Seminar #3

TITLE: Where aquatic systems meet terrestrial: An ecological important ecotone!

SPEAKER: Andy Gordon              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

Wherever a stream or lake encounters a shoreline, an important relationship in the form of an ecotone develops. These relationships are never the same and vary considerably across the breadth of geography, topography and geology that is Ontario. Dr. Gordon will discuss these relationships for a small agricultural stream in Southwestern Ontario, a small oligotrophic lake
in South Central Algonquin Park – reminiscent of many situations in Haliburton County – and the small lakes in the boreal forest north of Cochrane. He will finish by looking at a small lake in the Northwest Territories and the impact that a large wildfire had on fish populations. The talk will be focused on understanding the two way flow of energy and nutrients across this important ecotone and how this may have a bearing on political legislation such as the local shoreline bylaw.    

DATE: Tuesday, May 17, 2022, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

REGISTRATION: Click here

Andy Gordon

Seminar #2

TITLE: A Highlands’ Turtle Tale

SPEAKER: Leora Berman              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

The Land Between, Ontario’s Highlands, is a special region that is a last reserve for many species in Ontario, including turtles. All turtle populations in the province and Canada, and across the world are declining at alarming rates. Meanwhile turtles are our super eco-heroes and essential for our lake health and aquatic ecosystems. Turtles are also incredibly complex and specialized – they follow spatial maps in their minds, navigate using earth magnetics and the sun, and return to hibernation sites within 1 metre year after year. Leora Berman, the COO and founder of the charity The Land Between, a dynamic speaker, will introduce you to this
unparalleled region and teach you about this unique animal, including Haliburton’s own 125 yr old turtle, Grace. You may have seen the turtle mural by a Land Between staff member on the wall of Baked and Battered in Haliburton. Check it out below.           

DATE: Tuesday, April 19, 2022, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

REGISTRATION: Click here

For more information about The Land Between and Turtle Guardians, visit www.thelandbetween.ca/ and www.turtleguardians.com/.

Leora Berman: Photo by Britta Gerwin

About Leora Berman

Leora Berman is the Chief Operating Officer and Founder of the charity The Land Between: Cottage Country’s Conservation Organization and has been in the conservation business for many decades.

She began in the “trenches”, spending years conducting hydrogeological, hydrological and wetland assessments. Then she moved on to designing and delivering environmental remediation and restoration projects, and ultimately grew to developing and managing large-scale and multi-partnered projects across Ontario. She has worked for and provided value to numerous conservation and environmental groups and Provincial government departments. Among other awards for her work, Leora is the recipient of the 2019 Roland Michener Conservation Award from the Canadian Wildlife Federation for exceptional work in wildlife research and conservation.

The Land Between, Ontario’s Highlands, is a special region that is a last reserve for many species in Ontario, including turtles. All turtle populations in the province and Canada, and across the world are declining at alarming rates. Grace is Haliburton’s oldest female breeding snapping turtle. She is estimated to be 125 years old, blind in one eye and lives in the wetlands around the town of Haliburton. She is often seen crossing the busy downtown roads. That’s why Leora and friends started up The Turtle Guardians, a group you may have seen along the roadways near various marshes who are dedicated to helping Grace and other turtles cross the road safely. You also may have seen the mural of a turtle in a marsh painted on the side of Baked and Battered restaurant in Haliburton by one of the Land Between’s staff with the caption “We’re in this together. We share the same future.”.

Seminar #1

TOPIC: Algonquin Wild

SPEAKER: Michael Runtz              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

Haliburton Highlands shares its landscapes and waterways with neighbouring Algonquin Park. Their forests are integrally linked and their fauna move between them. Michael Runtz has explored their natural world for fifty years, documenting their flora and fauna in his lavishly illustrated books and advocating for their conservation. A dynamic communicator, Michael is one of Canada’s most celebrated naturalists. This highly visual presentation explores their natural history highlights through the year, from the tiny snow animals, explosion of spring wildflowers and the howls of Eastern Wolves to the mating of moose and arrival of winter finches.           

DATE: Wednesday, March 23, 2022, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Michael Runtz: Photo by Britta Gerwin

About Michael Runtz

Michael’s association with Algonquin Park spans nearly 50 years and includes working in the Park as an interpretive naturalist for 11 seasons.  Michael hosted the international television series Wild by Nature, authored and illustrated 14 natural history books including Algonquin Wild and, his latest, Wildflowers of Algonquin Provincial Park and The Explorer’s Guide to Algonquin Park, 4^th Edition.  Additionally, Michael provided the images for the award-winning children’s book At Home with the Beaver.  Michael has written more than 1,100 natural history articles for newspapers and magazines (Nature’s Way was nearing its 30^th season when Covid-19 cut it short). Michael teaches Natural History and Ornithology courses at Carleton University where more than 56,000 students have taken his courses. His numerous awards include the Council of Canadian University Biology Chairs Distinguished Public Science Education Award, the Friends of Algonquin Directors Award, the Friends of Bonnechere Parks Directors Award, and several Carleton University Teaching Achievement Awards. A popular keynote speaker and media guest, Michael was the only Canadian featured in the TVO/NHK Japan’s Superteachers series.  Visit Michael on Facebook at Nature by Runtz.

Eastern Wolf Pups howling: Photo by Michael Runtz

A Bull and the Algonquin Fall Colours: Photo by Michael Runtz