Nature Canada’s Ted Cheskey will lead hike at Ostrander Point

On Thursday May 17, Ted Cheskey from Nature Canada will lead a nature Hike at Ostrander Point Crown Land Block.  This is a unique opportunity for everyone to see what we will lose if the Ontario Government persists in its plan to allow Gilead Power to develop Ostrander Point into an Industrial wind turbine facility.
This week the spring flowers are blooming at Ostrander, the frogs are singing and the birds are nesting.  All this life will be destroyed when the bulldozers move in to build access roads and turbines pads.  A short walk down Helmer Road brought us to many small ponds jumping with young leopard frogs.  Red osier dogwood shrubs were budding and early willow was in full leaf.  Several small wild plum trees were in full bloom.  The fragrant sumac bloomed everywhere.  Their small clusters of yellow flowers at the top of bare branches are endemic to the thin soils of the alvar.  Nearby, early buttercup bloomed cheerfully through the dry grasses.  The white star- shaped flowers of field chickweed shone in clumps all over the Crown land block.  We discovered beautiful periwinkle coloured wood phlox and Dutchmans’ breeches in a wooded area.  Our visit was capped by the discovery of a female black swallowtail butterfly – resting in the grass. And this was just a twenty-minute visit!
This is life as normal in many parts of the County at this time of year.  However, maybe they will not be so normal if we allow industrialization of this paradise.  This wild and undeveloped habitat is so important to the birds arriving daily across Lake Ontario.  It is a refuge and resting place after the long journey across the Lake.  Many of them breed and nest here in the County – we watched a northern harrier glide across the landscape as we walked.  Many of the beautiful little warblers rest, feed and move on to breed in the boreal forest.
Gilead must not be allowed to destroy this very important natural place.  For it is clear, if Ostrander Point is developed, the rest of South Marysburgh will also be developed.  WPD with its White Pines development is waiting in the wings.  With approval of these projects 30 wind turbines will be installed in the Important Bird Area that sweeps across the south shore – with an additional 8 turbines adjacent and close to the heronry at Gull Pond.  Not only will the refuge for migrating birds be destroyed, we know from Wolfe Island data that many migrating birds and bats will be killed.
To see Ostrander Point for yourself, join us on May 17 at 8 am at the Elizabeth and Mary St parking lot to car pool to the corner of Babylon and Helmer Rds where our walk will start at 8:30.

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The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, founded in 1997, is an affiliate of Ontario Nature. It provides an educational forum dedicated to the study, promotion, appreciation and conservation of the flora and fauna within Prince Edward County. The public is welcome at the meetings held on the last Tuesday of the month from September to May, except December, at Bloomfield Town Hall. Guest speakers introduce a variety of nature related topics. All members are encouraged to participate at meetings by sharing their experiences and observations. Regularly scheduled field trips in the vicinity offer members the opportunity to experience various habitats. Membership in PECFN is open to all. Contact: Prince Edward County Field Naturalists, P.O. Box 477, Bloomfield, Ontario K0K 1G0 Or Cheryl Anderson 613-471-1096