Author Archive for Terry Sprague
Terry Sprague became interested in nature at an early age. "Growing up on the family farm at Big Island, 12 miles north of Picton, on the shore of the beautiful Bay of Quinte, I was always interested in the natural world around me. During my elementary school days at the small one-room school I attended on Big Island, I received considerable encouragement from the late Marie Foster, my teacher in Grades 6 through 8. Her home was a short distance from where I lived and through the years she was responsible for developing my interest in birds. The late Phil Dodds, a former editor with the Picton Gazette, also a great nature enthusiast, suggested I undertake a nature column - a column I have submitted weekly since 1965. The column has since expanded to the Napanee Beaver and the Tweed News. Life has been good, and through the years I have enjoyed working with such nature related agencies as Glenora Fisheries Research as a resource technician, Sandbanks Provincial Park as a park interpreter and Quinte Conservation as a naturalist and outdoor events coordinator. As a nature interpreter, currently working from my home office, I now create and lead numerous interpretive events in the area and offer indoor audio/visual presentations to interested groups. Could one who is interested in nature have enjoyed a more exhilarating period in the work force?" Terry's website is www.naturestuff.net

The Foul and the Loathsome
I have no fear of snakes, so it isn’t uncommon for me to pick one up and let it crawl and wrap itself around my arms. And this is what I did, on a guided interpretive hike last week, when we unexpectedly came across a somewhat uncommon red-bellied snake. I picked it up. In turn, […]

No Tornados, No Floods, No Earthquakes – We’re Lucky in the County
It was yesterday, May 31st, exactly 25 years ago, when the city of Barrie experienced a devastating F4 tornado. Although I wasn’t there, I remember the day very well. I was a Park Naturalist at Sandbanks and was on my way home at 5:00 p.m. The lights had been flickering and I made an off […]

Birdathons for Fun, Pain and Profit
I took part in a Birdathon last week. It’s a gruelling exercise where birders in an active mood will spend a full 24 hours in the field, seeking out and identifying birds. Its purpose? To raise funds for a worthy cause – in my case, it was to generate revenue for the Prince Edward Point […]