HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-08-01, Page 13 (2)•
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Nattaiits 'interpret` Pineryfor campers'
"On the twelfth day of hiking,
my naturalist showed to me -
twelve loads a -twitching, eleven
lizards leaping, fen tourists ten-
ting, nine naturalists napping,
eight alewives rotting, seven
snappers snapping, six skunks a -
stinking, five vultures retching,
four furry beavers, three
freshwater clams, two mating
birds and a terminal case of
poison ivy."
That's the theme song of
the naturalists on staff at
Pinery Provincial Park.
Head naturalist Terry Crabe
says that the song is pretty
well self-explanatory but he
adds that the eight alewives
rotting is a "June joke."
Each year in June small fish
called alewives die and wash
up on the Pinery beaches to
rot.It's a natural.occurrence,
cif,
PEACE AND QUIET=A canoe tripalong the old Ausable River is an excellent way to see the flora and fauna of the Piner.Park.
Mmes Advocate
rji
Page 1 A
but not really the kind of
thing that a park naturalist
would point out.
Despite the songs and the
jokes, the naturalists take
their work at the Pinery
seriously. They sometimes
call themselves "Inter-
preters" in the 6,000 acre
park.
Terry Crabe and Case
Vandenbygaart are full-
time, year round naturalists.
There are four people
working on the, interpretive
staff during the summer,
and two students leading a
program for children. As
well, they have an audio
visual technician and a
secretary. •
Crabesay$ that their fob is
to "provide peopie with an
opportunity to gain un-
derstanding of natural and
cultural features of . the
park."
Crabe goes on to say that
the naturalists let people
enjoy the features of the
park, but protect them at the
same time. They also try to
explain park regulations and
policies to the public.
They have several
ID)
J11
AUGUST 1, 1979
Price Per Copy 25 Cents
Sewer installation ahead of plan
Sewer installation in
Grand Bend is progressing
ahead of schedule, according
to engineer Clive Cresswell.
Cresswell says that the main
line is moving down Elm-
wood Avenue. and the health '
service connections are close
behind on Woodward
Avenue.
Labour Day was the date
set for_ the completion of the
installation on the streets
north of Main Street.
Workers now predict that
they will be finished that
area well before Labour
Day. Cresswell speculates
that the crews will work on
restoration on those streets
Two accidents
in Iinxed.spot
'Two accidents occurred
within four hours of each
other at the same location
inside Pinery Provincial
Park Saturday. Provincial
Constable W.B. Scott of the
Pinery OPP detachment
investigated both accidents.
A car driven by Douglas
Janson of London collided
with a car driven by Joseph
Behan_ of Southfield,
'Michigan. There were no
injuries and damage was
estimated at $1400.
Just four hours later a
vehicle driven byJerryRuelle
of Dearborn, Michigan was
in collision with a car driven
by Michael Nowc of St. Clair
Shores, Michigan. Again
there were no injuries but
damage was estimated_ at
$1550.
Pinery OPP detachment
laid 41 charges under the
highway traffic act during
the week of July 22 to July 28.
Twelve people were charged
under the liquor licence act.
and 27 under the provincial
parks act.
Grand Bend detachment of
the Ontario Provincial
Police reported a fairly quiet
week. They laid about 40
charges under the liquor
licence act. and handled a
few noise complaints They
located one missing person,
and found the driver of a car
involved in a hit and run
accident. A car parlld in
front of the Village Inn was
damaged at about $200 in
that accident.
before they start on Main
Street after Labour Day.
Cresswell says they are
having no problem getting
the streets vibrated, packed
and covered with gravel
after. the pipes are laid.
Early in April, crews were
having difficulty with sand
compaction. but now they
understand how to replace
the sand.
Cresswell is an engineer
with Dillon consulting firm.
Sandercock construction is
putting the sewers in.
Village Clerk Louise
Clipperton says that there
have been very few com=
plaints about the sewer
work. Only eight people have
approached her with dif-
ficulties since the sewer
work began. "And all of
these were resolved before
they came before the
monthly sewer liaison
committee meeting," she
says.
Cresswell says he has
been impressed with the co-
operation from the residents
and cottagers in the village.
Many of them have been
very friendly. and have
stopped to ask him questions
about the work. he says.
Cresswell says that people
will stand and watch the big
machinery in action. The
constructsg provides en-
rtainment Tor older people
d children. he says.
•CHECKINIGIT OUT—Construction worker Bob Alton of Sarnia stops work to look over the
sewer in3tallation progress in Grond Bend. T•A photo
He s"ys he has received
very few complaints and in
most cases it's just because
the restoration work hasn't
yet been done. The com-
plaints are usually about
brt5ken fences or .hedges,gjte
says.
Cresswell says the only
time they fiaven't received
full co-operation is when
week end visitors remove
barricades and park their
cars on streets which have
not _yet been properly
compacted. The visitors
sometimes find themselves.
stuck in loose sand, he says.
7larv's
insisifigs
BY MARY ALDERSON
Well, it's that time of year
again --you see them
gathering at picnic tables in
parks. It's time for family
reunions. Bah. Humbug!
There are two kinds of
people who like family
picnics -kids. and parents. I
have reached the in-between
age where I fit neither
category.
Kids like family picnics
because there are always
contests and races organized
for them. When I was a kid, I
thought I liked them. Now 1
can't understand why,
because 1 never won any of
those races. They always put
kids in categories by age
when it should have, been
height. My legs were usually
several inches shorter than
my so-called peers.
But on the other hand,
short legs were ad-
vantageous in the peanut
scramble. And the prize for
that was a handful of peanuts
which was better than the
plastic sand bucket they
gave as first prize in the
race.
It was always bad when
they held the races before
the peanut scramble because
then the kids who won
buckets could fill them.with
peanuts.
Parents like family
reunions because it gives
them the opportunity to brag
about their wonderful
family. You hear all about
cousin Freddie who
graduated from university
on the dean's honor list, and
now has a wonderful job in
Ottawa as assistant to the
assistant, to the . deputy
isler on Parliament Hill.
Later yotk...learn from an
acquaintance who was in
good old Freddie's class at
school that he barely
scraped through third year
and now he's on a govern-
ment make-work project.
But in the meantime at the
family reunion Auntie Dottie
has your mother bothered
because you can't top cousin
Freddie's achievements.
Have you ever noticed that
at family reunions nobody
knows your name? Even
though I carefully pin on the
name tag that reads "Hello,
my name is Mary" I'm still
called "Hazel's youngest"
all day. That's if. It's a
reunion of my mother's
relatives. If it's my Dad's
clan that's gathering, I'm
labelled- "Bill's baby". And
that's at age 24.
Family reunions.are also a
time to "welcome" new
members into the family. I
mis ` this year's big picnic
bees se 1 was away on my
honeymoon. 1 can hardly
wait until next year when I
get to introduce my new
husband to all the relatives.
Can you imagine telling a
group of great uncles who
have never been anything
but farmers that you've
married a hairdresser? I
might as well tell them that
I've married Mork from
Ork; he'll be as foreign to
them.
• After the introductions the
judging will begin. All the
relatives will size up the new
spouse to see if you've "done
alright." And of course, the
next most important
question to "What does he do
for a living?" is ''How much ,
does he make?'
Eventually he will be
asked if he'd like a second
glass of Kool-Aid, and then
he's accepted into the flock.
And you know for sure he's
alright when U ncle.Herb, the,
geneologist, pencils him in
on a far limb of the family
tree.
And then when they've
decided your husband is
alright. they begin to
question you or, wren you'll
be putting new little bran-
ches on the family tree.
"Naha'."` you laugh, "It took
ten years of dating before we -
got married --kids will take
another ten years." And the
great . uncles - shake their
,heads
Sb there you are -too old
for the pea ut.scr'"t"~s.7
too young to I tag erc,ev
kids. .For the in-betweeners
family reunions are boring.
There is. however, one big
redeeming feature. The food- t
-all those home made
delicacies that taste so much
better out doors at a picnic
table make talking to p
relatives worthwhile. Aunt n
Marg a ays brings
delici potato salad, and n
somebody's Grandma bakes e
perfect pies. There's usually i
watermelon, and blueberry
cheescake, and crisp fried
chicken, and creamy cole
slaw, and chocolate
brownies, and home made
dill pickles, and fresh
tomatoes, and baked beans, c
and...
programs which enable
them to speak to the cam-
pers. Leading hikes is of
course the easiest way for
them to get their message
across. -
There are several trails in
the park on which the
naturalists lead hikes. Some
take the tourists through, the
park's beautiful sand dunes.
Others run along . the old
Ausable river bed and
feature entirely different
kinds of vegetation and
small animals. The trails are
covered with wood shavings
to protect them from eroding
under the many feet.
The first thing that the
naturalists point out when
they take a group of campers
out for a hike is poison ivy.
The three -leafed plant gives
off an oil that makes many
people break out in a rash
and has to be shown to most
visitors. Preserving the
natural environment is of
utmost importance in the
Pinery and so no attempt is
made to kill poison ivy. The
plant is found in all areas of
the park.
Crabe explains that there
is no select spray that just
kills poison ivy -any weed
killer used would destroy all
other vegetation in the park.
If poison ivy is cut with a
mower it just spreads the oil`
around and makes it that
much easier for people to
catch. "
Poison ivy is also vital to
the sand dune formation, and
without it there could be an
erosion problem, Crabe
says. He adds that the deer
eat the poison ivy and the
berries on it provide food for
- many other animals• The
best advice the naturalists
can give to someone who
knows they have come in
contact with the plant is to
carefully wash with soap and
water.
Because it's a natural
environment park, they
don't spray for bugs either.
However,• Crabe says they
have never really had a
problem with insects.
There are seven different
kinds of oak trees in the
park, Crabe says. This is an
unusual number to have in
one area, but the great
variety in terrains make it
possible.
Many other kinds of rare
vegetation. are protected in
the park. A wild flower
named "bluehearts" is found
in one of their wet meadow
areas. This plant \only
flowers once every seven
years and at present there
are three in flower at the
Pinery. It is so rare that it is
seldom found in ordinary
flower books.
Another unusual plant is
the "blazing star." This
mauve flower, which is
usually found only on - the
prairies, can be seen•along
some of the Pinery's nature
traits.
The trails are also used by
the naturalists to take
campers on bird watching
excursions. The bird hikes
leave early in the morning
and many rare and unusual
birds can be seen.
Canoe hikes are another
means of getting close to
nature in Pinery Park. The
naturalists invite canoeists
to go on a guided trip down
the old river bed from time
to time.
The Nature Display Centre
is se up in the building used
as a ski chalet in the winter
A naturalist is usually there
in the afternoons to show
visitors the exhibits. ' and
answer any questions they
may have on park flora and
fauna.
Snakes. turtles and frogs
call the Nature. Display
Centre home. The hog nose
snake or puff adder can be
seen. and he will perform his
act of playing dead when
visitors get too close
They also have several of
the Pinery's trees and
bushes growing in the
centre. A giant size jig saw
puzzle featuring a
photograph of a deer taken
by Terry Crabe is available
for children to play with in
the centre.
Behind the nature display
entre. the resident artist
es her work. Colleen
Kinohan of Sarnia is spen-
ding the summer sketching
and drawing realistic pic-
ures of plants,, animals and
birds found in the park.
Many of her drawings can
be found in the newsletter
ut out each month by the
aturalists. This little
magazine tells visitors about
ature programs, sports
vents or specific animals or
nsects. -
The children's program is
one of the most popular
events organized by the
naturalists. Summer staff
members Nial Wilson and
Ruth Hawkins lead the
hildren's pragram which is
held each morning except
. Sunday and Monday. Nature
oriented games and crafts
are put on for the children.
Usually a theme such as
flowers or snakes is
followed.
Adults are included in the
evening programs. The top
of a sand dune provides
space for an outdoor theatre
and different events are held
on Wednesday, Friday and
Saturday evenings. Movies
and talks are given along
nature or safety themes.
The interpretive staff
takes time to visit tourists at
their campsites. Again they
try to explain park policy to
the campers and make them
feel welcome.. Sometimes a
giant frog even visits the
campsites to shake hands
with the children. -Frankie
Frog" has been known to
take strolls along the beach
to explain the what's hap-
pening in the children's
program. Sometimes he
even shows up during the
sessions. Underneath the
grean speckled suit is
naturalist Mark Turnbull.
Mark says the frog costume
is popular with children, and
gives him a chance to tell
them about the small
creatures in the park.
Besides helping visitors in
the park, naturalists have
many other duties. At
present. the interpretive
staff is conducting a bird
breeding census. and
studying dune erosion -
control. They are also
keeping a herbarium of
unusual plants in a house
owned by the Ministry of
Natural Resources across
the road from the park.
Keeping the trails in shape is
another part of their job, as
well as developing new
trails. Recently they opened.
the Carolinian trail in the
Burley area of the park. This
trail features shag bark
hickory trees and tulip trees-
-vegetation that is usually
found in southern United
States.
Of course, the job of the
naturalist changes with the
season. This fall they will be
busy preparing the trafls for
cross country skiing.
Crabe says the altitude of
the Ministry of Natural
Resources and the public has
changed over the last 10
years. A few years ago they
were concerned only about
packing as many people as
possible into the park. Now,
he says, they realize the
importance of preserving the
park for future generations
to visit.
On Monday August -6, the
naturalists are planning
some special events. In
honor of the year of the child,
families with youngsters
under the age of 18 will be
given free entrance to all of
Ontario's provincial parks.
That day in the Pinery there
will be a corn roast followed
by a campfire and a
singalong at the Nature
Display Centre.
HIKING—Naturalist Scott Lindsey leads a group on Sun-
day morning hike along Lookout Trail. T -A photo
BIGGER AND BETTER --Frogs in the Pinery ore bigger than ever this year "Frankie", alias
Mork Turnbull hopped on top of o picnic table r T -A photo
:
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:'Pft
r
5;1'
NATURALIST INDOORS—Head of
walks and hikes.
A
the interpretive staff Terry Crabs checks the schedT•Aulephoto for
1