It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Alexander Keewatin Dewdney on March 9, 2024. We all knew him simply as ‘Kee’ and he was one of a kind. Kee was a filmmaker, mathematician, computer scientist, author, and conservationist. Kee and his late wife Patricia donated the 100-acre Newport Forest to Thames Talbot Land Trust in 2007.

Please read below for a memorial piece prepared by Kee's friend Bruce Parker.

A memorial event will take place at Newport Forest on May 12th at 1pm. Please hold the date - further details will be provided at a later time. Do you have a favourite story about Kee? Please share it with us and we will collate all stories for the May event. Send your stories to [email protected].

We had a lot of fun last year creating and sharing Shelley's story with you as part of TTLT's Giving Tuesday campaign. This year, we would like to introduce you to Finley the Fox (they/them).

Finley is about to go on a little adventure as we make our way to Giving Tuesday, and YOU get to help us tell Finley’s story! In this choose-your-own-adventure, you can help Finley decide what to do as they are faced with different opportunities along the way. You can respond to our Giving Tuesday emails or by heading to our social media pages to comment, message, and answer the polls posted there. You will have 24 hours to respond before we share the adventure path chosen by the majority of people. Let the adventure begin!

The Monarch (Danius plexippus, Nymphalidaeae family) is probably the most well-known of Ontario’s butterflies to the general public. This is a very large butterfly (~10cm), smaller in size only to swallowtails. Adults can be seen in flight from June to October.

Typically, a monarch butterfly will live up to three months, but the last generation reared per year lives much longer - up to 9 months. This is because Monarch Butterflies are migratory. The eastern population of Monarch Butterflies are famous for their long distance migrations, sometimes travelling over 5000 km to Oyamel Fir (Abies religiosa) forests in the central Mexican cordilleras! Large populations of Monarch butterflies will spend the winter attached to the trunk and branches of Oyamel Fir trees. In the most densely populated areas, entire trees can be covered in butterflies and populations can number in the tens of millions. When spring arrives, Monarch Butterflies will begin returning to North America, and will only reach Ontario after 2 or 3 generations.

Photo: Monarch butterfly on Common Milkweed

Did you know that the period of highest risk for tick (order Ixodida) bites in Ontario is typically between May and July when nymphs (immature ticks) emerge? However, ticks can remain active as long as the temperature stays above freezing, extending their activity well into the fall and posing a risk to individuals such as deer hunters and nature lovers. Ticks feed on the blood of animals and humans, and have the potential to transmit diseases, including Lyme disease, which is the most common illness resulting from tick bites in the province. 

Photo credit: Bipin Dinsha 

Flowers have come to represent many different attributes with different varieties and colors conjuring up a wide array of meanings. But did you know that some flowers have particular importance to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community?  From poetry to pride flags, flowers are an important part of the community both historically and in present day. Here are a few...

Photos (left to right): Darby Alderson, David Wake, Jane Bowles 

Let’s take a walk through some of southwestern Ontario’s woodlands and see what we can find! 

In April or May, you may notice many beautiful wildflowers on the forest floor: Trilliums, Bloodroot, and Trout Lily to name a few. Along with the spring bird migration and temperate weather, the wildflower display is a highlight of spring hiking.  

The spectacular display sometimes seems like it’s over in just a few weeks as the forest floor is often dominated by short-lived species that die back completely to the ground by mid-June. Plants with this life-cycle (phenology) are called ephemerals.  

Photo Above: Springwater Forest - Elgin County (photo) 

We are so very lucky. Supporters of Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT) are thoughtful individuals, who share a concern for nature protection and conservation and are committed to building a better future for all.

Often people think about contributing to the causes they care about with monthly donations or volunteering time, but there is a growing number of people who are going one step further to leave a gift to charity in their Wills. These people are ordinary Canadians who’ve realized they can make a powerful contribution that will last for generations to come, without taking away from the resources they or their families need.

This article was written by Bipin Dhinsa.

People always ask: “What’s the difference between planting native plants vs non-native plants?” In short native plants change the world for the better.

The term “native plant” has several definitions. In general, a native plant is described as a plant that has existed in the region for thousands, if not millions, of years and has evolved with other plants and wildlife in the same region over that time. Native plants can include ferns, grasses, perennials, annuals, shrubs, vines, among others. Some may already be growing in your garden! Popular native garden plants include: New England Asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), Black Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta), Hop Trees (Ptelea trifoliata) and Elderberries (Sambucus canadensis).

The following article was written by the Grade 8 Eco-Class at Kettle Creek Public School in Port Stanley to highlight Carolinian species at a site near and dear to their hearts called "The Berm". The Berm is located along the Lake Erie shoreline and is important regional habitat for a variety of species. We'd like to give a big thank you to the Grade 8 Eco-Class for sharing their work with us and high-fives all around for being such caring and passionate students for the protection of nature!

The Carolinian Zone may only make up 1% of Canada’s total land mass, yet it is bursting with more flora and fauna than any other ecosystem in the country. We who are privileged to live here in the most unique life zone must take care to acknowledge and respect that it is also the most endangered ecological zone in Ontario.

Did You Know?
“The Carolinian zone habitats and ecosystems include forests, tallgrass prairies and savannas, wetlands, shorelines, and other aquatic habitats. Fifty-eight of these ecosystem types is considered rare. Each of these ecosystems has a distinctive set of species”. Carolinian Canada

“The Berm”, the eastern headlands of the waterfront, is home to many Carolinian friends. Some of the following species you might have seen in the natural wetlands, others surveying the area for food, or migrating. The Berm has become part of our natural ecosystem.

Everyday, Katey Berzins, a Port Stanley resident, takes photos on the waterfront lands and shares them with the community. Katey’s pictures convey just how nature is around us and more important how key a healthy ecosystem is for not only clean air and water but our well-being.

The photos below are from Katey Berzins. Thank you Katey for sharing these amazing photos with us!

Leading up to Giving Tuesday 2021, we are excited to present the stories of TTLT supporters and their relationships with our nature reserves. The final story that we are honoured to share is that of Lenore Patterson and her strong attachments to Bebensee Tract.

Leading up to Giving Tuesday 2021, we are excited to present the stories of TTLT supporters and their relationships with our nature reserves. The second story we have the privilege to share is from Bob Johnstone highlighting the sights, sounds, and more that bring him back to Hawk Cliff Woods.

Leading up to Giving Tuesday 2021, we are excited to present the stories of TTLT supporters and their relationships with our nature reserves. First up is the story of Lynn Vander Vloet and her connection to Joany's Woods.

Many great stories begin with someone taking a chance, and that is how my story with Thames Talbot Land Trust began.

In April of 2019, I was fresh out of college with my post-graduate certificate and looking for the opportunity to gain traction in the environmental field.

Previously, I had struggled immensely to find an environmental job. After graduating university in 2017, I sent my resume and cover letter far and wide, but no one was interested in hiring someone who had no environmental work experience. After a year of no luck, enrolling in the Environmental Management and Assessment post-graduate certificate program at Niagara College was my next step, and as it came to an end, I wondered if I would have the same difficulties.

To those long acquainted with TTLT, the name Jane Bowles is a familiar one but, to those newer to the organization, her legacy may be less well known. A passionate advocate for the Trust since its early years, she had a profound influence on its evolution that continues to be felt today.

Raised in Kenya by a botanist mother and a nature-loving father, Jane acquired her naturalist skills at an early age. She proudly told stories of birding with Roger Tory Peterson and hobnobbing with the Leakeys of anthropology fame. After graduating in Botany from the University of Aberdeen, she came to Canada to study the effect of recreational pressure on the sand dune ecosystems of Pinery Provincial Park, which led to her obtaining a doctorate in Plant Sciences. 

Oh, how time flies! It seems like yesterday that we were filling out an application for the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Grow grant to grow the Thames Talbot Land Trust’s (TTLT) Schools Program. The goal was to teach youth about ecosystem restoration and provide hands-on experiences to improve local natural areas (i.e TTLT nature reserves) and empower students to make a difference in their communities. June 2021 marks the third and final year of the OTF Grow grant, so we thought it would be a good time to reflect on all that the students have accomplished and what this means for TTLT’s Schools Program moving forward.

The dinosaur-like Snapping Turtle is under special concern status in Canada, which means that it may be threatened or endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats. They are Canada’s largest freshwater turtle, growing 20-36 cm in length and weighing between 4.5-16.0 kg. Snapping turtles have large black, olive, or brown shells, usually covered in algae. Their tails can be longer than their bodies and have dinosaur-like triangular crests.

Hi, my name is Ryan Luksys, and I am a grade 11 student at Catholic Central High School (CCH) in downtown London. For the past month or so, I have been on a co-operative education placement with TTLT, and it has been an amazing experience. I have been able to  do so many things and learn so much that I would never have been able to do in the classroom. From interacting with turtles, to plant identification and health assessment, TTLT has taught me so much and shown me what careers in the environment sector may be like so that I can plan for my future.

Here I am holding a snapping turtle and helping it cross the road.

Nature has always been important in my life. Whether I was building a tree fort in the woods with my friends, or fishing at the local pond, I enjoyed time spent in nature, so when I found out about the Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) that was offered at CCH, I knew that was the program for me. Sadly, that plan fell through because of conflicts with a program I was already in. I had to take another pathway, but I stayed in touch with the ELP teacher who recommended a few co-op placements, like TTLT. TTLT was one of the only organizations that was accepting co-op students, and that turned out to be a huge blessing, because most of the other kids in my co-op class only got to do online placements where they did desk work most days. I am so happy I was able to get out of the house and get my hands dirty while spending time in nature. 

I belong to a Facebook group called Wildlife Science Career Network where people who work in wildlife or conservation give online advice to newbies – like me. New graduates from conservation, wildlife, or environmental programs post often, and the one question I see the most begins with, “Help! Nobody will hire me. I have no experience. What can I do?” Guess what the most common answer is!

Volunteer. Volunteer. Volunteer.

New grads typically do not like this answer and reply, “I don’t have time”, or “Volunteering is for the privileged, I can’t work for free.”

I’m graduating this April with my Science degree. I do not want to be in the no-experience-boat, and I don’t want you to be either! To avoid the “no experience” dilemma, I will share with you what I know about volunteering and how it is affordable, does not take up a lot of time, and is not just for the privileged.

Julia Eastabrook: Former Staff, Current Volunteer, Forever Supporter

Julia’s story begins like many environmentally minded people, in the trees. As a child, Julia would explore the forest floor then oversee the woods by climbing the trees. As Julia grew older, she never lost her passion for nature and the environment, but also developed interests in the community and political issues.

Julia started working at TTLT in 2012 because “protecting nature and natural spaces is critical work”. Being involved with TTLT provided her the opportunity to be immersed in a network of environmentally conscious individuals with a lot of knowledge for nature. Julia described her experience as helping her to see “the forest for the trees. To understand how our ecosystem works and how it is interconnected.” Julia’s experiences also sparked her hobby of native plant gardening.

Cathy’s story begins in Germany where a Canadian military couple were stationed and adopted her. They brought her back to Canada with them when she was 3 years old. “My dad always called me his souvenir of Germany.”

She spent her childhood years in North Bay and her teenage years in Niagara Falls. After studying Environmental Biology and Women’s Studies at University and a “short” 11-year stint working at Agriculture Canada, she became an autoworker for 30 years where she got heavily involved with the union. “Social activism led to much volunteering for various organizations, and I’d always been very interested in the natural world. I’ve been an avid birder since I was a teen and have belonged to various nature groups, so I was able to combine these two passions as a volunteer bird bander for Birds Canada for two seasons.”

You may know Kaitlin Richardson as Thames Talbot Land Trust’s current President, but she is, and has been, a part of many environmental organizations in London, ON and surrounding areas in several capacities. Holding Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Environmental Science, as well as diplomas in Ecological Restoration and Rehabilitation and Environmental Assessment, Kaitlin strives to protect, steward, and restore nature for Ontario’s biodiversity and Species at Risk. Her passion has led to many years of experience within the environmental non-profit sector. In the past, she was the Stewardship Coordinator at TTLT, Project Manager at ReForest London, and an Urban Forestry technician at the City of London. She is currently a Conservation Biologist with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and as well as being TTLT’s President, serves as chair of TTLT’s Property Management Committee (PMC), a committee that she has volunteered with for many years. Her passion for the environment also spills over into her spare time. “I’m often tending to my native plant garden, volunteering for environmental organizations, and taking long hikes to admire the local plants, birds, and turtles.”

Along with protecting and restoring nature, here at TTLT we also nurture nature and nurture relationships with nature. Read about the launch of our revamped Volunteer Program, the success of a hybrid Biodiversity Boss program, and our journey into the world of webinars.

Matthew Palarchio is one of Thames Talbot Land Trust’s newer and (probably) the youngest of our consistent supporters. His interest in the natural world started from a very early age. “When I was a boy, my mother took me on hikes in local natural areas of London, ON. I am also lucky to have a cottage on Lake Superior, where I spent the summers. In eighth grade, I had a little infatuation with trees, as I discovered that the forest was remarkably diverse. Into high school, I self-studied trees, so by the time I volunteered with TTLT in Grade 11, I could identify most trees in London’s natural areas, even when leafless.”

Welcome to Blain Farm, a 67-acre farm property with 1.3km of frontage along the Thames River on the edge of the Skunk’s Misery natural area. Thames Talbot Land Trust purchased the property in 2009 from Wilbert and Eleanor Blain, who’s family had farmed the land for over 70 years. TTLT recognized the importance both of agriculture in the area, and of the natural features of property, including a forested buffer along the river. This riverine forest serves as a natural corridor connecting the Thames River to the core of Skunk’s Misery, one of southwestern Ontario’s important natural areas.

Mick Dawdy has had many different interests and hobbies over the years. In the 60s, reading science fiction was centre stage, followed by photography and sailing in the 70s and 80s, then micro computers in the 80s (necessitated by his role as a Professor at Fanshawe College). In the 90s, roller blading and martial arts captured his attention and in the current century, hiking, motorcycling, and off-roading in his Jeep occupy his time. At the age of 10, he began selling New Liberty magazines door-to-door, which inadvertently led him to a deep interest in chemistry. Depending on the amount of sales made, one could earn coupons that could be used to purchase a prize from the Prize Book. Mick ended up being quite the salesman and chose the ChemCraft Chemistry Set as his prize. He continued to fund this newfound interest through his teen years by delivering papers, doing drugstore deliveries, and babysitting. He would go on to pursue and complete a BA in math and economics, a MSc in computer science, and some work towards a PhD in Systems Engineering at Western University (more on that here).

MeadowWoods is one of the newest additions to TTLT’s roster of nature reserves, with the official paperwork being signed this past September. Tucked in the southwest corner of Elgin County, MeadowWoods spans along 100 km of the Lake Erie shoreline as part of a larger coastal wildlife corridor. Its mixture of deciduous forest, wet meadow, and wetland provides ideal habitat for a variety of flora and fauna species, including the 200 species of migrant and resident birds, as well as many rare species.

Ever wondered what it’s like to attach a radio transmitter to a Snapping Turtle? Allow us to show you through this series of captioned photos. All photos were generously provided by Cathy Hamel.

First, we need to find a turtle. Lucky for us, this lovely female Snapping Turtle just finished laying eggs, making her easy to spot. All we had to do was sit and wait until she left her nest.

Nature and science have always been a part of André’s life in one form or another. André grew up in a suburb of Montreal. As a child, he found science to be extremely interesting, even though it wasn’t a strong feature of his elementary education. “My favourite subject was science, but the science class only lasted about 5 minutes late Friday.” At home, he would go to his basement “laboratory” where he would mix random chemicals and hope for something cool to happen. He jokes, “I did manage to release chlorine gas and sulfur oxide.”

Some land trusts are formed as people rally to protect a cherished natural area that is imperilled by development or some other threat.  However, for the first two years of its existence, the Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT) was a landless land trust.  It was an incorporated charity with a board of directors, by-laws, policies and several committees but – alas – no property to its name.  It was a vision in search of its first tangible expression.

TTLT’s Mary Kerr with Carol and Rick Richardson at the dedication ceremony for the Meadowlily Nature Preserve  (Photo credit: Dave Wake)

The Trust needed someone to take a leap of faith, someone to take a chance on an enthusiastic but young, and largely unproven, organization.  Fortunately for TTLT, that someone – actually two “someones” – came along in the persons of Carol and Rick Richardson.  For many years, Carol and Rick had enjoyed the charms of their 14.5-acre property on Meadowlily Road South in London.  It featured several acres of mature hardwood forest, a meandering stream and an open meadow along the banks of the Thames River.  Adding to its allure was the fact that it is situated directly across the road from the City of London’s Meadowlily Woods Environmentally Significant Area.

Grand visions are all well and good – even necessary – when launching a new organization, but there are some inescapable practical matters that soon also demand one’s attention.  One of them, of course, is where the money is going to come from.  Start-up costs abound, even for an all-volunteer organization, as the Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT) was in its early years.  These include everything from the extraordinary – paying legal fees for incorporation – to the mundane – renting a post office box.

To fund this early phase of the Trust, a limited-time class of membership – termed Founding Member – was established.  A Founding Member was any individual or organization contributing $1000 or more to the Trust during its first five years of existence.  Fortunately for TTLT, nineteen individuals and three organizations answered the call, providing a firm financial footing from which to launch this bold undertaking.