Is it possible to heat our buildings and run our vehicles without fossil fuels? Manitoba Hydro estimates that we will need to triple our power generation to get there. Is there another way? Manitoba’s Climate Action Team’s Road to Resilience lays out a pathway to a fossil-fuel free, climate resilient future for Manitoba without experimental technologies, new dams, or nuclear.
What lurks beneath the surface: the aquatic insects of Manitoba
This workshop will highlight the incredible diversity and behaviour of aquatic insects found in the many lakes, ponds, and streams that dot this Province. Examples of insects that will be discussed include elegant silk net-weaving caddisflies, intimidating 2-inch long ‘toe-biters’, and the often-newsworthy burrowing mayflies (fishflies) that descend onto Gimli and Grand Beach each summer.
With global warming and climate anxiety top of mind in the world today, gardening offers an opportunity to participate in climate action while also grounding us and connecting us with nature. Dave looks forward to sharing strategies that engage with these concepts, helping gardeners enjoy greater satisfaction and success while also being Earth-focused.
Lake Sturgeon in Manitoba: some good news about a species once thought to be endangered, and a little myth-busting The Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is arguably Manitoba’s most interesting fish. Belonging to the ancient Acipenseridae family of fishes, it possesses extensive armoring (scutes) and four barbels that it uses to find food in the murky depths of Manitoba’s largest river systems.
Mushrooms and Paddling introduces mushroomer lovers to foraging, what mushrooms have in common with paddling, science, safety, cooking and how to identify them. Donna Kurt is an avid paddler who enjoys finding mushrooms in locations not usually tread. She leads the Mantario Mushrooms and Plants specialty canoe program week for Nature Manitoba and likes to share her knowledge about fungi and plants as well as paddling and camping.
Chimney Swifts are a unique bird that live nest in chimneys, clinging to the vertical walls with their long claws. Unfortunately, their populations are declining rapidly. The Manitoba Chimney Swift Initiative works to monitor swifts across the province and protect important swift habitat, including repairing old chimneys. We will talk about threats to Chimney Swifts, how to identify them, and the many ways you can contribute to swift conservation.
FLYCATCHERS for BEGINNERS (with two Nature Manitoba Birders) This workshop will cover the basics of identification of Manitoba’s flycatcher species. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the pitfalls of identification with this difficult group of birds. We hope that you will become more confident in the identification of the flycatchers you see in the field.
Wood tick, deer tick, dog tick, blacklegged tick: what's the difference and why do you need to know?
Back by popular demand, come learn all about ticks!
The program will cover common human/pet biting species in Manitoba, their life cycle, some pathogens they can transmit, how to protect yourself from tick bites, and what to do if you get a bite anyway.
Do you need to have exclusively native plants in your yard to make it valuable to wildlife? Certainly not - you can always have the best of both worlds by incorporating native plants into existing gardens. Most native plants are beneficial to pollinators. By choosing species that bloom at various times during the summer season and putting them in the right location, you can have a garden that is a delight to insects, birds and people (chipmunks, squirrels, deer, and rabbits notwithstanding).
“No garden, however small, should contain less than two acres of rough woodland”. Lord Rothschild.
Even if your garden is not up to his standards, it can still be a valued home for birds. Some will be resident and a surprising variety will use it on migration. A few may stay to breed and some hardy species may overwinter. This workshop will allow you to identify your visitors and provide advice on making your garden more welcoming.
The Natural and Unnatural History of Bison in Manitoba – Not the Same Old Story. What more could there be to know about bison in Manitoba? Did you know that as many as five species of bison have wandered across the province over the last 40,000 years, or that Manitobans were instrumental in saving the Plains bison from extinction?
There are several hundred species of bees and wasps in Manitoba. Many remain poorly known.
In 2023, a checklist of the bees of Manitoba was published, which expanded the number of species known by more than 100. Little work has been done documenting the wasp fauna of the province. Although social wasps consistently receive negative attention, wasps are ecologically diverse and most go unnoticed. Bee and wasp diversity will be highlighted with a focus on why we should be happy to have them in our backyards.
Donna will share practical mushroom safety, identification, medicinal and edibility attributes, foraging and growing, and how fungi coexist with trees, plants and we animals in our gardens and nature.
This workshop will focus on Manitoba's diurnal raptors, with a few foreign birds and owls added for variety. Besides looking at images, we will also discuss the best places to find these birds and mention hawk watch activities.
Photo of raptor on tree by Michael Loyd. Photo of raptor on hydro pole by Rudolf Koes.
Manitoba is a great place to look for wildflowers. The diversity of habitats throughout the province provides an opportunity to see many different flowering plants, some of them rare and unusual. But what is that wildflower you've just seen? Join weekend botanist Marilyn Latta, to learn some tips on how to tell wildflowers apart, good reference books for Manitoba, and interesting locations to find wildflowers. The presentation will end with a visual parade of Manitoba Wildflowers from A-Z , and yes there really is one for every letter of the alphabet!
