Dear Members and Guests:

I want to welcome you to another season of Outings, Programs, Education, and most of all fun with the Penokean Hills Field Naturalists club.  I sincerely hope that you all enjoy everything you decide to participate in this coming year.

As some of you already know, there were a few changes that took place on the Board of Directors since our last general meeting in May.  Audrey Parker-Lowe, who took on the Presidency last September on an interim basis and then full time, decided in May that she couldn't fulfil her term and resigned her position.  At a special meeting held the end of May, I was elected to the position and have indicated that I would fill the balance of the two year term.  I want to thank Audrey very much for the tremendous job she did in stepping into the shoes of our former President, Terry Carr.  It was not an easy task to do but she did it with flying colours.  I only hope that I can continue on in that same track and guide the club in an interesting and enjoyable path.

I shall be asking for your help and assistance in a great many endeavours, and I would hope that everyone who is asked to volunteer of their time, expertise, or knowledge will accept the invitations in the spirit in which they were asked.  The club cannot run by itself and I want all members to assist in the successful operation of all activities.

The Penokean Hills Field Naturalists club is a member of the F.O.N. (Federation of Ontario Naturalists) and it has been suggested that we host a conference next year.  The F.O.N. has a Fall conference and one again in the Spring.  We are part of the Northeastern Region, along with clubs from North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Thunder Bay.  A committee shall be set up to make the arrangements for this conference in April.

Our annual Pot Luck luncheon will once again be held in December, and a committee will be set up to make those arrangements as well.  We are also going to add some members to our Outings committee, our Programs committee, and a couple of others.

I look forward to seeing you at our first General Meeting on September 10 and again welcome back to all.

Regards

Ev Brooks

The History of Me:

I was born.........No.  Really, I was born and raised in Toronto, and other than some of my schooling, I very much remember Hurricane Hazel, having lived for about 9 or so years along the shores of the Humber River just below Dundas St.  Used to help a next door neighbour - a Chinese market gardener and his brother - plant veggies in their fields that were between our house and the river, until the lady roared through there in 1954 and wiped him out.

Fast forward to the present.  Reg and I joined the Thunder Bay Field Naturalists club some years ago and were fairly active for the first couple of years - going on a lot of field trips, all over the country with leaders such as Nick Escott, Sue Bryan, and Myra McCormick, to name a few - and thoroughly enjoyed them.  I served on the Board for one season in a minor role.  Then I got active with the local Sweet Adelines Barbershop Chorus, and meeting nights and practices conflicted.  There are only so many Monday nights in a month.

We have had bird feeders in our yards for the past 18 or so years and experienced the thrill of having a Yellow-headed Blackbird visit at one, about 12 years back.  We figured it came along on a very powerful west wind after a storm.  Boy what a beautiful bird for a black one. He actually stayed around for over a week, visiting a nearby bog as well.

The very first year that we took part in the Baillie Birdathon, we lived across the road from folks who have a lot of fantastic trees that hosted most of the warblers that we observed.  Back in those days, we weren't able to take part in the Christmas Bird Count because we lived outside the radius allowed for Thunder Bay.  Now here in Elliot Lake we can be counted, and we enjoy doing that.

I am not knowledgeable on flora and fauna once you get beyond the familiar ones - heck I can't even do a garden in the Springtime because I can't tell the difference between weeds and flowers without the blossom part, but I do love fragrant flowers.  I only wish now that my Hyacinths would bloom later on so I can open my front windows and smell them, but they chose to bloom while the snow is still on the front lawn and that's not fair.

I look forward to the season ahead, and hope that I may count on your support in carrying out the duties entrusted to me.  The Board of Directors has honoured me with the presidency of the club, and I shall endeavour to carry out that trust with your help.

See you on September 10.

Ev.

Two "Hot-off-the-press" Ontario Nature Books

( a short review by Terry Carr)

Lone Pine Publishing has done it again!  This publishing house, which has released a number of excellent field guides including quite a few that are specifically dedicated to Ontario nature*, has two new ones for 2002; Ontario Wildflowers by Linda Kershaw and Mammals of Ontario by Tamara Eder.

Ontario Wildflowers - 101 Wayside Flowers is fine "starter" guide for any naturalist interested in beginning to understand and identify some of the most common native and naturalized wildflowers found in our various Ontario plant habitats.   It is also ideal for exploring the world of botany with children.

Linda Kershaw's enthusiasm for wildflowers is infectious and her knowledge is comprehensive.   She combines, in this field guide, her expertise as a scientist with her talent as a writer and photographer.  The book is full of visual identification aids and each of the 101 wayside wild flowers is given a full page treatment with two large colour photographs, one a close-up, the other a field shot.  The text includes clear detailed descriptions: interesting notes on human uses, superstitions/folklore, meaning of names and the ecology of each plant; identification points; blooming times; and a commonness scale.

ISBN 1-55105-285-7, Soft Cover with rounded edges, 144 pages, $16.95

Mammals of Ontario, Lone Pine's second new release has large full-colour photographs, fun facts about natural history and behaviour, detailed drawings of prints and tracks.  The guide includes detailed descriptions of the habitat, food, young, den characteristics, and up-to-date range maps for 78 wild and feral mammals of Ontario.

This is a publication full of useful and interesting information about the mammals of our province.  The author, Tamara Eder, shows an obvious passion for nature and has a degree in environmental conservation sciences.  She has written about biodiversity the world over and is the author of several other very successful Lone Pine titles.

ISBN 1-55105-321-7, Soft Cover with rounded edges, 216 pages, $24.95

I have really enjoyed both of these nature guides and I'm sure most naturalists would find them valuable additions to their "backpack" library. tc

*Other Ontario Nature Guides by Lone Pine Publishing: Birds of Ontario(by Andy Bezener) Ontario Birds (by Chris Fisher), Animal Tracks of Ontario, Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada, Wild Trees and Shrubs of Ontario, Wetland Plants of Ontario, Forest Plants of Central Ontario, Forest Plants of Northeastern Ontario

THE CUP AND SAUCER TRAIL HIKE

Seven intrepid hikers met at the bottom of the Cup and Saucer Trail at nine a.m. on Friday, June 21. The day was already sunny and hot.  We proceeded to climb the trail which takes you to the highest point on Manitoulin Island.  Along the way we saw many plants blooming.  Most were of the common garden variety but we did manage to see a couple of yellow lady slippers that were still blooming.  They were the small variety which has tightly spiralled brown sepals.

There were many stops to take pictures of the spectacular views afforded on if you were brave enough to step out on the overhangs.  A couple of really steep ascents slowed us down a bit but with the assistance the more able hikers we managed to overcome the difficulties.   We got to the top of the bluff which was marked by a cairn and also lots of poison ivy which we managed to avoid.

The south side of the bluff has a splendid view of Lake Manitou and looking east towards Sheguiandah.  When we stopped for lunch on the north side of the bluff, we looked over West Bay.   We headed back down and took a peek at the Adventure Trail and decided that it was not for us.  Everyone got down to the bottom safely after an enjoyable hike.  We were all glad that, for the majority of the time, the hike was in the mature mixed forests where there was a lot of shade.

The folks who stayed at Silver Birches were treated to a spectacular display of lady slippers that were growing there.

Submitted by Marg Reckhan.

SIGHTINGS FROM GENERAL MEETING

MAY 14, 2002

Can you guess what this is?

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