This book is chosen by Mark Bisset, executive director of the Couchiching ConservancyIn Never Home Alone, author Rob Dunn takes you on a domestic adventure that is as diverse in its ideas as the subject he tackles.The sub-heading of the book is a tidy summary of the trip inside your home: “From microbes to millipedes,…
Activities
JUNE NATURE BOOK OF THE MONTH-INHERITORS OF THE EARTH by CHRIS THOMAS
This book is chosen by Mary Mick, Life member of ONC.When you think of The Anthropocene, do you focus on all the damage human beings have wrought on the natural world…pollution, climate change, deforestation and, of course, extinction (sometimes referred to as The Sixth Extinction)? Then, you will find Inheritors of the Earth, “provocative” and…
MAY BOOK OF THE MONTH- A DANCE OF CRANES BY STEVE BURROWS
This book was chosen by Marilyn Clark, our Vice President A DANCE OF CRANES: A Birder Murder Mystery By Steve Burrows . This sixth book (published in 2019) in the Birder Murder Mystery series was intriguing from the start. It is set on two continents and there are two intertwined storylines. One features some…
APRIL NATURE BOOK OF THE MONTH - The soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Heather Ewing, The membership Chair of ONC presented this book: Have you ever wondered if you were smarter than an octopus? Or, have you wondered how these animals interact with their environment, make decisions, solve puzzles, or just live their lives?Sy Montgomery spent time learning about these mysterious creatures by going behind the scenes of…
QUIZ NIGHT MARCH 4, 2020
On March 4 at the Orillia Museum of Art and History, the Orillia Naturalists’ had its second annual Quiz night – again a fun time, lots of laughs and we learned a few things.There were 28 people, divided randomly into 7 teams, (as well as the three organizers).Sue Deadman, Denis Paccagnella and Nancy Ironside organized…
Feb15,2020 Snowshoe or X-Country at the Hermitage
About 20 people arrived at the Hermitage, in Oro-Medonte for a winter outing. Some came early and left early, some came early and left late. Groups and couples skied, snowshoed or walked the trails, sometimes only part of the trail, sometimes all of the trail, and some did the trail twice. Some just sat…
WILDFLOWERS OF SIMCOE COUNTY FEBRUARY 5 ,2020
Dave Hawk chatted with some members of the audience On Wednesday February 5, Dave Hawke, author, writer, and Stewardship Program Manager, for the Couchiching Conservatory showed us beautiful photos of some of his favourite flora which are naturally occurring in Simcoe County, a county with very diverse habitats.For those who knew…
BATS MYSTERIOUS AND MISUNDERSTOOD January 8, 2020
Tanya Clark, Matt Thompson and Rob Laidlaw The Orillia Naturalists heard Rob Laidlaw make a pitch for the much- maligned bat. Rob is a veteran of animal advocacy worldwide, and author of several award- winning children’s books promoting animal advocacy (including “Bat Citizens – Defending the Ninjas of the Night”). He held the attention of…
Christmas Bird count, pot luck supper and tally, December 14, 2019
FAQ: How was the bird count? Answer: surprisingly good.The weather was challenging at times, among the worst since we started in 2005, but the participants reported that it was fun.There were 9 teams with a total of 39 people out in the field searching. We had 51 bird species and 3998 birds. Total birds were…
The Life and Times of the Common Loon November 6/19
Mark Peck, Manager of the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity at the Royal Ontario Museum, spoke to the Orillia Naturalists’ Club on November 6, at the Orillia Museum of Art and History. He started at the ROM in 1993, but has been active in many other projects, all connected to his passion for birds. His subject…
BEST PLACES TO BIRD IN ONTARIO with Mike Burrell October 2/19
The Orillia Naturalists’ Club was treated to a summary of a book co-authored by the presenter, Mike Burrell, at the recent Club monthly meeting. Mike hails from Waterloo, Ontario and has a very busy life in the birding community with such activities as being Zoologist for the Ontario Natural Heritage Center, co-ordinator for ebird in…
Sunday, September 29, 2019 COPELAND FOREST
It was a beautiful fall day when 6 of us walked about 4 km around a small loop in the Copeland Forest management area. This 4400 acre area is managed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forest and is a multi-use forest. We saw bike riders, horse riders, mushroom hunters and dog walkers. We…