You are a Scientist - Citizen Science

You are a citizen
and must be a scientist

Get involved, the trees, birds, bees, and dirt will love you for it!
Many Timmins people have been involved in making observations of our Natural Environment. It has been very helpful to have the many eyes helping make observations. Check out the Timmins Naturalist page : Observations Naturally. We keep track of sightings of unusual species and events. Hope you will participate!

There are many different types of surveys and data collection efforts you can participate in. Some take a little skill and some require more effort.  The Christmas Bird Count is one data collection program that has been around for more then 100years. The effort required is minimal and is always a fun event. The Timmins Naturalists usually count the Saturday before Christmas. Join us this year.

I have provided links to many favorite programs, take a look and get involved.

Bird Studies Canada

NatureWatch Canada

Toronto Zoo

Frog Watch Ontario

Ontario Turtle Tally

Birds Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)

Ontario Nest Record Scheme

OTHERS

Nature.ca

All About Birds

macgickcanoe.blog

Oxygen Grows On Trees

Timmins Checklist of the Birds Poster - Hot off the Press!

Great locally taken photographs.

Checklist of the Bird down the side.

Fund raiser for 

Wintergreen Fund for Conservation.

The poster was ready for the Sportsman Show. Many commented on how nice the poster looks. I think it turned out great! Many thanks to Lynn and Mark Clement for providing us with all the pictures.

You can see more of Lynn and Marks work on their websites.

You can find the poster at the MRCA office at Gillies Lake. They are only $5.00. You will need one for the cottage, one for the office and one for home, this is a fund-raiser. The poster was also supported by Xstrata Copper, with thanks to Larry and Syvia Labelle.

You can see the Timmins Naturalist Checklist of the birds here.

You can add your observations of local species to Observations Naturally. 

Winter Green Fund for Conservation supports local trails and the 

Mattagami Region Conservation Authority efforts.

I will get some here at the house so you can drop by and get yours. Small delivery charge may be added if you do not come with a smile. Always love to here about observations of birds and trees. 

Oxygen Grows On Trees

Trout Unlimited Canada

Muddy Mark learns about Trout Unlimited

While in North Bay a lad came asking about tree seedlings for a Trout Unlimited project.

He was hoping for a few hundred free seedlings, maybe a few thousand free seedlings. Free tree seedlings, pretty sure the government use to do that, but stopped that 20 years ago. 

At Millson Forestry Service tree seedlings is our business. With planning ahead Millson can provide as many seedlings as you want, what ever size you want, but it will cost you.

Back to Trout Unlimited. I did not know anything about this. What is really exciting to me is the one creek they are working on : BRONTE CREEK WATERSHED PROGRAM

Close to my hometown. I spent plenty of time in the Bronte Creek watershed back when I am sure the creek had plenty of trout. Also in the Bronte Creek clean up is the Lowville Park part of the creek. Lowville! Lowville is the best hill for sliding for miles around! 

There is a Bronte Creek blog check it out!

Oxygen Grows On Trees

I can recognize a turtle, so I get recognized.

I wonder if a turtle could recognize me??

Today, via snail mail, 

I received a certification from the Toronto Zoo.

That was very nice. This year I was able to report a Blanding's Turtle, my first ever in the Northern Boreal Forest. 

Turtle sightings reported to the Timmins Naturalists over the last 15 years have been documented on the Observations Naturally page.  I encourage everyone in the Timmins Area to report turtle sightings. You can also read more about Snapping Turtles in the Timmins area here.

You can read more about a painted turtle observation here.

You can send for a free package from the Toronto Zoo with the Adopt-a-Pond program. You get a great poster, ID cards, stickers and magnets. I really like the flash card they have provided.

They did send me the Ontario Turtle Tally : 2010 Data Summary. It is not available on line yet, but the 2009 information is here.

See a turtle near Timmins, take a picture, get the GPS location, sent it to the Naturalists!!

Painted Turtle east of the watershed.

A painted turtle came looking for me.

I just love seeing a turtle during my travels

This little creature was crossing the road while I was going by.

Added this sighting to the turtle tally. If you see a turtle you should enter the sighting in the turtle tally.

They want the location, lat long, and a picture is always nice.

If you see the turtle anywhere near Timmins the Timmins Naturalists likes to keep track of those sightings. We add the all sightings to the Observations Naturally webpage. Check it out!

Two many turtles!

More with the turtle theme this year in Timmins, I now have two that moved in.

Kid number one has wanted turtles for many years, but they have not been available here in Timmins. The 101 mall now has a little pet shop and they carry turtles.

These turtles are red eared sliders.

We have had an aquarium in the shed for about 3 years and finally get to use it. Got it from a garage sale back then.

Guess turtles will be around for many years to come. Wonder if they will go to university with the kid.

Wikipedia

Exoticpets

Ehow

Snapping Turtles in Timmins

Yes we do have snapping turtles in Timmins.

A discussion about turtles on the weekend prompted me to look back at the last couple of snapping turtle sightings.

June 2006 Mac sent me an email declaring "Newly discovered value" He found the turtle near the Grant mill in the west end of town. He helped it to the river at the bridge behind Grants.

This is the first snapping turtle I have ever seen up here in the north. When I was a young strapping lad paddling a canoe on the 16 mile creek in Oakville I saw many very large snapping turtles. You think you hit a rock and then the rock moves.

Once I found a bunch of baby snapping turtles along the shore while fishing.

September 2008 I was surprised to read about a snapping turtle in Porcupine. The turtle was crossing the road when spotted by a bunch of youth. So if you are out swimming in the Porcupine lake this summer keep an eye out for the large moving rock.

Let me know if you have seen a snapping turtle or any turtle in the Timmins area. I have a great story about painted turtles I will post later.