Spot the Spider

Posted June 5, 2012

Can you see the spider in this photograph?  Look closely – very closely – and you’ll see a tiny yellow crab spider – a.k.a. flower spider – ready to grab any unsuspecting insects.  This plant is called bladder campion, and there is at least one crab spider amongst it’s blooms every year.  So I took […]

Rare and At Risk…

Posted June 2, 2012

The unique geology and climate of the Bruce Peninsula supports an astounding 44 species of orchids, as well an enviable variety of wildflowers, ferns  and other botanical communities. I spent the weekend in Tobermory at the Bruce Peninsula Orchid Festival, where it’s been rainy, windy and cold.  But Bruce Peninsula flowers are hardy, and when […]

Getting caught up…

Posted May 28, 2012

Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to get posted over the past couple of weeks… Grade 4 Saginaw student shows no fear of a leech (bloodsucker) during pond study!! Franklin P.S. staff member needs new boots, discovers Blair Creek is indeed a cold-water stream!! Poison Ivy Here’s a plant you want to avoid […]

Birding update

Posted May 23, 2012

On Friday I had asked Sean to send me an update on the number of species seen and heard at Laurel Creek so far. He sent me his total of 87 species, his last 3 being Common Yellowthroat, Red-eyed Vireo, and Alder Flycatcher. I gave him a call later that day to discuss unrelated items, […]

Giant Swallowtail and Ringlet

Posted May 23, 2012

As the morning bus was leaving on Friday I happened to see a butterfly nectaring on some of the flowers on the edge of the forest and lawn. My first reaction was a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, as they have emerged over the last few days, but when I turned to look at it I realized […]

Beaver Fever

Posted May 14, 2012

Last week we caught a baby snapping turtle in the pond for the first time. Today we had a beaver swimming around in the pond! The Laurel Creek pond is smaller than an elementary school gym, so it probably can’t support a beaver family, but this is probably a juvenile. When a beaver family has new pups in the […]

Oh snap!

Posted May 9, 2012

We’ve never caught a snapping turtle in the pond at Laurel Creek before, but here is a little baby that grade 9 students from Elmira District  snagged this afternoon.

THANK YOU PETER!

Posted May 9, 2012

today at the Blair park (Outdoor Education Centre) we went down by the water we got 6 water striders, 2 darner dragonfly nymph,3 gomphus dragonfly nymph,1 damselfly nymph,4 mayfly nymph,1 ord snail,2 spiral snail. we had the best time here at Blair park (OEC) also today I got a cray fish and a Nimo. By […]

Giant water bug

Posted May 9, 2012

Giant water bug runs from a net to a bucket full of nature Amy Cameron heights

Students take on Invasive Species

Posted May 8, 2012

Grade 7 students from Lester B. Pearson Public School help remove garlic mustard – an invasive plant species – from the property at the Blair OEEC. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on it’s Problem Weed of the Month site describes garlic mustard as…  “the “purple loosestrife” of woodlands and fencerows. It […]

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