This Tuesday we brought our cameras to the pond to photograph some of the beautiful Grenadier Pond fall scenery.
Here are a couple of the photos we took!
Downy Woodpecker by Rishona Altenberg
The Tuesdays at the Pond group on Photo Day by Sarah Rafols
Milkweed by Rishona Altenberg
Close-up by Sarah Rafols
Sunflowers by Sarah Rafols
Do you love honey as much as we do? On October 12 at 6:30 PM we will be going to the movies! Revue Cinema will be holding a food and film night.
The Event: The Epicure’s Revue, a food and film night at The Revue Cinema, combines a movie, complimentary food samples from local restaurants, themed to the film, and special guests to answer questions.
This Month’s Epicure: Wednesday, October 12, 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $10 for Revue members and seniors. $12 for non-members.
The Subject: Honey
The Film: Colony, a 2009 documentary about bees, beekeeping and the phenomenon of colony collapse that’s killing of honeybee populations.
The Host: Chef and activist Joshna Maharaj has most recently been redesigning the menu for patients at Scarborough Hospital, substituting freshly prepared meals from local produce.
The Guest: Management consultant Fred Davis has been fascinated with bees since he was in high school. He began keeping bees in 2002, and in recent years has placed hives at Casa Loma and on the rooftop of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
Where: The Revue Cinema is located at 400 Roncesvalles Ave. just south of Howard Park Ave. The Revue, now operated as a not-for-profit community run cinema, celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.
http://revuecinema.ca/movies/articles/2011/epicure%27s-revue-wednesday,-october-12,-630-pm
Are you interested in contributing to the future vision for the High Park Nature Centre?
Thank you to all those who attended our Strategic Planning Public Discussion Meeting on September 22 and provided feedback on our two year strategic plan! It’s not too late to provide your comments – click here for more info on our plan and to submit your feedback: http://www.highparknaturecentre.com/about/strategic-planning/
Are you interested in the future vision and planning for the High Park Nature Centre? Come on out to our Strategic Plan Public Meeting at 7pm tomorrow - September 22, 2011 - at the High Park Nature Centre. Please join us to participate in a discussion of our 2011- 2013 Strategic Plan.
We are currently booking class field trips for fall, winter and spring 2011-12. Our programs for elementary and secondary schools are designed by certified teachers and experienced naturalists to support curriculum expectations through outdoor, experiential education. A great way to engage students of all ages with ecological principles and local nature through hands-on, stewardship-based learning. Have fun, get dirty and help take care of the environment in Toronto’s own natural treasure, High Park. For a full listing of our programs for schools and booking instructions click here.
NEW PROGRAM ALERT! This fall, we are working in partnership with Colborne Lodge, the Children’s Garden and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto to offer a limited number of full-day workshops for grade 3 students. This special program will focus on Early Settlers and Aboriginal Experiences in High Park. For more information please see the High Park Through the Ages Poster.
Are you interested in the future vision and planning for the High Park Nature Centre? Please consider coming to our Strategic Planning Public Discussion Meeting. This meeting will take place at 7pm on September 22, 2011 at the High Park Nature Centre. Please join us to participate in a discussion of our 2011- 2013 Strategic Plan.
This time of year, the fields are awash in gold as beautiful, native goldenrod blooms. Goldenrod is hugely important in an ecosystem like High Park and we are thankful for it all year long.
Many people assume that goldenrod pollen causes their alergies, but this is a myth. Humble-looking ragweed is the main culprit as it releases huge amounts of pollen into the wind. Of all the pollen in the air this time of year, a measly 1%-2% is from goldenrod. Below are 5 reasons we love goldenrod:
The naturalized "Bowling Field" behind the Nature Centre is a fascinating habitat to explore this fall.
1.It provides food and shelter for so many insects all through the year. As we walked through the Bowling Field today we saw a number of bee species, butterflies, stinkbugs, froghoppers and a crowd of dragonflies hunting other insects attracted by the goldenrod.Right now it seems like a buffet out there!
2. It is beautiful…especially in the late-summer sun.
3. There are lots of different types! This diversity is perfect for us naturalists who like a good identification challenge.In High Park alone, you can find 9 different species: Tall Goldenrod, Early Goldenrod, Zig-Zag Goldenrod, Blue-stem Goldenrod, White Goldenrod, Giant Goldenrod, Gray Goldenrod, Stout Goldenrod…and lots of Canada Goldenrod!
4. Monarchs rely on the abundant goldenrod nectar as a source of energy before their heroic migrations south.
This monarch butterfly is loading up on goldenrod nectar before the long migration south.
5. It is prolific. Goldenrod spreads by wind-carried seed, but also by spreading from underground rhizomes. Dense stands of goldenrod can hold their own against invasive speciees.
Please come out to High Park to witness the glorious goldenrod as it blooms. Please respect it by letting it grow.
Some of our campers found this amazing caterpillar! This is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar. It is one of the most common butterflies in Eastern North America. Young caterpillars are brown and white; older ones are green with two black, yellow, and blue eyespots on the thorax like this one that our campers found. The caterpillar will turn brown prior to pupating.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies inhabit forest openings, woodlands, gardens, and fields. They are inportant pollinators who have a preference for the nectar of pink, purple and red flowers. Male swallowtails are yellow, with four black stripes on the front margin of their forewings, while females may be yellow or black, with much more blue on their hind wings. The larval host plants for these butterflies are species of Rose and Magnolia. Butterflies use larval host plants on which to lay their eggs, and the plants then provide food for the butterfly larvae, or caterpillars.
To find out more about the way that creatures in the park support each other, why not join us next week for the “A Little Help From My Friends” Family Nature Walk. August 2nd, 1-3 pm. more info
