cktimes.ca Archives for Ecowrappin'
Ecowrappin'
Getting to know 'Our Natural World'.
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Do you have an interest in the world of nature; in the flora and fauna of Ontario; in the natural heritage of Chatham-Kent?If your answer is yes to these questions, then you are among the majority of people who, from recent poll results, indicate that they are interested and concerned about "our natural world". Whether you are an expert naturalist or a casual observer of birds, butterflies or wildflowers, opportunities exist in our province and right here in Kent County to become more involved in the understanding of "things natural".
There is a wide range of nature and conservation oriented organizations across Canada and Ontario, many of which are specialized in certain aspects of our natural heritage. We will look at some of these in future articles but for now let us examine the network of groups known as the Canadian Nature Federation (CNF). This Ottawa-based organization is a collection of broad-based groups from each province and territory.
The principal Ontario group is the Federation of Ontario Naturalists which for 70 years has represented the interests of nature in this province. The FON has many roles, not the least of which is to represent on a provincial level the 115 associated Clubs, which collectively make up the Federation. These clubs in turn are divided into seven regions, each of which has a representative on the FON's Board of Directors.
Our region is known as Carolinian West and includes 13 clubs stretching from Ingersoll to Windsor. The Friends of Rondeau and the Sydenham Field Naturalists represent Chatham-Kent. The SFN is based in Wallaceburg although its members come from various parts of Kent County.
The goals of the SFN are to provide informative indoor meetings and outdoor trips for its members, to develop an appreciation for the native flora and fauna of this area, to advocate for protection of local areas of important natural interest and to promote projects which will enhance the natural heritage of Kent and southern Lambton Counties. The SFN is involved in various programs from bluebird trail monitoring to tall grass prairie planting to assisting in the development of Chatham-Kent's strategic plan to fundraising for the preservation of significant local sites such as Clear Creek Forest and Bickford Oak Woods.
Our first indoor meeting for 2002-2003 is on Wednesday, October 2nd at 7:30 p.m. at Olsen Technology Inc., Baseline Road, Wallaceburg. We welcome non-members with the hope that they will eventually join and participate in our various activities and projects. For further information please call Tom Chatterton at 627-2986 or Larry Cornelis at 627-8785.
