SPRING ON TAP

Furry rodents and shadows aside what more exemplifies Spring than a visit to the sugar bush? On the Ides of February Frank and Karen Haveman hosted the Ontario Maple Producers’ Association (OMPA) to their Bata Maples Sugarbush for the annual ceremonial first tapping of the 2020 maple syrup season. Joining friends and neighbours were Quinte West Mayor Jim Harrison accompanied by M.P.P. Todd Smith and M.P. Neil Ellis.  Forgoing the temptation to ask the “how many politicians does it take to tap a tree?” scenario Mayor Harrison had the honour of drilling the first tap while his cohorts fulfilled their supportive roles of carrying the syrup bucket and lid. Symbolism abounds!

At -5C, with a wind chill of -10C amidst flurries it was of course too cold for the sap to run but Haveman hopes the season will be underway by the time you read this. At the conclusion Mayor Harrison climbed into his John Deere tractor and headed home to his farm chores.

AOO Elk Hunt Results

Janet Stavinga, Executive Director, Algonquins of Ontario, has sent me the results of the AOO elk hunt that ended December 21, 2019. To see information about the AOO moose goto: https://www.tanakiwin.com/community/aooharvest/.

 

For historical purposes I have included the following FYI.

Year	MNRF	MNRF	AOO	AOO
2011	11 Bulls	9 Cows	3 Bulls	3 Cows
2012	10 Bulls	13 Cows	5 Bulls	5 Cows
2013	9 Bulls	14 Cows	10 Bulls	6 Cows
2014	2 Bulls	5 Cows	1 Bull	3 Cows
2015	4 Bulls	11 Cows	0 Bulls	4 Cows
2016	3 Bulls	8 Cows	1 Bull	8 Cows
2017	4 Bulls	6 Cows	2 Bulls	3 Cows
2018	4 Bulls	3 Cows	2 Bulls	1 Cow
2019	3 Bulls	10 Cows	3 Bulls	4 Cows

 

 

Dates of the Elk Hunt

 

2011 – MNR – 1 week (Sept. 19-25)   AOO – Sept. 1 to January 15, 2012

2013 – MNR – expanded to two weeks in Sept. AOO – Sept. 1 to Jan. 15, 2013

2014  – MNR – as in 2013                 AOO – shortened from Sept. 1 to Dec.21

2015   -MNR becomes MNRF

 

35 Years

The movement of moose from Algonquin Park to Marquette, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula is celebrating 35 years. January 24, 1985 moose from Algonquin Park were live trapped and transferred for a special re-introduction program. Dan Bjarnason (CBC) then reported that the park had an estimated population of 4000 moose. Today? The MNRF has just concluded an aerial survey and so current figures are yet unavailable. Most current data from 2018 estimates the park moose population at 2091 in Wildlife Management Unit 51 which overlaps Algonquin Park.

The Department of Natural Resources in Michigan recently carried out their biennial survey this winter and report an estimated 509 moose in their primary range which includes 1400 square miles or 3,626 sq km for the truly bilingual. DNR officials state that the moose population is increasing 2% per year. It also issued a warning to snowmobilers that due to deep snow conditions the moose are taking to the snowmobile trails to ease getting about and the “moose aren’t afraid of vehicles and could become aggressive.”

Reminds me of multi Iditarod winner Susan Butcher who had to withdraw one year from that grueling race because she encountered a moose on her track and it killed some of her team. 

LICHEN or NOT

Research scientist and lichenologist Dr. Troy McMullin of the Canadian Museum of Nature is heading up the vote for Canada’s national lichen “which are most abundant in the boreal forest and arctic alpine where they cover most of Canada’s large land mass.” (McMullin) Lichen live off the air they breathe and the water that flows over them. They are among the first colonizers of bare rock and prevent erosion by stabilizing soil. The main source of food for caribou, lichens also provide food, shelter and camouflage for other animals, have been used for traditional medicines and dyes as well as being useful biological indicators of air quality.

Seven lichens are eligible for the vote based upon criteria such as beauty, recognition, and function. The national lichen initiative is part of a larger project to identify a proposed lichen species for each province and territory.

The 7 nominated lichens are: the Boreal Oakmass, the Common Freckle Pelt, the Concentric Ring, the Elegant Sunburst, the Horsehair, the Star-tipped Reindeer and the Yellow Map.   

The voting form, which includes descriptions and photos of each lichen under consideration, can be found at nature.ca/lichenvote. March 20, 2020, is the voting deadline.

FOR HOOTERS

Owls are about to begin their springtime courtship and Birds Canada is seeking volunteers for its NOS (Nocturnal Owl Survey) “These volunteers are trained to collect valuable population information that can be applied to owl conservation, and to follow protocols that minimize disturbance to owls in the process.”

Entering its 25^th year in Ontario, the information gleaned by Citizen Scientists help document and conserve these rather elusive and secretive species.

“In 2019, a total of 688 routes were surveyed across the participating provinces and territories. Northern Saw-whet, Great Horned, and Barred owls were the most commonly detected owl species in every region. In the territories and in northern BC, Boreal Owls were also commonly reported.

Out of the 16 owl species that breed in Canada, ten were detected during the 2019 Nocturnal Owl Survey. The species that were detected tend to be more strictly nocturnal and vocalize more regularly compared to the Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl and Short-eared Owl, which were not detected during the survey. These three species are often silent and regularly seen during the day. The other three undetected species were the Burrowing, Barn, and Spotted owl, all species of conservation concern.” (BC)

Interested volunteers can contact Kathy Jones – volunteer@birdscanada.org.

AND FINALLY…Forever Young?

By the time you read this February 29, 2020 will be in your rear view mirror. Of course it is a Leap Year and one gentleman, aged 56, recently celebrated his 14^th birthday. Sort of slows the aging process – at least numerically.