Happy new year! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season, and that you are looking forward to another year of caring for and improving our local environment.
Owl Prowls
Sunday, January 14 and Tuesday, January 16, 2007
The Essex County Field Naturalists are hosting their annual Owl Prowl on Sunday, January 14, starting at 2:00 p.m. Participants should meet at the entrance to the Holiday Beach Conservation Area at 2:00. The excursion will be led by Tom Hurst, and is an excellent introduction to techniques to observe owls, including long-eared owls which often roost in the Holiday Beach Conservation Area. For more information, call Betty at 519-944-0825, or Margaret at 519-250-0705.
The Friends of Turkey Creek will also be hosting an Owl Presentation and Prowl, this one on Tuesday, January 16 beginning at 7:00 p.m. The evening will start with an informative presentation about owls, followed by a hike through Ojibway park to look and listen for owls. Participants should meet in the Ojibway Nature Centre building. For more information, call Caroline at 519-776-5209, ext 245.
- Essex County Field Naturalists web site
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Friends of Turkey Creek
Forum: Bilateral Breakdown - Going to Court Over US-Canada Pollution Disputes
Monday, January 15, 2007
The University of Windsor and Wayne State University Faculties of Law will be holding a Wayne/ Windsor Forum titled "Bilateral Breakdown: Going to Court Over US-Canada Pollution Disputes". The featured speaker will be Prof. Noah Hall of Wayne State University. The forum will be held on Monday, January 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the University of Windsor Faculty of Law (corner of University and Sunset). The talk will review recent developments in the area with a historical perspective and provide some recommendations for balancing the competing interests of national sovereignty, bilateral diplomacy, and environmental protection.
Detroit River Public Advisory Council Meetings
Wednesday, January 24 and Wednesday, February 7, 2007
The Detroit River Public Advisory Council will be meeting on Wednesday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m. This meeting is open to the public, and interested newcomers are welcome to attend. The meeting will be held in Lions Room (lower level) of the Riverside Public Library, 6305 Wyandotte Street East, Windsor. If you are planning to attend this meeting, please notify Melanie at postmaster@detroitriver.ca. This will allow us to make sure that there are enough handouts and food for everyone at the meeting.
Please also save the date for the next meeting of the Public Advisory Council, which will be held on Wednesday, February 7 at 5:30 p.m., also at the Riverside Public Library.
Fish are Smarter than You Might Think...
(in case you need another reason to care about their habitat in the Detroit River)
Scientists have found that - contrary to popular belief - fish are fast learners and carry mental maps around of their bowls or tanks. Tests on fish in aquaria at Oxford University have shown that despite their tiny brains, their cognitive abilities outstrip those of some small mammals. Dr. Theresa Burt de Perera found that blind Mexican cave fish did more than avoid bumping into objects in their tank. They built detailed mental maps of their surroundings, memorizing obstacles in them within hours, and quickly detected and responded to a rearrangement.
Tests on other fish have found that they can store memories for many months. In one study, Australian crimson spotted rainbowfish who learned to escape from a net in their tank remembered how they did it 11 months later. That is equivalent to a human recalling a lesson learned 40 years ago.
Artistic Submissions Sought
CITIZENShift is launching "Water" in honour of World Water Day on March 22, 2007. There will be an online component, as well as a screening series across Canada. They are seeking submissions of films, audio recordings, photos, and texts on the topic of water under the themes of: conservation; pollution; water-related disasters; global warming; accessibility; diversion; privatization; and conflicts. The focus is on the Canadian perspective of water problems and solutions, on the local and global level.
If you are passionate about using media to engage with others on the issue of water, and would like to use CITIZENShift as a platform for expression, send a description of the material that you would like to submit. Initial contact must be made to CITIZENShift by January 15 in order to be considered.
- CITIZENShift submission information
Workshop on Controlling Phragmites
February 22, 2007
The Wildlife Habitat Council is sponsoring a workshop on controlling phragmites on Thursday, February 22. This workshop is designed for volunteer land stewards who are active with properties that include large or small wetlands. A significant component of the workshop will be the sharing of experiences, both successful and not. The workshop will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will be held at the Metro Beach MetroPark Activities Centre, Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Registration is $50 To register, contact Martha at 313-235-9627, or by email at gruellem@dteenergy.com by February 15.
Survey of Citizen Science Projects
Do you design and implement citizen science projects? If so, the Cornell Laboratory needs your help. They are seeking input from the growing community of citizen science practitioners through an online survey. Results from the survey will help create a comprehensive, online database of North American citizen science projects and reference materials, create a tool kit to help organizations and individuals develop citizen science projects, and identify citizen science practitioners who will be invited to attend a conference in June which will discuss and revise the toolkit for widespread use by the informal science community.
Presentation: Lessons from Collaboration in Environmental Management
Friday, January 12, 2007
Point Pelee National Park is hosting a presentation by Dr. Steven Yaffee of the University of Michigan, who will be talking about Lessons from Collaboration in Environmental Management. The collaborative model seeks to create productive partnerships and engage communities to build shared understanding, explore options, develop a common purpose, and take collective action.
The presentation will be held on Friday, January 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Dock Restaurant in Leamington. If you are planning to attend, RSVP by January 10 to 519-322-2365, ext 200.
Environmental Job Postings
The International Wildlife Refuge Alliance is seeking an Executive Director. The position will be based in Grosse Ile, Michigan, and the application deadline is January 31. For a copy of the job posting, email iwr_alliance@yahoo.com.
The Kinark Outdoor Education Centre is seeking a full- time Program Coordiantor to assist in the development and delivery of all outdoor programs at its year-round facility in Minden, Ontario. Application deadline is February 14.
Oil Sands Truth is seeking an Executive Director to launch and organize the group. This position is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Application deadline is January 20.
The Essex Region Conservation Authority is seeking a Conservation Planner for a one-year contract. This full-time position is based in Essex, Ontario. Application deadline is January 22.
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is seeking a Fishery Research Program Assistant to assist the Science Director with research planning, contract administration, and fishery research projects. The position is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Application deadline is February 28, but the position is available immediately.
- Kinark Outdoor Education Centre posting
- ERCA posting
- Oil Sands Truth posting
- Great Lakes Fishery Commission posting
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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke (1729-1797)
email: postmaster@detroitriver.ca |