The complete story of “Tall Tales from the Pond” is available now.
See also featured stories before 2023.
Author: Glenn Berry
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GUIDE TO THE NATURAL AREAS
The Guide is available for $15 in several locations: Camera Canada Stores (both), Featherfields, Hoskin Feed and Country Store, Hyde Park Feed and Country Store, Oxford Books, Wild Birds Unlimited and the Museum of Ontario Archaeology
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PASSPORT TO NATURE
Open to all. Events all year. Click the image for details.
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Eco-Grants Program
Eco-Grants Program
This year, the Eco-Grants Committee received six applications for funding
totalling $26,696. Four applications, totalling $16,585, were recommended for funding. They were evaluated using the Nature London Eco-Grants Application Evaluation Tool.Upper Thames River Conservation Authority –Savana Restoration Project– $2,000
This project was year two of the restoration and transition of a 4.5-acre sterile pine plantation at the head of the Fanshawe Conservation Area Lake Trail.
The expected outcomes are:
An area free of invasive plants with an open canopy to allow prairie and savanna plants to flourish
A savanna/prairie site that will attract pollinators
Add to the diversity of habitats at Fanshawe CA for the enjoyment of visitors
St. Clair Regional Conservation Authority Coldstream Conversation Area – Trail Rehab/Parking Lot Extension – $6,ooo
The request was for funding to expand the parking lot at the Coldstream Conservation Area. There is a lot of damage to the area due to all terrain vehicles and the larger project will repair damage, place signs, restrict vehicular traffic and encourage trail use.
The parking lot is essential to the success of the larger project and the committee determined that we should fund this component that will help to protect the environment, the native species and increase the enjoyment of Coldstream.
Thames Talbot Land Trust – Snake Monitoring in Southern Ontario – $2,760
This was a funding request for the first year of a 10-year project to implement Ontario Nature’s Long-Term Monitoring Protocol for Ontario Snakes in the Skunks Misery area. 75% of reptiles are listed as at risk in Ontario. Most of the funds will support staff coordination and implementation of the project.
We asked that Nature London’s support be recognized in the reports to Ontario Nature and requested that we receive ongoing annual reports for the project.
London Environmental Network – Bird Friendly London – $5,825
Funding supported building a Barn Swallow nesting structure by Medway ESA at Western University as well as community education, retrofitting bird safe windows, and funding for the 2023 coordinator. Western’s Society of Graduate Students and Undergraduate Student Council both support the Barn Swallow structure financially. Western Students will participate in the project.
The committee expressed concern about the size and success of this type of Barn Swallow nesting structure. The Bird Team has reported that models existing in other communities are being reviewed to ensure success.
Birding Kits including binoculars will be loaned through the London Library Thing service to encourage non-typical participants in birding activities and provide education about bird conservation and protection.
Susan Relecom
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Event Report – 2017-10-13: Nature London Commemorative Plaque Unveiled
Nature London, one of the oldest societies in London, was honoured by the Historic Sites Committee of the London Public Library on October 13, 2017. It was recognized by the unveiling of a commemorative plaque near the Civic Garden Complex in Springbank Park.
Originally founded in 1864 as an Entomological Society devoted to the collection and study of insects, the club, its name and its interests have evolved over the years. For much of the twentieth century, the group was called the McIlwraith Ornithological Club and, later, the McIlwraith Field Naturalists. Since 2009 it has been popularly known as Nature London. Today the organization continues its commitment to the study, enjoyment and conservation of the natural world.
The plaque was erected in Springbank Park to recognize the club’s longstanding association with the area and the adjacent Thames River. This dates to well before the park’s establishment in the 1870s. In the late 1800s, club members were not only collecting insects but also studying birds, plants and fossils in the park and its environs. A century ago, the group was lobbying the Public Utilities Commission to put a stop to the wanton shooting of birds within Springbank Park. It also asked the PUC to establish habitat there to encourage waterfowl, whose numbers were at an historic low due to decades of over-hunting.
Throughout the club’s history, Nature London members have most frequently visited Springbank Park and the adjacent Thames in order to observe birds – recording data on species and abundance. Springbank Park has been the location of many club-organized field trips to introduce the public to the wonders and diversity of nature. Nature London has also kept an eye on the ecological health of the Thames River, providing input to the authorities at appropriate times. For the past two decades, Nature London has held its meetings at the Civic Garden Complex within the park.
Mingling Before the Unveiling 
There was an abundance of yummy treats and beverages. 
Over 50 people, a flock of twenty Blue Jays and a pair of Chickadees were in attendance. 
Nature London President Bernie VanDenBelt 
London Mayor Matt Brown (picture courtesy of Anita Caveney) 
London West MPP Peggy Sattler (picture courtesy of Anita Caveney) 
Nature London Archivist David Wake (picture courtesy of Anita Caveney) 
Anna Hopkins (Councillor), Matt Brown (Mayor), Jonathan Vance (Historic Sites Committee), Bill Maddeford (Nature London), Peggy Sattler (London West MPP). 
Nature London Commemorative Plaque Nature London President Bernie VanDenBelt
London Mayor Matt Brown
Nature London Archivist David Wake
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Eco-grant Chimney Swift Program
First-St. Andrew’s United Church
Chimney Swift Awareness ProjectIn 2018, First-St. Andrew’s United Church received $1,960 for a project to enhance awareness of, and provide information about, Chimney Swifts that nest and/or roost in the five chimneys of the church. This was done through the production of a sign (below) and the installation of a bench for viewing purposes.
The sign and bench are located at a prime viewing location on the church property that can also be accessed by passers-by. The project has created a much greater awareness of swifts within the church membership, and it is hoped that this awareness will also extend to the broader public.
The site will be the initial gathering place for the Chimney Swift walk that will be led by Winnie Wake on Sunday May 26th, beginning at 2 PM. Both the sign and bench have been installed as part of a larger project to create an “Eco-Meditation” garden that features a variety of native plants. With biodiversity in mind, plantings include species that support pollinators as well as provide food for the early stages of insects that may waft upward to become swift food. The garden, part of a growing trend to create ecologically healthy urban landscapes, also includes plants sacred to Indigenous culture, a walking labyrinth, and a sculpture that incorporates disused organ pipes.
Nature London applauds the efforts of the First-St. Andrew’s community to create this urban oasis that nourishes both human and non-human visitors. Club members are encouraged to visit the garden themselves when in the area. First-St. Andrew’s United Church is located at 350 Queens Avenue, London.
Please note that there will be a dedication ceremony on Sunday, June 23, 2019 at 10:30 AM at First-St. Andrew’s Church. For more details, see the Invitation.
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Eco-grant Westminster Ponds
In 2018, ReForest London was awarded a $5,000 Eco-Grant from Nature London to assist with the restoration of the gate house at the entrance to the Westminster Ponds Centre (WPC). Situated behind Parkwood Hospital, the WPC is a cluster of buildings and associated grounds that once served as a recuperative village for veterans following World War II. Recently, ownership of the site was transferred to ReForest London from the London Health Sciences Centre.
Gate House Restored – Photo by Dave Wake ReForest London’s vision is to transform the site into an Environment & Sustainability Centre that will be a hub for sustainability initiatives in the London region. When complete, the WPC will boast over 20,000 square feet of space over four buildings on 14 acres of grounds. Restoration of the gate house was among the first steps in a much larger effort to redevelop the entire site.
Melchers Construction was principal contractor for the task which involved an extensive rebuilding of the long-neglected structure. The refurbished gate house retains the design and architectural features of the original structure while incorporating space for educational signage (where the windows once were) as well as lighting. Nature London’s contribution covered approximately one-quarter of the total cost. Additional funders, and in-kind contributions, covered the balance.
The now-restored gate house, which once welcomed visitors to the veterans’ village, now welcomes visitors to the WPC, providing them with information about the WPC project and the Area. As well, it provides information regarding
the site’s natural and cultural heritage as well as the tenants occupying office space on the property. Of particular interest to Nature London members will be information referring to W.E. Saunders, one of the property’s former owners and the founding president of the ornithological section of the club which was renamed the McIlwraith Ornithological Club in 1902.As one of the first tangible signs of the site’s revitalization, the gate house provided a focal point for the launch of the Westminster Ponds Centre in a formal ceremony held on 9 October 2019. A wide cross section of supporters gathered under sunny skies to mark the occasion. Nature London President, Gordon Neish, represented the club with several other club members also on hand for the event.
The afternoon’s program began with an Indigenous acknowledgement and recognition of the site’s cultural heritage
as a veterans’ recuperative village. ReForest London Executive Director, Dean Sheppard, then outlined the vision for the complex which included relocation of the Thames Valley District School Board’s environmental education centre to the Huron Pavilion, now completed. Following additional presentations, the event concluded with a social and tours of the property which, of course, included a stop at the newly renovated gate house.The early support of groups such as Nature London and the London Community Foundation’s Endowment for Heritage has inspired other individuals and organizations to become involved with the project. For example, an additional use for the gate house will soon be for snowshoe storage. A local neighbourhood association, the Westminster Working Group, submitted the idea as a “Neighbourhood Decision Making” proposal to the City of London, and it was subsequently approved. Once additional work inside the gate house is completed this summer, it will be ready for
Westminster residents to use for snowshoeing events on the property next winter.Nature London’s contribution has been recognized on the property next winter. the gate house signage as well as on the WPC website and social media, among other places. The next time you are visiting the Westminster Ponds, why not make a point of stopping by the gate house to see for yourself the unfolding transformation at the WPC site, a transformation supported by our Eco-Grants program.
