Get involved in creating the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3
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Get involved in creating the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3

Environmental projects, The Egret Article

Get involved in creating the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3

By essexcountynature|2021-02-21T19:59:21-05:00February 21st, 2021|Environmental projects, The Egret Article|

Calling all birders

Two Eastern Screech-Owls look down from a tree. Photo by Paul Pratt

Wanted: birders and those keen to become better birders.

Data collection for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 3 has begun and there is no better time to get involved. This is a five-year project aimed at mapping the distribution and abundance of the roughly 300 species of breeding birds in Ontario.

It is information collected by volunteers that will be used by researchers, scientists, government officials and conservation professionals.

See club president Paul Pratt’s 10-minute presentation about the atlas on the Essex County Nature YouTube channel. He and Karen Cedar are the Essex regional co-ordinators for the atlas project. Jeremy Hatt is the co-ordinator for Chatham-Kent.

For more details go to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas website.

It’s time to renew your membership

By essexcountynature|2021-02-21T19:48:37-05:00February 21st, 2021|Member's meetings, The Egret Article, Uncategorized|

Join Essex County Nature for 2021

Dr. Catherine Febria, accompanied by her students with the University of Windsor Healthy Headwaters Lab, presented some of their work at the club’s Feb. 10, 2021 meeting on Zoom.

Dear members: We miss seeing you in person, but we haven’t forgotten you.

The club is holding monthly online meetings with guest speakers and posting them on our YouTube channel. The executive board and membership committees are meeting once a month. We are sending out monthly updates and our quarterly newsletter, The Egret, to keep you informed. Insurance, website maintenance and other ongoing club costs are still being paid.

Thank you to those who have paid for your 2021 memberships! You are supporting the club as we remain active until we can meet in person.

Renew your membership for 2021 or make a donation by tapping the green button below. Annual membership fees are $10 for students, $20 for other individuals and $25 for families. If you have questions, contact membership secretary Ellen van Wageningen.

We cannot accept cash payments for memberships and donations at this time. Please send cheques* by mail to:

Cathy Lapain, treasurer

Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club

c/o Ojibway Nature Centre

5200 Matchette Rd.

Windsor, ON, N9C 4E8

(*Cheques should be made out to the Essex County Field Naturalists’ Club. Please indicate on the cheque if it is a membership fee or a donation.)

Become a member or renew your membership

Proposed Changes to Conservation Authority Act Continue to Raise Concern

By Chris Hart|2021-01-01T17:54:13-05:00December 8th, 2020|The Egret Article|

By Gina Pannunzio

As you may have heard on November 5, 2020, the provincial government tabled Bill 229 Protect, Support, and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020. This piece of legislation encompasses more than just a budget in response to COVID-19. It includes significant and concerning changes to the Conservation Authorities Act . There are many partners across the Province of Ontario who are also concerned about the impact of these proposed changes. If you would like to learn more about why conservation matters, you can view this presentation hosted by the Canadian Environmental Law Association, and send a letter to the Minister of the Environment through Ontario Nature. To date, 19, 950 e-mails have been sent to Minister Philips, Minister of Finance, Minister Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Minister Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Minister Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, and local MPPs.

In November, ECFNC sent along a letter strongly opposing the proposed changes, expressing concern that the proposed changes in Schedule 6 will reduce or constrain the mandate of Conservation Authorities, and are therefore contradictory to the interests of the people of Ontario who are facing enormous risks and costs as a result of climate change and ongoing biodiversity loss. The roles and responsibilities of Conservation Authorities are critical in protecting the lands, waters and wildlife which benefit businesses and communities across Ontario, and upon which our health and well-being ultimately depend.

For more detailed information, please review:

Essex Region Conservation Authority (November 24 2020): #ConservationMatters: Proposed Changes to CA Act Continue to Raise Concerns

Essex Region Conservation Authority (November 16 2020): Proposed Changes to CA Act raise concerns