Dr. David Punter, Retired Professor of Botany from the University of Manitoba
Morels are the mushrooms that appear in the spring while most other fungi can be found in late August and September. Participants in this workshop will begin learning to identify mushrooms in time for the morel season.
Native plants in your garden can be a benefit to wildlife as well as being hardy and easy to maintain. Marilyn will show images of a variety of native species and discuss their use in different landscaping types and conditions. Special mention will be made of plants that are bee, butterfly and hummingbird magnets.
Christian Artuso, MB Program Manager, Bird Studies Canada & Chair of MB IBA Committee
Manitoba harbours a fine array of shorebirds, sometimes in spectacular concentrations, and they will soon start to return from warmer climes. Of the 41 species on the Manitoba list, 11 breed in southern Manitoba (including some more widespread species), 11 breed in northern Manitoba, 11 are passage migrants (do not breed in the province), 6 are rare, 1 extirpated and 1 probably extinct. Shorebirds are often considered difficult to identify, but with the help of this workshop, the task may become a bit easier.
Join Ward on a survey of electronic birding resources. He will guide you through a visit to web-based resources, electronic gadgets and tools, e-books, software and more. Find out how these resources can help you with listing, identification and birding while travelling.
Carex (sedges), with over 2100 species, is the world's largest flowering plant genus. Distributed across every continent except Antarctica, these grass-like plants grow in a diversity of habitats including many of the plant communities found here in Manitoba. Although Vietnamese Carex represent a fraction of global sedge diversity (ca. 85 species), they have proven to be key to understanding the evolution and radiation of this incredibly diverse group of plants.
Jerry Ameis and Sean Worden, Ardent Backcountry Campers
This backcountry-oriented workshop focuses on food planning (nutrition, amount, taste) and preparation (dehydrating, packaging, stove and wood fire cooking). It applies to short and long hiking and canoeing trips. The menus range from gourmet to minimalist approaches. Some food preparation equipment will be on display and some recipes will be available. A sampling of backcountry food is included. The workshop also addresses drinking water treatment.
Spring is a great time to start birding, and Manitoba is a great place for birds. This workshop will cover the equipment you will need, the principles of bird identification, where to look for birds and the variety of birds to be found in Manitoba.
The Yukon is a place of extremes, yet Red Squirrels are able to meet these challenges year after year. In this talk, I will summarize a year in the life of Yukon Red Squirrels, highlighting how these animals are able to survive and reproduce in this harsh environment.
Do you want to know if you are ready to attend an intermediate-advanced level Nature Manitoba outing? This presentation is geared to those members that have a desire to begin backcountry trips and are unsure if they have the skills, knowledge and equipment to move beyond the campground. A two-hour information session will be followed by an actual hands-on backcountry outing in May* where participants can apply and practise introductory skills. Successful completion of part one should enable participants to confidently judge if they can attend the more advanced Nature Manitoba outings.
Rod Kueneman, VP of Sustainable South Osborne Community Co-operative (SSOCC)
SSOCC is part of an urban food movement which seeks to grow local organic food in a sustainable way while fostering self-reliance and community self-reliance. We work with plant and animal communities to build ecological webs of life in small gardens and orchards, which operate as community commons. We help to design and manage these local places to build soil fertility without the use of fertilizers and to manage pests and diseases without the use of chemical poisons.
Dr. David Punter, Retired Professor of Botany from the U of M
Morels are the mushrooms that appear in the spring while most other fungi can be found in late August and September. Participants in this workshop will begin learning to identify mushrooms in time for the morel season. A field trip will be offered in the late summer.
Kelley will show you how her garden went from dirt and gravel to an oasis for people, plants, and wildlife. With 20 years of gardening experience, she’ll share tips and photos on how her garden grew. After attending a Naturescape program, she made a decision to change the direction of her garden. She added more native plantings to draw in even more birds and butterflies. The Spring Migration of 2013 was a roaring success, bringing in many varieties of warblers, sparrows, woodpeckers and hawks, as well as a few of her favourites like waxwings and orioles.
Ted McLachlan, Retired Professor from the Department of Landscape Architecture, U of M
Ted’s presentation will explore how we can rethink our home environment to create a landscape of seasonal mystery, intrigue and delight. We can make nature accessible, whether standing at the kitchen sink or playing in the sandbox.
Dr. Randy Mooi, Curator of Zoology at The Manitoba Museum
What more could there be to know about bison in Manitoba? Were you aware that five species of bison have wandered across the province over the last 40,000 years, including one twice as big as the ones we see at the zoo and having horns 2 metres wide! Using examples from specimens held at The Manitoba Museum, Dr. Mooi will explore some of the unique and sometimes quirky history of these magnificent animals through the fossil record and even the Provincial and Winnipeg archives. He will also give you a sneak preview of a new permanent exhibit planned for the Museum.
