Number 538 March 2006 Drawing by Diana Banville Coming Events 22 ● Helping shape the future of In the News 19 High Park 8 Keeping in Touch 17 ● TFN Publications – Part II 9 Leaders Workshop 5 ● Who was Emily Hamilton? 10 Monthly Meeting Notice 3 ● Elm Recovery Project 13 Monthly Meeting Report 7 ● Toronto Zoo’s Urban Turtle Nominating Committee 6 Initiative 14 TFN Outings 4 ● Risky Business: Introduction President’s Report 6 to Species at Risk Act 15 Publications 2 ● Outing Report from Humber Weather (this time last year) 22 Bay Park 16 TFN 538 - 2 TORONTO FIELD NATURALIST IT’S YOUR NEWSLETTER! Published by the Toronto Field Naturalists, a charitable, non- Send us your original writing (up to 500 words) of your profit organization, the aims of which are to stimulate public thoughts and experiences of nature in and around Toronto. interest in natural history and to encourage the preservation of Do you have a favourite natural area in Toronto? Did a our natural heritage. Issued monthly September to December TFN outing introduce you to a new park? Tell us about it! and February to May. Did you see any plants or animals that particularly interested you? Let us know! Tell us what, where and when, and any ISSN 0820-636X field guides or other sources consulted. Also welcome are: reviews, poems, cartoons and sketches, Toronto Field Naturalists and articles on natural history. If you have a digital camera, 2 Carlton St., Suite 1519, we would welcome photos of TFN outings. Remember that Toronto M5B 1J3 they will be reproduced in black and white photocopy. Tel: 416-593-2656 Please include your name, address and telephone number so submissions can be acknowledged. Newspaper clippings Website: www.torontofieldnaturalists.org should include source and date. Email: or Unsigned letters or emails will not be read. Attachments to unsigned emails will not be opened. Note the deadline for submissions of time-sensitive material, e.g., notices of meetings or events. Deadline for MEMBERSHIP FEES April issue: 3 March 2006. Send by mail or email. $50 FAMILY (2 adults – same address, children included) NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE: $40 SINGLE, SENIOR FAMILY Diana Banville, Jenny Bull (editor), Eva Davis, Karin $30 STUDENT, SENIOR SINGLE Fawthrop, Nancy Fredenburg, Elisabeth Gladstone, Siobhan Montague (associate editor), Marilynn No GST. Tax receipts issued for donations. Membership fees Murphy, Toshi Oikawa, Wendy Rothwell. and address changes should be sent to the TFN office. Printing and Mailing: Perkins Mailing Services. Please note: It has always been the policy of the Toronto Field Website Manager: Elaine Farragher. Naturalists not to give out its membership list. TFN PUBLICATIONS TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS CLUB TORONTO REGION BIRD CHART, 1983……… ….………...…$ 5.00 ITS HISTORY AND CONSTITUTION, 1965……………..……. $2.00 A GRAPHIC GUIDE TO ONTARIO MOSSES, 1985...............….$5.00 CHECKLIST OF PLANTS IN FOUR TORONTO PARKS; WILKET CREEK, HIGH PARK, HUMBER VALLEY, GUIDE TO TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS’ LAMBTON WOODS, 1972……………………………………..………..$2.00 NATURE RESERVES, 2001…………………..…...............….…$5.00 TORONTO THE GREEN, 1976 TORONTO ISLANDS: PLANT COMMUNITIES AND Metropo tan Toronto's mportant natura areas are descr bed and NOTEWORTHY SPECIES, 1987…………..…..…............... …$5.00 recommendat ons g ven for the r conservat on and management; nc udes maps, b b ography and ndex…………………..………….$10.00 TODMORDEN MILLS, 1987…………………...…………….... …$5.00 TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS RAVINE SURVEYS……... ea $5.00 VASCULAR PLANTS OF METROPOLITAN Survey No. 1 Chatsworth Rav ne, 1973 TORONTO, 1994………………….…………….......…….…...…$10.00 Survey No. 2 Brookbanks Rav ne, 1974 Survey No. 3 Chapman Va ey Rav ne, 1975 TORONTO CHECKLISTS (b rds, other vertebrates, Survey No. 4 W gmore Rav ne, 1975 butterf es, other nvertebrates, mosses, other p ants)…………ea. 50¢ Survey No. 5 Park Dr ve Rav ne, 1976 Survey No. 6 Burke Rav ne, 1976 HUMBER FORKS AT THISTLETOWN, 2000…… ….….……..…$5.00 Survey No. 7 Tay or Creek Woodb ne Br dge Rav nes 1977 Survey No. 8 West Don Va ey, 1978 Add $2.00 per item for postage and handling; no GST. Order from TFN office, see address above. INDEX OF TFN NEWSLETTERS (1938 to present)…………….….$10.00 TFN 538 - 3 TFN MEETING Sunday, March 5, 2006 at 2:30 pm An Introduction to Evergreen Commons at the Don Valley Brickworks David Stonehouse, Manager, Common Grounds, Evergreen VISITORS WELCOME! SOCIAL HOUR 2:00 - 2:30 pm Bring your own mug if you wish, only paper cups provided. For more information call the TFN office at (416) 593-2656 Room 001, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto, 75 Queen’s Park Crescent East Room 001 is one floor below street level. Entrance at south end of the building, down a few steps on an outside stairwell. Wheelchair Entrance: Second door south on Queen’s Park Crescent E. Door does not have automatic opener. Elevator is inside to the right. NEXT MEETING: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas in the Hudson Bay Lowlands Sunday, April 2, 2006. Circus at my window-pane Squirrel on trapeze Swinging through lilac branches. Haiku by Jane Grell. TFN 538 - 4 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 by calling 416-393-4636. • Check the weather by calling 416-661-0123 so you will know what to wear on outings which go rain or shine. • Wear appropriate footwear for walking on trails which may be muddy, steep or uneven. Thursday EAST DON – Nature Walk March 2 Leader: Molly Campbell 10:30 a.m. Meet at Todmorden Mills entrance on Pottery Road (walk down the hill from Broadview Avenue and Pottery Road). Bring binoculars. Morning only. Sunday MONTHLY MEETING – See notice on page 3. March 5 2:00 p.m. Social Hour 2:30 p.m. Lecture – Evergreen Commons at the Don Valley Brickworks. Thursday SAM SMITH PARK – Birding March 9 Leader: Doug Paton 10:00 a.m. Meet at the southwest corner of Kipling Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. W. Dress warmly. Bring lunch and binoculars. Saturday NORTH YORK CENTRAL LIBRARY – Nature Arts March 11 Leader: Mary Chris 10:30 a.m. Meet at the lower level food court of the North York Centre (North York Centre subway stop). Bring what you need for drawing, painting or photography. Bring anything you wish to show the group when we compare our morning’s work after lunch. (Note: we will return to our usual schedule of 1st Saturdays next month.) Thursday DON VALLEY BRICKWORKS – Natural and Cultural Heritage March 16 Leader: David Stonehouse 10:30 a.m. Meet at Castle Frank subway station. Morning only. Saturday TORONTO ISLAND – Birds March 18 Leader: Doug Paton 10:30 a.m. Meet at the ferry docks. Bring lunch and binoculars, dress warmly. $ for ferry Sunday THE LOWER GARRISON AND ITS TRIBUTARIES – Lost Rivers Walk March 19 Leader: Ian Wheal 2:00 p.m. Meet at the southeast corner of College St. and Dovercourt Rd. Along city streets. This is a joint outing with North Toronto Green Community. Continued… TFN 538 - 5 Wednesday UPTOWN DISCOVERY WALK, PART 2 – Urban Landscape March 22 Leader: Ron Allan 1:30 p.m. Meet at the southeast corner of Bay St. and College St. (at the entrance to College Park). This is a continuation of last year’s walk and will finish at the Wellesley subway station. Saturday TFN LEADERS’ WORKSHOP March 25 Meet at the Deer Park Library 2nd floor activity room. See notice below. 9:30 a.m. - Please pre-register before March 15. noon Tuesday SHERWOOD PARK – Walk in a “well-loved” urban park March 28 Leader: Janice Palmer 1 - 3 p.m. Meet at the main gate of Sherwood Park, 200 metres east of Mount Pleasant Rd. on Sherwood Ave. (Limited parking available, TTC to Sherwood Ave. and Mt. Pleasant Rd.) A circular hike route. TORONTO FIELD NATURALISTS LEADERS WORKSHOP Attention walk leaders and future walk leaders (Sure! You can do it!) A morning of inspiration and insight featuring guest speaker Jerry Belan, Parks, Forestry and Recreation, City of Toronto, and workshop facilitator and TFN walk leader Theresa Moore. • to thank walk leaders, • to interest new potential walk leaders, • to review outings procedures, • to reflect on experiences and needs, • to produce a resource package, • to support good walk leadership, • to share favourite field guides and other resources. Saturday, March 25, 2006, 9:30 – 12:00 noon Deer Park Library, 2nd floor Activity Room, 40 St. Clair Ave. E. (Just east of Yonge St. There is an elevator and stairwell just inside the library entrance.) Registration deadline: March 15. Please be certain to register by phoning 416-593-2656 or emailing Refreshments provided. Workshop committee: Gail Gregory, Theresa Moore, Ruth Munson, Pinky Franklin. The leaders gather Park trails and weather suspended For tea and muffins. Haiku by Gail Gregory TFN 538 - 6 PRESIDENT’S REPORT I would like to remind all TFN members that there Statham-Bray, Natural Environment Specialist. The will be a dedication of the Helen and Aarne Juhola meeting provided an opportunity for the TFN to learn Nature Reserve on Sunday, May 28, 2006, rain or about the programs and projects the City has shine. We hope that you are planning to be there. Bus undertaken to protect and enhance the natural transportation will be available at the nominal cost of elements of Toronto and to discuss how the TFN can $10.00 per person, leaving from the York Mills constructively support these endeavours.