HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2002-01-23, Page 1Making a break for freedom
One of 14 wild turkeys released in Morris Twp. on Friday almost seems to explode from his
box as he takes to the air and freedom. The bird's flight is watched by Ministry of Natural
Resources biologist Mike Malhiot and several of the area school children that were on hand
for the event. (David Blaney photo)
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Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County
Volume 18 No. 3
Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2002 75 Cents (70c + 5c GST)
Last turkey release
Nature
Centre
hosts
day of
snow fun
The Maitland Val ley
Conservation Authority (MVCA) is
hosting its Snowshoe Adventure on
Sunday, Jan. 27 at the Wawanosh
Nature Centre from 1 - 4 p.m.
This is a great opportunity for
winter enthusiasts to try a new
winter sport without investing
money in equipment.
"Snowshoeing has really grown
in popularity over the past few
years," said Esther Buck,
community education technician
with the MVCA.
"It's a simple, fun and fairly
inexpensive activity for families
including children as young as five
years of age. Our conventional
wooden snowshoes provide a fun
mode of travel through the
snow."
Visitors will be fitted with
snowshoes and given instruction on
putting them on and walking.. Skiers
are also welcome. This is the only
opportunity of the winter to rent
showshoes, although the trails are
always open to the public.
The Nature Centre features a
variety of habitats to explore on
snowshoes. You are likely to see
deer tracks in the hemlock and
cedar forests, tunnels left by
meadow voles and deer mice and
many species of birds crowding
around the feeders. With patience,
holding sunflower seeds in your
hand may entice a chickadee to take
one.
Admission is free although
donations are welcome. Snowshoe
rental is $2 per person for the
afternoon. The suggested minimum
age is five.
Coffee and hot chocolate will be
available in the Nature Centre;
bring a mug. For further
information, contact the MVCA at
519-335-3557.
By David Blaney
Citizen staff
Turkeys are usually considered a
subject of conversation only at
Christmas and Thanksgiving. Last
Friday however, Morris Twp. was
the site of an historic event
involving these birds.
On that day 14 wild turkeys were
released resulting in the restoration
of the species to its full historic
county-wide distribution. The
release was part of a program begun
in 1984 to return the bird to its
Ontario habitat.
The wild turkey is native to
Ontario. It disappeared at the turn of
the century due to habitat
destruction and unregulated hunting,
according to Mike Malhiot a
biologist with the Ministry of
N@ Ural Resources.
Attempts to repopulate suitable
habitat with game farm-produced
birds in the 1950s were totally
unsuccessful. From 1984-87, 247
birds were obtained from the United
States and released in six locations
in Ontario.
Malhiot said that the initial release
of wild birds proved they could
thrive. For the past 16 years Ontario
has been able to trap its own birds
for redistribution to their historic
habitat. Over 3,000 birds have been
trapped and redistributed to over 190
sites.
Friday's release involved birds
which had been captured the
previous day in Tennessee and near
Barrie. The capture was made using
bait and rocket-propelled nets.
Southern Ontario's wild turkey
population is now over 35,000. They
occupy approximately 15,000
square mks.
Controlled hunting is now allowed
in several areas where they have
been introduced. Each year
approximately 3,500 birds are taken
and the activities surrounding this
hunt generate $7 million annually.
Friday's release, and the program
in Morris
in general, are the result of a co-
operative partnership among several
groups according to Malhiot.
The Ministry of Natural
Resources, the National Wild Turkey
Federation Canada, and its american
counter-part, and the Ontario
Federation of Anglers and Hunters
have all been involved.
The Huron Stewardship Council
donated busing cost to enable
several classes from Brussels Public
School, Grey Central School and
Seaforth Public School to assist with
the release. The students were joined
by members of the stewardship
council, Huron Perth Wild Turkey
Association, and representatives of
several of the programs American
partners for the event.
The ministry has asked the public
to report any sightings of the birds as
they may move up to 15 miles in a
year. These sighting reports are
valuable in monitoring the survival
of these birds and their dispersal to
new areas.
Who will
be the
sole
survivor?
The Citizen is looking for its very
own survivor and you, the readers,
are going to be the tribal council.
Eight local citizens have agreed to
brave . our imaginary desert island
and Citizen readers will decide who
gets voted off the island.
It's all in good fun of course and
no one. will have to eat a rat. But at
the end the lucky survivor will have
$500 to donate to their favorite
charity, courtesy of the newspaper's
advertisers.
Starting next week eight of your
friends and neighbours will be
meeting the 'challenges' posed by
questions from this newspaper. Each
week readers will be able to fill out a
ballot from the newspaper to
determine who gets sent back to
civilization.
To ensure that the biggest
photocopier doesn't win, each ballot
must be an original from the
newspaper. However, you may enter
as many times as you have ballots.
All the ballots will be saved and
after the 'survivor' has been chosen a
name will be drawn from the ballots
for a survivors-party-pack.
Next week we will introduce the
castaways and provide the first
answers and the name of their
favourite charity. After that it will be
eight weeks of challenges until the
final survivor is chosen.
Grey bus
issue
resolved
The Avon Maitland District
School Board and the Huron East
council seem to have found
something they can agree upon.
Council would like to see
Elizabeth Smith's young daughter
picked up by the school bus at the
end of her laneway. The school
board has decided that she will be.
The board had previously
informed Smith that the service
would only be available during
periods of dry weather. This was
due to the no-winter-maintenance
designation of one of the roads on
the board's preferred route.
Smith's cause was taken up by
Grey ward councillor Graeme
MacDonald. A meeting was held on
Jan. 11 with MacDonald, Councillor
Sharon McClure and Dennis Harris
who is responsible for managing the
board's busing.
Although it was not immediately
apparent this meeting seems to have
succeeded in breaking the impasse.
Early last week the board issued a
letter informing Smith that her
daughter would now be reLularly
picked up at the end of her !alt.!.
MacDonald said that although he
still has issues with the board he
was happy to offer them his thanks.