Arrangements have been made with Truffles Restaurant, located in the mini-plaza at the corner of Paris and Ottawa, for PHFN's Christmas Lunch: Saturday December 3, 2005, 12:00 noon.  There will be three menu choices and dessert offered , at a cost of $10.00 per person.  We hope there'll be a good turnout, so mark the date and plan to attend:  bring your Christmas spirit and an appetite.

We are happy to advise that Mr. Chuck Zietsma, who claims to be only an amateur rock-hound, has agreed to attend this meeting and bring some samples of his fossil finds from his trips to southern Alberta.  This is a real "hands on" opportunity and a chance to discuss the specimens with someone as knowledgeable as Chuck.

Bob Montgomery reports that funds have been allocated for the purchase of the coming winter's bird seed and that he, Harry and Ilona Treijs, and Terry Carr have volunteered to keep the Sherriff's Creek feeders stocked.

Bob also advises that there are 40-50 VHS videos available for rent:  National Geographics and Discovery animal and travel videos are available at the unbeatable price of $1.00 per month!

Lloyd McCabe indicates that the Waterfalls trips planned by Scott Helman have been postponed to next year because of the low water levels.

The Sandhill Cranes had all departed by October 14, the date scheduled for Lloyd's Massey trip, so next year's fall viewing will have to be planned for the end of September or early October, depending on conditions.

Several sightings of other species in the general area were reported by members:  a barred owl, two bear cubs with their mother, a horned lark near Serpent River, a fox on Hwy. 108, a possible cougar sighting on Manitoulin Island, and numerous migratory birds.

The planned Seed Stalks and Stems trip scheduled for October was cancelled.

Peter Kennedy claims to have seen two black foxes, one with a white tip on its tail, on the new greens of the golf course.  He says that he only sees them when he doesn't have his camera with him.  Yeah, right Peter ...maybe if you spend less time in the clubhouse bar you wouldn't see them at all!

The trip on October 18, 2005, to Thunder Mountain was made by 25 intrepid souls who were undaunted by a heavy grey overcast and a chill wind.  The plan was to climb to the top of this granite bluff, held sacred by the Anishinabe people.   Nineteen made the effort and were rewarded with the spectacular view of Rawhide Lake and surrounding hills, despite some tense moments caused by slick wet leaves and pine needles underfoot in addition to rough terrain and the steep gradient.  At least one member of the party, who will remain nameless, needed a well-placed boost to reach the summit.

The trip provided not only an opportunity for getting fresh air and exercise, but was a chance to experience an area older than time:  to walk on moss covered grey granite scarred and molded by glaciers, to hear the soft music of flowing water, and to listen to the change in the sound of the wind moving through leafless hardwoods into pines and spruces.   The sweet scent of cedar and balsam mingled with the acrid tang of fallen leaves can't be duplicated by any chemical air- freshener.  All in all, a true feast for the senses.

To end the afternoon, back at base camp and a welcome fire, Anishinabe First Nations Elder Leona Jacobs shared with us a solemn pipe ceremony that reinforced the oneness of the Creator with the natural world and our place in it.

Perhaps next year, if PHFN obtains permission for a return visit, the trip could be made before the end of September when there would be more colour in the hardwood stands and the climb would be less treacherous.  We're not getting any younger... or are we?

Past President Terry Carr recommends and excellent field guide to 80 of our best known Ontario birds, Compact Guide to Ontario Birds published by Lone Pine Publishing at $12.95 retail.  Two full colour pages are devoted to each species, with key identifiers indicated, natural history information, and, rare in field guides, photos of eggs and nesting information.   There is also a clearly drawn range map for each bird and an alphabetical glossary helps you with terms used, and even provides a checklist so you can keep track of your sightings.

This publication is designed to help the novice identify the more common backyard and nature trail birds and is an excellent "starter" for anyone beginning to enjoy birdwatching.  It's small but packs a wealth of information into a lightweight format that birders of all ages can easily carry on outings.  It comes in a weather resistant soft cover, 192 pages, and can be ordered directly from Lone Pine Publishing (phone 1-800 661-9017) or at any sales outlet carrying Lone Pine books.

This is a short video documenting the remarkable history of Elliot Lake, the Town's rise and evolution, and its future potential  The first public viewing is at the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre on Friday, November 4, 2005, with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. for a 7:00 p.m. start.  The documentary incorporates old home movies, newsreels, stock footage from the CBC as well as archival films from the vaults of Rio Algom, and chronicle some of the people who currently manage tailings areas and closed mine sites.

Marion Kennedy found the above noted website and thought it well worth investigating and that members might be interested.   It offers information on 110 different flowers, birds, plants, trees, mammals, reptiles and insects.

Every Saturday at 10:00 a.m. one or more of PHFN's knowledgeable volunteers leads a walk-about at Sherriff's Creek Sanctuary yes, even at this time of year!  All are welcome, and hopefully now that most gardens have been put to rest for the season, more Elliot Lakers will take advantage of the opportunity to walk "in nature's footsteps".

It's time to renew memberships: please call Dorothy Kutt, 848-5834.

We regret not having mentioned earlier the passing of one of the most hard-working and loyal contributors to PHFN's principles and goals, Paul Echle, who was for two years a Director, with one of his duties being to oversee the distribution of The Wolf Howl.  We extend our sympathies to Paul's wife, Lisa, and to his family.

Friends who visit me have often seen beavers or the evidence of their activities during their walks. In fact, as you enter my area and walk along the causeway, right there in the cattail marsh you can see a sizeable beaver home rising above the water.

Famous for their lodges like the one in the cattail marsh, and for their dams, the intelligence and capability of beavers is well documented.   Did you know, for example, that although reached by underwater entries, beaver lodges have a floor just above the water level?  This makes for a cosy home, and a nice, dry landing spot when beaver babies (kits) are born.

Beavers are the largest rodent in North America.  Their scientific name is Castor Canadensis and all you need is a Canadian nickel to remind yourself of their appearance.  They weigh from 35-50 pounds, have webbed hind feet, and can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes although their usual submerged time is 3 to 4 minutes, during which time they can swim up to a half mile.  Their big flat tail is useful in water as a rudder, and on land as a prop to keep them upright.

Although beavers can cut down trees at a great rate, and have done so many times within my boundaries, they do not actually eat trees.   They are herbivores, and in the summer eat leaves, shoots, twigs, roots, ferns, grasses and algae.  Waterlilies are a wonderful treat for a beaver!  Winter is when they urn to trees and shrubs, such as aspen, birch, willow and alder, eating only the bark and cambium, layer just under the bark.  By now, busy beavers already have their winter food supply of logs and branches stored underwater near the entrances to their lodges.

A water habitat is essential. Beavers live near marshes, rivers, streams, ponds and small lakes.  Beaver dams, although sometimes a problem for humans, have many outstanding benefits.  The height and length of a beaver dam usually depends on what is necessary for a pond to be created.  Some people think beavers only use trees and mud for dams, but they've been known to use rocks, metal, planks and wire.  A series of dams actually slows the flow of floodwaters.  When beavers dam streams in shallow valleys, subsequent flooding results in the formation of wetlands.  Almost half of the endangered and threatened species in North America require wetlands to thrive and survive., and thanks to Castor Canadensis, new wetlands are created.  Pesticides and other toxins are broken down in wetlands: in addition, wetlands raise the water table and help prevent erosion.

Beaver Ponds are the principal breeding ground of Pileated Woodpeckers, as well as many plants and many insects, and are used by Canada Geese and Wood Ducks for nesting.  A number of the boxes you see in my cattail marsh are for Wood Ducks.  Abandoned ponds eventually drain down and the nutritious bottom silt provides fertile ground for herbaceous plants.  Eventually, a beaver meadow is created.   In fact, one of my trails is named the Beaver Meadow Trail, and the beaver meadow itself is a short walk off the main trail.   Beavers create rich habitats for other animals: mammals, fish, birds, turtles and frogs.  It is important to see beavers as an integral part of a complex natural environment.

Beavers mate for life, and both adults take care of the kits which are born in the spring.  They breed only once a year, and the kits remain with the parents for two years, at which time they leave to find their own territory.  Because of this pattern, they seldom overpopulate, but if necessary they will decrease reproduction.  They can live for 20 years, though the average age is thought to be about 10 years.

Second only to humans in their ability to modify their surroundings to meet their needs, by the beginning of the 20^th Century, beavers in North America were bordering on extirpation.  Slowly, they have made a comeback, but even now beaver populations are only about 5 percent of what they were originally before their wholesale destruction by trappers and settlers.  The natural predators of kits are hawks, owls, and otters.  Predators of adult beavers are dogs, coyotes, bears and wolves.  And the most common cause of mortality today? Trapping.