Monthly Public Meetings of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club

The Hamilton Naturalist's Club meets monthly, September through May, usually on the second Monday of each month. Meetings are held at 7:30 PM, at the Royal Botanical Gardens, 680 Plains Rd West, Burlington. (See note about free parking). Come early for social and refeshments.

HNC Monthly Meetings (Photo: Stephanie Lechniak-Cumerlato)

Monthly Meetings 2010 - 2011
Date	Topic	Speaker
12 September 2011	Backus Woods: A 50 Year Endeavour to Secure Permanent Protection	Michael Bradstreet
Backus Woods: A 50 Year Endeavour to Secure Permanent Protection begins in 1796 with the acquisition of a 600 acre parcel of land, granted to John H Backhouse, part of which would later become Backus Woods. The presentation takes the audience through the history of the Backhouse family which cared for the forest through several generations until it was sold in 1956 to the Big Creek Conservation Authority, now the Long Point Region Conservation Authority (LPRCA). Pressure to log Backus Woods for revenue in the 1980s led to a public campaign for protection which resulted in a 20 year Conservation Agreement and a $150,000 endowment to manage the woods. The threat of logging arose again in 2010 as the 20 year Conservation Agreement expired, creating a new opportunity for the protection of Backus Woods through the generosity and dedication of many great partners. Michael Bradstreet developed a passion for conservation and wildlife biology at a young age. He first visited Norfolk County when he was 14 years old to volunteer with the Long Point Bird Observatory. He was unaware then that he would return to Norfolk some years later to join LPBO, now Bird Studies Canada, as President. Prior to joining LPBO/BSC, Michael worked for 14 years as a biologist for LGL Ltd. studying seabirds, fish, marine mammals and high arctic ecosystems across Alaska, Canada and Greenland. Michael has directed and conducted research on wildlife habitat and endangered species across Canada and has authored more than 20 articles in peer reviewed literature. His fundraising efforts have contributed to many conservation successes including the internationally recognized Bird Studies Canada headquarters and the Backus Woods Trust Fund. Michael joined the Nature Conservancy of Canada in 2005 as the Ontario Region Vice President where he began work on the Norfolk Forests and Long Point Wetlands project which has secured 4,000 acres of prime Carolinian Canada habitat to date with many of these properties now being restored. He became Vice President of Conservation Operations for the Nature Conservancy of Canada in 2007, and continues to raise funds and direct land securement and stewardship initiatives across Canada.
3 October 2011	A Naturalist's Tour of Ushuaia, Antarctica, South Georgia and the Falkland Islands	Geoff Carpentier
Join Geoff as he takes you on a trip of a lifetime to visit four unique destinations - Ushuaia at the southern tip of South America is the gateway to the Antarctic, hosting unique wildlife, both land and water based. The Falkland Islands, still suffering the impacts of the war with Argentina, is a haven where wildlife and people live side by side in harmony. Nestled south of Africa, South Georgia Island, administered by the British, is home to albatrosses, millions of penguins and myriad seals and whales. Antarctica is a land of mystery that has claimed many lives over the centuries, has hosted devastating seal, whale, penguin and krill hunting forays and today is under siege from the impacts of climate change. Learn what its like to visit each of these locales and how the wildlife is doing. Geoff's interest in nature started when he was 13 as he used to wander through the woods and countryside near his northern Canadian home, learning about nature first hand. Recently retired from the Ontario Public Service, he now works as an international nature guide. Geoff's passion for wildlife is expressed in his photography, writing and art. His most recent triumph is the publication of his second book -"Antarctica — First Journey", a resource guide for Antarctic travellers. He has travelled the world, visiting approximately 65 countries on all seven continents, where he has shared time with Polar Bears, Amazonian snakes and piranhas, observed the private lives of lions, avoided riots in Venezuela, hiked the Andes, camped with Pademelons, walked with penguins and canoed Ontario's northern lakes. Visit Geoff's website for more information www.avocetnatureservices.com.
14 November 2011	Seeking Safe Passage for Amphibians Across Roads	Barb Beasley
Over 40 years ago, people were alarmed by large numbers of roadkill on Switzerland's highways and started building tunnels for amphibians. Through trial and error, Europeans, the British and, more recently, North Americans have been coaxing frogs and salamanders to go under roads rather than over them. Barb will talk about her efforts to create an effective tunnel system after monitoring the movement patterns and highway mortality of six species in coastal B.C. Dr. Barb Beasley works as an ecologist on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Her research on amphibians began in 1997 when she coordinated a wetland survey project as part of the land-use planning process for Clayoquot Sound. Since then she's had many close encounters with frogs and salamanders while rescuing them from being run over on the highway through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Two years ago, Barb founded the Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds to help protect habitat and support the installation of an amphibian tunnel under the highway. She's delighted to be back for a visit to her hometown, Hamilton, and to share her story with the Naturalists' Club.
12 December 2011	Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Geologic Journey — World: bringing geology to the nation's living room	Nick Eyles
This talk will explore the scientific and logistical challenges of bringing the story of 'How planet Earth works' to a wide public television audience. The story of Geologic Journey — World is organized around the life cycles of oceans and supercontinents; the basic cycle of Earth's long history. It commences in the East African Rift and Red Sea areas which are examples of incipient and young oceans respectively, travels on to Iceland where the spreading centre of a mature ocean can be walked over, and examines the tectonically-troubled Pacific Rim where oceanic crust is being subducted below encroaching land masses as the next supercontinent (Pangea II) begins to form. The Himalayas are the remains of a dead ocean. The talk also touches on the peoples that live in tectonically active areas and the tectonic threat to the world's emerging megacities. Nick Eyles, Ph.D., D.Sc., P.Geo., is Professor of Geology at the University of Toronto and completed graduate work in glaciology and glacial geology at Memorial University in Newfoundland, and at East Anglia in UK. Since his appointment at Toronto in 1982 his subsequent research career has taken him across Canada, around the world and also back in time through Earth's 4 billion year history. He is a prolific award-winning author of best-selling books such as 'Ontario Rocks' and 'Canada Rocks' (with Andrew Miall) and Canadian Shield: The Rocks that made Canada. He was chief scientific advisor to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's highly successful series 'Geologic Journey-Canada' in 2007 and the host of the five part 'Geologic Journey-World' which aired on The Nature of Things in 2010, CBC's most widely-viewed documentary series to date.
9 January 2012	Scientific Research on Svalbard Island	Rick Ludkin
Rick Ludkin, head bander at Ruthven Park Banding Lab, will be giving a presentation on his experience in the summer of 2011. For 7 weeks Rick worked with a small team of fieldworkers doing research on Svalbard Island. His talk will cover both the research he was involved with, as well as the practical elements of working out of an isolated Arctic field camp.
13 February 2012	Navigating the Biodiversity of Canada's Stream Corridors	Jack Imhof
UPDATE:This meeting is *NOT* at the Perkins Center, as indicated earlier, but at our regular RBG location
Jack Imhof is the National Biologist responsible for developing and implementing the National Conservation Strategy for Trout Unlimited Canada. Jack's 33 years of experience includes 30 years as an aquatic ecologist and research scientist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Branch. He is also an adjunct professor through the School of Environmental Design and Rural Planning and Integrative Biology, University of Guelph and an adjunct professor through the Department of Biology at the University of Waterloo. Jack received his M.Sc. in aquatic ecology from the University of Waterloo in 1978. His research interests include the biophysical relationships of watersheds, rivers, streams and lakes, the relationships between riparian ecosystems and aquatic ecosystems and the development of standardized habitat assessment protocols and habitat classification in support of policy initiatives to protect fisheries. Bio: Jack imhof Jack has received a number of awards including the "Roderick Haig-Brown Award for excellence in Fish Habitat Restoration in 1982 and 1999 from the Izaak Walton Fly Fishing Club; and the first "Award of Excellence in Fisheries Science" presented by the Southern Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. In 1999, Jack was awarded a Travelling Fellowship Grant in Holistic River Restoration from the Lands and Waters Resources Research Development Corporation of Australia and was one of a set of co-recipients of the Ontario Amethyst Award for excellence in public service. Most recently was recipient of the Credit Valley CA's Watershed Award of Excellence for his lifetime of work on the Credit Watershed and a co-recipient of DFO's National Fisheries Award for the Grand River Fisheries Management Plan. In addition to his professional interests Jack is an avid and well-known fly fisherman and an expert in the art of fly tying with an extensive knowledge of stream born insects as well as a 4th Dan in Yoshinkan Aikido.
12 March 2012	The Boreal Forest of Northern Ontario	HNC Board Member Dr.Terry Carleton
The boreal zone is home to the largest remaining continuous, closed canopy forest in the World. It harbours the largest labile reserve of carbon on Earth, that is in direct contact with the atmosphere and is, consequently, of prime importance in relation to the greenhouse effect and climate change. The boreal zone is determined in North America by the oscillation of the arctic frontal air mass between it's summer and winter positions. Summers are short and hot, winters are long and cold. The boreal is the only closed canopy forest zone in the World in which annual precipitation exceeds the drying power of the sun to evaporate all of the moisture. Consequently, there are extensive lakes and wetlands throughout the region. This feature, combined with the climate, leads to more above-ground production of plant material per annum than can be decomposed. Consequently there is a net accumulation of dead organic matter over the forested landscape. This is called 'peat' in the wetlands and 'duff' on the uplands. Whereas some 95 tree species occur in extreme southern Ontario, only about 12 species are extant in our boreal zone. The forest understorey vascular plant species richness gradient is not quite so extreme with about 450 species in contrast to the 1300 or so species in southern Ontario. However, there also exist an abundance of moss and lichen species (ca. 230 taxa) on the boreal forest floor. These are most closely associated with evergreen, needle-leaved dominated forests. On the other hand, broadleaved forests of birch and poplar are common over the heavily glaciated landscapes of mild relief that typify the boreal zone. Associated with the arctic frontal oscillation are numerous atmospheric disturbances and thunderstorms. Lightning strikes are common and these can spark forest fires when conditions are suitable. Under natural circumstances wildfire is the main forest disturbance and rejuvenating agent in the boreal zone. However, since the 1960s mechanized, clearcut logging on an industrial scale has overtaken forest fire as the main agent of forest disturbance. This is discussed in relation to the ecology of the contrasting forest ecosystems. Bio: Terry Carleton I grew up in southeast London, England. From the age of 3 to 9 yrs, we lived in a pre-fab. bungalow which backed onto green belt fields and some scruffy bits of woodland. I spent summers damming streams, playing with frogs, fishing for sticklebacks and subliminally soaking up all that the quasi-natural environment had to offer. After we moved, at the age of 9 yrs, I escaped the city by train and bus every weekend to go fishing, with my mates, in London's lovely adjacent countryside. Gradually fishing was partially replaced by country rambles and the discovery of quiet places where badgers, bats and otters would hang out. Sometimes we would camp out all night just to catch a glimpse of one of these animals. At that point my mates and I were card-carrying members of the London Natural History Society. Eventually it got serious and after taking both zoology and botany, as separate advanced subjects at high school, I did a degree in Botany at U. of London, then an M.Sc. in ecology at U. College of North Wales. The latter place was great for indulging joint passions for mountain walking and fly fishing. However, forest ecology beckoned and as the UK could only boast about three trees of natural forest, somewhere in N.W. Scotland, I emigrated to Canada and studied the vegetation of the virgin boreal forests of N.E. Ontario and western Quebec, toward a Ph.D at U. of Toronto. I joined U of T. as a faculty member in 1978 and have been there ever since.
19 April 2012	To Be Announced

14 May 2012	To Be Announced

Parking at RBG

The automated parking machines have been removed from the RBG headquarters parking lot and parking is now free in this lot all year.