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Written by Gina Pannunzio for The Egret – Volume 35 Issue 3

In late May, early June, folks from all around arrive at Beausoleil Island, which is part of the Georgian Bay Islands National Park to participate in the 2019 Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Survey Course. This course is hosted by a partnership of reptile and amphibian experts and organizations including Blazing Star Environmental, Natural Resource Solutions Inc., Ontario Nature and the Government of Ontario. The course covers reptile and amphibian identification, and provides detailed workshops that dive into the ecology and phenology of these animals that relates to their detectability during key survey times. Participants gain important understanding of reptile and amphibian habitat use during their life cycle stages and insight on how to conduct appropriate presence/absence surveys for these special species in Ontario.

Beausoleil Island is the location for the course because it straddles two unique natural regions and is protected as part of the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve. The south end of the island hosts deciduous forest while the northern part has rugged Canadian Shield landscape. The trees on site are part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region and represent a transition zone between hardwood forests of the south and boreal forests in the north. Some of the dominant hardwood tree species on the island include Sugar Maple, Striped Maple, Red Oak, White Oak, American Beech and Red Maple. Evergreens include Eastern Hemlock, White Cedar and White Pine, which grow in stands often between the rock outcrops where the soil is too thin or acidic for hardwoods.

These ecosystem mixes provide habitat for a high diversity of plants and wildlife. In particular, this island and others within the Georgian Bay Islands National Park System, have more reptile and amphibian species than any other national park in Canada. The close proximity of all these habitats to each other has helped experts document 17 reptile and 12 amphibian species on the island, which represents over half of Ontario’s herptofauna. This diversity includes many species of conservation concern, and the island is able to support a high number, since it is almost completely unaffected by the threats reptiles and amphibians face in other places across Ontario. Some noteworthy species course participants are able to witness include Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Massugsa, Northern Ribbonsnake, Northern Ring-necked Snake, Blanding’s Turtle, Eastern Musk Turtle, Map Turtle, Spotted Turtle, Gray Treefrog, Eastern Newt, Four-toed Salamander, Eastern Red-backed salamander, and of course more.

Of Ontario’s herptofauna, 17 of 27 reptiles and 6 of 26 amphibian species are listed as federally and provincially at risk. While Ontario as a province is very biodiverse, it seems more and more species are added to the list frequently. Amphibians and reptiles are an important part of healthy, functional ecosystems. They are often selected as indicator species that reveal whether things are going well or poorly, depending on their presence or absence. They are part of Ontario’s natural heritage and are a source of inspiration and exploration for those who are fascinated by their colours, patterns, life cycles, behaviour and more. They hold significance for many cultures including First Nations and are important sources of scientific and medical discovery around the world. It is very critical to pay attention to what is happening to reptiles and amphibians in Ontario, because they face so many challenges in maintaining healthy and sustainable populations across the province.

This course not only provides participants a unique experience to understand these creatures, how to survey for them, and report their sightings, it also puts them at an advanced position to be an additional protector and champion. With more people out there acting as eyes and ears for Ontario’s wildlife, there is a greater chance that they will speak up when policy and legislation comment periods open, advocate for habitat protection when threats locally are a potential reality, and be able to properly educate others about their importance with accurate information.

For those wishing to take a deep dive into Ontario’s slithery, scaly, spotted, lined, blotchy, moist, musky, woodland, wetland, noisy, swampy, shelly, spiky, cryptic, shy, cold blooded and interesting animals, consider taking this course in the future. Taking a trip to Beausoleil Island with other likeminded individuals, interacting with Ontario’s reptiles and amphibians, exploring the island, wading in meadow marshes and wetlands, falling asleep to choruses of Gray Tree Frogs, American Toads as well as American Bullfrogs, Northern Leopard and Green Frogs calling, climbing the Canadian Shield and testing survey skills is a great learning experience. Keep your eyes open as the course hosts start to advertise the opportunity at the beginning of the New Year through Ontario Nature, Blazing Star Environmental and the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas social media pages.

In the meantime, here’s a few ways you can learn more about Ontario’s herptofauna:

• Re-read Steve Marks’ article Reptiles and Amphibians need our help! In fact, all wildlife does! For The Egret Issue 25 – Number 1 in 2019. Link: https://www.essexcountynature.com/reptiles-and-amphibians-need-our-help-in-fact-all-wildlife-does/

• Learn about issues such as habitat fragmentation and road mortality affecting Windsor’s herptofauna in the Ojibway Prairie Complex by reading this blog article by the Ojibway Prairie Massasauga team:  https://wildlifepreservation.ca/blog/deadly-roads-of-the-ojibway-prairie-complex/

• Want facts? Read the published article in The Canadian Field-Naturalist: Choquette, J.D., & Valiantt, L. (2016).  Road Mortality of Reptiles and Other Wildlife at the Ojibway Prairie Complex and Greater Park Ecosystem in Southern Ontario. The Canadian Field Naturalist, 130(1), 64-75. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.22621/cfn.v130i1.1804

• Consider attending Dave Kraus’ early spring herp walk in 2020 and keep an eye out in The Egret for other educational opportunities hosted by various organizations in our area.

• Report your sightings to the Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas (ORAA). Download the app on your smartphone and read more here: https://ontarionature.org/programs/citizen-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/

• Help reduce road mortality by driving with caution and watch for wildlife-crossing along roadways. If you live in Windsor or LaSalle, drive slow down Malden or Matchette, or avoid them all together by using the Herb-Gray Parkway or Ojibway Parkway instead.  

• Learn more about legal protection for Ontario’s herptofauna here: https://ontarionature.org/legal-protection-ontarios-reptiles-amphibians/

• Learn about Ontario’s herptofauna and check out an interactive range map for all species through Ontario Nature
  • Species information: https://ontarionature.org/programs/citizen-science/reptile-amphibian-atlas/species/
  • Range map: https://ontarionature.org/oraa/maps/

• Recognize World Turtle Day, hosted on May 23 internationally 

Writen by Gina Pannunzio for The Egret – Volume 35 Issue 3

Each year, World Rivers Day celebrates river systems across the globe. This special day highlights the importance of rivers and aims to increase public awareness of the challenges rivers face. The hope is that this increased awareness will improve the stewardship of rivers. Globally, rivers share boundaries with numerous jurisdictions, and World Rivers Day highlights the shared goal of strengthening regional and international networks who steward these resources.

The Detroit River (DR) is one of the busiest waterways in the world and is used for a variety of economic and recreational purposes. The river and its shoreline provide important habitat for birds and fish, with the river and its watershed estimated to support over 65 different fish species. It is designated as an American Heritage River and a Canadian Heritage River, and is the only river in North America to have this dual designation.

The Detroit River has been used intensively for international shipping, industrial and agricultural development, recreation, and drinking water for decades. This has led to environmental degradation and as a result, the Detroit River was listed as an Area of Concern (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1987. The Detroit River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) was established to develop and implement actions to clean up the river. Under the RAP, 14 Beneficial Use Impairments (BUIs) were created to measure progress towards the cleanup. A Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) is a condition that interferes with the ability of humans to use the aquatic environment and for the aquatic environment to support aquatic life. These 14 BUIs must be considered not impaired before the Detroit River can be removed from the list of AOCs. To date, 7 of the 14 BUIs are listed as not impaired.

The Detroit River Canadian Cleanup (DRCC) and the Friends of the Detroit River (FDR) implement separate Remedial Action Plans (RAP) for Canada and the United States. Through community-based partnership between the government (federal, provincial/state, municipal), local industries, researchers, environmental organizations, and citizens working together, the goal is to protect, restore, and enhance the Detroit River ecosystem.

To cleanup the river, both Canada and the United States have conducted sediment cleanup and remediation, habitat restoration, municipal and industrial wastewater treatment, infrastructure upgrades, non-point source pollution management in the Detroit River, as well as a suite of ongoing studies, investigations, monitoring, research, education and outreach about the Detroit River. To learn more about the Canadian projects, check out the Detroit River Cleanup Story Map: www.detroitriver.ca/storymap.

A large amount of progress has been made to make the Detroit River cleaner so that the river can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come… and more exciting work is planned! Over the coming year, we plan to implement two large-scale habitat projects (one wetland restoration and one fish habitat enhancement project) to help us further improve habitat for fish and wildlife on the river. To celebrate the progress made in cleaning up the Detroit River, join the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup and the Essex Region Conservation Authority to celebrate World Rivers Day! Come find our tent in the Healthy Community Hub at the Open Streets Festival on September 22, 2019. Say hello and share your love for the Detroit River!

Written by Gina Pannunzio for The Egret – Volume 35 – Issue 3

Each year National Forest Week (NFW) is celebrated across Canada by many individuals and diverse governmental and non-governmental organizations. During NFW, Canadians are invited to learn more about Canada’s forest heritage and to raise awareness about this valuable and renewable resource. Forests are fundamental to our economy, culture, traditions and history – and to our future. Communities, families and individuals depend on forests for their livelihood and way of life (Canadian Institute of Forestry).

Healthy forest systems are essential for healthy communities. Forests provide many ecological services such as filtering pollutants from the air, filter storm water, prevent erosion, mitigate drought, provide shade, are habitat for wildlife, aid in pollination dispersal, provide aesthetic, recreation and amenity benefits and of course more. Many of us who grew up in Windsor-Essex, know a Carolinian forest well. We can connect our place in the region to the wooded areas we spent time in and the species we admire and are drawn to. Unfortunately these forested ecosystems face challenges such as land conversion, development, mismanagement, invasive species and more.

The initial forest loss in the Windsor-Essex region was dramatic, as a result of European settlement, and incentives given to clear land for agriculture. Habitat fragmentation is very obvious when driving down country roads, or looking at our area from satellite images. In the 2018 Watershed Report Card published by the Essex Region Conservation Authority, forest conditions for the region’s watersheds ranked as a D or an F. These low scores were due to more stringent measurement standards, not because of a loss of forest habitat. These measurements are set across the province, and it is difficult to achieve a higher score on this scale within Windsor-Essex’s highly agriculturally based landscape. Through landscape wide restoration efforts, the initial forest cover measured in 1973 was less than 4%. Today, Windsor-Essex sits around 6% forest cover which includes terrestrial and wooded swamps swamp woodlots, approximately 9,918ha.

It is true, our region fared much worse in forest cover in the past. Through natural succession, active restoration and the application of environmental policies prohibiting or prescribing no negative impacts from development within significant natural areas has been very effective in increasing natural coverage within our region. There is certainly a long way to go to have a fully functional, robust, well-connected natural heritage system. One tool that is used by the Essex Region Conservation Authority is the Essex Region Natural Heritage System Strategy or ERNHSS that is a draft blueprint of what we would like to see across the landscape. Restoration targets within ERNHSS focus on habitat consolidation, connectivity and buffering as well as reducing edge effects on existing forests, and increasing interior woodland habitat.

Despite the statistics, there is still hope. During National Forest Week there are quite a few things people can do to engage in the conversation about Windsor-Essex’s forests, get involved in upcoming events and obviously go for a walk in the woods. There are numerous public places that are great for walking and checking out mature Carolinian favourites such as trails at Point Pelee National Park, Kopegaron Woods, McAuliffe Woods, Devonwood and Maidstone Conservation Areas and any within the greater Ojibway Prairie Complex.

It is critically important to continue implementing and participating in tree planting, restoration and water quality improvement projects in the region. These efforts help to reconnect remnant forests by reducing habitat fragmentation, establishing corridors that provide habitat and safety for traveling wildlife, buffer plantings for tributaries that intersect forests, planting new trees on recently established or existing trails, backyard tree planting efforts, school yard greening programs, stormwater management green space plantings and more. In a recently published report, The Economic Value of Tree Planting in Southern Ontario report from Forests Ontario identified the total number of trees planted in Southern Ontario between 2008 and 2018 is 24,431,852 or 15 thousand hectares. These trees account for an estimated $82.7 million annual ecosystem service benefits.

Check out the events section of this month’s Egret for upcoming tree/forest related opportunities! There will continue to be opportunities as long as people in the region express their interests and concerns for the future of Windsor-Essex forests.

Resources

Canadian Institute of Forestry (2019). National Forest Week. https://www.cif-ifc.org/national-forest-week/

Essex Region Conservation Authority (2013). Essex Region Natural Heritage Systems Strategy. https://essexregionconservation.ca/resources/reports/essex-region-natural-heritage-systems-strategy/

Essex Region Conservation Authority (2018). Watershed Report Card. https://essexregionconservation.ca/watershed-health/water-quality/

Forests Ontario (2019). The Economic Value of Tree Planting in Southern Ontario. https://www.forestsontario.ca/planting/resources/the-economic-value-of-tree-planting-in-southern-ontario/