:00.001-05:002017-02-02T15:29:18.995-05:00World Wetlands Day 2017<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's hard to say "happy" or "celebrate" this year on World Wetlands Day. The world has changed so much in the last few months, and not for the better. Our planet is in jeopardy. The earth's environments, wildernesses and biodiversity will face even greater threats in the coming months and years. </div>
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No, this is not America. It is Canada. But we share a continent with America, and that's troublesome because migratory birds and animals know nothing of borders and surely won't be able to negotiate walls. </div>
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So many Canadian and American scientists work together, collaborate and share knowledge. What happens to them? To the spirit of cooperation for the common good, for the preservation of life and for the planet? </div>
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In fact, I would go so far as to say there's not a corner of the globe that is not going to be negatively impacted by the narrow-minded, self-serving, repressive, anti-science, anti-environment, hate-filled reactionary thugs who have taken over the White House. </div>
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But enough of anger. For now. For one day. I would rather share this with you. A moving tribute to Nature, in all its splendour and ancient glory. From the writings of John Muir, this short film:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="272" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/190453307?portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/190453307">Wilderness</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/studiocanoe">Studiocanoe</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-69581128726793907612016-07-11T17:25:00.000-04:002016-07-11T17:31:44.196-04:00July<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This is a bit of a departure for the Wetland blog - poetry. July was my mother's month. Not only was it the month of her birth, it was also her favourite time of the year. She loved the sun, the warmth and revelled in the return of the foliage, the fauna and her feathered friends.<br />
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This is my tribute to her, remembering and missing her this July, Marion Terry White, July 25, 1931 - March 5, 2015.<br />
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<b>July<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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On these
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so lush and<o:p></o:p></div>
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achingly
lovely, wrapped in their hazy veils<o:p></o:p></div>
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heavy-lidded
in the slumbering heat<o:p></o:p></div>
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fleeting and
therefore precious<o:p></o:p></div>
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I often
think that my mother is still alive<o:p></o:p></div>
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somewhere<o:p></o:p></div>
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tending her
garden<o:p></o:p></div>
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bending over
the bedding plants<o:p></o:p></div>
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parting the
shrubbery with her hands<o:p></o:p></div>
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watchful,
vigilant, protective<o:p></o:p></div>
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or listening
at the open window<o:p></o:p></div>
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a joy rising
in her to see the birds <o:p></o:p></div>
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take wing<o:p></o:p></div>
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thrilling at
the wren’s song<o:p></o:p></div>
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watching the
hummingbirds<o:p></o:p></div>
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sup,
stroking the dog’s head<o:p></o:p></div>
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slowly all
the while<o:p></o:p></div>
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he, faithful
and adoring at her side<o:p></o:p></div>
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she, taking it all in – the bumblebees in the
black-eyed-susans<o:p></o:p></div>
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the cicadas
in the trees<o:p></o:p></div>
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I almost
expect to hear the phone ring<o:p></o:p></div>
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the excited
voice, telling me some tale<o:p></o:p></div>
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about her
day – the strawberries washed and sugared<o:p></o:p></div>
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the peonies clipped
<o:p></o:p></div>
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the dog
walked and oh, I saw a deer!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>How are you? What are you up to today?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>What are you working on?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Today I am
working on remembering<o:p></o:p></div>
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today that
is my job, my sole task<o:p></o:p></div>
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all others I
sweep impatiently aside<o:p></o:p></div>
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so that I
may stay with these memories<o:p></o:p></div>
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and revive
summers past<o:p></o:p></div>
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a vain
attempt, I know, to make it real again<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
to somehow
give her <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
one more
summer day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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©Victoria
White, July 7, 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-17668894094294074322016-07-11T17:02:00.003-04:002016-07-11T17:02:54.234-04:00Are you a Beaver Believer?Beavers should never have been extirpated as "nuisances" but perhaps we humans are finally gaining some wisdom:<br />
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<a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/usu-dgb070816.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-07/usu-dgb070816.php</a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-79494781645808424562016-06-07T11:38:00.000-04:002016-06-07T11:38:09.956-04:00Wetlands Under Threat<br />
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The world over, wetlands are under threat from development, a push to clear land for more agricultural development and from oil exploration, as in this case in Florida. A must-read if you are concerned about our disappearing wetlands: </div>
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<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/oil-drilling-and-wetlands-dont-mix-especially-big-cypress">https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/oil-drilling-and-wetlands-dont-mix-especially-big-cypress</a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-83397362439505145022016-05-02T17:32:00.000-04:002016-05-02T17:45:52.378-04:00What Were You Doing on Save The Frogs Day?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU3oNYwFXM_K6gJrfXPTm4oph_ASs6Z0MZza6UycmNUJ72N0Ar9pHoUW4e1Jo523tdLs8k4-CS0dJQOZud33QUJv5GG0wQ3QErjwfUMUaRDQ0gtQeUq5PUV_SMkweyUT8ey-63N8S/s1600/roadkill-bumper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJU3oNYwFXM_K6gJrfXPTm4oph_ASs6Z0MZza6UycmNUJ72N0Ar9pHoUW4e1Jo523tdLs8k4-CS0dJQOZud33QUJv5GG0wQ3QErjwfUMUaRDQ0gtQeUq5PUV_SMkweyUT8ey-63N8S/s400/roadkill-bumper.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration courtesy of <a href="http://www.savethefrogs.com/index.html" target="_blank">Save the Frogs.com</a></td></tr>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Save The Frogs Day</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> was celebrated this year on Saturday, April 30 with hundreds of events planned all around the globe. It is very encouraging to see that so many people care about amphibians and are acting on behalf of threatened and endangered frogs and toads. Preserving habitat is so critical to their survival. Protecting and supporting wetlands rather than draining them is absolutely vital. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">One easy thing we can do if we live in built-up areas where roads and highways intersect habitat is to be mindful of the fact that we actually share the road with other species. These small animals face incredible danger on a busy road and, unfortunately, they can't know what it is they are crossing.</span></div>
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So it is up to us to be cautious, caring and mindful. Slowing down, keeping to the speed limit and even stopping (safely!) to help a toad across the road - these are all ways in which we can reduce needless amphibian deaths.</div>
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And that mindfulness should extend to all animals, large or small, especially this time of year when their activity is heightened. They are out foraging for food, building nests and looking after young.</div>
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So be careful out there this spring. Watch out for deer, raccoons, opossum, squirrels, voles and moles, turtles and snakes.</div>
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<b>And a special note for Londoners</b>: Please slow down, people, along Harry White Drive at White Oak Road! White's Wetland ESA takes up the entire northeast corner and is home to all of the above! Obey the speed limit and/or reduce speeds. Please do not interpret "country road" as your license to drive "like a bat out of hell."</div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-49650451286117021062016-04-22T15:20:00.001-04:002016-04-22T15:20:42.197-04:00Earth Day Greetings 2016 from White's Wetland<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5f7eQENlQp5Lvc8umcSq534CRPEXqGDH7BWaxl1AJ8zAahgPlkktmuedqn0h0jMTPXHaOBB6w_yNDb8l7R01AkG7PKTnQXlOty-qGc4w6HqdzDKv5CDtg-YMqAA0nVljkr-SpNGW/s1600/DSC00389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5f7eQENlQp5Lvc8umcSq534CRPEXqGDH7BWaxl1AJ8zAahgPlkktmuedqn0h0jMTPXHaOBB6w_yNDb8l7R01AkG7PKTnQXlOty-qGc4w6HqdzDKv5CDtg-YMqAA0nVljkr-SpNGW/s400/DSC00389.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
I'm hoping that this tiny oak has a chance to become a mighty oak one day.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-39062597741140219632016-04-21T14:39:00.000-04:002016-04-21T14:43:03.196-04:00Our Disappearing Songbirds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m7HibfZry9fEEQIKTpzu5vfpYALKSt_u-3JtGmlCAD28OkAqom9a17oXQazdhF1cio3HFD3AfU0NCpOryrobs-x3mpXIuGBKYq21VqDVEqouq8ssf-sz2FAlTY74IPiNi7OlZgE5/s1600/Messenger_Press_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9m7HibfZry9fEEQIKTpzu5vfpYALKSt_u-3JtGmlCAD28OkAqom9a17oXQazdhF1cio3HFD3AfU0NCpOryrobs-x3mpXIuGBKYq21VqDVEqouq8ssf-sz2FAlTY74IPiNi7OlZgE5/s400/Messenger_Press_Poster.jpg" width="308" /></a></div>
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Please consider attending the screening of <i><b>The Messenger</b></i> on Monday, April 25 at the Hyland Cinema in London, Ontario. A portion of the proceeds from the evening's event will support The Thames Talbot Trust and its efforts to preserve local natural heritage and habitat. </div>
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The film was shot in part at Western University (UWO). </div>
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If you love birds, a must-see.</div>
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Details Here: <a href="http://www.thamestalbotlandtrust.ca/messenger" target="_blank">http://www.thamestalbotlandtrust.ca/messenger</a></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-73277572577222444432016-03-24T11:07:00.000-04:002016-04-07T23:45:57.672-04:00The Return<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDEKGhmSTZViKqx-kV2X6zbmGTIhjfghdtPuT3HDVAL0t3KDE2t23oxwy-NXWeDIF3QR8tMuCvmgLpRwmj-l7p7uprSNv0avQZQCYeKbo3athFHbPLM21nczVQKvnnU4dY5ayNJ4r/s1600/DSC00325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqDEKGhmSTZViKqx-kV2X6zbmGTIhjfghdtPuT3HDVAL0t3KDE2t23oxwy-NXWeDIF3QR8tMuCvmgLpRwmj-l7p7uprSNv0avQZQCYeKbo3athFHbPLM21nczVQKvnnU4dY5ayNJ4r/s400/DSC00325.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Anticipation.</div>
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Each spring we eagerly await the return of birds and animals to the wetlands. Many are just passing through, on their way to somewhere else, but we welcome the sight of them and are glad of their safe passage and return. We watch them pause and rest for a few days before moving on. Some stay. Spending spring and summer at the wetlands, much to our delight. The robins are back, the geese and a mallard pair. They join the throngs of winter birds that never left.</div>
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A doe appears at the edge of the woods, and in the morning mist that shrouds the tamaracks at dawn, the promise of spring is heralded by the sharp, shrill clarion call of a red-winged blackbird. </div>
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Who will arrive next? </div>
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We await with anticipation!</div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-43973466211379105352014-10-11T17:59:00.000-04:002014-10-14T14:45:58.461-04:00Thanking The Bees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJNRPpm3-I5IInxtNxjN0KJYnOQ6jq6V6eT1v5LilfP0rhRVrQSXZQPYoD_IcmxlfOKNxBtFDlz8RV3qQCtrIFnVaiNXEGUkdDh-WHMNrufEjOIYedqfyloFwJVXjGteZhdHFC7pt/s1600/8220368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJNRPpm3-I5IInxtNxjN0KJYnOQ6jq6V6eT1v5LilfP0rhRVrQSXZQPYoD_IcmxlfOKNxBtFDlz8RV3qQCtrIFnVaiNXEGUkdDh-WHMNrufEjOIYedqfyloFwJVXjGteZhdHFC7pt/s1600/8220368.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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This Thanksgiving, let's give thanks to pollinators and acknowledge the work they do to put food on our tables in abundance, for without bees and other pollinators we would not be able to enjoy the kind of Thanksgiving meals we have come to take for granted.<br />
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I am especially thankful and grateful this year because we almost lost our colonies. I cannot imagine late summer at White's Wetland without the familiar liquid gold harvest, the silky textured honey, pure and light and delicate, that has been gracing White family tables since 1919.<br />
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So the tragic and frightening scenario of a world without bees hit a little too close to home this year. The fact is that all over the world bees are disappearing. Bees are at risk on every continent. And if bees are at risk, the human race is at risk. It's that simple. Colony-collapse disorder, pesticide use, disease, loss of habitat - we are putting our most important animal kingdom allies at great risk by virtue of our own bad habits, our abuses and negligence and our ignorance. Books like Laurence Packer's can help us to better understand these tiny underrated creatures so that we come to appreciate how critical they are to our own survival.<br />
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<i>Keeping the Bees </i>is not a puritanical moral lecture, however, but a delightful journey around the world - the world of bees, that is. Packer teaches and enlightens with prose that is as easy on the palate as the finest honey dripping on fresh-baked bread. Fascinating and informative, it will forever change your relationship to these incredible insects. If the first step to saving them is to start caring about them, then this book is essential reading.<br />
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We must save the planet's pollinators before it is too late. We humans fear their sting, but the harm we are doing to their world will have painful repercussions for all of us - it will be a painfully hungry world, a world with more people but fewer crops. Fewer plants, fewer flowers, fewer fruits, fewer vegetables.<br />
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So before you pile your plate with delicious baked squashes, green beans, carrots or pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving, give a thought to the tiny creature who really brought it to your table. That yummy goodness really didn't come from Loblaws, Metro, Whole Foods or even Farmboy. It has been brought to you courtesy of the humble bee.<br />
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<br /></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-9218394629114075562014-01-25T01:19:00.000-05:002016-04-18T12:20:32.552-04:00Deciduous Dreams<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L95ae3SmFlui0hzFTrP43IUBbUhmQ_g6Onjk0E_joKAhPSclv4fCtU3lGfOS5dULM5ersN5-gYJH8aPsX6lDtRIsD0Gm20iMjhhwSc7NQ24HWx8OTQDpwgSh-E4Q19wyzwbe3QLp/s1600/Wildwood2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2L95ae3SmFlui0hzFTrP43IUBbUhmQ_g6Onjk0E_joKAhPSclv4fCtU3lGfOS5dULM5ersN5-gYJH8aPsX6lDtRIsD0Gm20iMjhhwSc7NQ24HWx8OTQDpwgSh-E4Q19wyzwbe3QLp/s1600/Wildwood2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">I don’t know about you, but my eyes are starved for colour. I
long to see green foliage and clear blue skies. If the bleak January landscape
of white on white with shades of grey is starting to play with your psyche and
if you’re not about to jet away to the Caribbean any time soon, may I suggest a
quick and economical alternative?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here is a good book all about trees, so you can pull the
drapes against the drabness and indulge in deciduous dreams at your leisure.
Roger Deakin’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wildwood, A Journey Through Trees </i>is beautifully written, each
chapter weaving facts with personal anecdotes about our complex and perhaps
often unexamined relationship with wood, trees, woodlands and forests. Tree
huggers unite, because there is something in this marvellous book for every
interest or reason for loving trees.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Take, for example, the chapter entitled “Among Jaguars.” I
turned to it believing I was going to be whisked off to the emerald rainforests
of Central and South America. Not so. Deakin takes us to the Jaguar factory in
Coventry, England and surprises us with some interesting data about the nuances
of the walnut burr, the coveted and costly part of the walnut tree that is used
exclusively to trim the mechanical beast’s dash, steering wheel and gearshift knob.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">My favourite chapters, however, are “Willow” and “Ash,” two
exquisite paeans in prose about two very lovely trees species that grace our
lives and our landscapes here too in southwestern Ontario.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In “Willow” we learn that there are more willow varieties in
the world than most of us realize, but only one, a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>special variety of the white willow, is used
to make the world’s best cricket bats. Yet Deakin’s curiosity for facts and
stories about man’s many uses of wood through the centuries reveals an
underlying reverence for trees just being, well, trees.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of the willow he writes, ”All willows abound in life and
vigour, and their pliable wands give them grace.” Willow’s genus, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salix,</i> he reminds us, stems from the
Latin verb <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salire,</i> which means “to
leap.” And leap they do, as willow’s natural spontaneity means that new saplings
will emerge easily and readily from cuttings, all on their own and with little
help from us. Willows are often planted inadvertently when we simply drive a
willow fencepost into the earth or if we happened to leave a green log lying on
damp ground.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nature, so glorious, no?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As for the chapter on the Ash, I can only say – just read it,
for under the spell of Deakin’s pen this great tree spreads its glorious branches
across your mind ― <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fraxinus excelsior, </i>a
name that exquisitely evokes its majestic essence<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> ― </i>making you want to run immediately to the nearest woods, find a
specimen for yourself and throw your arms about it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">He writes:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“I love the skin of ash, almost human in its perfect
smoothness when young, with the under-glow of green. It wrinkles and creases
like elephant skin at the heels and elbows of old pleachers where they have
healed. It bursts out in pimples or heat bumps where the epicormic buds are
about to break out into new shoots.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Roger Deakin passed away in 2006, shortly after writing this
book. But by sharing his deep and abiding love for trees and the wooded places
in this world he has reminded us of how intertwined our human lives are with
those splendid giants among us who have given us fuel and furniture, ornament
and shelter across the ages and who sustain us still with their grace and beauty,
for whose soul is not stirred with wistful delight at the memory of a leafy canopy
of green above on a hot summer day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-42987243653263497142013-11-16T11:50:00.000-05:002013-11-16T11:53:43.846-05:00On a Positive Note...<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGBnxwrTyLot2YBk7QGCvBVg1mj9gLd8yQpl2diIFG7CKk3-ps2gcmmmtLBJxYhva-uE7YHfd53cAcrPLeYvasOG3IxzbdVxRQGkUVcvrrv0XXzhDxv7XsoHKGu7Eff-K2d9KiC3I/s1600/MP900407532%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGBnxwrTyLot2YBk7QGCvBVg1mj9gLd8yQpl2diIFG7CKk3-ps2gcmmmtLBJxYhva-uE7YHfd53cAcrPLeYvasOG3IxzbdVxRQGkUVcvrrv0XXzhDxv7XsoHKGu7Eff-K2d9KiC3I/s320/MP900407532%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Credit where credit is due, the Ontario government has done something (environmentally) right recently! Ontario is now the first province in Canada to have a <em>Local Food Act.</em> Forest and freshwater foods have been included in the <em>Act,</em> and we can thank Ontario Nature (again) for this. Why is the inclusion of forest and freshwater food important? Because forest and freshwater foods rarely garner the same attention as agriculture in the discussion of local food. Yet it is intrinsically part of the discussion in many areas of our province, most certainly our boreal north. The new <em>Act</em>, which will probably be proclaimed in the spring of 2014, will provide increased recognition of the importance and value of wild habitat and the need for clean water. Kudos for that. Or should we say two green thumbs up?</div>
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<a href="http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/habitat/local_food_and_northern_ontario.php">http://www.ontarionature.org/protect/habitat/local_food_and_northern_ontario.php</a><br />
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Here are a few interesting links about "edible" forests:<br />
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<a href="http://northernbushcraft.com/guide.php?ctgy=edible_Berries&region=on">http://northernbushcraft.com/guide.php?ctgy=edible_Berries&region=on</a><br />
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<a href="http://londonfoodforest.blogspot.ca/p/welcome-welcome-to-carolinian-food.html">http://londonfoodforest.blogspot.ca/p/welcome-welcome-to-carolinian-food.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.grandriverrafting.ca/ontario-edible-plant-hike-poisonous-plants-trees">http://www.grandriverrafting.ca/ontario-edible-plant-hike-poisonous-plants-trees</a><br />
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-59035583685523508382013-11-13T14:52:00.002-05:002013-11-13T14:52:52.172-05:00Ontario Nature is Going to Court<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyUkSLe5iiTghq42-YE4wy1WZuoC5BuqdjULMzBW-Ch5cUJvPmFHeRG9Icn4JHg2oV1_3jm-dADcYnJLRm7QnAFPr_kWpkHhv2Ozu2woCU05xrGe4O9JKiknCJSoOUl1X6n9xcRXo/s1600/The+resident+turtle+at+Pinecroft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyUkSLe5iiTghq42-YE4wy1WZuoC5BuqdjULMzBW-Ch5cUJvPmFHeRG9Icn4JHg2oV1_3jm-dADcYnJLRm7QnAFPr_kWpkHhv2Ozu2woCU05xrGe4O9JKiknCJSoOUl1X6n9xcRXo/s320/The+resident+turtle+at+Pinecroft.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Ontario Nature is an organization that I respect and support. They have always been proactive and outspoken whenever wildlife, wilderness and habitat have been threatened in this province. So it is no surprise that one of nature's greatest allies in this province is, indeed, Ontario Nature. </div>
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To learn more about Ontario Nature's stance on the changes to our Endangered Species Act, see the link below. However, you might want to spend some time on their site and/or sign up for the newsletters, which are always well written, knowledgeable and informative.</div>
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A big "tree-hugging" thank-you today to a great organization, Ontario Nature!</div>
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<a href="http://www.ontarionature.org/give/your_voice_for_nature.php">http://www.ontarionature.org/give/your_voice_for_nature.php</a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-50503072499970866202013-11-09T11:10:00.002-05:002013-11-09T11:10:57.593-05:00The Ontario Government's Shameful Flip-flop on Endangered Species<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJurMRshVqwfG3bJsfS02kDwj1StQETPqbmtc9huhJRfjI5MsOROYsS-6QMValWuOyBoSggnci9GF7IB06fxiQupqxF3pqfqaQG74zC-RnMBvq1OqCC_0mWRwMZJAUlzJzx6JP3XF/s1600/DSC00366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJurMRshVqwfG3bJsfS02kDwj1StQETPqbmtc9huhJRfjI5MsOROYsS-6QMValWuOyBoSggnci9GF7IB06fxiQupqxF3pqfqaQG74zC-RnMBvq1OqCC_0mWRwMZJAUlzJzx6JP3XF/s320/DSC00366.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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While scandals rock municipalities, the Senate and the PMO, let's not forget the whoppers perpetrated by the provincial Liberal government under the guidance of Dalton McGuinty and crew. As if the money-sucking, morally reprehensible health care and gas plant <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/15/dalton-mcguinty-resigns-scandal_n_1968899.html">scandals</a> weren't bad enough, the Ontario government has opted to pay for its fiscal mismanagement at the expense of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) and the Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the province's only lines of defense against the greed of corporate and industrial developers. Cash-strapped Ontario is jettisoning programs and protocols faster than you can say <em>Close that racetrack!</em> And who is paying the price? </div>
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Endangered (and threatened) species. Ultimately, however, we, the people of Ontario, will be the losers, as we will be losing our precious and irreplaceable biodiversity and the beauty and grace of these wild creatures and plants - forever.</div>
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Think this is just my embittered opinion? Well, read this and weep: Gord Miller, the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, has released a special report slamming the provincial government for the recent changes made to the once-gold standard Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 2007. </div>
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I urge you to read Mr. Miller's <a href="http://www.eco.on.ca/blog/2013/11/07/understanding-recent-changes-ontarios-endangered-species-act/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=understanding-recent-changes-ontarios-endangered-species-act">blog</a> and the report, <span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana;"> </span><a data-hw-href="hbbcXYzBasMwEES/xr5JtmQ7kQqh5JBbT80XLNJaFgmSkNeY/H3Xya2wMG+HmVmIylfX5URQY05AW0VJC6THK2+jYzMFmWvoCgSUFX2s3xwNSJeFq80AjZ759n2X6LLMSbrD2sozg1+ZfrHkSqtYC7oIT3Z0r4ZGT7r/gRfPv/EeMeCbKH9k+by3+5Ur/5Oy+Lldq4v+oic1HEjMqsXKMhhljWrp4AnsrFErMWkLYuxPIAzYs7CjUc6fJ2PM6Q8" data-hw-target="hd8cAwA" href="http://www.blogger.com/Laying%20Siege%20to%20the%20Last%20Line%20of%20Defence:%20A%20Review%20of%20Ontario's%20weakened%20protections%20for%20species%20at%20risk." target=""><em><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Laying Siege to the Last Line of Defence: A Review of Ontario's weakened protections for species at risk</span></em></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span> </span></div>
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Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-62893240332738327082013-08-28T16:22:00.000-04:002013-08-28T16:22:52.008-04:00The Results of Last Night's City Council Vote<div style="text-align: justify;">
With a pro-development and development community-backed mayor holding the reins of power in our city, it's open season on woods and wetlands in London, Ontario. You know, those pesky parcels of land where trees take up space that could be so better utilized for shopping malls and where ponds only welcome aquatic wildlife, purify our water supply and maintain our water tables. No matter. What city needs more oxygenating green spaces anyway? Let's give the developers the right of way to pour their cement, pave over significant wooded areas, and derisively laugh at us all the way to the bank. </div>
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One councillor has tried to broker an imperfect peace, though. He may have appeased Council, but judging from the buzz I hear Londoners are generally not happy about how this all went down. I don't believe that I am exaggerating when I say that some councillors last night have lost the trust of the public for once and for all. A new call to action seems to be emerging from the twitterverse that suggests Londoners may have the 2014 municipal election already on their radar and plan to gear up to elect councillors that will listen, pay attention and be genuinely hyped to make this city a kinder, greener, healthier, smarter city for ALL to enjoy - not just for the enjoyment of developers with deep pockets.</div>
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Now it's up to the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority and the MNR. Unfortunately, Council's vote last night has put the cart before the horse. UTRCA and MNR should have been respectfully consulted <em>before</em> an approval was passed. Personal agendas and the pompous prattling of the uninformed should have taken a back seat to the logic and reason of science, intelligent analysis and inquiry. But it didn't.<br />
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And had the parcel of land been properly zoned in the first place, that is to say, by taking into account that the woods and wetland <em>might</em> be significant and by conducting an environmental assessment to determine significance, we wouldn't be where we are now.</div>
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Welcome to London.</div>
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<a href="http://www.lfpress.com/2013/08/27/politicans-monday-were-debating-zoning-changes-needed-for-the-huge-retail-complex">http://www.lfpress.com/2013/08/27/politicans-monday-were-debating-zoning-changes-needed-for-the-huge-retail-complex</a>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-81584489922631216632013-08-27T16:24:00.000-04:002013-08-27T16:24:18.841-04:00Let's Not Pave Paradise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmqOfYHYZv6rGYHVFGBOe9ARAAlurzzhmEp1b-ni1Yx7UgGMowWGoPg12ciGRXlCk-mE948B8oMZ5d2w70VD8AKZHgnHvCQ5xhiIIYee5PqKgQkIaG5j6ZnMf2v5I88yPDeF__dWS/s1600/Wetland+_Pond+on+Pen+Equity+Site.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmqOfYHYZv6rGYHVFGBOe9ARAAlurzzhmEp1b-ni1Yx7UgGMowWGoPg12ciGRXlCk-mE948B8oMZ5d2w70VD8AKZHgnHvCQ5xhiIIYee5PqKgQkIaG5j6ZnMf2v5I88yPDeF__dWS/s320/Wetland+_Pond+on+Pen+Equity+Site.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">There is a stand
of trees basking in the late August afternoon sunshine on Dingman Drive at
Wellington Road. They are blissfully unaware of the controversy that swirls
around them or of the “great debate” that could seal their fate tonight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Pen Equity Real Estate
wants to remove the trees and the pond entirely so that it can build its vision
for a mega-mall, a shopping complex that we Londoners really don’t need or
want, because we already have so many stores and malls sitting empty in our
city. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The jobs Pen
Equity promises are illusory. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The trees are
not. They are real. They stand tall and proud, and we need to make sure that
they do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">But this
evening, London City Council could actually violate the official plan’s land
use policy by choosing to ignore it entirely. A thorough and proper
environmental assessment of this natural area <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> be undertaken before any re-zoning applications are approved
or building permits granted. In fact, the Upper Thames River Conservation
Authority should have been consulted from the outset, as there is a wetland on
the site, and UTRCA policy states that if there’s a wetland, there’s no
development!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">City Council
cannot flagrantly disregard official land use policy without jeopardizing the
public’s trust and confidence. Londoners should be very angry if they do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The Glanworth
Community Association <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> angry, and
here is the letter the GCA sent to Ward 14 Councillor, Sandy White, who seems
to be unclear about City policy as it concerns environmental assessment
procedure: </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span> </div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Dear Councillor
White:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
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<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">As the Glanworth
Community Association (GCA) includes both Wards 12 and 14, I must convey to you
today the sentiments of the GCA executive team on the matter of the Pen Equity
proposed development, which involves the destruction of the Carolinian woodland
and wetland at Dingman Drive and Wellington Road. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">As you may know,
we have been opposed to this development from the beginning, having submitted
our objections early in the process to the planning department, in December
2012. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Our opinion has
not changed. If anything, we are even more determined in our resolve to oppose
it after the re-zoning recommendation reached at last week’s planning committee
meeting. We know that you changed your mind on the issue and, frankly, we do not
understand why.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">For the record, the
GCA would like to remind you before you vote this evening of what is at stake
here. This is not about jobs. That has been the tactic of the pro-development
community — <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>specifically, the “jobs at
any cost” faction <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>— <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to deflect attention from the real issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The real issue,
Sandy, is one of Policy, and of violating the trust of the citizens of London. We
have an official plan with strict guidelines about wooded areas deemed
significant, and even Pen Equity’s ecological assessment rated this wooded area
as “significant.” Those results stand as fact, despite Pen Equity’s attempts to
twist the conclusions to suit their purpose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Sandy, if
Council ignores city policy tonight they are in fact breaking a contract they
have with every Londoner, a contract assuring citizens that the City will
engage in fair and due process and abide by its own policies and
procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">This woodlot
deserves protection. London’s environmental organizations have been articulating
this clearly and logically for months. And UTRCA policy is clear: development
is not allowed in wetlands. Even the province has weighed in on this matter.
MNR does not support the conclusions made that the wetland is “non-provincially
significant.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Countless community
and citizen groups and individuals around this city have put forth fact-based scientific
as well as moral and ethical arguments against the willful destruction of these
woods and wetland.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Today, the GCA
stands with them in opposing this development. The GCA stands with all
Londoners who have spoken out against it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Sandy, the GCA
does not want this mall development. This is urban sprawl at its worst. To
allow this development is to allow the destruction of a woodlot and a wetland
that cannot be replaced or “replanted” elsewhere to compensate. There is NO
compensation package that would ever satisfy or appease us. The woods and the
wetland must be protected, and we have the means to protect them only if our
representatives follow policy and procedure.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Sandy, I think
you know the members of the GCA very well by now. We fight for what we believe
in with passion and commitment and we always strive to do the right thing for
our community and for the greater community of London.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Working to find ways
to protect the wooded wetland on Dingman Drive is the right thing to do.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Victoria White<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">President,
Glanworth Community Association (GCA)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">On behalf of the
GCA Executive<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-CA"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">August 27, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></o:p></blockquote>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-19694660649025988042013-05-07T16:00:00.001-04:002013-05-07T16:02:54.067-04:00Spring!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjcB3QZh2gbLv0nuCobbcN-WcXR5dNmOosrh_Kd0pSTKMSr2B7OV7ZV3bVYPBgk5BJCe9BhtaiWDdgpJPpOKM-a_Zj_GLoHlPETO0uYk9omZs4iFidlvBQTL1r-UKjLxiHQjdZEhU/s1600/roadkill-bumper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjcB3QZh2gbLv0nuCobbcN-WcXR5dNmOosrh_Kd0pSTKMSr2B7OV7ZV3bVYPBgk5BJCe9BhtaiWDdgpJPpOKM-a_Zj_GLoHlPETO0uYk9omZs4iFidlvBQTL1r-UKjLxiHQjdZEhU/s1600/roadkill-bumper.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's that time of year when the natural world wakes up from its winter slumber. As the sun warms the earth, amphibians and reptiles begin to emerge, joining other creatures who are on the move - mammals, birds and insects. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So please take extra caution when driving down our country roads and watch out for crossing deer, opossum, groundhogs and raccoons. As more and more countryside is being developed, these animals need to cross more roads to reach habitats. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
However, turtles, toads, frogs and snakes are particularly vulnerable. Unlike birds they cannot fly across a road. Nor can they run. They are especially slow-moving and, being small, easy to miss. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Slow down and follow posted speed limits. Slow down when driving past woodlots, wetlands or ESAs, like White's Wetland on White Oak and Harry White Drive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And be kind. You can help a turtle or a toad cross a busy road too. Just make sure you point them in the direction they were going or they will simply turn around and try to cross again, making your good samaritan act meaningless. You can keep garden gloves in your car. Remember to "handle with care"! Some wildlife sites can give you pointers for picking up turtles, for example. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It only takes a second to help a creature. It costs nothing to be kind.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-23255814456761499452013-03-26T13:26:00.000-04:002013-03-26T13:26:11.042-04:00Lake Erie's Fowler's Toads vs Big Developers with Deep Pockets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzJhuzHTZwr4rlZsMCJX_G40PZOkzpwa1zYE1zV6uZd0Ddq8rhBPR7XeMnWhznJ9yG2oKtvV_j5m0XKxy7QgZ-PUeYgctv-PZxE8c0SclfIKpwdj7hmexmM_21eLX5rjwqVhtxR0e/s1600/ImageProxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPzJhuzHTZwr4rlZsMCJX_G40PZOkzpwa1zYE1zV6uZd0Ddq8rhBPR7XeMnWhznJ9yG2oKtvV_j5m0XKxy7QgZ-PUeYgctv-PZxE8c0SclfIKpwdj7hmexmM_21eLX5rjwqVhtxR0e/s320/ImageProxy.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Same old story, right? Animals versus developers. Animals always on the losing end. Well, maybe this time there is <em>still</em> time to make a difference. Please follow this story by visiting Dr. Kerry Kriger's website, <a href="http://www.savethefrogs.com/">www.savethefrogs.com</a>. Many thanks to Dr. Kriger for all of his efforts globally on behalf of frogs and toads everywhere; but a special thank-you for his committment to amphibians in crisis here in Canada. Please do what you can. Write, protest, join the online seminar, spread the word or donate. The Fowler's Toads of Lake Erie need your help now.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>Did you know that the Ontario government has authorized the developers at Lake Erie to "harm, harass, kill and collect the toads?</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>But already thousands of emails have been sent to 18 politicians by concerned Canadians!</em></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em></em> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<em>We must keep up the pressure! This development company - the Molinaro Group - needs to be told that there is something more precious than money.</em></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-19542898155096939322012-09-26T10:12:00.003-04:002012-10-05T13:15:55.295-04:00Voices for the Watershed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSy425Gk3RkPO1wG7tByQmG3yA2X2cRk8H1pmpeatGg8kDPaEIQXnG6JQ-XuRzoD2gUqbzNqImqc11YmfWhyphenhyphenEKn7N6zpoPlYRfXhUzcXA94C8BmInZvWNbgLZOnifl1CJzeAc4Gf9/s1600/beckg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSy425Gk3RkPO1wG7tByQmG3yA2X2cRk8H1pmpeatGg8kDPaEIQXnG6JQ-XuRzoD2gUqbzNqImqc11YmfWhyphenhyphenEKn7N6zpoPlYRfXhUzcXA94C8BmInZvWNbgLZOnifl1CJzeAc4Gf9/s1600/beckg.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Great Lakes conference may be over, but our lakes, our fish and our fresh water supply are still under threat. So the work must continue, and part of that work involves raising awareness. We must share our love for the Great Lakes with others, and here is a very special book I can recommend. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was first published in 2000, but its messages are even more relevant and urgent today. Asian Carp is now a very real threat. Climate change, warming lake water temperatures, the proliferation of wind farms near key migratory routes - there are many threats now to the ecological health and well-being of the largest inland source of fresh water on the planet. In fact, what makes this book so unique among books about the Great Lakes is that it does not exclude the surrounding drainage basin of the Great Lakes. And if you take a look at a map of the scope of the St. Lawrence Watershed and what land that includes - the entire state of Michigan, all of southwestern Ontario and southern Quebec, for example - then you realize just how vast this area really is and how many people live on the watershed, people who may not even consider themselves Great Lakers!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have a treasure in our big backyard, so let's protect it. This book's thoughtful essays and evocative photos will stir your soul and awaken your resolve to protect and preserve this most precious region.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Together, we can raise our voices for the watershed...</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To order a copy of this book: <a href="http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=1467">http://mqup.mcgill.ca/book.php?bookid=1467</a></div>
Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-41312021705057872122012-06-04T08:47:00.003-04:002012-06-04T08:47:49.624-04:00Speaking Out for Nature and Democracy Today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aic6p0nJDmDkiuA86z0VArwcIylbIYG76Z1_H9wYYEKUDcYOtFhGU3Fb0WISOwF_f93cd6hZbGOJLZGUWkVXeLkXPgOK6BbDkv2JB50dEN9KV9qhUhlx9vW18nc5rWjMvQpzBQCA/s1600/english_mini_400x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aic6p0nJDmDkiuA86z0VArwcIylbIYG76Z1_H9wYYEKUDcYOtFhGU3Fb0WISOwF_f93cd6hZbGOJLZGUWkVXeLkXPgOK6BbDkv2JB50dEN9KV9qhUhlx9vW18nc5rWjMvQpzBQCA/s320/english_mini_400x300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-77421589983473543332012-04-28T18:56:00.000-04:002012-04-28T19:01:10.403-04:00The Frog Blog Will Continue!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC1RHXLXspDWVdFJNtJn93KsG28VxfZ00o2gXwhQ6KnEqHRsQTaWHtyiZr6YKM0dhyGvJRFyYVs4BUiLBDNRegPUKoqRPz2rCcbEQRm1XCieIT9xq9l09sY-kE0olpVaPHLs93que/s1600/DSC00367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnC1RHXLXspDWVdFJNtJn93KsG28VxfZ00o2gXwhQ6KnEqHRsQTaWHtyiZr6YKM0dhyGvJRFyYVs4BUiLBDNRegPUKoqRPz2rCcbEQRm1XCieIT9xq9l09sY-kE0olpVaPHLs93que/s400/DSC00367.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
The pond was really quiet today. The weather was too cold for any decent amphibian spotting. Unseasonably cool here for late April. A bit disappointing after those warm days in March when the frogs were out and the spring peepers singing. <br />
<br />
Today the water was still, dark and brown. Little movement. Only one nosy Mallard flew in. A Great Blue Heron patiently hunted in the creek. The only sounds today...the trills of the ubiquitous red-winged blackbirds.
<br />
<br />
Never fear, pond watching will not stop at White's Wetland. We'll be blogging more about frogs as the weather warms up. It would have been nice to capture some frog sounds today, because a chorus of spring peepers is really something to hear!<br />
<br />
Enjoy this autumn shot of the pond instead!<br />
<br />
There were 181 events held all over the world today in 37 countries to Save The Frogs. That's inspiring. After today, I am sure, more people than ever are aware of the plight of the world's amphibians. That's good, because awareness and knowledge are critical if we are to save frogs from extinction.<br />
<br />
Keep learning about amphibians and keep spreading the word: Save The Frogs!<br />
<br />Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3565878180545781405.post-15075695605573233272012-04-28T11:50:00.000-04:002012-04-28T19:01:25.308-04:00Save The Frogs Day...is Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkaRP__JPoU5rnIN6-my1uxVMDousj4037eMlqxWiZiKzYKvOz9QRPJSkLjRzbJnh5KY7cu9Seb8EydaHI7RoREwB3RzjspgC4Ara-HVWuau3vmdVdZWO6u3SvRR5RGe2Z-Gse64O/s1600/MPj04373350000%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkaRP__JPoU5rnIN6-my1uxVMDousj4037eMlqxWiZiKzYKvOz9QRPJSkLjRzbJnh5KY7cu9Seb8EydaHI7RoREwB3RzjspgC4Ara-HVWuau3vmdVdZWO6u3SvRR5RGe2Z-Gse64O/s320/MPj04373350000%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
For a wetland blogger, this is probably THE most important day of the year! Loss of habitat is one of the main reasons why frogs and other amphibians are rapidly disappearing everywhere. It is one of the most insidious mass extinctions in progress.
Which is why we desperately need to raise awareness. Frogs need habitat in order to survive, and that means protecting our precious wetlands, swamps, bogs, fens and ponds from being drained for development.
Frogs have lived on this planet for 350 million years. Let's not be the cause for their extinction.
So let's begin by protecting their habitat.
To learn more about the worldwide amphibian crisis, please visit Dr. Kerry Kriger's site: <a href="http://savethefrogs.com/day/2012/index.html">Save the Frogs</a>.
Today, there are over 181 events being held across the planet in 37 countries! Astonishing! Amazing! Encouraging!
Check out the map and find an event near you!Victoriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03621857626213439526noreply@blogger.com0