FIELD GUIDE TO THE OCDSB OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRES Winter 2014-2015 BILL MASON AND MACSKIMMING OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE “Getting Students Outside” Program Through a generous donation from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, OCDSB Outdoor Education Centres will be offering an OCDSB elementary school’s Grade 1 class, a Forest School Canada based field trip series at MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre. The objective of this project is to give elementary students an opportunity to explore the forests at MacSkimming Centre one morning a week over a period of 9 week period by using the Forest School Canada concepts. The Forest School Canada’s concept involves inquiry and place-based education which taps into the local environment to teach numerous curriculum subjects by exploring, learning by doing and outdoor free play. The program will be delivered by OCDSB Outdoor Education Centre educational staff who are certified with the Forest Schools program and are familiar with what the centre’s forest has to offer. Participating students in this program, will be encouraged to use problem solving skills and think strategically by engaging in exploratory, social and creative play. TD Friends of the Environment Foundation have made possible so there will be no cost to the students attending this program. For more information about Forest Schools Canada: www.forestschoolcanada.ca Construction has started at Bill Mason Centre On November 17th, construction started on the Bill Mason Centre field house located at West Carleton Secondary School. This two classroom building was donated by Tamarack Homes and is being built by DeMarco Construction. The field house will be available to visiting classes for the Fall 2015. FIELD GUIDE TO THE OCDSB OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRES Ottawa Field Naturalist’s Fungus Inventory at the “Open Trails” During MacSkimming’s “open house” event on October 4th, Ottawa Field Naturalist Club leader Myron Smith lead a large group of very curious people through the forests of MacSkimming Centre in search for fungus. The purpose of this event was to gain knowledge of different types of mushrooms ) at Centre MacSkimming ) and fungi, and understand the role that fungi play in the environment. Even though it was a very wet day, Myron Smith, a genetics professor at Carleton University was able to help the group find, identify and collect a great amount of fungal diversity. Thank you to Myron Smith, Brett Stevens, Jessica Sutton and the Ottawa Field Naturalist Club volunteers for organizing this event. Here is a list of just a few of the fungi that the Ottawa Field Naturalist Club Pycnoporus cinnabarinus Pycnoporus and participants collected and identified on October 4th at MacSkimming Centre: Sparassis crispa (Eastern Cauliflower Fungus) Hericium americanum Leccinum scabrum Pholiota aurivella Scutellinia scutellata (Eyelash Fungus) Hygrocybe coccinea Tender nesting bracket fungi Lepiota acutesquamosa Cinnabar ( fungus Polypore Panellus serotinus Clavicorona pyxidata Stemonitis (a ‘slime mold’ – not a true fungus) (Crown Coral) Coprinus comatus . Village collection in fungus group discussing and Cortinarius iodes Leotia viscosa (Jelly Babies) During the Open Clavariadelphus ligula (Strap-shaped Coral) Trails event at SmithMyron Pseudohydnum gelatinosum MacSkimming Centre on October 4th, the Turkey Tails – this species is being used in breast cancer research. centres received Armillaria with ‘rhizomorphs’ – they look like black shoelaces. $122.98 in donations Information collected by Jessica Sutton is a 2nd-year student from the University for the Education of Ottawa, studying Environmental Studies and Biology. Foundation of Ottawa https://ofnc.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/mushrooms-of-macskimming On October 3rd, Lisgar Collegiate Institute Grade 9 students found a northern two-lined salamander with a removed tail during their Sustainability of Ecosystems program at MacSkimming Centre. The specimen was identified by Instructor David Deyette and confirmed by local herpetologist David Seburn. This is the first northern two-lined salamander found and identified at the MacSkimming Centre. Northern two-lined salamanders are typically found in streams. During the summer, this small salamander leaves the water and moves into the forest to forage through the leaf litter for invertebrates.. Ducks Unlimited‘s Wetland Education Workshop at Mud Lake On November 14th, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the OCDSB Outdoor Education Centres staff worked together and ran a wetland education workshop for Nepean High School and West Carleton Secondary School students as part of the Wetland Centre of Excellence Program at Mud Lake and Regina Street Public School. This education initiative program offers secondary students from Nepean High School and West Carleton Secondary School, an opportunity to become involved in hands-on action projects and to become advocates for the environment through the delivery of interactive wetland field trip for OCDSB grade 4 students at both OCDSB Outdoor Education Centres. The objective of the workshop was to provide training to the secondary students in interpretative techniques, wetland plant and animal identification, classroom management, how to run and debrief active educational games. This coming spring, both secondary schools will be offering the Ducks Unlimited’s Wetland Centre of Excellence Program at both OCDSB Outdoor Education Centres to OCDSB Grade 4 students. During the November 14th workshop, Regina Street P.S. Grade 4/5 students gave a great interpretative tour of Mud Lake to the secondary school students. The secondary students were stunned on the enthusiasm and knowledge of the Grade 4/5 students which they have learned about Mud Lake from their weekly visits to this wetland. A special thank you to Principal Rob James, John Cameron and Adam Bradley for accommodating this wetland education workshop into their busy school! If your Grade 4 class is interested in participating in this wetland program this spring, please contact Ducks Unlimited Canada by email at: [email protected] At the Centres, Winter is called: “The Tracking Season !” Direction of travel White-tailed Deer Wild Turkey Snowshoe Hare Eastern Coyote Voices of the Land Workshop This past September, the Voices of the Land workshop ran at MacSkimming Centre ‘s Pioneer Village for OCDSB elementary teachers. This active outdoor workshop explored language, art, technology and culture for connecting children to the local landscape & to foster a love for the natural world. The workshop was facilitated and organized in partnership with the Monarch Teacher Network of Canada, Toronto & Region Conservation for the Living City and OCDSB Curriculum Services. Pictures taken by Willy Waterton Bill Mason Centre’s “Open Trails” event will take place on May 2nd 2015. D. Roy Kennedy’s Ichneumon wasp ! Taken by Daniel Boulanger What happened this fall at the Centres! On September 8th, D. Roy Kennedy Grade 8 students watched a giant ichneumon wasp burrow its abdomen into a log during their team-building program at MacSkimming Centre. On September 19th, City of Ottawa’s Public Health technicians came to MacSkimming Centre to search for black-footed ticks. They found no ticks but they did find a large amount of Asian pumpkin ladybugs. September 26th, Nepean High School’s “Green Learning” SHSM students tracked a moose during their wildlife management program at MacSkimming Centre. On October 1st, the Cumberland Lady Institute found a poplar petiole gall moth inside a large-toothed aspen leaf at MacSkimming Centre. spotted salamander On October 20th, Roland Mitchener P.S. Junior Kindergarten class help - build a giant squirrel dray at Bill Mason Centre. On October 22nd, Cambridge Street Public School Grade 6 students went star gazing as part of The Weston Family Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow Program at MacSkimming Centre. On October 28th, Turnbull School’s Grade 7 students got a close-look at a short-tailed weasel during their Interactions with Ecosystems program at Bill Oliver Instructor Marni by Picture taken Mason Centre. On October 30th, Featherston Drive P.S.’s Grade 4 students found a very large blue-spotted salamander while exploring the forest at MacSkimming. blue Featherston Drive P.S. On November 7th, Cedarview M.S. Grade 7 students found evidence of an old forest fire while exploring the forest at Bill Mason Centre On November 20th, Glashan P.S. Grade 7 students tracked an American red squirrel to its larder where it grabbed a pine cone. They followed the fresh tracks to the squirrel’s midden. On November 17th, Jack Donahue Grade 3's had fun 'map-reading' in the snow. Snow angels were in abundance and a few snowmen popped up along the trails of Bill Mason Centre. On November 21st, Osgoode Township High School teachers safely navigated a river of hot chocolate on blue marshmallows as part of their Professional Development Day at MacSkimming Centre. On December 4th, Roberta Bondar Public School Grade 6 students looked at the full moon through a telescope as part of The Weston Family Environmental Leaders of Tomorrow Program at MacSkimming Centre. Meet the People of the Centres Kathrin Ehrmann is a volunteer at MacSkimming Centre. She volunteers twice a week to help with delivering programs and maintaining the site. Originally from Germany, she is every interested in learning about the plants and animals found in and around the Centre. She has a background in Forest Schools and will be helping with the program starting in March