Seminar #1

TITLE: The Forest is on Fire! Understanding the natural fire cycle and what we can do to be prepared.

SPEAKER:  Ken Cox, Southern Region Fire Advisor, Ontario Aviation and Forest Emergency Services, Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry          

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

More then 18 million hectares of Canada’s wildlands burned in 2023, nearly 5 times the national average. Haliburton experienced numerous fires during the spring drought as well as smoke impacts from the large wildfires in Northern Ontario and Quebec. Ken will explain Ontario’s natural wildland fire cycle, how it is managed,
how the local fire departments partner with his MNRF team and how we can be more resilient and prepared.

DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Seminar #2

TITLE: Keep Safe on the Lake!

SPEAKER:  Sergeant Dave Moffat, Provincial Marine and ATV Coordinator, Ontario Provincial Police          

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

Are you up on the current boating safety rules? Do you know what rule changes are coming up? What are the marine statistics telling us? OPP’s Sergeant Moffatt will update us on what’s about to change, and how Shared Waterways will help us enjoy the lake together..

DATE: Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Seminar #3

TITLE: A solar eclipse is coming! – Celestial Shadows – Eclipses of the Sun

SPEAKER:  Howard Simkover          

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

A rare solar eclipse is coming to our region on April 8, 2024. This special talk will describe the many kinds of eclipses, what they are, when they happen, what causes them, and why they are seemingly rare. Howard Simkover will show us what to look for on April 8th and how to do it safely.

DATE: Thursday, March 14th, 2024 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Post Presentation Handouts (click on links below):

1. Eclipse Presentation_LKO_March 2024_Handout
2. Eclipse Eye Safety Sheet

Seminar #4

TITLE: Waves on our lakes: how much energy do boats create?

SPEAKER:  Dr. Chris Houser, Professor and Dean of Science, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

Vessel-generated waves (or wakes) are perceived as an important stressor in both marine and freshwater systems, and they are an increasingly important focus of coastal management. Recent studies suggest that wakes account for a significant portion of the total wave energy in fetch-limited environments and in turn have the potential to resuspend sediment, erode shorelines, degrade water quality, damage infrastructure, and disrupt aquatic ecosystems, in addition to being considered a safety hazard and a nuisance. To assess the relative contribution of wakes to the total wave energy, monitoring was completed at 38 sites across 7 fetch-limited lakes in Ontario, Canada between 2020 and 2023. The percent wake energy was inversely related to the average fetch length, with deviations to the relationship dependent on whether the site was open, an embayment or along a narrow section of the lake. A survey of property owners and residents suggests that the perceived impact of wakes also varies with the fetch length. Shoreline erosion and degraded water quality were identified as primary impacts of wakes in lakes with the smallest average fetch, but very few respondents provided direct evidence of boat wake impacts. Most respondents described vessel operation, experience of the vessel operator and conflict over different boating uses as the primary issues associated with wakes. While boat wakes may contribute a significant portion of the wave energy in fetch-limited lakes, further research is required to determine when and where they may represent a physical and ecological stressor rather than being just a nuisance.

Dr. Chris Houser is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo, and the Dean of Science.  Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, he was the Dean of Science and Vice President Research at the University of Windsor (2016-2023), and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Global Faculty Ambassador at Texas A&M University (2007-2016).  He is a coastal geomorphologist with research focused on coastal barrier response to storm events, rip currents and other beach hazards, and vessel-generated wakes..

DATE: Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Seminar #3

TITLE: All Things Septic: Care, Maintenance and Inspections of Residential Septic Systems

SPEAKER:  Rob Davis              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

Rob’s discussion is full of useful information and sewage common sense. Learn about septic myths & folklore, preventative maintenance, proper septic tank pumping/cleaning & how to protect the investment you have in your sewage system and the lake environment.
In addition, mandatory septic inspections are planned for this year, Rob will share what to expect with a level 3 inspection and common issues found.

DATE: Wednesday, April 29, 2023, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar is available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Seminar #2

TITLE: Relative Importance of Recreational Boat Wakes and Winds

SPEAKER:  Dr. Chris Houser              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

This talk provides an overview of the science of vessel-generated waves and emerging concerns about wakes in Ontario. Using wave data collected at different lakes from across Ontario’s cottage country, the relative importance of boat wakes and wind waves will be discussed with a focus on how and when boat wakes may represent a significant source of wave energy at the shoreline.

DATE: Wednesday, March 29, 2023, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar is available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Seminar #1

TITLE: WONDERS OF THE NIGHT SKY

SPEAKER:  Howard Simkover              

ABOUT THE SEMINAR:

In this Zoom presentation, we will examine both the wonders to observe in the night sky, and ways to protect the precious resource of the dark night sky.

For the humans of ages past, the starry sky was a source of awe and fascination. Back then, before the bright lights of modern civilization, thousands of stars could be seen at night. Unfortunately, in 2023 light pollution denies most of us a good view of the stars. Over 80% of Canadians now live in places where they cannot see the Milky Way. Light pollution has severe impacts on animal, bird, and insect species, and also damages human health. However, some progressive cities are taking steps to reduce unnecessary light pollution. There are also things that we can do as individuals to protect the precious resource of the dark night sky.

After the sun goes down, there are many wonders to be seen and enjoyed above us. The planets wander against the background of the constellation figures, sometimes passing very close to each other, or, in turn, being passed by the Moon in its monthly orbit around the Earth. If you know where to look, a simple pair of binoculars can show you star clusters, a giant gas cloud in space, and even a nearby galaxy. The aurora borealis may entertain us with shimmering patterns of ghostly light. On certain occasions during the year, the Earth passes through a swarm of particles in the solar system, producing a meteor shower. A new or returning comet can dominate the sky for several weeks, as happened with Comet NEOWISE in 2020. Eclipses of the Sun and Moon can be predicted with stunning accuracy, allowing us to watch as the Earth’s shadow falls onto the Moon, or as the Moon’s shadow traverses a narrow path across the surface of the Earth.

The sky belongs to all of us. We can all enjoy what it has to offer, and learn from the many beautiful celestial phenomena that connect us to the magnificent Cosmos of which we are a part.

DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 2023, 7:30 – 8:30 PM

WHERE: Zoom Webinar

Seminar is available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

Moon and Venus – September 9 2021   Photo by Howard Simkover

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

Seminar is available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

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

Seminar is available on the LKO YouTube Channel: Click here

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

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.