eastern region (ontario)
VOLUME 30, NUMBER 3, 2009
Atocas Bay – Eastern Ontario’s showpiece
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Eastern Ontario’s 780-hectare Atocas Bay wetland restoration project is on the way to becoming one of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) premier wetland restoration demonstration sites. First discovered and developed in 2000, Atocas Bay is ideally located less than one hour from downtown Ottawa. This proximity to Canada’s National Capital Region allows for relatively easy access for hosting tours with federal decision- and policy-makers. The goal is to provide the opportunity for first-hand understanding of the importance and benefits of wildlife-friendly management practices on agricultural lands. Phase III of the Atocas Bay Project will showcase numerous biodiversity Best Management Practices, such as alternative water supplies, cattle exclusion, delayed haying, upland idling and the establishment of riparian buffers on some of the better quality agricultural lands that have been leased to farmers. In addition, 70 more drained wetland basins are being restored through the installation of water management structures. Property upgrades will be implemented, including signage and better access and safety features for visitors. As part of the new activities, waterfowl surveys will be further undertaken to assess the impacts of the Atocas Bay Project’s long-term wetland restoration efforts. This third phase at Atocas Bay is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Wildlife Habitat Canada and DUC. S
Youth waterfowling Jim and Jean Spring honoured with Sponsor and wildlife workshop in Perpetuity Award
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Jim and Jean Spring are Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) most recent recipients of the prestigious Sponsor in Perpetuity Award which recognizes outstanding contributions to wetland conservation. An avid waterfowl hunter and accomplished skeet shooter, Jim is one of the first DUC project landowners in Ontario. Jim and his wife Jean have had a DUC wetland habitat project on their property since 1981 and have been regular supporters ever since. In 2002, the Springs donated 65 acres of prime wetland habitat, mature hardwood forest and conifer plantation to DUC. The land, valued at $2.5 million and adjacent to a new 100-acre housing development, was the single largest donation of a land asset to DUC at that time. The property is now a valuable and integral link in the Town of Aurora’s proposed Urban Wildlife Park – a humanand wildlife-friendly habitat corridor complete with interpretive signs and trails. In May, DUC staff Dave McLachlin and Aaron Everingham presented the award to Jim (who recently turned 80) after a couple of rounds of skeet at Jim’s longtime shooting club, Uxbridge Shooting Sports. Jim was one of two charter members of the Scarborough Rod and Gun Club before the club moved and was renamed Uxbridge Shooting Sports in the 1960s. While scores were not kept for the shoots, Jim, shooting his vintage Browning Double Auto, proved his excellent marksmanship skills. The Springs are well aware of the benefits of donating land and supporting DUC wetland conservation efforts. They have made a long-term commitment to ensuring healthy wetland habitat for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent species for decades. And now, as part of the Town of Aurora’s proposed Urban Wildlife Park, future generations may appreciate the Springs’ generosity and visionary thinking. S Jim and Jean Spring with their Sponsor in Perpetuity Award at their home in Aurora.
Canadian duck hunters are annual contributors to conservation through the purchase of their migratory game bird permits. However, the number of Canadian duck hunters has declined 73 per cent from 500,000 in the late 1970s to 135,000 today. One of the reasons for the decline is that younger generations are not taking up the sport, fewer youth are participating in outdoor activities and most youth are more likely to live in urban areas. In response to the declining interest of youth in wildlife and outdoor activities, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Long Point Waterfowl, Delta Waterfowl and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters collaborated in hosting a Youth Hunting and Wildlife Workshop near Port Rowan, Ont., in July 2009. The workshop objectives included developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of wildlife conservation and management, and the contribution of hunters to these initiatives; hunter education, including firearms safety training and opportunities to participate in hands-on activities related to wildlife and habitat monitoring or management. Fifteen youth aged 12 to 16 years old participated in the week-long event, which its hosts hope will encourage more youth to participate in outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing. S
Stewardship Network of Ontario hosts annual forum
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Stewardship is a top priority for Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). The Stewardship Network of Ontario (SNO) collaborates with organizations in the province to enhance habitat stewardship programs for the benefit of Ontario landowners. As a founding member of SNO and currently holding a seat on its Leadership Committee, DUC staff and associates attended the annual meeting on June 9, 2009, at the Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto. “Keeping Resources Flowing in Tough Economic Times” was the topic of the keynote speaker, Don Gordon, who is a certified fundraising executive. Other timely topics included “Barriers to Stewardship” and “Breaking down the Silos.” The meeting was an opportunity to network with colleagues and to collaborate on common priorities and initiatives such as climate change, biodiversity issues and regulatory concerns. In partnership with other organizations, landowners and the Ministry of Natural Resources, DUC is implementing the Ontario Wetland Care landowner extension program in Ontario. This program is designed to actively engage landowners and communitybased organizations in wetland stewardship and ultimately build capacity for wetland conservation in Ontario. To learn more about the Stewardship Network of Ontario, visit www.stewardshipcentre.on.ca. S
eastern region (ontario)
Securing Ontario wetland habitat one hectare at a time
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Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) – Ontario Region has added three new properties to its roster of important wetland sites that have been secured in perpetuity across the province. To date, DUC Ontario has secured through purchase, conservation easement or donation 7,161 hectares of provincially, nationally and internationally significant wetland and upland habitats. These properties are all fundamental pieces needed to ensure the conservation of waterfowl habitat on a provincial, national and continental level. 1. Lynde Shores Conservation Area – Shisko Property Acquisition The Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority and DUC recently partnered in the acquisition of a 24.1-hectare property that included the remaining 5.8 hectares of the 130-hectare Lynde Creek Marsh that was not already in public ownership. The property abuts the 322.7-hectare Lynde Shores Conservation Area located on the north shore of Lake Ontario and the entire site now forms one of the largest contiguous areas of natural waterfront in the Greater Toronto Area. The addition of the Shisko property to this public conservation area will ensure that this coastal wetland continues to provide for the migration needs of the many waterfowl that depend on this site during spring and fall stopovers. 2. Matchedash Bay –Property Acquisition Matchedash Bay is a 2,198-hectare Provincially Significant Wetland, an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, an Important Bird Area and
a Provincial Wildlife Area. In 1988, it was selected as one of the Ontario Eastern Habitat Joint Venture’s First Step Projects under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Although much of the previous acquisition work was completed by the mid1990s, DUC has continued to focus on this area and in early 2009 successfully purchased an additional 13.4-hectare coastal wetland property within this valuable wetland complex. In addition to providing critical breeding and staging habitat for as many as 25 different species of waterfowl, this wetland also supports 568 species of plants, 170 species of birds, 34 species of fish, 32 species of mammals and 17 species of reptiles. 3. Minesing Swamp – Property Acquisition The Minesing Swamp wetland is a 6,000-hectare complex of swamp, marsh, fen and bottomland forest habitats along the Nottawasaga and Mad Rivers, and Willow and Coates Creeks. It is the third largest wetland in southern Ontario and is recognized as a Provincially Significant Wetland, an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Approximately 60 per cent of the swamp has been secured over the past 30 years, creating the fifth largest protected area in southern Ontario. DUC recently acquired a 9.3-hectare parcel of land that consists entirely of provincially significant wetland habitat. The acquisition and long-term securement of this property further ensures that this important waterfowl staging area is protected for future generations. S
Wetlands and the world hits the schools
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For most children at Firgrove Public School, and others in urban Toronto, there is little opportunity to muck about in a wetland. However, for several years, DUC and its supporters have made a difference by sponsoring wetland field trips for inner city Grade 4 students in Ontario and across Canada. These Project Webfoot field trips have been a resounding success but they have also highlighted that Ontario schools, like others across the country, have changed. During one Project Webfoot field trip an Ottawa teacher pointed out that in her school of 400 students, over 50 different languages were spoken. And, in the Toronto District School Board, over half of their elementary school students speak a language other than English when not at school. Education is a challenge at the best of times but cultural diversity makes it even more so. Gary Down, Chairman of our Ontario Volunteer Committee, and Dr. Vincent Conroy, ViceChair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation provincial committee recently took part in the launch of Wetlands and the World, an innovative project to connect these children and their families to Ontario’s wetlands. “If people don’t know about the environment why should they care about conserving it?” says Gary Down, Chairman of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Ontario Volunteer Committee, a member of
DUC national board of directors and a former school principal. “We need to restore the connection and rekindle the sense of wonder children have for nature.” The response to the project has been overwhelmingly positive for students and teachers alike and interest in it has already expanded to schools beyond Ontario. Hopefully, with continued and new sources of funding, this initiative will be able to grow and to connect more Canadian children with nature and teach them the value of protecting wetlands. To learn more about the project and to download free educational materials, visit education.ducks.ca or see Conservator (Vol. 29, No. 4, 2008 p. 30 – 34.). S DUC's Ontario Volunteer Committee Chair, Gary Down helps a student complete his wetland animal model.
John and Janet Haak's great idea
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When John and Janet Haak bought their farm in 1994 not everyone thought it was a good idea. “It’s too wet to farm,” some said. “It’ll be hard to drain and won’t be productive,” added others. In spite of the naysayers, the Haaks were thrilled with their new property, readily admitting that although farming would remain a part of their focus, it was never their main goal. The Haak farm is ideally positioned adjacent to the Hullett Provincial Wildlife Area near Clinton in southwestern Ontario. Eager to maximize the land’s natural potential for birds and other wildlife, the Haaks began working with the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority to retire land from agricultural production and to plant trees. They undertook several wetland restoration projects and constructed ponds. A seasonally flooded woodlot that is now protected at the entrance of the property is particularly impressive. For the past decade the Haaks have been well on their way to making the best with the land that can be farmed while slowly restoring other parts of the farm to a more natural state. In 2008, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) came on board to help the Haaks take their wetland restoration efforts a step further through Ontario Wetland Care, a DUC and Ministry of Natural Resources partnership program. The Haaks signed a wetland restoration agreement with DUC to work on an 80-acre section of their farm that consisted of nine acres of wetlands, with the balance being protected uplands. A low-lying area subject to erosion was excavated to create a large pond that provides great habitat and acts as a stormwater management pond removing sediments and nutrients. A water control structure that draws the colder water from the bottom of the pond before releasing it to a nearby creek was installed to minimize the impact on local fish populations. In the Haaks’ hayfield there are land depressions that hold snowmelt and rainwater. These depressions were connected through a network of swale ditches with a small water control structure to allow for greater water retention at certain times of the year along with the ability to manage the water level during haying season. What is especially refreshing about the Haaks is that they have relied upon the Environmental Farm Plan Program to carry out habitat work for the pure enjoyment and esthetics of having natural areas on their farm. As a farm, it may not have the agricultural production it once did, but because of the increasing wildlife values due to their habitat enhancements, the Haaks’ decision to purchase the farm seems like a good one after all, not only for their family but for wildlife. Other funding partners for this recent work included the Environmental Farm Plan, the Huron Stewardship Council, Maitland Valley Conservation Authority and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority. The Huron Clean Water Initiative, Trees Ontario and Ontario Trillium Foundation also supported programs that facilitated these efforts. S
A swale ditch shows how a back-flooded hayfield can be controlled for seasonal flooding.
eastern Region (ontario)
The Flyway newsletter is published by Ducks Unlimited Canada Oak Hammock Marsh Conservation Centre P.O. Box 1160, Stonewall, Manitoba R0C 2Z0 tel (204)467-3000 fax (204)467-9028 toll-free 1(800)665-DUCK Please direct your inquiries to the following: Eastern Region Atlantic: Kelly MacDonald Quebec: Bernard Filion Ontario: Lynette Mader Western Region Prairie-Western Boreal: Marci Dube British Columbia: Wendy Fister Flyway production staff Director of Communications and Marketing: Madeleine Arbez Editor: Duncan Morrison Assistant: Deb Menard Art Director: Tye Gregg Graphic Designers: Lindsay Pikta-Marie, Aquila Samson, Jeope Wolfe © Ducks Unlimited Canada, 2009 Printed in Canada on 100% recycled paper including 100% post-consumer fibres
Ontario Area Contacts Director of Regional Operations Eastern Canada, Jamie Fortune (613) 565-2525 Manager of Provincial Operations Jim Brennan (705) 721-4444 Science and Planning Owen Steele
(705) 721-4444
Landowner Programs Lynette Mader
(705) 721-4444
Education Program Coordinator Stephanie Walker (705) 721-4444 Government Relations Julie Cayley
(705) 721-4444
Fundraising Development Aaron Everingham James Lee
(705) 738-9929 (416) 712-1971
Provincial Manager of Event & Volunteer Programs Steve Stinkowji (705) 544-8437 Event & Volunteer Customer Service (613) 389-0418 (866) 389-0418 publication agreement #40064849