Aldo

Posted January 11, 2015

Today, January 11, is the birth date of Aldo Leopold – forester, philosopher, conservationist, educator and author.  Leopold, who was born in 1887 and died in 1948, coined the phrase “land ethic” to describe an “ethic dealing with human’s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon it”.  As a teenager […]

Breakfast of Champions

Posted January 9, 2015

This morning at the forest feeders at Blair, suet was the number 1 menu item.  With the cold weather we’ve been having, the birds need fat as fuel to keep them warm.  Our suet feeders are visited by a number of species, but today it was a downy woodpecker and both white and red-breasted nuthatches… […]

Bird Smarts

Posted January 8, 2015

One day this week a juvenile Cooper’s hawk buzzed the bird feeders here at Blair in the hopes of grabbing a quick bite.  Often they are unsuccessful in the initial strike, but then perch nearby waiting for the birds to leave the safety of cover, and strike again.  They can accelerate to full speed in […]

Mink Den

Posted January 7, 2015

Lately I have had the trail cam set up at a hole in the ground beside Laurel Creek (the stream). It looked like the hole had mink tracks going in and out, but the camera has a delay of 1-3 seconds before it starts recording movement, so there were never videos that got recorded. Maybe […]

Happy New Year!

Posted January 1, 2015

I wanted to wish everyone a great 2015!

Kitchener Christmas Bird Count

Posted December 22, 2014

Fellow ‘OutdoorEdGuy’ Sean, friend Laura, my wife, my daughter, and me, all spent Saturday looking for birds.  It was the 80th annual Kitchener Christmas Bird Count (CBC).  As copied for the Audubon website: “From December 14 through January 5 tens of thousands of volunteers throughout the Americas take part in an adventure that has become […]

Snail Mystery

Posted December 18, 2014

At Laurel Creek, we have these big snails in our pond called “Chinese Mystery Snails.” That’s their name. You can read about them here This snail is from China, and is a common aquarium species that is sold in pet stores. You can buy one at Pet Smart for $2.79 (don’t). I assume that our […]

Biodiversity in My Backyard

Posted December 16, 2014

When students first arrive at the centre as part of their Biodiversity unit, I often tell them that biodiversity is one of my favourite topics of all-time. I am so inspired and curious about all of the living things that surround me each day. I am fortunate to be able to explore this with students […]

The Whoopers are Home

Posted December 12, 2014

The 7 whooping cranes of Operation Migration’s Class of 2014 arrived at St Marks Wildlife Refuge in Florida yesterday, ending their 2,000 km ultralight-led migration from Wisconsin.  The birds will winter there, and return, unaided, to Wisconsin next spring where they will hopefully raise their own broods in the wild.  This was year 14 for […]

My Morning Cup of Chickadee

Posted December 11, 2014

Filling the bird feeders in the morning when I arrive at work is one of the most peaceful and inspiring times of the day for me.  It’s quiet, this morning there is a fresh snowfall, and every day is different. The birds seem to know the guy in the red coat is bringing a fresh […]

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