Number 612 May 2015

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) in . Photo: Wendy Rothwell. See p. 2

REGULARS FEATURES

Coming Events 25 Volunteer Opportunities 9, 11, 18 Extracts from Outings Reports 13, 27 20 For Reading Nominating Committee Report 13 21 From the Archives Wildflowers: Poppy Family 15 23 In the News Results of TFN Membership Survey 16 Keeping in Touch 20 Mushroom “Root System” and Amanitas 19 Monthly Meetings Notice 3 Biological Inventories in the Toronto 21 Monthly Meeting Report 14 Watershed President’s Report 12 TFN Grant Reports: Toronto Botanical 22 TFN Outings 4 Gardens and Toronto Wildlife Centre Weather – This Time Last Year 24 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 27 TFN 612-2 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

Toronto Field Naturalist is published by the Toronto Field BOARD OF DIRECTORS Naturalists, a charitable, non-profit organization, the aims of which are to stimulate public interest in natural history and President & to encourage the preservation of our natural heritage. Issued Monthly Lectures Nancy Dengler monthly September to December and February to May. Past-President & Outings Margaret McRae Views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those Vice-President, Nature Charles Bruce- of the editor or Toronto Field Naturalists. The Newsletter is Reserves & Outings Thompson printed on 100% recycled paper. Secretary-Treasurer Charles Crawford Communications Alexander Cappell ISSN 0820-636X Newsletter & Membership Vivienne Denton Nature Arts Joanne Doucette IT’S YOUR NEWSLETTER! Outreach Stephen Kamnitzer We welcome contributions of original writing on nature Webmaster & Newsletter Lynn Miller (short or long, but no more than 500 words). We also Monthly Lectures & Grants Lavinia Mohr welcome reports, reviews, poems, sketches, paintings and Audit & Finance Anne Powell digital photographs. Please include “Newsletter” in the subject line when sending by email, or on the envelope if sent by mail. MEMBERSHIP FEES $20 YOUTH (under 26) Please re-name digital photographs with the subject and $30 SENIOR SINGLE (65+) your name (abbreviations ok); scale your photos to less than $40 SINGLE, SENIOR FAMILY (2 adults, 65+) 200kb each. In the accompanying email include location, $50 FAMILY (2 adults – same address, children included) date and any interesting story or other information associated with the photograph. No HST. Tax receipts issued for donations. Send membership

Deadline for submissions for September, August 4 fees and address changes to the TFN office. Please note: TFN does not give out its membership list. NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE Jenny Bull (co-editor), Vivienne Denton, Karin Fawthrop, Toronto Field Naturalists 1519-2 Carlton St, Toronto M5B 1J3 Nancy Fredenburg, Elisabeth Gladstone, Judy Marshall, Lynn Miller, Toshi Oikawa, Wendy Rothwell (co-editor). Tel: 416-593-2656 Web: www.torontofieldnaturalists.org Printing and mailing: Perkins Services Inc. Email: [email protected]

Note: The TFN office is open on Fridays from 9:30 am to noon.

ON THE COVER Note from the Editors:

This photo of harebells was taken by Wendy Rothwell in This is the last issue of the newsletter for the 2014 High Park where it is grown up in park greenhouses and -2015 year. We welcome Lynn Miller onto the planted in savannah restoration. It is often available at Editorial Committee. Lynn has undertaken to High Park’s Native Plant Sale held every May. organize our ever-growing collection of digital

Harebell is native to northern Europe (including the U.K.) images as well as prepare items for In The News. and North America. It is a member of the bellflower Thanks to all our committee members for their family, Campanulaceae. Its genus name Campanula is proofreading efforts, especially for making sure for its bell-shaped flowers and its that members will arrive at the correct time and species name rotundifolia is for its place for TFN’s many outings. round basal leaves which have often withered away by the time the Thanks also to everyone who has contributed plant flowers. The leaves on the articles, notices, information, drawings and flowering stems are small and photos. This is your newsletter! Please linear. remember to send us your writing about nature - whether a short anecdote or a series of articles. See TFN newsletter 597 (Sept Drawings, paintings and photographs are always 2013) for an article on the bellfower welcome too. See you in September! family in Toronto by Peter Money

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-3

TFN MEETING

Sunday, May 3, 2015, 2:30 pm

Toronto’s Urban Forests

Janet McKay, Executive Director, LEAF will bring us up to date on the state of Toronto’s forests

VISITORS WELCOME!

SOCIAL: 2:00 – 2:30 pm Due to high cost, TFN has stopped providing beverages. You are welcome to bring your own and to take them into the lecture room.

Room 003, Northrop Frye Hall,

73 Queen's Park Cres East

Immediately southeast of Emmanuel College, south of the Museum subway station exit on the east side of Queen’s Park. Enter on either the west or north side of the building. The west entrance is wheelchair accessible. For information: call 416-593-2656 up to noon on the Friday preceding the lecture.

TFN Lectures 2015 – 2016

Sept 13 Your Pane is their Pain – Preventing Birds from Crashing into Windows Michael Mesure, Executive Director, Fatal Light Awareness Program

Oct 4 Ashbridge’s Bay: The Natural and Human History of a Wetland Joanne Doucette, author and naturalist

Nov 1 Participatory Research: Roads, Citizen Science and the War on Science. Dave Ireland, Managing Director, Biodiversity, Royal Museum

Dec 6 Biomimicry: Learning from Nature’s Designs Richard Aaron, nature educator

Feb 7 Historic Changes to the Flora of the Toronto Area Gavin Miller, Toronto Region Conservation Authority Biologist

Mar 6 Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights: A Citizen’s Toolkit for Change Ellen Schwartzel, Deputy Commissioner, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario

Apr 3 Ontario’s Badgers Josh Sayers, Ontario Badger Project

May 1 Ontario’s Orchids: Perpetual Beauty Worth All Costs Tom Shields, Southern Ontario Orchid Society

TFN 612-4 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

TFN OUTINGS

 TFN events are conducted by unpaid volunteers.  The club assumes no responsibility for injuries sustained by anyone participating in our activities.  Children and visitors are welcome at all TFN events. Children must be accompanied by an adult.  If you plan to bring children in a stroller, be aware that there may be steps or other unsuitable terrain.  Please do not bring pets.  To get to outings on time, check TTC routes and schedules (www.ttc.ca or 416-393-4636).  Outings go rain or shine: check the weather by calling 416-661-0123 so you will know what to wear.  Wear appropriate footwear for walking on trails which may be muddy, steep or uneven.

Sat WILKET CREEK PARK – Trilliums and Spring Nature Walk May 2 Leader: Mary Taylor 1:30 pm Meet at the northwest corner of Eglinton Ave E and Leslie St. This area features an impressive population of white trilliums along with other interesting spring wildflowers, and is also an interesting area for migrating birds.

Sun LECTURE – TORONTO’S URBAN FORESTS May 3 Speaker: Janet McKay, Executive Director, LEAF 2:30 pm Room 003, Northrop Frye Hall, 73 Queen’s Park Cres E. See page 3.

Mon NINTH ANNUAL JANE JACOBS WALK – Evening Ramble May 4 Leaders: Pleasance Crawford and Helen Juhola 6:45 pm Meet at the north end of Glencairn subway station, on the south side of Glencairn Ave. This walk honours the late Jane Jacobs on the anniversary of her birth. Walk includes neighbourhoods near Allen Rd, then Ben Nobleman Park, Everden Rd and and Ravine. It ends at St Clair West subway station. Duration 2 hours. Bring binoculars.

Tues ROUGE VALLEY – Birds and Spring Nature Walk May 5 Leader: Stephen Kamnitzer 10:00 am Meet at the parking lot for Rouge Park campground, 7459 Kingston Rd, 1 km east of Port Union Rd and Sheppard Ave E. Call Stephen at if you need a ride. Bring binoculars and lunch. Duration 3 to 4 hours. Easy walking on level terrain.

Sat EAST DON PARKLANDS – Spring Wildflower Forest Walk May 9 Leader: Phil Goodwin 10:00 am Meet at Second Cup, Steeles Ave E and Laureleaf Rd, halfway between Bayview Ave and Leslie St. Morning only.

Sun AGGIE'S WILDFLOWER WALK – Nature Walk – Humber Heritage Committee May 10 Leader: Madeleine McDowell 1:30 pm Meet at Lambton House, 4066 Old Dundas St. Rediscover the world of Agnes Dunbar Moodie Fitzgibbon, daughter of Susanna Moodie and illustrator of Canadian Wildflowers (published in 1867). All of Aggie's specimens were from the Baby Point and Humber Valley area. Many of these flowers still survive in the Magwood Sanctuary. Approx 2 hrs ending at Lambton House for tea and a talk about Agnes.

Tues THE BELTLINE – Nature Walk May 12 Leader: John Bacher 10:00 am Meet at Davisville subway station for a circular walk. Morning only.

Wed TORONTO WATERFRONT AND GARDENS – Evening Ramble May 13 Leader: Peter Iveson 6:45 pm Meet at the northwest corner of Bathurst St and Queen’s Quay W beside the war memorial in . Walk will conclude at the Music Garden.

Sat LOWER DON WATERSHED – Spring Ramble May 16 Leader: Ed Freeman 10:00 am Meet at Davisville subway station. We will walk to the Evergreen Brickworks for lunch and on to for those wishing spring flowers. Crothers Woods has some narrow, hilly dirt trails. Bring lunch and water.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-5

Sun GARRISON CREEK AND SPRING CREEK INTERFLUVE () – Lost Rivers May 17 Leader: Richard Anderson 2:00 pm Meet at the northwest corner of Dundas St W and Sterling Rd to see the ecological restoration of a disused rail corridor, repurposed as a . A joint outing with Toronto Green Community.

Mon – Birds, Insects and Plants May 18 Leader: Bob Kortright 10:00 am Meet at the park entrance at Leslie St and Unwin Ave. Bring binoculars and lunch. A joint outing with the Toronto Club.

Thurs ASHBRIDGE'S BAY – Birds May 21 Leader: Tessa Edward 10:00 am Meet at the southwest corner of Lake Shore Blvd E and Coxwell Ave. Bring binoculars. Morning only. If it’s a nice day we can do a picnic lunch afterwards. Easy walking.

Sat WILKET CREEK AND – Nature Walk May 23 Leader: Ken Sproule 10:00 am Meet in the parking lot at the entrance to Wilket Creek Park on Leslie St just north of Eglinton Ave E for a 2½ hour walk. We will end at the log cabin (former TFN Nature Information Centre) for Doors Open Toronto. Some hill climbing will be involved.

Sun TODMORDEN MILLS WILDFLOWER PRESERVE – Nature Walk May 24 Leaders: Vivienne Denton and Paula Davies 1:30 pm Meet at the entrance to the Wildflower Preserve at Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Rd. Come early to tour the historic buildings at Doors Open Toronto. We will look for signs of spring wildlife.

Tues GOLDIE FELDMAN NATURE RESERVE, KING TOWNSHIP – Nature Walk May 26 Leader: Charles Chaffey 10:00 am Meet at the south exit of York Mills subway station for car pooling. Bring lunch and water. This is the reserve that TFN helped the Nature Conservancy of to purchase. They have put in a new trail and a bench dedicated to TFN.

Wed WYCHWOOD PARK – Evening Ramble May 27 Leader: Rachel Gottesman 6:30 pm Meet at the southwest corner of Bathurst St and Alcina Ave (accessible by 7 Bathurst bus). We will look for spring birds and trees.

Sat CROTHERS WOODS – Nature Walk May 30 Leader: Margaret McRae 10:00 am Meet at the northeast corner of Beechwood Dr and O'Connor Dr just west of Pape Ave. Walk is partly on narrow dirt trails with some steep hills. About 2½ hours. No washrooms.

Sun HIGH PARK – Trees May 31 Leader: Bohdan Kowalyk 1:30 pm Meet at the park entrance at Bloor St W and High Park Ave for a circular walk. The wild lupins should be in bloom.

Sunnybrook Park Cabin Open House May 23 & 24, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

Please join other TFN members for an Open House at the Sunnybrook Park Cabin on Saturday and Sunday, May 23 & 24, from 10 am to 4 pm. On May 23, TFN member Ken Sproule will lead a TFN outing in Sunnybrook Park that will end at the cabin (see above). Other TFN volunteers are conducting nature walks for the general public as part of the Doors Open Toronto event. The cabin is on the Sunnybrook Park access road off Leslie St, about half way between Wilket Creek and Sunnybrook TFN Nature Centre, Sunnybrook Park Stables. drawn by Geraldine Goodwin

TFN 612-6 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

Wed ROUGE CAMPGROUND – Birds June 3 Leaders: Jim and Petra Grass 10:00 am Meet at the parking lot for Rouge Park campground, 7459 Kingston Road, 1 km east of Port Union Road and Sheppard Ave E. Bring binoculars. A 2-3 hour circular walk on level terrain.

Thurs AND BEYOND – Evening Ramble June 4 Leader: Richard Partington 6:45 pm Meet at the bus stop at Cherry St and Commissioners St for a circular walk. Take the bus from Pape subway station or from King St and York St or King St and Yonge St. Due to unpredictable road works in the area, please check with the TTC beforehand. Bring binoculars. Easy walking.

Sat SCAVENGER HUNT FOR FLOWERS – Nature Arts June 6 Leaders: Joanne Doucette and Nola McConnan 10:00 am A mini-workshop (10-20 minutes) then sketching and/or photographing in the neighbourhood. We will be meeting in a naturalized back yard, complete with pond, a coffee pot, a shelter and free parking. We will be within a couple of hundred feet of an extremely challenging descent into the Charles Sauriol Reserve. There is a limit of 12 participants. Please pre-register by June 4th by e-mailing or by leaving a message at the TFN Office. Bring your lunch and art materials such as pencil, pen, pastels, water colour, hardback sketchbook and paper and/or camera. Free parking. The 91A Woodbine north bus stops at the corner.

Sun HUMBER MARSHES – Nature Walk June 7 Leader: James Eckenwalder, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Biology, U of T 1:30 pm Meet at Old Mill subway station for an exploration of floodplain dynamics and riparian communities. Moderately steep slope down to and back up from the floodplain and no convenient washrooms. We recommend long sleeves and long pants.

Tues BURKE BROOK – Evening Ramble June 9 Leader: Nancy Dengler 6:30 pm Meet in front of Locke Library at Yonge St and Lawrence Ave E for a circular walk along the upper reaches of Burke Brook. Paved, gravel and dirt paths, slopes and stairs.

Thurs ST GEORGE STREET – Trees and Architecture II June 11 Leader: Richard Partington 1:00 pm Meet at the northwest corner of St George St and College St. We will wind our way to Hoskin/Harbord through the U of T campus noting things of arboreal and architectural interest. Bring binoculars. 2½ hours.

Sat WINDFIELDS PARK – Nature walk June 13 Leader: Nancy Dengler 9:30 am Meet at the southeast corner of York Mills Rd and Bayview Ave for a walk through the northern section of Wilket Creek ravine as far south as Post Rd. 2 hours. Bring water and snack. Paved trails and level dirt path.

Sun WEST DEANE & HEATHERCREST PARKS – Nature and History in Remnant Rural Setting June 14 Leaders: Brian Yawney & Michael Bielecki 1:30 pm Meet at West Deane Park parking lot on the west side of Martin Grove Rd just north of Rathburn Rd. Bus 48 from Royal York subway station stops there. Allow 1 hr from Yonge St. By car: Hwy 427 to Rathburn Rd east, then Martin Grove Rd north; or Hwy 401, exit at Martin Grove south to the bottom of the hill after the third light south of Eglinton Ave. By bicycle, use routes 18W & 7N or 22W & 7S. Allow 2–3 hrs for a generally flat, loop walk with some dirt track. A washroom is available at the parking lot. Bring water.

Wed PORT UNION – Nature Walk June 17 Leader: Karin Fawthrop 9:30 am Meet at Rouge Hill GO station for a circular walk about 2½ to 3 hrs. There’s a new additional parking lot on Port Union Rd. Bring binoculars and lunch. Easy walking

Thurs TOMLIN'S CREEK – Evening Ramble June 18 Leader: Linda McCaffrey 6:45 pm Meet at southwest corner of Main St and Gerrard St E to trace the course of this former creek. Linear walk ending at Kingston Rd and Woodbine Ave. Easy walking.

Sat TAYLOR MASSEY CREEK – Nature Walk June 20 Leader: Tessa Edward 1:30 pm Meet at the eastbound bus stop at O’Connor Dr and Glenwood Cres just across the Woodbine Bridge. Will end at St Clair Ave E and Warden Ave.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-7

Sun DALLINGTON POLLINATOR GARDEN, LOST SOMER CREEK, EAST DON RIVER – Lost Rivers June 21 Leaders: Helen Mills, Wendy Colman and friends. 2 pm Meet at Shaughnessy Blvd and Leith Hill Rd, near Don Mills Rd and Sheppard Ave E. A joint outing with Toronto Green Community.

Tues COLONEL SAMUEL SMITH PARK – Nature Walk June 23 Leader: Kerry Adams 10:00 am Meet outside Tim Horton’s on Samuel Smith Park Dr just south of Lake Shore Blvd W and Kipling Ave. Bring binoculars. Morning only.

Wed CEDARVALE RAVINE – Evening Ramble June 24 Leader: Alex Wellington 6:30 pm Meet at the northeast corner of Bathurst St and St Clair Ave W to enter the ravine at Tichester Rd, ending at Eglinton Ave W near Marlee Ave.

Sat GLENDON RAVINE – Nature Walk June 27 Leader: Nancy Dengler 9:30 am Meet at the southeast corner of Lawrence Ave E and Bayview Ave for a circular walk through the Glendon ravine, Sunnybrook Park and Burke Brook ravine. Stairs into ravine, steep slope coming out. 2½ hrs. Bring water and snack. We hope to see Baltimore checker spot butterflies.

Sun CROTHERS WOODS – Nature Walk June 28 Leader: Margaret McRae 1:30 pm Meet at the northeast corner of O’Connor Dr and Beechwood Dr for a circular walk on winding sometimes steep dirt trails.

Tues THREE NORTH YORK VALLEYS – Nature Walk June 30 Leader: Alexander Cappell 1:30 pm Meet at the southwest corner of Steeles Ave E and Laureleaf Rd ( halfway between Bayview and Leslie) to see Bestview Creek flow into German Mills Creek and the latter into the East Don River as we go past an abandoned dam and through a re-naturalized wetland on our way to a new section of the Finch hydro corridor bike trail, which leads to the coffee shop at Cummer Ave and Bayview Ave. No stairs. Some slopes, not too steep.

FOR ENJOYMENT OF OUTINGS

Wide brimmed hat for protection from sun Long sleeves for protection from mosquitoes, poison ivy, thistles, nettles and ticks Long pants for protection from mosquitoes, poison ivy, thistles and ticks (tuck your shirt into your pants) Light-coloured clothing makes it easier to spot ticks Long socks to help protect you from ticks (tuck your pant legs into the socks) Hiking boots or running shoes Rainwear Sun glasses, sun screen and insect repellent Binoculars and camera Water or other beverage and a snack TTC Ride Guide (free), map, notebook and pen

Bring your family and/or friends, but ... NO pets allowed Northern mocking bird photographed by June West

TFN 612-8 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

Thurs GLEN STEWART RAVINE AND EASTERN BEACHES – Evening Ramble July 2 Leader: Bob Kortright 6:45 pm Meet at the parkette on Beech Ave 50 metres south of Kingston Rd to view birds, bugs and plants. Ending on Queen St. Bring binoculars. Some descending stairs and moderate slopes.

Sat WILDFLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY IN HIGH PARK – Nature Arts July 4 Leader: Wendy Rothwell 9:00 am Meet near the park entrance at High Park Ave and Bloor St W. Bring camera. We will spend a couple of hours photographing wildflowers in various areas of the park and exchanging tips about light, composition and digital exposure. Bring a snack if you wish, and any work you would like to share with the group.

Sun EASTERN LAKESHORE RAMBLE – Nature Walk July 5 Leader: Ed Freeman 1:00 pm Meet at the corner of Ravine Dr and Kingston Rd. We will walk down to the lakeshore and along to the Guild Inn property. (102 bus from Warden station stops at Ravine Drive.)

Tues LAMBTON PARK AND THE HUMBER – Heritage July 7 Leader: Madeleine McDowell 10:00 am Meet at Lambton House, 4066 Old Dundas St. (55 bus from Jane station at 9:44 am stops at the door.) We will look at changes in the landscape and the indigenous plants and trees. Bring lunch. We will stop at Lambton House for tea and our lunches and can end there or continue to Old Mill subway station.

Wed NORDHEIMER RAVINE – Birds and Trees – Evening Ramble July 8 Leader: Rachel Gottesman 6:30 pm Meet at the south side of St Clair Ave W between Bathurst St and Spadina Rd in front of the exit for the St Clair West subway station.

Sat CEDARVALE RAVINE TO BELTLINE – Nature Walk July 11 Leader: Kayoko Smith 10:00 am Meet at St Clair West subway station on north side of St Clair W near Loblaws entrance for a 3½ hr walk to view local history of Cedarvale and nature of surrounding area. Bring water and snack. Finish at Davisville Ave and Yonge St.

Sun ETOBICOKE VALLEY PARK – Nature Walk July 12 Leader: Ken Sproule 1:30 pm Meet in the parking lot at the east side of for a 2½ hour walk. Take the 508 Lake Shore streetcar or the GO train to Long Branch. Walk down 42nd St to the parking lot. Level ground on mostly paved paths.

Tues TAYLOR CREEK – Nature Walk July 14 Leader: Charles Chaffey 10:00 am Meet at Victoria Park subway station, north entrance, for a circular walk. Bring binoculars. Lunch optional.

Thurs LESLIEVILLE – Evening Ramble July 16 Leader: Linda McCaffrey 6:45 pm Meet at Greenwood subway station for a linear walk through historic Leslieville ending near the Ashbridge house on Queen St E. Easy walking.

Sat FORKS OF THE DON – Nature Walk July 18 Leader: Margaret McRae 10:00 am Meet at the northeast corner of Beechwood Dr and O’Connor Dr for a circular walk to the Forks of the Don. Bring lunch and drinking water. Some dirt paths and tricky terrain.

Sun THE WRECK OF THE ALEXANDRIA: 100th ANNIVERSARY – Lost Rivers July 19 Leader: John Wilson 2:00 pm Meet at the southwest corner of Bellamy Rd and Kingston Rd. A circular walk. Hear stories of daring rescue from M Jane Fairburn, author of Along the Shore. A joint outing with Toronto Green Community.

Tues LAVENDER CREEK AND SMYTHE PARK – Nature & Heritage July 21 Leader: Madeleine McDowell 10:00 am Meet at the northwest corner of Gunns Rd and Weston Rd, 2 stops north of St Clair Ave W. Bring lunch. We will go to Scarlett Rd and back, ending at Jane St and Alliance Ave.

Thurs FOREST HILL/SPADINA DITCH – Evening Ramble July 23 Leader: Linda McCaffrey 6:45 pm Meet at St Clair West subway station (north exit) to explore the lovely ravine that was almost an expressway and an interesting corner of the village.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-9

LYME DISEASE

Toronto Public Health has recently warned that the City and its surrounding areas have growing populations of ticks that are infected with Lyme Disease. Prevention is better than cure! Take measures to protect yourself.

Visit Toronto Public Health’s website and check out their Lyme Disease Fact Sheet or go to the Communicable Diseases section of the website and click on Lyme Disease (the prevention tab has lots of suggestions). Or call 416-338-7600 for information. See also Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation: www.canlyme.com/lyme- basics/

See also page 23 IN THE NEWS

Sat AND THE WEST DON RIVER -- Nature Walk July 25 Leader: Michael Charendoff 11:00 am Meet at the southeast corner of Bathurst St and Sheppard Ave W for a 2 hr walk alongside the West Don River, through Earl Bales Park on hilly trails, ending at Bathurst St and Sheppard Ave W.

Sun L'AMOREUAX NORTH PARK AND PASSMORE FOREST – Nature Walk July 26 Leader: Jason Ramsay-Brown 1:00 pm Meet at the southwest corner of the parking lot at L'Amoreaux Community Recreation Centre (2000 McNicoll Ave) by the steep staircase down to the park. Learn about local history and natural heritage as we take a 2 km circular walk around the pond and through Passmore Forest. Some short inclines and uneven trails. Bring water, camera, binoculars, and a snack if you like.

Tues GUILDWOOD PARK TO DORIS MCCARTHY TRAIL – History and Local Lore July 28 Leader: Linda McCaffrey 10:00 am Meet at the parking lot at the Guild Inn (201 Guildwood Parkway) for a lovely circular walk down to the lake, westerly along the shore, taking in the wreck of the Alexandria. Then up through Gates Gully to the Pine Ridge and along the parks and streets at the top of the Bluffs back to Guildwood. Bring water and lunch. About 3½ hrs. Some moderately steep slopes.

Wed JIM BAILLIE NATURE RESERVE – Nature Walk July 29 Leader: Miles Hearn 9:00 am Meet at the gates to the JBNR at 10 am. The ride takes about an hour or a bit more. Return to Toronto by about 4 pm. Bring lunch, water and binoculars. Sturdy footwear, insect repellent and long sleeves/pants all recommended. Can be very muddy and quite rough going in parts. Please contact Charles Bruce-Thompson ( ) by July 26 to arrange car-pooling to the Reserve, north of Uxbridge. State your name, telephone num- ber, whether you can offer rides and for how many, or if you need a ride. Give your approximate location in order to arrange a convenient rendezvous.

Thurs MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY– Evening Ramble July 30 Leader: Roger Powley 7:00 pm Meet outside Davisville subway station. End at Tim Horton's at Yonge St and St Clair Ave E. Bring binoculars.

Volunteer leaders needed for outreach outings

TFN will be offering a number of walks for outside groups this summer in addition to our regular outings. These will cover 12 different wards in the City. Please let us know if you would like to lead a walk in your neighbourhood for people unfamiliar with nature and our trails.

We also plan to offer nature walks for visitors to the Pan Am games in July.

Please advise Margaret McRae at or if you are interested in leading or helping with any of these walks.

TFN 612-10 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

Sat MUSIC GARDEN – Nature Arts Aug 1 Leaders: Joe Bernaske and Yoshie Nagata 10:30 am Meet at the northwest corner of Lower Spadina Ave and Queens Quay W. Bring what you need for sketching, photography or writing.

Sun LOWER HUMBER RIVER – Nature Walk Aug 2 Leader: Mary Taylor 1:30 pm Meet at Old Mill subway station. Walk will go north, to Magwood Park nature reserve, ending at St Mark’s Rd and Jane St near coffee shops and TTC, a 5-minute bus ride north of Jane subway station.

Mon WEST DON VALLEY – Nature Walk Aug 3 Leader: Alexander Cappell 1:30 pm Meet on Sheppard Ave W on the south side of the bridge over the West Don east of Bathurst. Explore a secluded area hemmed in by residential streets, a golf course and the 401. We'll descend into the valley and follow it almost to Yonge St, then climb the gentle slope of a side ravine and head for a coffee shop at Yonge St and Sheppard Ave.

Tues ROSETTA MCLAIN GARDENS – Evening Ramble Aug 4 Leader: Karin Fawthrop 6:30 pm Meet in the parking lot (Kingston Rd east of Lakehurst Dr) beside the washrooms for a circular walk.

Wed EGLINTON FLATS – Nature and Heritage Aug 5 Leader: Madeleine McDowell 10:00 am Meet at Scarlett Rd and Eglinton Ave for a circular walk. Morning only. Scarlett Rd bus from Runnymede subway station or Eglinton bus will get you to and from there.

Thurs G ROSS LORD PARK – Nature Walk Aug 6 Leader: Alexander Cappell 1:30 pm Meet at the northeast corner of Dufferin St and Finch Ave W. We'll pass an artificial lake and a flood control dam, cross a hydro corridor meadow and visit a forest and a wetland as we head upstream along the West Don to finish at a coffee shop near Dufferin St and Steeles Ave W.

Sat CHESTERTON SHORES TO THE ROUGE – Nature Walk Aug 8 Leader: Joanne Doucette 1:30 pm Meet outside the entrance to the Rouge Hill GO station. Take a guided walk with a naturalist along Toronto's own coast. Learn about the birds, flowers, rocks while enjoying great views with plenty of outlooks and benches along the Waterfront Trail. We will walk to the Rouge Marsh and back (about 5 km). Family friendly but no dogs please. Bring binoculars. The trail is wide, paved and easy with gentle slopes and no stairs. Access information for GO Transit call 416-869-3200. For TTC info call 416-393- 4636

Sun TODMORDEN MILLS/BRICKWORKS – Pollinators Aug 9 Leader: Dave and Norma Barr 1:00 pm Meet in the parking lot at Todmorden Mills (67 Pottery Road). This 2-hour walk will start at the wildflower preserve at Todmorden Mills Heritage Site and continue to the Don Valley Brick Works. Along the way participants will discuss the importance of pollination in nature and watch some of the common insect pollinators active in an urbanized environment. As we observe them at work we'll be talking about threats to pollinators and some responses to those threats, how to identify and photograph pollinators, and how to use citizen science to aid in pollinator monitoring.

Wed WILKET CREEK PARK – Trees And Nature Aug 12 Leader: Tom Atkinson 10:00 am Meet at the washrooms at the south end of the park, reached via the entrance on the west side of Leslie St a few yards north of Eglinton. We’ll end at , where there's coffee, refreshments and a TTC stop. Duration 2 hrs.

Thurs GLEN AMES RAVINE – Evening Ramble Aug 13 Leader: Linda McCaffrey 6:45 pm Meet at the southwest corner of Kingston Rd and Main St for a ramble through the ravine to Queen St E. Easy linear walk.

Sat GLENDON CAMPUS – Heritage and Trees Aug 15 Leader: Nancy Dengler 10:00 am Meet at the carpark a short block east of the intersection of Lawrence Ave E and Bayview Ave for a circular walk on flat terrain and paved paths focussing on Glendon's tree collection and human heritage. Wheelchair accessible.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-11

Sun FOXWELL ALLOTMENT GARDENS, “TORONTO CARRYING PLACE”, SMYTHE PARK – Lost Rivers Aug 16 Leaders: Helen Mills and friends 2:00 pm Meet at Jane St and Woolner Ave. Explore an indigenous trade route, a remnant of oak savannah, wetland restorations and water birds. Walk will end at Jane St and Alliance Ave. A joint outing with Toronto Green Community.

Wed YORK CEMETERY – Trees Aug 19 Leader: Jeff McMann 10:00 am Meet in front of the Reception Centre in the cemetery (on the west side of Beecroft Rd, one block west of Yonge St, north of Sheppard Ave W) for a nature walk to look at trees. Morning only. Washroom available at reception centre.

Thurs HIGH PARK – Evening Ramble Aug 20 Leader: Wendy Rothwell 6:30 pm Meet at the park entrance at Bloor St W and High Park Ave for a circular walk.

Sat ROUGE PARK – Nature Walk Aug 22 Leader: Jonathan Harris 10:00 am Meet outside the Rouge Valley Conservation Centre (Pearse House), 1749 Meadowvale Rd. Walk will include a 2-3 hour loop through the Rouge Valley along the Vista/Orchard trails. We'll be keeping our eyes out for birds, wetlands creatures and the late summer/early fall wildflowers. Bring lunch.

Sun CENTRAL WATERFRONT PARKS – Nature Walk Aug 23 Leader: Richard Partington 1:30 pm Meet at the Princes’ Gates at the south end of Strachan Ave to wander through Coronation Park, Little Norway Park and the Music Garden. If there is time we will visit Douglas Coupland’s canoe, north of the Gardiner.

Tues MOUNT PLEASANT CEMETERY – Trees and Horticulture Aug 25 Leader: Jeff McMann, Consulting Arborist at Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries 10:00 am Meet at the cemetery entrance at 1643 Yonge St, just north of Glen Elm Ave. Parking available inside the cemetery gates. Washrooms available at start/finish. Bring binoculars. Morning only. Easy circular walk.

Thurs WOODBINE PARK AND EASTERN BEACHES – Evening Ramble Aug 27 Leader: Bob Kortright 6:45 pm Meet at the southeast corner of Eastern Ave and Coxwell Ave to look at birds, bugs and plants. Bring binoculars. Ending on Queen St E. Easy walking.

Sat PINE HILLS CEMETERY – Trees Aug 29 Leader: D Andrew White 10:00 am Meet at the cemetery entrance at Birchmount Rd and St Clair Ave E. Morning only.

Sun YELLOW AND MUD CREEKS – Nature Walk Aug 30 Leader: Ken Sproule 1:30 pm Meet at the Yonge Street entrance to Mount Pleasant Cemetery for a 3-hr circular walk. We will go through David A Balfour Park, Don Valley Brickworks, Moore Park Ravine and Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Some hill climbing along mostly dirt paths.

Volunteer Nature Arts Coordinator

We are looking for someone with knowledge and understanding of visual arts to co-ordinate leaders for Nature Arts outings (12 per year on the first Saturday of each month) and possibly lead an occasional Nature Arts event.

To volunteer email the TFN Office [email protected] Showy tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense) Joanne Doucette drawn by Joanne Doucette

TFN 612-12 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

First, I would like to thank all TFN members who The Province of Ontario is conducting a coordinated review completed our membership survey. We heard from over of The Greenbelt Plan, The Oak Ridges Moraine 30% of our members which is an excellent response rate. Conservation Plan, The Niagara Escarpment Plan, and the We especially appreciate those who responded in detail to Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Ontario the open-ended questions about how to improve our lecture Nature (www.ontarionature.org/protect/campaign/ series, outings, website and newsletter, as well as how to marvelous_moraine.php) has taken an active role in deal with our budgetary deficit. As volunteer board advocating for stronger provincial legislation to protect the members, we were encouraged by the positive feedback region’s water and biodiversity, to freeze urban expansion and by the many thoughtful suggestions for improvement. which threatens natural heritage values, and to support TFN board member Lynn Miller provides a summary of the stewardship, monitoring and restoration of the region’s responses to the survey on pages 16-17. ecologically most important core habitat and corridors.

The TFN Board Planning Session took place on March Although the environmental focus of the TFN has usually 28th at Bob Kortright’s house. Using the results from the been the GTA, our 422 acres of nature reserves lie within membership survey and our Board’s comparison of other the Greenbelt, and the Goldie Feldman Nature Reserve, nature clubs, we brainstormed ideas for activities that might acquired by the Nature Conservancy with a major donation increase membership numbers, attract new volunteers, raise from the TFN, lies within the Oak Ridges Moraine. I the public profile of the TFN, and improve our programs. therefore plan to write a letter in support of Ontario We identified activities that were both top priority and Nature’s stance on behalf of the TFN and I urge TFN feasible in the sense that a board member was willing to members to express their views by emailing volunteer to champion that activity. For success over the [email protected] or writing to: Land next few years, some of these activities require additional Use Planning Review, Ministry of Municipal Affairs “champions” from the TFN membership and I hope that and Housing, 777 Bay St. Suite 425, Toronto, ON M5G you will take advantage of these new volunteer 2E5 (deadline May 27, 2015). opportunities (listed on page 13).

You will find membership renewal information inside the In early March I attended the third meeting of the Billy back cover of this issue and on the TFN website Bishop Toronto City Airport Environmental Assessment (www.torontofieldnaturalists.org). I hope that you will Stakeholder Advisory Committee as the TFN renew your membership for 2015-16 in order to receive our representative. I am pleased to report that the scope of the attractive newsletter, be informed about our full schedule of study area is now expanded to include all of Leslie Street nature outings, and support TFN programs such as the Spit, the and the lakeshore from Port Credit lecture series. I also invite you to join me in making a to . The Environmental Assessment will special donation to the TFN this year to help us meet our conduct a review of background information and identify goal of connecting people with our shared natural heritage risks to birds and other aspects of the terrestrial and aquatic here in Toronto. natural environments posed by the proposed introduction of In closing, I would like to invite TFN members to visit the jets. In addition, it will model and “ground-truth” the Sunnybrook cabin TFN Open House on May 23 & 24, impacts of noise on wildlife and on the recreational use of 10am to 4pm. This coincides with the Doors Open Toronto these areas. The Environmental Assessment team asked for, event when TFN volunteers will be leading nature walks and received, copies of the TFN publication on Plant for the public. On May 23rd Ken Sproule will lead a special Communities of the Toronto Islands (Varga, 1987) as well nature walk in Sunnybrook Park for TFN members that will as several articles from the TFN’s Ontario Field Biologist end up at the cabin where refreshments will be provided. I on flora and waterfowl populations on Leslie St. Spit. For hope to see you there! updates on the environmental assessment, go to Nancy Dengler www.BBTCArunwayandjetsEA.org.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-13

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES The TFN board has identified the following activities as priorities for our efforts over the next year or two. We are looking for TFN members who might be willing to take a specific volunteer role that would involve working with a TFN board member and other volunteers to develop an action plan for each of these activities. If you can help us, please contact the TFN office ([email protected] or 416-593-2656).

PRIORITY ACTIVITY VOLUNTEER POSITION Develop partnerships with other #1 Contact colleges and universities regarding students and organizations instructors to share expertise Increase membership diversity #2 Partner with organizations involving new immigrants Promotion and identity of TFN #3 Identify ways to make TFN more visible to the general public Finances #4 Identify ways to increase revenue and reduce expenses Volunteer coordination #5 Improve recruitment, training and recognition of volunteers Environmental advocacy #6 Serve as TFN representative for a specific issue, report to board and newsletter

TFN board members at March 28th planning session.

Front row: Lynn Miller, Vivienne Denton, Lavinia Mohr, Wendy Rothwell (president, 2008-10), Joanne Doucette; back row: Nancy Dengler, Anne Powell, Chuck Crawford, Jennifer Smith, Charles Bruce- Thompson, Bob Kortright (president, 2010-12), Margaret McCrae. Present at the session but missing from the photo: Stephen Kamnitzer.

Photo: Theresa Moore.

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

The Nominating Committee recommends the following slate of nominees to the Board for the year 2015-2016:

President: Nancy Dengler Vice-President: Charles Bruce-Thompson

Past President: Margaret McRae Secretary-Treasurer: Charles Crawford Directors: due to retire in 2016: Alexander Cappell, Stephen Kamnitzer, Vivienne Denton due to retire in 2017: Anne Powell, Joanne Doucette, Jennifer Smith due to retire in 2018: Lynn Miller, Lavinia Mohr, Charles Crawford

TFN by-law No. 1, Section 5(g) provides that “any three members may submit, in writing, to the Secretary-Treasurer by July 15 the name of a candidate accompanied by the written consent of the nominee. Such nominations shall be published in the September issue of the newsletter and the names of such nominees shall be added to the list of candidates submitted by the Nominating Committee.” Nominations should be sent to the TFN office, 2 Carlton Street, Unit 1519, Toronto, ON, M5B1J3.

According to TFN by-law No.1, Section 5(b), “If an election is required it shall be by ballot mailed to all members. Ballots may be mailed to the auditor or deposited at the Annual General Meeting prior to the commencement of the meeting. The ballots will be tabulated by the auditor who shall announce the results.”

TFN 612-14 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

MONTHLY MEETING REPORT

Climate Change Effects on Pollinators April 12. Dr. James Thomson and Dr. Sheila Colla, University of Toronto biologists

When Dr Thomson started his native bee research in the population is decreasing. When we talk about declines, we 1970s, there was little public interest in the health of bee are talking mostly about disappearances. populations. The relatively large crowd that turned out on Her 2004-7 study near Guelph compared counts of 14 our first warm sunny spring day is a testament to increased native bees to counts 20 years earlier. Seven species public interest. showed decline, most notably the formerly common rusty Dr Thompson’s research has focused on whether bee patched bumblebee – not one was seen. However, some pollination is sufficient in natural ecosystems. A plant’s species are more common now. It is clear that some native ability to set seeds and fruit could be determined by a bumblebee species are in decline and others are not. pollination deficit or a resource limitation. A recent meta- Available data indicate that the more vulnerable species analysis of 300 research studies of seed setting with are those with a narrow climatic niche, with late emerging additional hand pollination compared to natural pollination species more vulnerable than early emergers. showed that pollination deficits occurred in 63% of the Dr Colla’s work for the International Union for the case studies. But there is typically a lot of variation across Conservation of Nature’s Red List for North American time and space. We would need to have data over time to bumblebees has found that one third of 45 species show show whether pollination limitation is due to problems substantial decline. Five species have declined more than with pollinators, or is just a 75% and two have natural variation. declined 50% in the last Dr Thomson’s experiments four years. Dr Colla with the glacier lily guesses that in North (Erythronium grandiflorum) America, 10-30% of over the last 30 years in native bees are declining, Colorado has produced one including about 30% of of the very few such native bumblebees. longitudinal data sets. The Native bee declines are glacier lily is one of the not universal, but we earliest flowering plants, don't know enough about blooming as soon as snow what is going on. melts back. His data show Although we can’t link that natural pollination has species decline solely to been going down. The main climate change, it could bee species involved is Bombus (bumblebee) on glacier lily. Photo: David Inouye be one factor. The rusty declining in its range, but not patched bumblebee used in the study area. The pollination deficit may be due to to be one of the four most common in southern Ontario. dislocation of bee emergence dates and the timing of plant None have been seen in the last few years in Ontario. Its flowering. Snowmelt in the area has advanced by almost range is contracting, concentrating it in agricultural areas. two weeks in the last 30 years. Plants are flowering before Neonicotinoid pesticides may be a factor in its decline. the queen bumblebees are active. This is the only study of its type, so it is hard to make conclusions. More data are In conclusion, the disappearance of a once common needed – this would be a great opportunity for young species is nothing to be relaxed about. Recommendations citizen scientists. for conservation efforts include targeting range edges to help ailing species, and increasing food availability in Dr Colla emphasized that we are only now getting to the shoulder seasons. Planting native flowers, particularly point where there are enough data to start looking at those blooming in spring and fall may help. A useful guide climate change-related impacts on native bees. Wild insect is the Flower Patch for the Rusty Patched poster available populations are hard to measure. They fluctuate from year at www.pinerypark.on.ca. to year. It is very difficult to know whether a wild bee Lavinia Mohr

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-15

TORONTO WILDFLOWERS: POPPY FAMILY

None of the locally occurring native poppy species have Fumariaceae (fumitory or fumewort family) but they have flowers looking anything like our common image of a been reclassified. Dicentra, from the Greek di (two) and poppy. Their family, the Papaveraceae, has, in different kentron (spur), refers to the spurred flowers. In The ROM species, a considerable variety of leaf shapes and different Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario (2004) it is noted numbers of sepals, petals, and stamens. that these species actually have four petals but two are hidden within the visible petals. In both species these visible petals are 8 to 12 mm long. They occur in racemes. The common names come, respectively, from the pantaloon -shaped flower and from the yellow corn-kernel-like tubers. Both species, locally rare, bloom in woodlands during early to mid-May.

I saw D. cucullaria in woodlands on the fringes of flood plains in the Rouge Valley and Centennial Park, Etobicoke. It also has been reported by the TFN in Earl Bales Park and the Highland Creek area. It occurs from Manitoba to Nova Scotia and, in the U.S., from North Dakota south to Kansas and east to the Atlantic, and also as a disjunct population along the Columbia River in Washington, Idaho, and In Toronto the poppy family member Sanguinaria Oregon. canadensis (bloodroot) is a common flower of damp forest areas, here usually blooming in late April or early May. Sanguinaria is from the Latin sanguis (blood). The scientific name and “bloodroot” refer to the red sap found in the stem and rhizome. The flowers, 2 to 5 cm wide, usually have 8 petals but can have as many as 16. This species has been reported in all of the ecoregions in the southern half of Ontario, in Quebec and Manitoba, and south through much of the eastern U.S. to Texas and northern Florida.

D. canadensis was recorded by the TFN in Gwendolen Park, Woodgreen Park, the East Don Valley, and the Rouge Valley. The Rouge Valley occurrence seen is on a wooded upland between the Rouge and Little Rouge. In Ontario D. canadensis only occurs in Carolinian forest areas and the Lake Simcoe-Rideau ecoregion. It also occurs from southwest Quebec to Minnesota and south to North Carolina and Missouri.

Sanguinaria canadensis is a very welcome and attractive Other local species now assigned to the poppy family are harbinger of spring. The two Dicentras would be good Dicentra cucullaria (Dutchman’s-breeches) and D. finds, especially in new areas. Any such should be reported canadensis (squirrel-corn) – once again, the perils of to the TFN. common names. From Texas to Arizona Dutchman’s Article and photos by Peter Money breeches refers to a rue family member with fruit of this shape! TFN’s Vascular Plants of Metropolitan Toronto Top left: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) (1994, 2nd ed.) listed Dicentras as members of the Bottom left: Dutchman’s-breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) Above: Squirrel-corn (Dicentra canadensis)

TFN 612-16 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015 RESULTS OF TFN MEMBERSHIP SURVEY

First, the board would like to thank all members who took the time to respond to our membership survey. We need your input to make decisions that continue to keep the TFN strong and relevant in the future. The survey results were dis- cussed at the March 28th planning meeting and the suggestions provided by our members about specific topics (outings, lectures, newsletter, etc) have been sent to our volunteer committees so they can address issues and concerns. The general response to was positive, with members stating the benefits of enjoying learning about nature, helping the TFN protect natural areas and wildlife, and the mental and physical rewards of getting outdoors. Other reasons to be a member are:

To connect with other nature lovers To support the efforts of the TFN to promote the love and protection of nature To find out about TFN nature outings To receive the TFN Newsletter To financially help the TFN with monitoring Toronto green spaces

Since our members have been quite clear that one of the roles of the TFN is to protect nature, we wanted to find out how much of our resources should be dedicated to this. The survey response was quite clear that we are on the right track right now but could increase our advocacy in the future as long as we make sure that advocacy isn’t our primary goal and we don’t lose our charitable status in the process.

How active should TFN be in advocating for the protection of nature?

More active role We had a huge number of suggestions for issues that need advocacy! Thanks to everyone who Stay at current activity responded. The TFN board is reviewing the list. Less active Do not know

Our members love learning about nature and the environment from our lectures! The feedback we received showed that we are on the right track providing a broad spread of different topics to keep people interested in attending.

How many times do you typically attend lectures?

The most common suggestion for improving lectures Zero was holding them at a different time of day. 1-4 per year The Lectures Committee will investigate the feasibly of this. Other suggestions are also being reviewed for 5-8 per year next year’s lectures.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-17

Our outings continue to be popular with our members and we received a lot of praise for our volunteer leaders and the quality (and quantity) of walks that we offer. Birds and general nature walks are the most popular topics but the diversity of walks was hailed as one of the reasons for their success, so we won’t be changing that.

How many outings do you typically attend each year?

None The most common suggestion for improvement for our outings 1-6 per year was to improve the descriptions of the walks in the newsletter – specifically information on duration and terrain. We will be 7-12 per year looking into this for the next issue of the newsletter. > 12 per year

The survey feedback indicated our newsletter is tightly tied to the identity of the TFN and that our members truly appreciate the efforts of the volunteer newsletter committee.

How often do you typically read the newsletter?

Nature articles topped the list as the most important content, Never followed closely by the outings listing and upcoming events. Rarely Most of the requests we got regarding the newsletter were to Often provide even more of the great content that our members have come to expect. The Newsletter Committee will investigate the Always feasibly of this.

The overwhelming response to our question on receiving the newsletter in print vs online was in favour of print (84%), although many people pointed out the benefits of an online version (reducing paper usage, and printing and postage costs). The board is investigating having an online option for those who wish to receive their copy electronically, but no changes have been decided on yet.

We discovered that the TFN website is not heavily used by our members, with 24% of the respondents saying they have never visited it. There were suggestions on improving layout and navigation of the website along with making it less text- heavy. The website is being updated to address the comments received.

There isn’t space in this newsletter to print the full results of the survey. Questions like “Is there anything else that you would like the TFN board to know as we plan for the future?” elicited both heartfelt responses and quite detailed suggestions. We are going over all of the feedback and it will make a difference in the coming years. We are also making sure to factor in the responses to the question “What are things TFN is doing now that shouldn't be changed?” to make sure that we keep intact what our members love about our organization.

I leave you with this quote from the survey: “The TFN is an invaluable source of continuous nature studies in Toronto. It is a strong voice for natural spaces in Toronto.” Lynn Miller

TFN 612-18 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

EXTRACTS FROM OUTINGS REPORTS

Flora and Fauna in Sculpture and Architecture, Nature were sightings of wood ducks, a red-necked grebe, an in the City, Feb 17. Leader: Ed Freeman. On our walk Iceland gull and great black-backed gull. down University Avenue from College Street to the Royal Discover a Marsh in Winter, Mar 14. Leader: Joanne York Hotel, dropping down into the underground PATH Doucette. This was a family-friendly walk to explore the for some of the time, we saw a variety of natural forms: Rouge Marshes, the best remaining coastal wetland in our flowers, eagle, owls, lions, trees, beavers, fox, caribou area. Four members of the general public joined the walk (moose), waterfalls, fossil crinoid fragments. Overhead on the way back, and our group included a visitor from we also saw a hawk (likely a red-tail) circling above Australia. There is a nice colony of bank swallows quite Osgoode Hall. visible from the trail with some kingfisher holes too. We

Colonel Sam Smith Park, Mar 4. Leader: Miles Hearn. saw nests of oriole, robin and warbler. I talked a bit about Trees and shrubs identified included: white, Scots and red the native history of the Rouge and the French history. pine; white and Norway spruce; sugar, Manitoba, silver My show-and-tell included a Chippewa birch bark box lid and Norway maple; black walnut; black locust and (about 125 years old), various feathers (blue jay, loon, thornless honey locust; weeping, crack, pussy and flicker), a turtle backbone, and a duck's foot. I used the sandbar willow; red, white and European black ash; tree turtle shell and the loon feather as a jumping off point to of heaven; basswood and European linden; wych, tell the Anishnaabe story of Nanabush, the flood and the American and Siberian elm; mountain ash; Russian olive; creation of turtle island through the sacrifice of the red and pin oak; Kentucky coffee tree; Swedish muskrat. On the way back on the GO Train we saw a whitebeam; nannyberry; serviceberry; sand and choke peregrine falcon (bonus!) cherry; witch hazel; grey and red osier dogwood. We also Birds and Trees, Leslie Street Spit, Mar 21. Leader: observed the following waterfowl: red-necked grebe, Bob Kortright. Highlights were a snow goose in one of American black duck, gadwall, redhead, greater scaup, many flocks of Canada geese, a tundra swan swimming common goldeneye, bufflehead, long-tailed duck, surf and with a trumpeter for easy comparison, a wood duck, a white-winged scoter, ruddy duck, red-breasted merganser, raven, and a flock of 2 dozen redpolls. Despite above- herring and ring-billed gull. normal temperatures since March 7, no cormorants or Nature Arts, East York Civic Centre, Mar 7. Leader: song sparrows were seen or heard. Spring migrants were Gail Gregory. The Nature Arts Group met for a group limited to crows, killdeer, robins, and blackbirds. Over drawing and art exhibit. The entire group engaged in half the group were enticed to walk all the way to the drawing their own response to the exhibit themes of Air lighthouse in a futile search for a king eider that had been Water Earth. The meter long by 1/2 meter wide paper seen there. The ice still covering most of the cells and became a colourful outpouring of illustrated word art, embayments, as well as the outer harbor, concentrated including a volcano and hot spring, a haiku, turtles, most the waterfowl (16 kinds) close to the bridge. worms, vegetation, and a variety of climatic events surrounding a glorious sun. Continued on next page

Birds, Ashbridge’s Bay, Mar 11. Leader: Anne Powell. We enjoyed a beautiful warm sunny spring-like day. The ground was still covered with snow and the bays iced in. The American tree sparrows were singing and the long- tailed ducks squawking. Spring was in the air. Highlights

Word art project, March 7th Nature Arts outing. Photos: left by Joanne Doucette, right by Gail Gregory

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-19

MUSHROOM “ROOT SYSTEM” AND AMANITAS

When mushroom spores land on a favorable location, hyphae filaments emerge, branch out in all directions, grow and spread. With the help of moisture and nutrients in the soil, they form the mushroom “button” that arises from the ground. Initially, when the button of the genus Amanita appears, it is usually encased in a “veil”. As the stem grows, the veil breaks up leaving a cup at the base and bits of “warts” on the cap. A ring loosely surrounds the stem. White, spore-bearing gills are partially hidden on the underside of the cap. The fly-agaric (Amanita muscaria) is one of the most common members of the genus. All amanitas have poisonous toxins.

The purely white Amanita virosa (death cap, destroying angel) is Canada's most lethal mushroom and is responsible for many deaths worldwide going back to ancient times. If you accidentally consume the death-cap, remember a French physician who has demonstrated his cure on television. After eating a meal of virosa, he sat before a camera and drank water for four days. He lived to repeat his cure several years later – although it could have been a re-run. Harvey Medland

Amanita muscaria photographed Ed.: Thank you to Bob Kortright for pointing out our spelling error in last by Harvey Medland month’s article. The genus of egg yolk fungus is Bolbitius, not Bolvitius.

Extracts from Outings Reports continued

Ashbridge’s Creek, Mar 24. Leader: Joanne Doucette. We set out on a circular route down the west branch of the buried Ashbridge’s Creek through Felstead Park and across Monarch Park with its old growth oaks, remnants of former oak savannah, to the pedestrian underpass under the CNR line. We then walked down Woodfield, west and down Glenside (a former ravine) to Gerrard. At Gerrard we enjoyed a break at Tea N' Bannock, a café with authentic First Nations food and I showed slides of historic photos and maps of Ashbridge’s Creek and Bay. Then we walked up Woodfield where the ravine of the east branch of the creek used to be, and along to Craven Road, a unique street that has houses on only one side and a fence on the other. I explained why and we looked at some of the interesting architecture on the street. Then we headed back, talking about trees, bird migration, "greening" the urban environment, and history and natural history in general.

Birds, Colonel Sam Smith Park, Mar 28. Leader: Jim Grass. Birds seen included: Cooper's hawk, an immature snowy owl, red-winged blackbirds, American robins, European starlings, grackles, redheads, greater scaup, buffleheads, red-breasted mergansers, white-winged Red-bellied woodpecker by Carole Giangrande scoters, long-tailed ducks, common goldeneye, mallards, (see Keeping in Touch) Canada geese, ring-billed gulls. We also saw a healthy looking coyote.

TFN 612-20 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

KEEPING IN TOUCH The beautiful red-bellied woodpecker (see previous page) In our back garden I saw this little creature running rapidly was hanging out on a sunny afternoon (March 22nd) in back and forth between overwintering geranium leaves and Lynde Shores Conservation Area, Whitby. Love the gleam the debris below the bird feeder. It would stay out for in its eye! about 2 to 30 seconds. It was nearly dusk and it took its I also chances for over half an hour, rooting around in the photographed sunflower shells and appearing to eat whatever it found. I this juvenile looked up moles and red-tailed hawk voles then noticed the at Lynde shrew. I favour the Shores that shrew as it had no day. Moments visible eyes when seen later, he was through binoculars. I mobbed and hope to find out what it driven off by is. I have not seen it screeching since. The photos were gulls and other taken March 17, 2015. birds on his Anne Leon dinner menu!

My sister told me about a product called Birdsbesafe, a Carole colourful cat collar which helps prevent cats from catching Giangrande birds. See www.birdsbesafe.com.

Jennifer Smith

FOR READING

H is for Hawk attentive to the responses of another creature, and so adept by Helen Macdonald at precise and poetic language. Hardcover, 300pp, 2015, Hamish Hamilton Macdonald tamed Mabel with great success, but then she

began, by her own admission, to go wild. "As the days If you love hawks, or just enjoy beautiful writing, you're passed and I put myself in the hawk's wild mind to tame in for a treat with this book. A British historian, naturalist, her, my humanity was burning away." Yet with time and falconer and poet, Helen Macdonald was fascinated by reflection, her relationship with Mabel led her beyond raptors as a child and was encouraged by her bird- grief and into life reborn. watching, photojournalist father. To help cope with her grief when he died in 2007, she decided to retreat from the This seamless work of memoir, falconry, nature and disappointments of the human world and occupy herself literary biography is also a spiritual journey, rich in with the daunting task of training and flying a goshawk. insight, intelligence and beautiful writing. For naturalists, Reputed to be difficult, high-strung creatures, goshawks it's a must-read. were once described by Macdonald as "spooky, pale-eyed Carole Giangrande psychopaths." You Nest Here With Me Having bred falcons for royalty in the United Arab By Jane Yolen (author), Heidi Stemple (author), Emirates, Macdonald was an experienced and acutely Melissa Sweet (illustrator). sensitive trainer. Listen to her wonderful description as Picture book. 3-8, 2015, Boyds Mills she first lays eyes on her goshawk, Mabel. At this point, the hood which protected the ten week-old raptor from This is a charming book filled with beautiful images, over-stimulation had fallen off: "Her beak was open, her delightful rhyme and wonderful ‘nature notes’ at the end hackles raised; her wild eyes were the colour of sun on about each species. A great addition to any child’s white paper, and they stared because the whole world had bookshelf and a fine introduction for very young birders. fallen into them at once...there was a brief intimation of a See www.kirkusreviews.com/ book-reviews/ jane-yolen/ thin, angular skull under her feathers, of an alien brain you-nest-here-with-me/ fizzing and fusing with terror..." It's rare to find a writer so Lynn Pady

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-21

BIOLOGICAL INVENTORIES IN THE TORONTO-AREA WATERSHED

Hello, all of you! ecosystems over a period of decades. This is extremely valuable for the long-term monitoring work of the TRCA I have been involved with the Toronto Field Naturalists in and other agencies. some way for close to 40 years, if you count childhood encounters in ravines with Helen Juhola. My membership I would like to let you know that many of our recent goes back to 1982. While you may know me best through biological inventories are available in PDF format on the my monthly weather accounts, my main line of work is TRCA website for use by the public: botany. trca.on.ca/the-living-city/monitoring/

regional-watershed-monitoring/resources.dot The Toronto Field Naturalists have been one of the principal original foundations for our biological inventory Open the line that says “Terrestrial Monitoring work at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Reports” for our flora and fauna inventories of places in (TRCA). Diana Banville’s plant list was the basis for and near Toronto. developing our first list of flora for the nine watersheds Lists of plants and animals for the TRCA jurisdiction can covered by the TRCA, in combination with Steve Varga’s be found if you click the line “Regional Species of inventories of provincial ANSIs and wetlands on the Oak Conservation Concern Ranks and Scores”. Ridges Moraine. There are also aquatic reports, our inventory Likewise, the ravine reports of the Toronto Field methodologies, and some scientific papers we have been Naturalists from the 1970s and 1980s were the first involved with. biological inventories I encountered. Their historic data Gavin Miller provide an opportunity for observing changes to our

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Toronto Wildflowers We are gleaning From TFN #523, April 2004 much material

Every month of the year, wildflowers have been reported from back records in bloom in Toronto – though sparsely in winter, of in TFN files and course. We are starting to keep a record-book of back newsletter blooming times here of species in this category: aroids to issues where artists composites – those most noticeable in the field – among have dated their them, both native and introduced herbaceous and woody field-drawings and plants. authors have been conscious of the So far, we have reports of only five March-blooming time element – species, the native skunk cabbage and silver maple and good practices. introduced coltsfoot, dandelion and snowdrop – no doubt there are more. Please mail in reports of all Toronto Thank you for remembering not only the WHAT and plants for which you would like to see records kept. WHERE – but also the WHEN. Diana Banville

2015 Don River Watershed Bioblitz, June 13 - 14 Registration deadline for novice naturalists, nature enthusiasts and young naturalists under the age of 16 and the bioblitz support team is May 31.

For more information see: www.ontariobioblitz.ca/don river watershed.html

TFN 612-22 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

TFN GRANT REPORT: Toronto Botanical Gardens Kids Outreach Programs

More Children in the Woods Over three days in early August, children from high-needs By Diana Wilson, Children’s Education Supervisor daycares hiked through Edwards Gardens exploring the ravine ecosystem, harvesting a salad from the Teaching The TBGKids Outreach Programs are focused on Garden and planting a seed to take home. During the same providing opportunities to children of disadvantaged socio- week in August, five students from two schools in economic status and new Canadians. The Green Adventure Flemingdon Park, one of Canada’s highest-density Camp welcomed daycares to the TBG for a day of neighbourhoods, were invited to attend the Green environmental programming on the theme of Incredible Explorers Camp field trip camp. We visited Edibles. and Riverdale Farm, explored the erosion in Wilket Creek

ravine and went on a 2-wheeled adventure in the Don Valley. Flemingdon’s high-rise buildings overlook the Lower Don Trail where we spent an entire day biking from the to the Don Valley Brickworks – 20km!

In late fall, many months after our summer adventures, the Living Winter program kicked off for the 2014-15 season. Living Winter provides grade 4 classes from Toronto’s high-priority neighbourhoods with a fully-funded field trip. Plenty of snowfall throughout the winter gave us many opportunities to observe animal tracks and shelters.

Thanks to a contribution from the Toronto Field Naturalists we welcomed nearly 1,200 students to TBG throughout the winter months.

TFN GRANT REPORT: Toronto Wildlife Centre

By Julia Coey. Development Coordinator They play, fight and cuddle together to learn boundaries, how to defend food and how to recognize their species. During the spring and summer, Toronto Wildlife Centre is filled with sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. And All wild babies are challenging to care for because this space is at a premium. But thanks to support from Toronto stage of their development is crucial for their success in the Field Naturalists, we increased our capacity to admit wild, but precocial babies, especially water birds, have orphaned precocial birds and were able to help more than some extra requirements. First, they must spend time ever before. We achieved this by building a large outdoor outside, as they need exposure to sunlight or their growth enclosure, which can be divided into two cages when can be stunted. Brooder boxes are on wheels so babies can needed. We also repaired existing brooder boxes be moved easily out into the sun without extra handling (enclosures for very young babies). during the day and back inside at night when temperatures drop. Because wild babies can quickly habituate to humans, Precocial birds (like ducks, geese and killdeer) differ from it is important to minimize contact. Staff and volunteers are altricial birds (like songbirds) because they hatch fully careful not to look into the brooder boxes, so babies only covered with soft down and can walk or run within hours see humans when they are moved into a pool for their daily of hatching. They can eat on their own, but still need their swim. parents to keep them warm at night, to act as role models, and provide protection from predators. In care, we keep Secondly, they need daily access to water to develop their them warm and protect them from predators and provide swimming muscles, drink and preen. In the wild, them opportunities to grow and thrive. Most wild babies must be housed with other babies of the same species and Continued on next page approximate age to develop appropriate social behaviors.

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-23

IN THE NEWS

Lyme Disease in Ontario practices amid pressure from environmental groups like A motion to develop a provincial strategy to address the ForestEthics, which has been the leader in the campaign issue of Lyme disease in Ontario was carried unanimously against the company. The company is now requiring its by all three parties in the provincial legislature last suppliers of paper, pulp and packaging materials to provide November. The motion states that the strategy must be data on the source of their harvested wood fiber. To ensure developed within a year. According to the Ontario Lyme that supplies come from sustainably logged timber, 3M Alliance: will sever ties with those that fail to meet its standards.  Cases in Ontario are often misdiagnosed or undetected Under 3M's policy, all paper-based products and due to a lack of awareness and poor public and physician packaging suppliers will be expected to harvest in ways education. that don't threaten peat land ecosystems and intact forest  Blood testing in Canada has very limited reliability. landscapes. The policy also aims to protect dense, high-  Those who develop late-stage Lyme disease after not carbon stock forests and ensure the rights of indigenous receiving early, appropriate and sufficient antbiotic peoples. treatment, are unable to receive treatment in Ontario because of outdated and restrictive treatment guidelines. Microbead Ban? Many resort to travelling to the U.S. for treatment; Environment Canada is studying the dangers plastic countless others cannot afford to do so. microbeads pose to wildlife and the environment. These tiny plastic beads are found in shower gels, facial scrubs For more information about the motion, see the Ontario and toothpaste and are so small that water treatment plants Lyme Alliance website at www.ontariolymealliance.ca do not capture them so they end up in our rivers and lakes. A letter in support of the proposed strategy has been sent The findings of the study will determine a federal- on behalf of TFN membership to the Ontario Minister of provincial action plan.

Health. Their reply includes information about the Let’s In the US, both New Jersey and Illinois have banned the Target Lyme campaign developed by the ministry aimed at microbeads, preventing the sale of cosmetic products that both healthcare professionals and the public. See contain them. Other states are considering a ban. The www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ms/lyme/ makers of Crest toothpaste have already planned to While Toronto Public Health's website states that "the risk eliminate microbeads from its toothpastes by March 2016 of acquiring Lyme disease is believed to be low," pre- due to public pressure.

vention is always better than cure. See page 9 for links to Banning microbeads would keep them from accumulating TPH website and information on how to protect yourself. in our water sources and being eaten by fish because they look like eggs. Many people do not know that their 3M Now Using Sustainably Logged Timber exfoliating cream or toothpaste contains plastic. 3M is voluntarily taking steps to reform its supply chain

TWC Grant Report continued

ducklings and goslings are in the water within hours of hatching, but are monitored by their parents. When they are very young, the feathers are not yet waterproof, so they can quickly become waterlogged and cold. At TWC, ducklings and goslings are discreetly monitored during swim time and removed from the water at the first sign of trouble.

When they are old enough, they have access to an outdoor pool at all times. They can swim whenever they choose and further develop the behavioural and social skills they need for a successful life in the wild.

If you have found a baby bird of this kind with no parent in sight, or no adult birds that seem to be watching out for the baby, it likely needs help.

Call Toronto Wildlife Centre for advice 416 631 0662 x 3224 Older mallards swim in a pool in their brand new large outdoor enclosure. TFN 612-24 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

WEATHER (THIS TIME LAST YEAR)

May 2014 May brought relatively warm conditions, more so away The cooler weather was especially evident in the middle from the Great Lakes where lingering cold and even ice in period of the month when there were several days with the upper Great Lakes inhibited the warm-up. We even highs in the low twenties. The lowest reading was 10.9° at flirted with 30° readings on the 26th-27th (30.1° downtown Pearson Airport on the 17th. The monthly mean was 20.7° on the 26th and 30.0° at Pearson a day later). Monthly downtown, 1.6° below normal; and 20.2° at Pearson Airport, 1.4° below normal – the coolest since 2009. mean temperatures were 14.6 downtown and 14.1 at Pearson Airport, about half a degree above normal. The Warmer conditions came on the first couple of days and on coldest readings were on May 17th, with 4.1° downtown the 22nd. There were no days with 30° readings at Pearson and 2.0° at Pearson Airport: there was no late frost this Airport but downtown had two such days, in spite of being year. closer to the cold lake (lakes did not warm up much this summer). Rainfall was slightly below normal in the 50 mm range (normal about 70-80 mm). With these benign conditions, Conditions were somewhat cloudy and sometimes misty, vegetation caught up to close to normal phenology by with rainfall near or just slightly above normal in the 80-90 month’s end. mm range; unlike 2013, there were no huge cloudbursts, and rainfall was distributed evenly through the month. June 2014 August 2014 June was a slightly warmer and wetter than normal month. August rounded out the coolest summer since 2009 with Monthly mean temperatures were about one degree above the month’s mean temperatures running fractionally below normal, and rainfall was about 25 mm above normal. There normal (20.4° versus 20.7° at Pearson Airport). There was were no extremes; in spite of being slightly warmer than a strong cool spell on the 13th-19th; the daily high average, June had only a modest amount of heat (3 days in temperature was only 18.4° on the 14th, one of the coldest low thirties at the airport, no such days downtown because daytime summer readings in years. This day also brought of the cold lake). The warmest and coldest days (both at the lowest minimum of 11.5°, which is not exceptional. Pearson Airport) were 31.4° on the 17th and 9.4° on the 6th However, the early part of the month was fairly close to respectively. Showers, thunderstorms, and humidity were normal and we got some of the hottest weather of the somewhat evident, with rainfall well-distributed through summer in the last week. Pearson Airport hit 32.2° on the the month. As a result, vegetation was exceptionally lush. 26th and 30.3° on the 30th (which was the Saturday of Traces of ice lasted on Lake Superior until 6th June, one of Labour Day weekend). the latest dates on record. Rainfall was below normal at 38.8 mm (Pearson Airport Downtown average temperature was 20.3°, rainfall 95.6 data), about half the normal and the lowest since 2007. mm. At Pearson Airport, average temperature was 19.8°, However, it was not droughty because there was abundant rainfall 97.0 mm. soil moisture from earlier in the year. Most of the rain fell on the 11th-12th. July 2014 Gavin Miller Below-normal temperatures returned in July after a couple of months of near-normal conditions. In mid-summer this is not entirely unwelcome in Toronto.

Head held high strutting Across six lanes of traffic Lofty sandhill crane

Haiku by Elisabeth Gladstone

Sandhill crane drawn by Diana Banville

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-25

COMING EVENTS

If you plan to attend any of these events, we recommend that you contact the organizing group beforehand to confirm time and place.

Jim Baillie Memorial Bird Walks – Toronto Ornithological Club Aimed at the intermediate birder, but beginners also welcome. Free to the public. Information: www.torontobirding.ca  Sun May 3, 7:30 am - noon. East – spring migrants. Leader: Don Burton. Meet at the Humber Bay East parking lot. Bring a lunch.  Sun May 10, 7:30 - noon. High Park Spring – warblers, orioles, sparrows, hummingbirds. Leader: Pat Hodgson. Meet at the parking lot inside the Bloor St park entrance at High Park Ave.  Sat May 16, 8 am - late afternoon. Toronto Islands Spring – later spring migrants. Leader: Justin Peter. Meet at Toronto Islands Ferry Docks at the foot of Bay St off Queen's Quay to catch the 8:15 am ferry to Hanlan's Point ($6.50 ferry fee for adults; students/ seniors $4). Bring lunch.  Sun May 24, 7:30 am - noon. Colonel Samuel Smith Park – whimbrels and other migrants. Leaders: Jim Grass, Petra Grass. Meet at the most southerly parking lot at the foot of Kipling Ave south of Lake Shore Blvd W.

High Park Walking Tours 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month from 10:30 to noon. Meet at the benches in front of the Grenadier Restaurant. Information: 416-392-6916 or [email protected] or www.highpark.org

May 3: The Amazing Birds of the Park, Brian Bailey July 5: More Bees Please, Scott McIvor May 17: Grenadier Pond Awakes, Christine Tu-Parker July 19: Exploring Spring Creek Ravine, Steve Smith June 7: Spring Babies at the Zoo, Sonya Dittkrist August 2: Caterpillars, Moths and Butterflies, Don Scallen June 21: Plants and Flowers, Ron Luft August 16: Native Wildflowers, Sharon Lovett

High Park Stewards Native Plant Sale Sun May 10, 11 am - 2 pm. In front of the greenhouse (Greenhouse Rd off Centre Rd). Cash only. This plant sale supports the work of the High Park Volunteer Stewardship Program and native plant restoration in High Park. Please take transit or bike if possible. Limited parking available at the Grenadier Restaurant. Information: www highparknature.org

Humber River – A walk through history along one of Canada’s Heritage Rivers Wed July 15, 1:00 pm. Meet at Old Mill subway station. Leader: Madeleine McDowell. Learn how the water power of this river influenced Canada’s history and development. Descend into the steep ravine, past a 1924 highway bridge bearing the mark of a 1954 flood disaster. Stroll past wildflower meadows, trees and over a 1916 stone arched bridge designed to withstand ice floes. With luck, see local song birds and maybe great blue heron fishing. See the site of a 17th century First Nation village and majestic 150-year-old oak trees. Walk will end with a visit to the 1860 Historic Lambton House and some lemonade or tea. The stage coach that stopped here when those oak trees were young has been replaced with the 55 Warren Park bus that will take you to the Jane subway station.

High Park Nature Centre May and June workshops at 440 Parkside Dr. July and August workshops at 375 Colborne Lodge Drive Register online at: www highparknaturecentre.com Botanical Workshop Series. Leader: Richard Aaron ($30 each or $25 each if more than one)  Thurs May 28 6-9 pm. Wildflower Identification Made Easy.  Thurs June 18 6 9 pm. The Sex Lives of Plants  Thurs July 9, 6-9 pm. Friend or Foe: The Intriguing World of Weeds  Thurs Aug 6, 6-9 pm. Poisons, Spines & Blisters: Plants with a Dark Side

Trees of High Park Workshop. Leader: Richard Aaron ($60).  Sun Jun 14, 10 am - 4 pm. Learn to identify more than two dozen tree species. Spring Sketchbook. Leader: Nellie Sue Potter ($150). Learn to draw spring flowers, leaves and buds. Both indoors and outdoors. Suitable for all levels.

 Thurs May 7, 6-9 pm, Sun May 10, 2-5 pm and Tues May 12, 6-9 pm. Spring Birding Workshop. Leader Zak Smith ($45). Learn how to begin identifying birds by sight and sound.  Wed May 6, 7-9 pm (indoor workshop), Sat May 9, 7:30-9:30 am (guided birdwatching hike).

NANPS Annual Native Plant Sale Sat May 9, 10 am - 3 pm. Markham Civic Centre. For information or to pre-order, visit www.nanps.org

Continued on page 26

TFN 612-26 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015 Coming Events continued Tommy Thompson Park Spring Bird Festival Sat May 9, 8 am - 4 pm. Information: www.springbirdfestival.ca

Toronto Zoo’s International Migration Day Sat May 9, 8 am - 3 pm. Theme: “Restoring Habitat, Restore Birds” Information: www.torontozoo.com/Events/?pg=birdday

Rouge Park Weekly Guided Nature Walks Explore Rouge Park’s trails with a Hike Ontario certified volunteer leader. Information: visit www rougepark.com/hike, e-mail [email protected] or phone 905-713-3184, Monday thru Thursday.

Harbourfront Centre To June 2015. No Flat City, Toronto’s Incomparable Terrain. A photographic exhibit of the GTA landscape.

Toronto Entomologists Association The TEA conducts a number of field trips during the summer. Everyone is welcome. Information: www.ontarioinsects.org.

The Market Gallery To May 9. Toronto Observed Through Three Generations. South St Lawrence Market, 2nd floor, 95 Front St E. Free. Gallery closed Sun, Mon and holidays. Information: Toronto.ca/marketgallery

Lost Rivers walks  Sat May 16, 1 pm. Humber River Poetry Walk. Join poets Sue Chenette, Maureen Hynes, Anita Lahey, Dilys Leman, Nicholas Power, Maureen Scott Harris and friends on an adventure in nature and poetry along the lower Humber River. Walk will start and end at Old Mill subway station.  Sun June 14, 1:30 pm. Black Creek Hollow – Peat bogs and sinkholes. Leader: Ian Wheal. Meet at the northeast corner of Jane St and Alliance Ave for a 2½-hr walk eastwards.  Sat July 4, 11 am. Poetry Walk. The kick-off of a day marking the opening of the Pan-Am Games and the legacy Pan Am Path project. Meet at St Matthew’s Lawn Bowling Club, Broadview Ave and Langley Ave (4 blocks north of Gerrard). Lost Rivers’ poetic exploration of the lower Don River will lead into a day of celebration with nature hikes (led by Evergreen), heritage walks (led by Todmorden Mills), and multi-faceted creativity (with Urbanvessel, Native Earth and friends).

Ian Wheal walks  Sun May 3, 6:30 pm. “Crows are back in Town” – An evening ramble focusing on bird flyways in Hillcrest-Wychwood areas (1924). Meet at the northwest corner of Bathurst St and Davenport Rd (Tollkeeper’s Cottage).  Sat May 9, 1:30 pm. Toronto survivors of the sinking of the Lusitania, 1915 – Portlands marine heritage. Meet at the southwest corner of Queen St E and Carlaw Ave.  Sat May 16, 1:30 pm. Job Creation in : American Heritage. Meet at southwest corner of King St W and Strachan Ave.  Sat May 23, 1:30 pm. Fortifications and defences of Union Stockyards in World War I - natural and railways. A heritage walk focusing on horse wrangler Barnabas Gibson. Meet at the southwest corner of Keele St and St Clair Ave W.

Fabulous Fall Fungi workshops Leader: Richard Aaron. Based at Queen's University Biological Station (50 km north of Kingston). Suitable for beginner and intermediate levels. Spend three glorious days learning about mushrooms and other fungi, focusing on identification, natural history and ecology. Fee covers instruction, accommodation and meals. Details: www.queensu.ca/qubs/events-and-outreach  Session 1: Tue Sept 29, 8 pm to Fri Oct 2, 4 pm  Session 2: Tue Oct 6, 8 pm to Fri Oct 9, 4 pm Register by July to ensure a place.

Ontario Nature’s 84th Annual Gathering: A Day on the Grand

May 23, 2015. rare ECO Centre, Cambridge

Discover diverse habitats and species on guided hikes; watch scientists band birds for research; learn about local research and become a citizen scientist and share your love of the outdoors with fellow nature lovers.

For more details and to register, visit www.ontarionature.org/annualgathering

May 2015 Toronto Field Naturalist TFN 612-27

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL

Your TFN membership expires June 30, 2015. To ensure a September newsletter, please renew for the year July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 by early July. Either  cut out this form, which has your address printed on the back, or  photocopy both sides of this form, or  print the Membership application form from the TFN website (www.torontofieldnaturalists.org) and complete it, ensuring that the name appears exactly as printed on your newsletter, or  submit from TFN website using PayPal. If your name or address has changed, please indicate this so our records will be updated. Send the form with your payment by June 30 to: Toronto Field Naturalists, 2 Carlton Street, Suite 1519, Toronto, ON, M5B 1J3

Contact Information: (Note: We do not sell or swap our mailing list) Home phone: ______Work Phone: ______E-mail address: ______Please check your name and address on reverse of this page and modify if necessary.

Remittance enclosed __ $40 Single __ $50 Family (2 adults at same address, children included) __ $30 Senior Single (65+) __ $40 Senior Family (2 adults 65+) __ $20 Youth (under 26)

Plus a donation of $______(tax receipts issued for donations)

I/we might be willing to volunteer in the following areas:

Outings Outreach Office help Conservation Nature Reserves Newsletter Website Finance/Accounting Youth Other:______

Volunteers Needed for Phoning

TFN needs people to phone members who haven't renewed their memberships.

This is done in the first week of August, after renewals have been recorded and in time for mailing the September newsletter.

If you could help with this, please advise Margaret McRae at or

Orbweaver spiderlings (approx. 3 mm), photographed by Ken Sproule TFN 612-28 Toronto Field Naturalist May 2015

Toronto Field Naturalists Publications Mail 1519—2 Carlton St., Registration No. 40049590 Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1J3

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in High Park. Photo: Wendy Rothwell