List of Events from 2016

Jan. 23 – [W] – Embro Pond – 9am, Carpool lot (map below)
Join us for an easy winter walk, about 2 km long through this mostly wooded area. Date may change due to snow depth (check our website). Contact: Meg & Wayne

Jan. 20 – [P] – Scales Nature Park Workshop – 7pm, Unifor Hall
See a variety of reptiles in this workshop by the Scales Nature Park Group. Learn about, and get up-close to some interesting scaley friends! For more info check-out our blog post here, or contact Dave.

 

List of Events from 2015

Sunday, November 29 – IDNC Festive Potluck – Ingersoll Seniors Centre – starts at 1:00 p.m.  Join us for a festive potluck! Bring your own plate, cup, and cutlery so we can reduce waste to the landfill. All are welcome!

Thursday, November 5 – TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE BAT –  Unifor Hall Ingersoll (corner of Victoria and Ingersoll Streets) – 7:00 p.m.  An introduction to the mysterious night time world of bats. Toby Thorne has been studying bats since the age of eleven and recently completed a master’s degree at the University of Western Ontario in London. He will talk about the biology of bats in general and about the species present in southern Ontario, and maybe dispel a few myths along the way.

Monday, November 9 – It’s an Owl Howl!! – meet at the Lawson Nature Reserve main gate – 7:00 p.m.   Join IDNC vice-president Dave Baird as he leads us along the trail and calls for owls. Have your flashlights ready, and wear warm clothes. We will also be serving hot chocolate from Chocolatea at the end of the howl to help warm us up! This is a great opportunity for kids and adults alike to see and learn all about owls!

Saturday, October 17 – Back to the Backus Mill!  Depart from Carpool Lot at 9:00 a.m.  Led by Dave Baird, this hike will take you around the Backus Mill property.  The trees will be in full colour – a great way to celebrate our fall season! We will meet at the municipal parking lot between the Ingersoll Memorial Arena and Tim Horton’s. For more information, call Dave at 519-842-6508.

(Was) Ongoing Until October 13 – Photo Contest – while you’re outside take some photos to enter our 2nd Annual Photo Contest! (for more details click here) See our post about the winning photos here.

Saturday, September 26 – Lake Whittaker Hike – Depart from Carpool Lot at 9:00 a.m.  Join us for a walk at beautiful Lake Whittaker. We will meet at the municipal parking lot between the Ingersoll Memorial Arena and Tim Horton’s. For more information call Don at 519-485-1174.

Saturday, September 12 – IDNC Annual General Meeting at the Bucknell’s Property – 2:00 p.m. to hike / Potluck Dinner at 5:00 / Meeting at 6:00 p.m.  All are welcome – come  hike the Bucknell’s extensive property with the resident tour guide (Don).  Potluck starts at 5:00, with meeting commencing at 6:00.  The AGM is an opportunity to share your ideas for the upcoming year as well as what did work / what didn’t work in the past year.  Don’t be shy – come on out!  Best free meal in town!!  For information, call Sheila at 519-485-2645.

July / August – NO SCHEDULED IDNC EVENTS; however this is one of our best seasons to be outside and enjoy nature…

…and while you’re outside take some photos to enter our 2nd Annual Photo Contest! (for more details click here)

Tuesday, June 9 – Members’ Participation Night – Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.  Members and non-members alike are asked to bring their favourite nature book or treasure from nature.  Talk about it and share why it’s your favourite.  We’re always happy to welcome new members or anyone just wanting to know more about us.  For more information call Dave at 519-842-6508.

Saturday, June 6 – Dorchester Pond Hike – Depart from Carpool Lot at 9:00 a.m.  Walk the circular path at Dorchester Pond through various landscapes.  If the sun is shining, you may be lucky enough to see turtles basking in the sun. Great opportunity for kids to see turtles, birds and frogs. We will meet at the municipal parking lot between the Ingersoll Memorial Arena and Tim Horton’s. For more information call Jim at 519-285-2342.

Saturday, May 23 – TRILLIUM WALK at The Lawson Nature Reserve with Club Naturalist Don Bucknell – 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  Enjoy the trilliums and other spring flowers and wildlife at the Lawson Nature Reserve.  Bring the whole family and explore the trails.  This month see the Reserve at its best!  Our senior naturalist, Don Bucknell, will provide guided tours to anyone interested.  For more information, call Don at 519-485-1174.  If you can’t make it in the morning, do your own guided tour in the afternoon/evening.  Download your trail map from this website.

Tuesday, May 12 – HEALTHY STREAMS, HEALTHY WATER BUGS – Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m. Have you ever seen something wriggling in the mud near the edge of a river or pond and wondered what it could be?  Well it’s a member of the community of freshwater bugs called benthic macroinvertebrates.  Join us on May 12^th when James Durst will discuss aquatic insects including dragonfly larvae, snails, aquatic worms etc. and their importance in the ecosystem and water quality monitoring. Insect samples will be available for viewing!

Saturday, May 9 –  FOCUS ON BIRDS with Terry Parker – Lawson Nature Reserve – 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  Interested in learning best practices for photographing our avian friends?  Terry Parker, Canadian nature photographer, leads this free session for beginners and advanced photographers alike.  Bring your camera, bring your questions.  Lunch will be provided – please register by calling Sheila at 519-485-2645.  Meet at the reserve at 9:00 a.m. To view some of Terry’s photos from the LNR, please visit our website BIRD and POLLINATOR photo sections.

Sunday, May 3 –  FROG WATCH – Lawson Nature Reserve – 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Kids of all ages – Come learn about frogs and toads – we have all sorts of interesting facts! Help us find our amphibian friends – Nets will be provided.  Meet at the reserve picnic tables at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 25 – EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP @ THE LAWSON NATURE RESERVE – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Help restore trails, assist with signage, pull garlic mustard and facilitate general clean-up along the property.  All are welcome!  Meet at the Reserve.  For more information, call Sheila at 519-485-2645.

Wednesday, April 22 – EARTH DAY!  Help celebrate this 45th anniversary….take a walk in nature, plan a native plant garden in your backyard (including milkweed), commit to reducing the garbage you produce, help clean a neighbourhood park… whatever you can do.  All small steps make a big difference!

Saturday, April 18 – Hike at Pittock Lake, Woodstock.  Depart from Carpool Lot at 9:00 a.m.  Hike the south side of Pittock Lake.  Trail consists of a pine plantation, and is wide and easy to navigate. We will meet at the municipal parking lot between the Ingersoll Memorial Arena and Tim Horton’s. For more information, call Meg at 519-485-4220.

Tuesday, April 14 – “Getting Along with our Wildlife Friends” with Laurel Beechey –Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.  Laurel Beechey, also known as “The Skunk Lady”, an Authorized Wildlife Custodian under the MNRF, will give a presentation on fostering and learning to live with wildlife.  Special guests for this session are Dolly and Scooter, the Skunks.  Kids will love this session!

Saturday, April 11 – TrashapaloozAha, Embro Community Centre, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Drop-offs end at 2 p.m.) What is a TrashapalooZaha? It’s a revelation that we can reuse many things which might otherwise go to a landfill. It’s an “AHA!” moment. It’s the realization that “one person’s trash is another’s treasure”. Yes, your grandmother knew this; everything old is new again. By returning to the thinking of previous generations who valued things more highly, we can reduce the need for places to throw things away. And where is away, anyway? Sadly, it always has a boomerang effect: It wastes, it costs, it pollutes, it requires permanent attention. So, TrashapaloozAha! is returning for a fourth time. A giant free store, an event that allows you to share what you no longer need while taking what you want… all at no cost to you! TrashapaloozAha is organized by Oxford Coalition for Social Justice, OPAL Alliance and Ingersoll District Nature Club.

Saturday, March 28 – Remember EARTH HOUR!  Join in!  Millions of people worldwide will turn off their lights for an hour to demand action on climate change.  For more information, go to:  www.wwf.ca/earthhour/.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 – Monarch Butterflies Talk… given by Dr. Jeremy McNeil of UWO – Mutual Building, Woodstock Fairgrounds, 7:00 p.m.  This talk is hosted by the Woodstock Horticulture Club, and is open to the public. Join us in seeing this presentation given by a leading researcher in Monarch Butterfly migration.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 – “Engaging Youth in Nature” with Bernie Solymar, Executive Director, Nature’s Calling Environmental Education – Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.  Numerous studies are showing that children exposed to nature and the outdoors perform better in school, are healthier, and respond better to stress.  However, in today’s highly wired world children often get very little exposure to nature and the outdoors.  Learn about the ways that Nature’s Calling Environmental Education is addressing “nature deficit disorder” and how we reconnect families with the natural world.

Saturday, March 7, 2015 – Hike at Springwater… it’s Maple Syrup Season! Depart from Carpool Lot at 9:00 a.m.  Join us for pancakes and real maple syrup, followed by a trail walk, at Springwater.  Mouth-watering good and beautiful trails!  Learn how maple syrup is made on site – great for kids. We will meet at the municipal parking lot between the Ingersoll Memorial Arena and Tim Horton’s. For more information, call Meg at 519-485-4220.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 –  Low Impact Development (LID) in Ingersoll – Guest speaker Teresa Hollingsworth of the Upper Thames Conservation Authority – Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.  LID is a stormwater management approach, using small, simple designs and landscape features at the lot level, to infiltrate, filter, store, evaporate and detain runoff close to its source.  Come learn about simple solutions to reducing the rate and amount of water running off your property – which in turn lessens water runoff to storm sewers and reduces any negative impact on our water quality.  Rain gardens, bioswales, downspout redirects, and rain barrels are all part of the solutions.  Come hear more from Teresa on this interesting topic.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 – “The Ontario Badger” Guest speaker Josh Sayers of Ontario Badgers – Ingersoll Public Library Meeting Room – 7:00 p.m.  Josh Sayers will share his research on Ontario Badgers.  Southern Ontario is home to a small population of American Badgers (Taxidea taxus subspecies “jacksoni”). These rare, native carnivores are members of the weasel family and are among the most elusive animals in the province! They are mostly active by night, tend to avoid people, and wander over large areas. In fact a single badger’s territory can easily be several thousand acres! They are opportunistic carnivores, and feed on a variety of small animals, such as groundhogs (also known as woodchucks or gophers), rabbits, mice, chipmunks, frogs, turtle eggs, and insects. They hunt along the weedy and grassy edges of fields, forests, and meadows, and spend most of their days underground.