cktimes.ca Archives for Ecowrappin'
Ecowrappin'
Conservation Volunteers
Tuesday, October 1, 2002
Looking for something different to do on your holidays? How about building a snake hibernaculum, or canoeing into the interior wilderness of a northern provincial park to transplant trees. You can learn about endangered species such as the Massassauga Rattlesnake and the Lakeside Daisy while spending time in some of Ontario's most spectacular natural areas.Conservation working holidays are a way to experience nature and help protect it. You'll work and relax with people who have a common interest in nature, develop conservation skills and all this while enjoying the great outdoors.
There are two programs in Ontario which offer wilderness working trips you can participate in. The Federation of Ontario Naturalists (FON) program, "Ontario Nature Volunteers", offers three day to two week expeditions in Ontario, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) program, "Nature Conservation Days", offers one day events. I have participated in both programs but have been more involved in the FON's program since its inception in 1996. I began participating as a paying volunteer and for the past three years I have been an expedition leader.
You may be surprised to hear that people actually pay to go on these working holidays, but the fee covers everything for the trip including meals, accommodation, transportation (within Ontario) and tools. Accommodation ranges from staying at a lodge or Park Staff house to tenting in FON provided tents. All meals are included and volunteers share the cooking and cleaning duties. Sometimes we are even treated to dining out at a restaurant.
The projects are usually in partnership with other groups and organizations. Typically, these partner groups contact the FON for assistance with a project they have and the FON supplies the tools, volunteers and a skilled and trained leader. Projects can be very interesting and include such things as wildlife surveys and inventories, trail and boardwalk construction, bridge building, planting trees and prairie wildflowers, and bird banding.
Of course, the wonderful thing is the great places you work at including Lake Superior Provincial Park, Pelee Island, the Bruce Peninsula, and the Temagami area, just to name a few. These are some of Ontario's most scenic and beautiful destinations.
Now don't worry, these holidays aren't all work. There is time planned for leisure activities such as canoeing, kayaking, hiking and birding. There are opportunities to learn about the local natural heritage and visit cultural sites of interest. But best of all is the time to relax and watch a sunset, listen to a bubbling brook, or stargaze into the darkest skies.
Participating in any one of the Ontario Nature Volunteers expeditions is a very rewarding experience, providing not only the satisfaction of accomplishing some real conservation work, but also the knowledge that you have made a difference.
Next time, I'll write about an expedition I just returned from. It ran from September 8th to September 19th in the Lake Superior Provincial Park and Wawa region and included "out-of-country" volunteers. I just cannot resist Lake Superior in September and this is the second time I have participated in this expedition.
For more information about the FON and ONV program, go to
http://www.ontarionature.org or call 1-800-440-2366.
Yours in Nature,
Larry Cornelis
