Submitted by Kate Russell
We had a great day with Bob Bowles on the western slope of Beaver Valley recently as our core team gathered to plan some upcoming citizen science opportunities with this award-winning naturalist, valley boy and environmentally-conscious advocate for nature.
We started in the morning going over maps of the watershed, including the many local Bruce Trail hikes and loops, and determined to see into the western brow of the valley as far as the Herman McConnell Memorial Forest.
Having been raised in the valley, yes, on Bowles Bluff, Bob wanted to talk about karst geology and the many moraines often overlooked along the more prominent Niagara Escarpment features, including the Banks Moraine, Gibraltar Moraine, Singhampton Moraine and a smaller moraine north of Banks called the Corn Field Moraine.
Water flows through these geological formations, pouring naturally out of the rock in cold water seeps, and ending up in the Beaver River.
But, being a born naturalist, Bob also wanted to note the many mosses, ferns, trees and lichen as well as the spring ephemeral flowers peeking up from the forest floor.
The beauty of the valley beneath us once again took the breath away from this man who has travelled the world leading eco-tours but still finds his home valley has the most to see.
We lunched back at the organic farm hosting us on the ridge, shared local maple syrup, preserves, home baking and salads featuring fresh spring shoots. Our core team caught up over craft beers and looked over the many resources Bob brought to share.
Bob took us through his history as a naturalist, his experiences as an expert environmental witness and his latest focus on water quality and how moraines work to collect and filter water.
He’s interested in surveying the Beaver Valley for many species – especially the important indicators of habitat health – the dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies that call our Beaver River watershed home.
So, we’re looking for folks to join us this summer on citizen science excursions – one coming up quickly on Monday, June 8th and the second later in early August.
Bob, who has been teaching the popular Ontario Master Naturalist Program at Lakehead University in Orillia for the last 12 years, is working up a species checklist using his existing resources. He will teach us survey techniques including how to monitor species at risk and keep habitats healthy.